2 hours
Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy, Experimental, Underground, Animation, Music
BUY TICKETS
A Night of Horror International Film Festival and MidWest WeirdFest are proud to present a collaborative program! Prepare to indulge in a weird and bloody crop of short films - made in the speculative and underground genres - by filmmakers based in the Midwest.
G’ITIS BAGGS - COUNTRY SOUL
Dir: Nick Rohr /Illinois/4:13 min
Encroaching industrialization disrupts the idyllic horizons a farmer’s wife uses as a painting reference.
THE VOICE IN THE VESSEL
Dir: Daniel Wheeler/Wisconsin/10:04 min
A grieving father discovers a coin-operated automaton capable of channeling otherworldly voices, leading to a tense journey through guilt, redemption, and consequence.
THE STAY
Dir: Jason Ewert/Minnesota/9:59min
Alone with a deadline, a tormented illustrator unravels—becoming a beacon for evil.
THE GIRL IN THE STREET
Dir: Chris Paicely & Miles August/Illinois/17:04 min
After receiving a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity, Malachi leaves his dying younger sister behind to move to a remote small town. As Malachi unpacks inside his new house, a bloody and scarred woman in a strange mask appears on the dirt road outside the house, screeching. As the woman’s screams weigh on him in the small, sweltering house, Malachi faces a moral quandary: help the woman or stay safely inside his home. All signs point to the importance of his choosing to do what's good... but what does it cost to be a good person?
SPANKED BY A GHOST
Dir: Katelyn Douglass/Illinois/11:50min
Alone in her home, a woman is spanked by an unseen entity, awakening a force she cannot control.
HOMEMADE GATORADE
Dir: Carter Amelia Davis/Minnesota/14:48 min
A woman embarks on a road trip to deliver homemade Gatorade to a mysterious online buyer.
HYPERBURN
Dir: Travis DuBridge/Michigan/11:37 min
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a comedic, action-packed sci-fi unfolds as our reluctant hero teams up with his newly implanted A.I. companion. Together, they embark on a quest across the unforgiving desert. His first challenge? Find his team. Second? Survive the crippling boredom of the of the endless sand. Third? Face off against a formidable foe.
DRINK UP
Dir: Wenzler Powers/Illinois/15:02min
When Carter, a man celebrating three years of sobriety, loses his job, he’s lured into a mysterious bar offering free drinks in exchange for his recovery chip. But what begins as one drink turns into a nightmarish spiral through time, addiction, and guilt—until he realizes the true cost of trying to drown his demons.
SOCIAL MEDIA DELIVERS PEOPLE
Dir: Brandon Bauer/Wisconsin/2:43min
Social Media Delivers People is a video art piece that critically examines the role of social media in the commodification of users. Drawing inspiration from Richard Serra and Carlotta Schoolman’s 1973 work Television Delivers People, this piece reimagines the critique for the digital age, exposing how social media platforms transform users into products for advertisers. Through a blend of AI spoken text, calm visuals, and bland corporate motivational instrumental music, the video reveals the unseen mechanics of surveillance capitalism—where engagement is monetized, data is harvested, and attention is the ultimate currency. Social Media Delivers People confronts viewers with their own complicity in a system that trades connection for profit. The work serves as both a warning and an invitation to reclaim digital agency, urging audiences to rethink their participation in the social media economy.
TEXAS STRANGE
Dir: Justin Eugene Evans/Wisconsin/9:23min
After two months on a distant planet, John Thurston returns to his ragtag crew of criminals and thieves. He expects a heroes welcome...instead they've held themselves a vote.
GODZILLA VISITS MINNEAPOLIS!
Dir: Steve C. Chappell/Wisconsin/5:27min
Everyone has heard of the famous city of Minneapolis. Godzilla decides to go there and find out firsthand what all the talk is about. Pay close attention and you just might notice what is the true color of Mary Tyler Moore’s beret. And no, not raspberry.
THREE CHICKEN DINNERS
Dir: Ethan Kulinski/Wisconsin/9:30min
Grayson, a young film production assistant from the city, has been tasked with getting food for set from a small-town Wisconsin dive bar. Facing pressures to perform on his first day of the job, he struggles to please the obstinate locals that view him as an ill-intentioned outsider.
BLOSSOM NEEDS A RIDE HOME
Dir: Tim Schwagel/Wisconsin/19:34min
After defeating a bloodthirsty maniac, Blossom needs a ride home. What a hassle.
