Short Films Competition 2022
Each year Abertoir invites filmmakers from across the globe to submit short films for the Abertoir Short Film Competition. As always, the response has been phenomenal and it’s not possible to show all of the amazing entries. Here we present our shortlist.
There are two prizes on offer. The first being the Abertoir Short Film prize, and the second is the Méliès d'argent awarded to the best European film.
As part of Abertor's role in the Méliès International Festivals Federation, our short film competition will award a Short Film Méliès d'argent. This is an internationally recognised prize specific to the Federation and is a testimony to the talented filmmakers in Europe. The winner of our Short Film Méliès d'argent will go forward to the final lineup at one of the major European festivals for the prestigious Méliès d'or Award for the Best European Fantastic Short Film. All our European short films are eligible.
ORDER OF SCREENING (Alphabetical)
PART 1 - Screening 18th November (physical) / 25th November (virtual)
Creator, Demon Box, Facies, Finger, In the Flesh, Itch, Marked, Memento Mori, Sarangi, Sleep, The Light
PART 2 - Screening 19th November (physical / 26th November (virtual)
Sucker, The Order, The Tenant, Tranvia, Under the Ice, VRDLK Family of Vurdulak, Witchy, You're Not Home, Yummy Mummy
Creator
(Andre LeBlanc, USA 2021, 14 minutes)
A computer designed to flag violent internet content starts creating its own, with its inventors as the subjects.
Demon Box
(Sean Wainsteim, Canada 2022, 14 minutes)
The Nazi from his Zaydie’s story haunts a suburban boy in this semi-autobiographical, magic-realism, multi-generational exploration of trauma.
Facies
(Carlos Moriana & Raúl Cerezo, Spain 2021, 15 minutes)
Spain, 1692. The Spanish Inquisition is in decline, and as a result, their followers are more ruthless than ever. One of the inquisitors has been trying to find the perfect torture device for years and might have found it thanks to “The Demeanour”, a horrific torture chair created by his engineer.
Finger
(Joe Lueben, USA 2022, 12 minutes)
A mysterious woman appears at a young father's home seeking recompense for a long-buried transgression. But she doesn't want money—she wants one of his fingers.
In The Flesh
(Daphne Gardner, USA 2022, 13 minutes)
Tracey is addicted to jerking off with her bathtub faucet. When the pipes start shooting out dirty water and she starts leaking black goo, she descends into the basement to find the cause of her suffering and confront it, so she can jerk off in peace.
Itch
(Susannah Farrugia, Malta/UK 2021, 8 minutes)
A psychological horror about a novice nun who develops a severe skin condition which continues to worsen along with her mental state as she struggles with her feelings for another nun.
Marked
(Catherine Bonny, Australia 2022, 14 minutes)
When a contraceptive implant sends twenty-one year old Andrea violently insane, she must find a way to remove it before she does something that she’ll regret for the rest of her life.
Memento Mori
(Paul O'Flanagan, Ireland 2021, 9 minutes)
A storm brews over Victorian Dublin as post-mortem photographer, Mr. Huxley, returns to his hallowed practice within the gloomy townhouse in which he resides. His latest subject is a recently-deceased young woman, whose presence conjures the demons of Huxley's character - compelling him to confront the narcissistic life he has chosen to lead.
Sarangi
(Tarun Thind, UK 2022, 7 minutes)
A young boy is lured by the sound of a mysterious stringed instrument, only to discover that the ominous figure that plays it has a hold on more than just his ears .
Sleep
(Alexandra Pechman, USA 2021, 4 minutes)
"Wake up! I heard something. I think someone's here." A woman struggles with her lifelong fear of home invasion, in this three-and-a-half minute horror film told in a single shot.
Sucker
(Alix Austin, UK 2022, 8 minutes)
To her horror, Sam discovers her sister Caitlin has been infested by a monstrous leech creature, that is slowly sucking her life force dry. Caitlin is reluctant to accept help and the sisters quarrel over how to deal with the parasite.
The Light
(Iago de Soto, Spain 2021, 13 minutes)
19th century. In a small coastal village, Olalla and her family prepare for the night of “The Truce”. There is only one rule: no lights should stay on tonight. Olalla, unlike her parents, does not believe in superstitions. And she doesn't think They are coming either…
The Order
(Michael Squid, USA 2022, 8 minutes)
A food delivery driver struggling to make ends meet accepts an extremely high-paying gig. It's soon clear, however, that this order is anything but ordinary.
The Tenant
(Lucas Paulino, Ángel Torres, Spain 2021, 10 minutes)
Mia wakes up one morning with a strange pain in her leg. Little by little the limp gets worse, until someone warns her that the pain is not what it seems. Either she casts a spell that very night or her life will never be the same again.
Tranvía
(Carlos Baena, Spain/USA 2021, 9 minutes)
A seemingly ordinary commute becomes a woman's rapid descent into terror aboard a mysterious streetcar.
Under the Ice
(Alvaro Rodriguez Areny, Spain/Andorra 2021, 15 minutes)
After losing his father in an accident, Edur wakes up in the middle of a nightmare. A presence will haunt him with his worst memories.
VRDLK: Family of Vurdulak
(Sam Chou, Canada 2022, 13 minutes)
A traveling diplomat that is caught in a snowstorm and forced to take shelter with a poor Serbian family. When the family warns him of “beasts” that hunt in the night, he is quick to dismiss their fears as superstition and fairy tales - a mistake he may not have a chance to make twice.
Witchy
(Liz Manashil, USA 2022, 11 minutes)
A broken-hearted teenager learns an important lesson about fidelity and family from an immersive Halloween experience that may or may not be organized by an actual witch.
You're Not Home
(Derek Ugochukwu, Ireland 2022, 10 minutes)
When an ominous mould appears in their room, two African brothers seeking asylum are faced with a dark entity lurking within their direct provision centre.
Yummy Mummy
(Gabriela Staniszewska, UK 2022, 14 minutes)
Ignored throughout her pregnancy, Lilith senses her identity is being smothered by her burgeoning motherhood. Her anxieties begin to have physical manifestations - then she starts to fall apart - literally.
