After an incredibly successful debut in 2018, we're back for another round of fun in 2019! Our programming team has selected this year's best genre-mashing and mind-bending short films, with a focus on the smart, creative, moody, and psychological. We are pleased to bring 16 films to Vancouver Island in two programs from all around the world!
Saturday October 19th, 2019
The Vic Theatre
7pm & 9pm
SCREENING ONE
7pm
Through a glass darkly ...
First Bite
A young vampire hunts for her first human victim.
12 minutes • Vancouver, Canada
Directed by Mily Mumford
A writer, filmmaker, theatre creator and scientist based in Vancouver BC. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Victoria, Mily is now pursuing a Master of Science in Interactive Technology at Simon Fraser University where she does work on virtualized health systems for long term space travel. Her production company Nebula focuses on immersive theatre, film and new media with a political, science fiction lens.
Dillon
After a troubled upbringing by a draconian father, Dillon suddenly finds himself living alone and having to invite a stranger into his home. Unable to venture out, he must quickly learn to adapt in order to survive.
11 minutes • London, UK
Directed by Mark Hammill
No, not that Mark Hammill! This one is a filmmaker based in London, UK. He works professionally as an Editor, cutting BAFTA nominated short film SLAP, whilst gaining an MA in Editing from the National Film and Television School. After writing several scripts, and dreaming of one day making a film of his own, he finally decided to take a shot and put his money where his mouth is, self-funding his first venture as a Director in DILLON. After loving every minute of making it, he is eagerly planning his next.
Cut Off
A young woman’s morning is thrown into turmoil when she awakes to find a vital appendage missing from her body.
1 minute • Sydney, Australia
Directed by Ryan Cauchi
An award-winning editor and filmmaker from Sydney, Australia. Following the success of his 2014 debut short film It Grows! (co-directed with Nick Stathopoulos), Cauchi has turned his attention to micro films, unleashing the fifteen-second film If You’re
Happy and You Know It in 2016, which came in at ninth place in the 2017 15-Second Horror Film Challenge.
Hot Anger
Her anger is like a fever. Burdened by her oppressors she battles through the darkest corners of space and its unknown inhabitants. But none more alien than her own consciousness.
5 minutes • Winnipeg, Canada
Directed by Gwen Trutnau
A filmmaker, designer, musician, FX makeup artist, and stylist living in Winnipeg, Canada. Gwen’s existence is comprised of designing original clothing and accessories, fabricating prosthetics, making Super 8 films and playing analog musical equipment. She dabbles in ancient mysticism, vintage synthesizers, street style, horror films, heavy music, and subculture.
Guest House
While on a weekend getaway, young couple Ged and Amy play a game called mirror mirror, resulting in supernatural consequences.
10 minutes • Dublin, Ireland
Directed by Dave Thorpe
Dave Thorpe is an award winning Irish writer, director and editor. He has directed numerous horror short films and his sci-fi short Leap of Faith recently sold to HBO Europe.
Litla Hraun (Little Rock)
After his mother’s funeral, a grief-stricken son travels to her old cabin up in the mountains to clear his mind and finish fixing it up, but in doing so he unknowingly starts to uncover some ancient hidden secrets.
15 minutes • Snæfellsjökull, Iceland
Directed by Ólöf B. Torfa
An Icelandic writer and director, Ólöf graduated from the Icelandic Film School in the spring 2016 and her graduation film Last Summer went on to several festivals all over the world and won Best Foreign Comedy at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. She has just finished shooting her first feature film which will premiere in icelandic theatres in 2020.
Blossom
"He said that he would dance with me if I brought him red roses,' 'but in all my garden there is no red rose.'
Bride at The Nightingale, Rose will be ready for any sacrifice to dance with Bluebeard ...
(Freely adapted from the tale: The Nightingale and The Rose by Oscar Wilde)
8 minutes • Paris, France
Directed by Natacha Thomas
After a degree in movie art at the university of Montpellier and a master of Information and Communication at the University of Toulouse, Natacha Thomas began her career in audiovisual as a press attaché for various directors and production companies mainly in fantasy and horror cinema. Her first film RED TALE (2017) was selected in over 70 festivals, followed by BLOSSOM (2018), and she is currently working on the next and final short of the Dark Fairy Tale trilogy SAUDADE.
Non è vero (It is not true)
A small girl is bored while staying alone with her busy Grandpa in his house. She tries in any possible way to grab his attention, but then something goes wrong...
7 minutes • Kyiv, Ukraine
Directed by Sergiy Pudich
A Ukrainian film director who always tries new techniques to tell stories in extraordinary ways. In 2010 he won a student video contest, after which Sergiy become full-time filmmaker and founded his video production studio EasyLiving Films. In 2016 and 2017 he was named Director of the Year in the Creative Youth of Odessa Awards.
Lay Them Straight
A teenage girl battling obsessive compulsive disorder has to run the gamut of school bullies every day, until a traumatic event convinces her that her disorder may be an indication of supernatural powers.
10 minutes • Toronto, Canada
Directed by Robert DeLeskie
Toronto-based filmmaker and award-winning director of TV commercials and short films. His work includes a number of unique and innovative short films that have been broadcast internationally and played at festivals around the world, including Jack in the Box, The Runner, and A Day at the Office.
SCREENING TWO
9pm
How do we know the things we know are real, and what is real anyway ...
Noche de Suerte (A Stroke of Luck)
Martin's stroke of luck takes an uncanny turn when he runs into a mysterious woman in an ancient hotel.
13 minutes • Buenos Aires, Argentina
Directed by Antonia Baudouin
A director, screenwriter and actress living between Brazil and Argentina, working mainly in São Paulo. Antonia is the screenwriter of the feature film The Horla, selected to the screenplay lab of the Festival Varilux de Cinema Francês in 2017. She also wrote the feature film Cora with Mauricio Bouzon, and wrote and directed the short Beatriz, selected to the Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Festival. As an actress she appears in Just Like our Parents, Toc, and the HBO series Psi.
Chateau Sauvignon: terroir
A gruesome coming of age story about a vintner son's disobedience and desire to care for his ailing mother.
13 minutes • Brooklyn, USA
Directed by D.M. Night Maire
An alumnus of the NYU: Tisch School of the Arts, earning his BA with Honors with a focus on Directing, and Minors in Psychology and Producing for Film & TV. His passion for directing led him to pursue a Masters in Directing at the School of Visual Arts under famed music video and commercial director Bob Giraldi. He has garnered hundreds of laurels and awards for his short films and music videos, including Cleveland International Film Festival and Urbanworld Film Festival, and he has produced content for Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.
Twig
A woman goes on a desperate search that will take her beyond the boundaries of our world.
5 minutes • Sydney, Australia
Directed by Adrian Nugent
A Sydney-based director who grew up on a steady diet of horror movies and creature
features. Twig is Adrian's directorial debut.
A Triste Figura (A Sad Figure)
Maria is the daughter of an evangelical pastor full of secrets. One night, father and daughter are followed by a strange hooded figure.
18 minutes • Salvador, Brazil
Directed by Calebe Lopes
A part of the Olho de Vidro Produções as a director, screenwriter and editor, Calebe has directed short films such as The University (2017), and creened at dozens of film festivals in various countries. He has also been working as a film critic for over 10 years, and since 2018 has had a blog about cinema which includes textual essays and interviews with directors and critics.
Souvenir
Bea and her baby have just moved into their new home when they unexpectedly receive a package. It is a gift from someone very close.
12 minutes • Valencia, Spain
Directed by Luis Ortí
A graduate of cinematography from the film school of Valencia (Nucine), Luis directed several short films as a student. After finishing his studies, in 2016 he co-produced with Vórtice media productions the short film Cacería 3553, with a fortnight of national and international selections and some awards. In 2017 he finished his second short film El rebaño, garnering thirty national and international selections and five awards.
Noctámbulos (Night Owls)
In the middle of the night, a group of teenagers practice skateboarding without noticing that somebody is watching them from the shadows. One of the girls separates from the group to return home through the lonely streets of the city. But someone is following her...
9 minutes • Canary Islands, Spain
Directed by Romén Rivero
Without specific studies in cinema, Romén read all filmmaking books he could get his hands on and watched DVD special features instead. He is passionate about fantasy and horror genres since childhood and has written, produced, and directed the indie shorts Volver a Casa (Coming Home), Thánatos, and Noctámbulos (Night Owls), a horror neo-noir tribute to the 80's cult classics. Shot with a $500 budget, DSLR camera and no crew, Noctámbulos has won 10 international awards including Best Foreign Language Short at the Hollywood Horrorfest 2019 in Los Angeles. Currently he's working on his feature debut Night Birds, which expands the Noctámbulos story.
Giltrude's Dwelling
Orphaned at the age of eleven, Giltrude, an interdimensional shut-in, has waited fifteen years for her parents to come home. When a life or death dilemma comes knocking, she must look beyond her front door and learn to face the outside universe.
14 minutes • Victoria, Canada
Directed by Jeremy Lutter
Measuring in at six feet seven inches tall, Jeremy understands the benefit of standing out in a crowd. He grew up on an island on the West Coast of Canada and studied Creative Writing at University of Victoria. He has lead a dramatic life full of tragedy, surprises and heartache, which has informed all of his work. Often featuring broken characters, his films have brought to life a robot best friend, a vicious changeling, and a monster brother to name a few.
Past screenings:
Shock Therapy sponsors:
CineVic gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance and support of Canada Council for the Arts, Province of British Columbia, British Columbia Arts Council, and the CRD Arts Development Service.
