Sean Parker
Just when Salem, Massachusetts, thinks it’s safe to smash their pumpkins and take down their twelve-foot skeletons, the Happenstance Horror Fest will resurrect the horror spirit of the city for a last-gasp horror shorts marathon on November 2. The Happenstance Horror Fest has been running for seven years in various New England locations, showing some of the most horrifying genre shorts to audiences on the East Coast. This year, they’re bringing seventy-two films right into the heart of Witch City to showcase an extensive blend of talent from all over the world. The festival will take over Cinema Salem with a full day of programming featuring some of the best international horror shorts programming. Six thematic blocks range from grounded, earthly stories of fear to extraordinary tales of out-of-this-world terror beyond comprehension.
Instead of selling tickets per block, tickets will be available in two segmented blocks (Block A and Block B) containing three programming blocks per segment. The first segment of three blocks kicks off at 2 PM and includes the “Saturday Morning Cartoons” block, where you will find a sixty-minute offering of animated shorts. The “Red, Fright, and Ew – Made in the USA” block will feature homegrown directors, and the “Women in Horror” block focuses on female-identifying directors. The second segment of three blocks starts after a brief breath-catching intermission at 6:45 PM with the “Music and Microdosing” block, featuring music videos and trippy shorts. The “Otherworldly – international Film” block brings us horror from around the globe, and local filmmakers get love in Happenstance Horror Fest’s final “Local Love” block.
Below, you can find the entire list of Happenstance Horror Fest films playing, the names of each short’s directors, a brief synopsis (if available), and which block each film is featured in. 25YL is a proud sponsor of Happenstance Horror Fest this year, and I am undeniably excited to be attending and seeing all of the movies on November 2. If you’re in the area and want to keep the Halloween vibes going with me, tickets are available now through the Cinema Salem box office.
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BLOCK A – 2 PM
“Saturday Morning Cartoons” – 2 PM
Scenes of the Absurd
Directors: Sophie Dique and Talia Sellers
Scenes of the Absurd is a stop-motion psychological horror handcrafted by a dedicated team of over thirty students. When a young girl’s toy is taken from her, she ventures into a strange new world to get it back, eventually discovering that the best performances don’t always have a happy ending.
red/green
Director: Zac Sultzer
Mother Earth journeys to meet her adversary.
The Noonday Demon
Director: Conall Pendergast
A man visits his childhood sweetheart, who harbors a dangerous secret.
Space Brain
Director: Scott Bryan
When a nefarious invader descends from the outer reaches of the galaxy, a thrilling chase ensues.
Scene 01: Darkness Through A Window
Director: David Z Fontaine
Dannie, after bleeding out in her cell for days, is desperate to return home. Alan, a prison guard she met before the world changed, promises he can get her to her family again. She has hope that he cares more about her than what he can steal from her, but time is running short, and the blood is running freely. She must make the decision–trust him to get her out or use her fear as a tool to escape on her own.
Birthday Wish
Director: Grace Park
A girl throws a birthday party for herself.
The Black Hole
Director: Ivana Michela Pistorozzi
Holeboy is consumed by anxiety, so he eats up everything he can get his hands on, causing a lot of grief to his family and fascination for the doctors who try to treat him. Holeboy’s body is now constantly changing, reflecting his unsustainable feeling of inadequacy. He is unable to understand that every hole can also be a door, and what you let in can brutally change and devour you.
The Skin
Director: José Casas
Robert is a handsome gentleman who is about to experience the worst day of his idyllic life.
Jack’s a Lantern
Director: Olivia R Nendick
Two kids go trick or treating on a canceled Halloween night when they are approached by a strange trick-or-treater.
Whittled Down
Director: Olly Glenn
Carlisle has been trapped in this cabin for a long, long time. There are no doors, and the windows only open to an endless black void. With nothing to do but whittle and wait, a single thought lingers at the forefront of his mind: there’s something wrong with that clock.
Pretty Kitty
Director: Corey Campagna
After losing their job, an amusement park mascot actor struggles to cope with their current reality.
Karate Babes in Outer Space
Directors: Anna Liakos and Alex Liakos
While patrolling deep space, Officer Jane Paradise and her mentor, Sergeant Rick Ocean, cross paths with an enigmatic group of combat-ready vixens. Their mission takes an unexpected turn as they confront these formidable adversaries and uncover the truth that we are not alone.
“Red, Fright, and Ew: Made in the USA” – 3 PM
Awake
Directors: Francesco Paolo Cordaro and Andrea Cordaro
Farmers John and Betty can sense something’s not quite right on their farm in New York’s Wallkill River Valley. They are disturbed to discover their beloved cow has been mutilated and their crops wrecked again – all while someone (or something) stalks them just out of reach. On a hot night, when Betty cannot sleep, she turns to her knitting, a glass of whiskey, and a presidential radio address on national security. But there is someone outside. She cannot wake her husband when she is consumed by light and abducted. She awakens on a hospital gurney surrounded by other victims. Upon the appearance of the men in black, the medical staff knows – this victim isn’t your typical case. She is rushed into emergency surgery, where she transforms into an alien hybrid.
You’re On Your Own, Kid
Director: Michael Matsui
Sophia, a 9-year-old, is pursued by an entity in her home, and the terror is experienced from Sophia’s imaginative perspective. An imagination where all of her nightmares come to life and what normally brings her comfort is personified into horror.
The Muse
Director: Vlad Gradescu
A street photographer with nebulous intentions follows a young woman on her nighttime commute through New York City.
Sempre Avanti
Directors: Matthew Barber and Nathaniel Barber
Two U.S. soldiers plunge into a suspected enemy combatant tunnel system during the Vietnam War only to awaken unparalleled horrors.
You’re An Angel
Director: Zachary Eglinton
A horrifying discovery threatens a budding new romance.
Strange Creatures
Director: Nicholas Payne Santos
Desperate to see her brother again, a young woman visits the site of his death.
Spider
Director: Austin Torres
When Blake housesits for her scientist uncle, she encounters a creepy crawly of nightmarish proportions…
The Séance
Directors: Hunter Burns and Jordan Spalding
Sadie, a teenage witch, helps her crush, the cutest boy in school, get in contact with his late mother despite ample warnings from the spirit world.
This Feeling Will Pass
Director: Neil Willoughby
Following a disturbing dinner party conversation, Tessa’s intrusive thoughts begin to impede their reality.
Still
Director: Rakefet Abergel
A despondent mother’s reality crumbles as she faces the unthinkable. A nightmarish, endless loop of pain.
The Crying Song
Director: Tim Tuchrello
A new song that makes listeners commit suicide goes viral.
Trophy
Director: William Peters
An oblivious tourist quickly learns that when it comes to vacation, timing is everything.
“Women in Horror” – 4:50 PM
Damned Supper
Director: Ariel Hansen
On Halloween, a group of wannabe witches wishing to learn of their future romantic prospects conjure up the dinner guest from Hell during their dumb supper ritual.
The Candy Crucible
Director: Micah Deeken
A group of rambunctious trick-or-treaters attempt to summon and kill an urban legend who is rumored to eat naughty children on Halloween night. Consequently, when a young, mysterious child turns up to the ritual, everything begins to take a turn for the worst.
Sleep Tight
Director: Lisa Ovies
A young boy struggles to navigate everyday life as his parents battle through their divorce, and he faces the trauma caused by his sleep paralysis demon.
Night Feeding
Director: Sarah K Reimers
A new mother struggles through the 4 am feeding time. Exhaustion and sleep deprivation begin to take their toll on a new mother, who struggles through the strange, dark stillness of the 4 am feeding.
Through The Meat Grinder
Director: Abby Brenker
A woman rebels against her husband’s expectations.
Pest
Director: Nikki Page
A young and naive couple move to their first NYC apartment together when a mysterious roach and rat infestation disrupts their relationship.
Consumed
Director: Emily Tullock
A micro-horror short about a chef perfecting his latest culinary creation.
Cup of Tea
Director: Diana Porter
A mother struggles to find out the truth about what happened to her daughter.
The Assignment
Director: Gabrielle Rosson
The Assignment is a gritty supernatural crime drama set in Central Massachusetts.
A Prayer for My Father
Director: Sarah London
Decades after she and her late father found an unspeakable horror in the woods, Lola receives a package of his ashes and, along with it, the ghost of their shared trauma.
BLOCK B – 6:45 PM
“Music and Microdosing” – 6:45 PM
Everybody’s Hurting My Feelings
Directors: Jordan Wippell, Enny Owl, and Jade James
Psychic Radio takes revenge on her obnoxious boyfriend in this analog snuff film-inspired music video.
Dirty Freaken Joe – “Sci-Fi Sam”
Director: Timothy A Bennett
Inspired by Sean Haitz’s upcoming feature film Area 5150. A music performance in Area 51 while prisoners escape, hunted down by soldiers and aliens. Featuring cameos by Brett Wagner, Joe Castro, Sean Haitz, and Ryan James.
Two Bad Bricks – “Bleeding Red”
Directors: Corey Nikolaus, Jeremy Schell, and Kyle Anderson
Official Music Video for “Bleeding Red” by Two Bad Bricks.
Black Band Tee
Director: Nicole Rinaldi
This short is a punk interpretation of the classic feminist short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”. In another collaboration with artist America Jayne, this unsettling music video combines the practical effects of Nightmare on Elm Street with the real horror of being left alone with your thoughts.
Bloody Mary
Director: Alan Watkins
A man has no idea what he will conjure in the mirror late at night
Rattle
Director: Jaina Cipriano
The Lycan Bite – “CRATERS”
Director: Greg Kissner
Wolf-Boy meets She-beast, and debauchery ensues.
Bellhead – “Bad Taste”
Director: John A Weaver
Music Video for Chicago Bass Duo, Bellhead’s song Bad Taste. The video takes you on a suspense/horror fever dream. Are you the hunter? Or are you being hunted?
Mama Doom – “Man Parts”
Directors: Anne Hickey, David Mayer, and Krystal Ancona
A music video for the band Mama Doom for the song Man Parts. Two graverobbin’ psychos need parts to put their bass player back together.
Hello
Director: Rasmus Lindkvist
A man peacefully sips his coffee, engrossed in a book, until a door suddenly swings open, revealing a dimly lit room. . .
Under The Bed
Director: Jeremy Sladdin
Horror legend Robert Englund, who gave us all nightmares as the iconic Freddy Krueger, narrates a bedtime story with a difference.
Backup Clown
Director: Alan Watkins
A man is haunted by a clown in his backup camera that he can’t see in his rearview mirror.
Even Killers Get Hungry
Directors: Mason Blondin and Daniel Losasso
A young couple is having a date with a box of donuts when things turn for the worse when a killer jumps them.
“Otherworldly – International Film” – 7:20 PM
Seed
Director: Jacob Weldon
Michelle, who is notorious for missing red flags, hooks up with seemingly normal and chill Zack.
Turno de Noche: The Wrong Place
Director: Juanjo Avi
J, the Scrap Yard Watchman, is on duty one more night, accompanied by El Jefe, when a serial killer and the victim the clumsily let escape arrive at his humble junkyard.
Monster Schlock
Directors: Jelle Havermans and Jacob Morris
In this homage to 80s slashers and creature features, a couple that goes for a swim is unaware of a sinister entity living in the lake…
Bookworm
Director: Javier Yañez Sanz
Spain, 1979. Irene is an aspiring writer who obsesses with the delicate ghost at the library where she works.
Farewell Dreams
Director: Daniel Wolters
After an overdose of a supposedly Performance-enhancing drug, Thomas experiences a hallucinative dream trip in which he kills his ex-girlfriend. Or did he kill her in real life?
The Midnight Sleepover Club
Director: Jack Parr
In a chilling twist on their annual midnight sleepover club, four students arrive early at their school, only to be tormented by the vengeful spirit of the caretaker. As the night unfolds, they must figure out a way to fend off The Caretaker and escape.
Prettify
Director: Sami Ylönen
Chasing a perfect selfie, Dorian escapes his mundane life by scrolling through beautiful selfies on social media when an advertisement for an app called “Prettify” suddenly appears on his screen.
Explosive Lips
Director: Stéphane de durfort
Will he kiss his crush without the help of the devil?
The Job
Directors: Abner Maximus and Fernando Armstrong
A young woman takes up a job from a rich family in exchange for a scholarship and ends up in a paranormal environment.
Death Drive
Director: Rob Boyd
A young man drives along a country road in his new sports car until he is waved down by a stranded, mysterious woman with a love of speed and a lust for death.
Don’t Tell Your Mom
Director: Topher Graham
When Kyle goes to work for his dodgy older cousin Jax, he’s shocked to discover Jax’s clientele don’t thirst for drugs.
“Local Love” – 9:05 PM
Handyman
Director: Steven Schloss
The Halloween Party
Director: Erica Stockwell-Alpert
A spooky mom hosts a Halloween party for the class
Come Back Haunted
Director: Logan James Freeman
A reclusive woman’s carefully constructed life shatters when a blood-covered child runs out of the woods, claiming her mother is trying to kill her. She assumes a long-lost motherly role to protect the girl but discovers other things lurking in the dark, trying to get in.
Don’t Fall from Grace
Director: Carley Byers
When Grace’s body is puppeteered by a mysterious entity, her Mother is desperate to break her from the trance.
Pocket Money
Director: Alex DiVincenzo
A mysterious heist yields unforeseen fortunes.
Sweet Dreams
Director: Ashes Homon-Rahall
A wife, desperate for sleep, seeks revenge for her exhaustion.
Quiet
Director: Carolina Ribeiro
A man just wants his neighbors to be quiet.
Cooking 4 Friends
Director: Patrick Rahall
Cooking 4 Friends is a dark journey through the final, unreleased video of internet cooking celebrity Miriam Leonor. Obtained as evidence by the Lazarus’ Nook, Massachusetts Sheriff’s Department and presented as part of a desperate attempt to locate missing persons, as well as ascertain the location of Miriam Leonor in connection with said disappearances.
The Longing
Director: Rob Lee
A woman mourns the loss of the “love of her life.”
Sunset Syndication
Director: Joseph DiTavi and Owen Thayer
In 1996, the country’s largest cable provider went defunct without a trace. A single tape reveals what happened on the day everything went to static.
The Sins of Salem
Director: Brad Courtemanche
The Corwin family takes their final spontaneous vacation as a family unit to the eerie city of Salem, Massachusetts. Things take a drastic turn when they realize this will not be a vacation, and it is definitely not spontaneous.
Katie’s Skin
Director: Steven Schloss
Through a gruesome revelation, an unwelcome dinner guest learns to find comfort in their own skin.
The Guest on Topsfield Road
Director: Luke St Germaine
A guest at a remote AirBnB has a ghostly encounter.
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