This time around, we’ve only one full-length film, an indie called “No Choice” (2025), which has just been released. Other than that, we’re focusing on a whole bunch of new short films. This week, the Palm Springs International ShortFest happened, with 311 short films from 64 countries. We’ve watched all the ones that are horror or horror-adjacent and brought them here for you.
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Mainstream Films:
2025 No Choice
Directed by: Nate Hilgartner
Written by: Nate Hilgartner
Stars: Hannah Deale, Jennifer Herzog, Robert Denzel Edwards
Run Time: 1 Hour, 35 Minutes
Trailer:
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
The horror elements in this one are those in the real world. A character who is trapped, stressed beyond limits, beaten down at every turn, and having nightmares. It’s low budget, but the acting, direction, and camera work more than compensate. Don’t expect classic horror, but we’d recommend it for a good drama.
Spoilery Synopsis
Amy’s having a dream where she finds twenty bucks and a pill. She wakes up to find her life isn’t so interesting. She listens to the man on the radio rant about abortion. Amy argues with her mother, Debra, about medication; Debra appears to be an addict. Credits roll.
As Amy rides her bike to work, we see that she lives in a rural farming area. We’re told that it’s “Week 0.” She and her coworker Lucas joke and play at the gas station where she works. Boss Randy comes in and chews them out for not wearing name tags; he’s a jerk.
In the morning, Amy goes to her Sociology class and then home to her mother, who’s taken almost the whole bottle of pills. The next night, she flirts with the same customer she met last night. That night, she fantasizes about the guy. The man, Seth, invites her out for real, not long after, and she goes with him. One thing leads to another, and soon they’re having sex in his truck. During the act, the cheap gas-station condom breaks.
Amy has a terrifying dream about things leaking. She Googles “morning after pills,” but they’re pricey and she has no credit card for online purchases. She prays instead. She thinks about it and goes to the drugstore, but a friend of her mother’s works there, so that’s not gonna work. She rides to a pharmacy in the next town over, and she’s a couple of dollars short. That night, she dreams about eggs.
Amy finally gets the money for a morning-after pill and takes it immediately, but it’s been more hours than recommended for the drug to be useful. This leads to more terrifying dreams. Weeks pass.
Amy registers for her next college class, just one at a time. Also, her period is late. She watches videos about “abortion pills” and then starts puking. Yeah, she’s pregnant.
Amy goes to the emergency room with a fake accident, and they know she’s lied on the intake forms about her identity. The doctor is pretty understanding and tells her to go to an OB-GYN, but can’t do much about the pregnancy. She points out that abortion is illegal in this state, but she “doesn’t tell her about” the options in other states.
Lucas covers for Amy at the store, she doesn’t show up, and Lucas ends up getting fired for it.
Debra’s pharmacist friend, who sells her drugs, gets arrested. Amy tells her about the pregnancy, and Debra wants her to have the baby. Debra promises to quit the drugs, starting now, and clean up her act. More nightmares follow.
Amy goes to the OB and sees the baby on the ultrasound. She asks him about abortion, but he is not supportive at all. Debra quickly falls off the wagon, and she gets nasty with Amy about it. Desperate, Amy calls Seth but can’t talk to him.
Debra overdoses, and it’s going to be expensive for the hospital. When she recovers, Amy asks her for help in getting to the next state for an abortion, but she’s too far gone to talk about it.
She calls Seth again and tells him what’s up. He agrees to drive her for an abortion, but Randy won’t give her the time off. He fires her over this. When she gets to Seth’s, he delays and makes her wait. After many hours, it’s too late to go all the way there. He seems like a nice guy, but she dreams about being chained up and trapped. Also, he might be a serial killer. When she has a nightmare about him killing her, she pulls a knife on Seth, who freaks out and drives away, leaving her… wherever she is.
Amy leaves the motel and wanders off into the nearby woods to find the purple weeds she heard about on YouTube. It’s supposed to be an all-natural abortive medication. She goes back to the motel, chops it up, and drinks it. This time, the nightmares are of her covered in mud at the ER. She also sees herself dead of an overdose.
Amy wakes up in the hospital with her mother and everyone else there by her side. The doctor says she’s had a miscarriage. They know she ate the plant to cause the miscarriage, and the police are here to arrest her.
Brian’s Commentary
Some people’s lives just suck, ya know? The filmmakers are trying to show how the difficulty in getting an abortion (or it being just plain illegal) can ruin lives. Pregnancy is one thing, but it looks like Amy’s problems are more related to drug addiction and poverty.
It’s pretty low-key horror unless you can specifically relate to the situation. Other than the basic premise, all the horror elements appear within the many dream sequences.
The acting is very good, it doesn’t get boring, and it’s obviously a very realistic situation.
Kevin’s Commentary
This was painfully realistic. With the horror in the situation she was stuck in and the nightmares she was having. No wonder she was having bad dreams. And that closing scene where everyone who “cares” about her was gathered in the hospital room gets you right in the feels. The acting was very good all around, and they made the most of a low budget. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone looking for a traditional horror movie, but it was a good watch.
Short Films:
2024 Short Film Blood Waters
Directed by: Stephen Robinson
Stars: Samuel Davis, Heather Kafka
Run Time: 9 Minutes
Watch it:
What Happens
A man watches the news while cleaning his gun. He hears the bell; his sick mother is calling. She looks at his gun, and she wants to use it.
The man pulls a box of chains out from under the bed as her skin starts to bubble and change. He gets her all chained up, and she tells him not to be scared…
Commentary
That’s quite some family tree they’ve got.
Early on, I was thinking she was a werewolf, but that’s not it. I don’t know what that thing was, but it was really cool-looking, and the surprises just kept on coming.
2024 Short Film Haaw
Directed by: Joey Scoma
Written by: Joey Scoma
Stars: Ben Gigli, Joey Scoma, Kelsey Gunn
Run Time: 12 Minutes
Watch it: Not Yet. On the festival circuit!”
What Happens
We open on an isolated ski-lift. Ray and Ax, the skiers, appear to be very serious about the trip. Halfway up the hill, the two men notice someone very strange in the cable car with them. All they say is, “Haaw!” Are they serious, or aren’t they?
Commentary
Just goes to show you how awkward some rideshares can be.
The masks are cheesy and kinda dumb-looking, but as the story progresses, it gets more and more tense, and we forget about that. It’s quite a ride!
Haaw!
2024 Short Film Playing God
Directed by: Matteo Burani
Written by: Matteo Burani, Gianmarco Valentino
Stars: Animated by Arianna Gheller
Run Time: 9 Minutes
Watch it: Nope– still playing at the festivals
What Happens
An animator creates miniatures for a stop-motion film. He tries hard to bring his characters to life, but he’s not gentle. What happens to old stop-motion models? We soon find out…
Commentary
Well, that was really something!
It’s animated via stop-motion, and it’s really well done. There’s no dialogue, just a bunch of clay figures doing what clay figures do– live in fear.
It looks great, it’s well paced, and it’s got a very interesting concept. It’s very disturbing– what happens when your god abandons you?
2024 Short Film Rata
Directed by: Giselle Bonilla
Written by: Giselle Bonilla
Stars: Alani Waters, Emil DeRosa, Tina D’Marco
Run Time: 16 Minutes
Watch it: [Still on the festival circuit!]
What Happens
A woman comes home from work and hears a strange noise somewhere in the apartment. She searches around and finds a rat in a trap. This rat, however, is as big as she is, and it wants out of that trap. She lets it loose but then starts to find rat droppings all over the building. That’s only the beginning…
Commentary
The moral seems to be if you let a rat out of the trap, don’t tell the landlady. No one wants to rent to a “rat activist!”
That’s quite a costume, reminiscent of “Screamboat Willie.” Sometimes, a good pet is way better than a boyfriend anyway!
2024 Short Film Stomach Bug
Directed by: Matty Crawford
Written by: Matty Crawford
Stars: Leslie Ching, Prasanna Sellathurai, Alice Thomas
Run Time: 15 Minutes
Watch it: [Still on the festival circuit]
What Happens
A man goes to the doctor with a stomach bug. The doctor says it’s nothing to worry about at all. He tries to call his daughter, but all he gets is a voicemail. He gets through to her later, and she’s out with friends. He’s just lonely and wants to talk, but she says they just spoke yesterday. She’s been offered a job that’ll take her away for the whole summer, but he’s not happy about that. Meanwhile, his stomach is growing larger and larger…
Commentary
I had an idea where this was going to go, and I was right on the (belly)button with that. When the children grow up, they need their space; sometimes the “empty nest” doesn’t stay that way long. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of how hard you want a thing, right?
It looks good, the acting is well done, and the story is just plain weird. I liked it a lot!
2024 Short Film The Beguiling
Directed by: ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby
Written by: ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby
Stars: Benairen Kane, Kim Savarino
Run Time: 15 Minutes
Watch it: [Not yet, still on the festival circuit!]
What Happens
Two young people are out on a date; she never gets to hang out with other natives, and really likes it. She invites him inside “for coffee” and they talk about colonization and genocide. He’s from the Anishinaabe, and she’s fascinated by his culture.
She seems very political, but he doesn’t say much; he’s got other things on his mind. Still, she eventually manages to get him to open up about his family…
Commentary
It’s interesting to hear about the native boarding schools in a horror film. Some real stories are worse than fiction. Then again, if they’re stolen stories, that might be worse still.
I figured one or the other of these two would not be what we thought, but this one took a turn about halfway through that I was not expecting.
That song at the end is something else, too.
2025 Short Film Channelvue
Directed by: Brandon Tauszik
Written by: Joe Veix
Stars: Lauren Servideo, Kacy Anne, Faith Barrett
Run Time: 8 Minutes
Watch it: Still on the festival circuit.
What Happens
We watch videotape footage from 1998. There are various strange commercials on the “TV Guide” channel with program descriptions appearing underneath. If you know, you know. There’s a news story about “The Tooth Fairies,” a strange gang that steals teeth. The weather report comes up next.
Suddenly, we are told that hackers have attacked the station, and may be listing things that are wrong and probably offensive.
Commentary
I want to see some of those shows on the menu. “Emeril’s in Jail,” “The Great Onion Threat,” “Music to my Beers,” “El Bano del Amor,” and dozens of others.
If you don’t want to see this, go watch some more Burger Barn commercials - one of the strange ads here.
It’s not terribly horrific (more of a dark comedy), unless you’re a studio exec, but it’s still weird and pretty fun.
2025 Short Film Dad Doll
Directed by: Kyle Kenyon
Written by: Kyle Kenyon
Stars: Lyndsey Frank, Nina Concepcion, Jesse Bush, Geoff Ross
Run Time: 10 Minutes
Watch it: Not yet, still on the festival circuit.
What Happens
We watch a commercial about what to do if your father abandons you. You could buy a “Dad doll.” It’s like your dad never left! It also works for dead Dads! We watch old videotape footage of family fights. Aren’t dads great?
We pull out and see a man calling to order a dad. It looks nothing like the one in the commercial, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy.
Commentary
People actually watched the Transporter movies? Who knew?
The initial commercial is a bit much, but once we get to the man and his father doll, it gets much more interesting. We get the commercial, the story with the young man, and then it all gets a little meta as we continue on with the filmmaker.
It’s very weird. Nice!
2025 Short Film Don’t Try This in the Woods
Directed by: Emma Doxiadi
Written by: Stergios Dinopoulos, Emma Doxiadi
Stars: Mary Mina, Niki Papandreou
Run Time: 15:40
Watch it: Still on the Festival Circuit
What Happens
Two people are in the woods. “Is it human?” asks one. “No,” answers the other. “Is it an animal?” “Sometimes.” Daphne, the guide, talks about learning to respect the forest and its ancient guardians.
Some people just don’t respect the forest or listen to the experts. Some people are gonna pay…
Commentary
If the guide says the berries aren’t edible, then don’t try one!
We didn’t know where this was going, as it was a little slow and meandering for a bit. This is beautifully filmed in the woods, and the sound is well done as well, not easy to do outside. It’s not hard to guess what the outcome is going to be, but it’s well done.
2025 Short Film Gaslit
Directed by: Anna Maclean
Written by: Anna Maclean
Stars: Kirstin Howell, Bob Mann, Peter Lund
Run Time: 11 Minutes
Watch it: [Not yet– on the festival circuit!]
What Happens
A woman is cooking in the kitchen, and she cuts the cheese as credits roll.
The woman and Ed watch TV, and she texts him something by mistake. She manages to cover up what she really meant, but only barely. She goes to get another drink, and Ed makes a face– she made a stinker; she “dusted him.” Yes, she cut the cheese again, the other kind. She denies it, though. Better yet, she has a way to prove she didn’t fart…
Commentary
What lengths would you go to cover up letting one rip?
These two obviously don’t much care for each other, but they still try to salvage the evening, over and over, at least until they don’t anymore.
Wow– that was one bad date!
The acting is great, the pacing is good, but the last half of the film was almost too dark to really see what was going on.
2025 Short Film Interloper
Directed by: Kerry O’Neill
Written by: Kerry O’Neill
Stars: Ryan Simpkins, Chloe East, Whitney Rice
Run Time: 16:28
Watch it: Not yet– still on the festival circuit!
What Happens
Ruby hides in her room. She’s done something and angered the other people in the house. “They’re gonna have to find you another placement.” Ruby’s in the foster care system and goes to a new house and meets a new family.
The new family seems normal enough. The daughter, Genevieve, gets $40 from the father to go out. Ruby looks at the things in Genevieve’s room while she’s away.
Time passes, and Ruby seems to like the new family. What could go wrong?
Commentary
It’s rough trying to fit in with a new group, even worse with a whole new family. The coach compared the basketball team to a bunch of wolves, and there can be only one alpha in the pack. Ruby’s not especially subtle, either.
Calling it “horror” might be a stretch, but it’s very good.
2025 Short Film Plague Season
AKA “Época de Plagas”
Directed by: Gabriela Calvache
Written by: Gabriela Calvache, Daniela Granja Nunez
Stars: Christian Soria Cabrere, Samantha Villareal, Lema Mercy G
Run Time: 18:52
Watch it: Not yet– still on the festival circuit
What Happens
A girl wakes up and wanders around the house. There’s plastic over all the windows and doors, and she puts on an odd filter mask before knocking on her mother’s door. Her father makes her stop, he’s told her not to go in there. “It’s for your own good.”
We heard about problems with radioactive waste on the radio. He needs to go out for a while to get food, and he wears one of those same strange masks. The little girl, Emily, misses her mother, but her father will not let her open the door to be with her.
Suddenly, a flying insect comes through the room, and Emily’s father squashes it. When he finds out that Emily has opened the window, he’s very angry.
What’s going on here?
Commentary
Those masks are pretty cool, sort of a modern-day take on the old plague doctor masks.
It’s pretty obvious that Emily’s going to get in through that door eventually, but the suspense is wondering what she’s going to find on the other side. I was expecting zombies.
It was not zombies. This is very claustrophobic, all taking place within the apartment, but we see a plague-ravaged world outside with no real explanation of what happened.
Very entertaining!
2025 Short Film Whitch
Directed by: Hoku Uchiyama
Written by: Hoku Uchiyama
Stars: Rosemary Hochschild, Alicia Blasingame, Nora Harriet
Run Time: 5 Minutes
Watch it: [Still on the festival circuit!]
What Happens
A mother reads a bedtime story to her daughter and then goes out to find a strange old woman in her living room. She apologizes for being late, “but clearly, I’m ahead of some. Where’s your animal?” The old woman strips naked and then kills a rabbit with a knife.
What is going on here?
Commentary
This one goes from zero to a hundred fast. That ending though… wow. How embarrassing! “Again, Gladys?”
This is really fantastic. It’s always clear what exactly is going on, the characters are relatable, and the situation is… magical.
2025 Short Film The Bride’s Curse
Directed by: Alex Kavutskiy, J. Rose
Written by: Alex Kavutskiy, J. Rose
Stars: A. Karpocsky, T. Newton, B. Dias, A. Seregina, O-Lan Jones
Run Time: 20:08
Watch it: Not yet– Still on the festival circuit
What Happens
The newlywed bride asks Sasha if he’ll always be honest with her. After they have sex, she has to tell him something. She tells him about an old Russian curse from hundreds of years ago.
The curse is that the women in the family are doomed to marry liars, and if the man lies to the woman three times, they will die.
He wants to test it. What could go wrong?
Commentary
Surprisingly, the old Russian curse is real. Maybe she could have said something before they got married? A normal, honest marriage doesn’t sound that hard, does it? Does it?
It’s very nicely paced, well-acted, and very funny.
All were from https://www.psfilmfest.org/shortfest-2025
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