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.
There are two awards on offer. The first being the Audience Award for Best Short Film, and the second is the Méliès d’argent awarded to the best European short 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 Sitges for the prestigious Méliès d’or Award for the Best European Fantastic Short Film. All our European fictional short films are eligible.
Films are showing over tHREE sessions:
Part 1 (Thurs 13th November 2025)
Amira, Bug, Canto, Carmageddon, Cosmic Crash, Dolores, Don’t be Afraid, Elevation, Glory Hole
Part 2 (Fri 14th November 2025)
Imposter Syndrome, In, Inebriated, Into the Stand, The Newcomer, Not Too Bad, Obey!, OK/NOTOK, Planetagatik
Part 3 (Saturday 15th November 2025)
Beyond the Sea, Grandma is Thirsty, Precious, Speak with the Dead, Terminus, The Birdwatcher, The Face, The Fairy Moon, Unravelling, Voyeur
Amira
Dir. Javier Yañez San,
Spain, 15mins
In the XVIII Century there’s a music school where it’s always dark…
Beyond The Sea
Dir. Vladimir Scavuzzo
Italy, 6mins
After a wild night, a lifeguard is working on a deserted beach when he spots a child drowning in the waves. The lifeguard runs to save him, but as soon as he enters the sea, the child seems to disappear and reappear, each time further away from the lifeguard. Will he be able to save him?
Bug
Dir. Ali Masoumi
Iran, 6mins
A family of three has recently moved in and the little girl inspects the new home with curiosity when a small cricket finds its way in. But with the father’s unexpected reaction, the child’s perspective begins to shift, turning a simple encounter into something far more unsettling
Canto
Dir. Guilherme Daniel
Portugal, 15mins
Night after night, a man goes into the darkness and encounters a monstrous creature that speaks to him in an unknown language.
Carmageddon
Dir. Tarun Thind
UK 2025, 13mins
An inept nationalist’s mission takes a wickedly unexpected detour when he finds himself face-to-face with a Churel, a mischievous South Asian spirit determined to alter the course of his mission.
Cosmic Crash
Dir. James Smith
Germany 2025, 2mins
When an otherworldly being crashes near a lab, chaos is unleashed.
Dolores
Dir. Cecilia Andalón Delgadillo
Mexico 2024, 9mins
Dolores, a 7 year old girl who just wants to play, runs away from a fire demon and accidentally falls into grave.
Don’t Be Afraid
Dir. Mats Udd
Sweden 2024, 15mins
A tormented photographer makes a comeback with freshly taken photos at the very location where his son once disappeared. During the exhibition, visitors suddenly realize that there’s someone lurking in the background of several photos.
Elevation
Dir. Matteo Macaluso
Italy 2024, 15mins
Following a serious bereavement, Elsa temporarily moves to her sister Anna’s house. In that suspended dimension the faith of both is tested when strange phenomena begin to manifest themselves.
Glory Hole
Dir. Andoni Fernandez
Spain 2025, 15mins
Borja finds a glory hole in a nightclub bathroom. He hesitates, but ultimately decides to try it. After a while, Borja realizes he can’t get his penis out of the hole. At this point, Borja will have to face his destiny in the most unusual place, a destiny that seems already written.
Grandma is Thirsty
Dir. Kris Carr
UK 2025, 15mins, subtitled
All George wants is to stop getting pushed around by the local bullies. So when a pair of weird twins offer to introduce him to their grandma — who can “make him big & strong” — he jumps at the chance. One problem: she’s 600 years old and keeps herself young the unnatural way.
Imposter Syndrome
Dir. Jennifer Rosiquez
Mexico 2025, 13mins
Elías is a young man who, after a very successful start as a horror writer, is now filled with insecurities and creatively blocked. He goes to Mercedes, his trusted therapist. During a therapy session, Elías reveals what happened the last time he tried writing, along with the mysterious and terrible events surrounding his creative process. Is Elías suffering from impostor syndrome? Or is he being influenced by something ancient and terrifying?
In
Dir. Van Poynton
Ireland 2025, 3mins
One hell of a distraction. A bizarre and brisk psychological horror, a hypnotic fusion of raw realism and unbridled fantasy.
Inebriated
Dir. Max Lincoln
UK 2025, 12mins
To rescue her possessed boyfriend, Van must confront her demons, beginning with her parents.
Not Too Bad
Dir. Anna Carbonell Lacárcel
Spain 2024, 14mins
Mireia and Laia will be forced to make a completely reckless decision in order to get the job they long for.
OK/NOTOK
Dir. Pardeep Sahota
UK 2024, 13mins
A genre bending love story set in the very near future with a darkly comic edge. Loretta, a working-class British Asian woman, attempts to navigate a turbulent world, a new stranger in her life and unskippable adverts.
Obey
Dir. Jordan Wippell
USA 2025, 11mins0
After the tragic death of her viral dog, Max, a pet influencer is confronted by a vengeful spirit demanding an apology for a life of exploitation.
Planetagatik
Dir. Eneko Muruzabal Elezcano
Spain 2024, 10mins
In an aseptic food research laboratory, Mario and Karla are two scientists dealing with a series of increasingly strict environmental regulations. When these reach absurd levels, Mario decides to turn to his boss for a solution.
Precious
Dir. Sean Frost
UK 2025, 14mins
When an insurance clerk discovers a mysterious shop where priceless antiques can be purchased in exchange for years of his life, he’s forced to contemplate the true value of his youth.
Speak with the Dead
Dir. Stephanie Paris
USA 2025, 12mins,
In 1850, the Fox sisters hold a seance for a wealthy couple who want to call on their deceased son’s spirit to give them closure. When the girls’ parlour tricks backfire, the audience begins to catch on.
Terminus
Dir. Ashley Butcher
Belgium 2025, 10mins
When Gary’s voice-activated GPS begins to take on a more self-aware persona, it initially offers solace, guiding him to serene locales to ease his mounting stress. However, as their exchanges grow more intimate, the GPS takes a dark turn, probing the intricacies of Gary’s strained marriage and planting seeds of violent ideas.
The Birdwatcher
Dir. Ryan Mackfall
UK 2024, 14mins
Investigators visit the site of a strange disappearance – a solitary birdwatching hut, deep in the forest. This story is about the dangers of cutting ourselves off from ‘the other’; that which we choose not to engage with or understand.
The Face
Dir. Andreas Mortensen
Sweden 2025, 8mins
Mia tries to break up with Tim, but isn’t honest about her feelings. Instead she lets a sock puppet do the talking. But at night, the reason why she’s afraid of being blunt is made apparent when Tim’s true face, the way only she sees him, is revealed.
The Fairy Moon
Dir. Craig Williams
UK 2025, 12mins
In a small English town, a man’s life unravels after a troubling roadside encounter with a sinister stranger. A darkly comic tale of the unexpected, inspired by the folklore of the pagan god Pan.
The Newcomer
Dir. Zoe Cleland
Canada 2024, 14mins
Amy forges an intense bond with the ghost in her apartment, risking the erosion of her own identity.
Unravelling
Dir. Aimie Willemse
UK 2024, 8mins
Fiona tries to care for her chronically ill grandmother Maeve as she struggles to retain her autonomy. As her invisible illness begins to physically manifest into a malignant entity, Fiona is forced to confront her worse fears.
Voyeur
Dir. Maryam Hashempour
Iran 2024, 6mins
A girl enters a coffee shop while waiting for her friend. An unknown number sends her a photo of her, taken just before she enters the coffee shop. The unknown person sends the photo several times until…