❗ Trigger/content warning: blood, death, animal cruelty, violence, murder
"Friday, the 13th" is a horror short film program, a captivating journey into the depths of human experience, where themes of loneliness, identity, and transformation are brought to life through a variety of imaginative narratives. From tales of eerie relationships and internal struggles to poignant reflections on prejudice and care, these films weave together a rich tapestry of experiences that will leave audiences contemplating the darker corners of the human psyche.
TRANSYLVANIE
Director: Huart Rodrigue
Country: France
Duration: 15
Ewa is a 10-year-old girl living in a high building in a quiet town. She's an odd, lonely child and for good reason: she's convinced of being a vampire. Fascinated by Hugo, 15, she dreams of turning him into a vampire too, so that she can overcome her loneliness.
SHÉ (SNAKE)
Director: Renee Zhan
Country: UK
Duration: 15
Fei, a 16 year old British-Chinese girl, is the top violinist in an elite London youth orchestra. When another Chinese violinist arrives to challenge her place in the orchestra, Fei’s anxieties and internalized racism grow to take monstrous physical form. They whisper to her, urging her to be the best, no matter the cost.
THE LOVERS
Director: Carolina Sandvik
Country: Sweden
Duration: 12
A man and a woman are having a candlelit dinner at a restaurant. All of a sudden the man's appearance begins to change. The Lovers is a stop motion relationship horror and unromantic comedy about a couple forced to deal with escalating bodily transformations.
FOREIGNERS ONLY
Director: Hymayun Nuhash
Country: India
Duration: 15
A down-on-his-luck tannery manager looking to put a roof over his head keeps getting turned away by the local landlords, who’d rather rent their properties to white-skinned foreigners. Tired of facing such prejudice in his own country, he is eventually forced to get creative in solving the problem.
Spooky Loops
Director: Stas Santimov
Country: Ukraine
Duration: 4
Spooky Loops is a compilation of independent films of 13 ultra-short animated stories about dreams, fears, loneliness, injustice, violence, cruelty, and inhumanity.
DORMANT
Director: Niels Bourgonje
Country: Netherlands
Duration: 9
A man cares for his comatose wife at home. After a transgression, he fears something sinister has awakened in her.