"Dead End": Juan Gil’s Claustrophobic Horror of Family and Guilt
"Dead End" traps a family in a minivan of guilt and grief—Juan Gil’s haunting horror short premieres at FilmQuest 2025.
FilmQuest
Melissa Puente Confronts Childhood Fear in “Shadow Rabbit”
Emmy winner Melissa Puente transforms childhood trauma into haunting horror with "Shadow Rabbit", premiering at FilmQuest 2025.
Parental Fears Come Alive in Michael Berardini’s Animated Horror “Monitor”
Blending hand-drawn 2D and 3D animation, Michael Berardini’s “Monitor” turns early parenthood anxieties into haunting, heartfelt horror.
Matthew Scheffler’s “The Traveler”: Confronting Grief and Ghosts at FilmQuest 2025
Peabody winner Matthew Scheffler’s "The Traveler" brings a bold, emotional twist to ghost stories at FilmQuest 2025.
Ghosts Go Viral in “Seance for the ’Gram”
Wannabe influencers summon a real ghost during a live séance gone wrong in this standout FilmQuest 2025 horror-comedy.
“Pearls” Dives into Toxic Masculinity and Grotesque Transformation
At FilmQuest 2025, "Pearls" explores toxic masculinity and wellness culture through grotesque, thought-provoking body horror.
Faith Liu’s “Sundowning”: A Horror-With-Heart Tribute to Aging and Resilience
Faith Liu’s "Sundowning" blends humor, heart, and horror to honor aging and resilience in a touching FilmQuest 2025 selection.
Mark Reyes Illuminates the Dark with "The Nightwalker"
Crafted entirely from home using free digital tools, "The Nightwalker" blends mixed media and world-building to illuminate resilience, hope, and the warrior spirit within.
Stop-Motion Meets Sci-Fi Horror in James Smith’s "Cosmic Crash"
James Smith’s stop-motion short "Cosmic Crash" fuses sci-fi horror and dark comedy through the eyes of an alien invader—crafted with discipline, imagination, and a DIY spirit that defines independent filmmaking.
Through Alien Eyes: Dylan Powers’ “Observer” Reimagines Sci-Fi at FilmQuest 2025
At FilmQuest 2025, Dylan Powers fuses first-person gaming and found footage in Observer, a haunting sci-fi experience of memory and isolation.
“Open Wide” Unleashes Psychedelic Chaos and Female Rebellion at FilmQuest
At FilmQuest 2025, Lara Repko’s “Open Wide” fuses horror, humor, and hallucinatory color to explore the messy beauty of female desire, boundaries, and self-liberation.
David Labajos Sáez’s “Simón” Blurs Game and God at FilmQuest
Blending video game nostalgia with simulation theory, David Labajos Sáez’s sci-fi short “Simón” challenges faith, free will, and the limits of indie filmmaking at FilmQuest 2025.
Neon Futures and Fierce Freedom: Layne Marie Williams’ "Wizdom" Electrifies FilmQuest
Layne Marie Williams’ "Wizdom" turns Chicago’s underbelly into a neon-fueled rebellion, where bionic freedom meets indie ingenuity and humanity still shines through.
Brewing Horror and Humor: Jake Myers on “Kombucha” at FilmQuest
Jake Myers blends body horror and workplace satire in “Kombucha,” a grotesque yet darkly funny dive into creative anxiety and corporate dread.
Steven Schloss Illuminates Hanukkah Horror with “Gimme” at FilmQuest
In “Gimme,” Steven Schloss fuses Jewish culture with cosmic horror, creating the Hanukkah film he wished existed as a kid.
Bobby Roe Turns Up Terror with “Will Helm” at FilmQuest 2025
Bobby Roe’s meta horror short “Will Helm” traps audiences in a 1994 sound booth where fiction and fear collide, blending practical gore, meta storytelling, and a chilling performance by Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills.