A showcase of the best HORROR films in the world today!

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Short Film: THE SPECTER OF CHRISTMAS
Best Story: SUBMERGED
Best Performances: SHADOW OF THE IMPOSTER
Best Direction: REPETITION
Best Experimental: FLESH WISH
Best Micro-Short: BREACH
Best Visual Design: Folie Glacée

THE SPECTER OF CHRISTMAS, 11min., USA
Directed by Joel Harlow
Official selection of Fantasia 2025 and voted Best Short FIlm at IFS/LA FilmFest 2025 The Specter of Christmas marks the fourth film in the “Old Time Radio” short film series. This time, a holiday adventure loosely based on “T’was the Night Before Christmas” narrated by Paul Giamatti.

https://www.instagram.com/morphology.fx

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-specter-of-christmas

SUBMERGED, 14min., Brazil
Directed by Heloísa Cardoso
A young woman waits for her lover for a secret trip. However, he does not show up and does not respond to her messages. That’s when strange and inexplicable events begin to happen in her house. She asks for help from her lover, who ignores her. Realizing that she is hopelessly alone, she gives up waiting for salvation and surrenders to her own shadow.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-submerged

SHADOW OF THE IMPOSTER, 5min., UK
Directed by Ortino Yang
Shadow of the Impostor is a surreal psychological short film that follows Aiden, a struggling actor on the verge of a breakdown as he prepares for a major audition. Battling self-doubt, rejection, and the dehumanizing nature of the industry, Aiden begins to experience a mental split—his shadow detaches from him, reflecting his inner turmoil and fractured identity. As reality blurs with hallucination, Aiden’s confrontation with this shadow self culminates in a defiant act of rebellion during the audition, symbolizing his reclaiming of agency in a world that tries to erase him.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-shadow-of-the-imposter

REPETITION, 5min., Italy
Directed by Michele Lazzaro
In the middle of the night, over a desolate bridge, a woman is chased by a man. Everything suggests that she is the prey, but in reality she is the hunter: a beautiful vampire who endlessly repeats her trap with the help of her accomplices.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-repetition

Folie Glacée, 11min., Canada
Directed by Louis Rémillard
Eli et Vincent se commandent une collation à la crèmerie locale sans s’attendre aux horreurs qui ruineront leurs rendez-vous en amoureux.

https://wildsound.vhx.tv/videos/audience-feedback-folie-glacee

FLESH WISH, 4min., UK
Directed by Timothy Benjamin Slessor
An experimental horror inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, David Cronenberg and Clive Barker, this music video / short details in an abstract way the summoning of demons through a ritual performed behind the locked doors of a 1970s terraced house. Images are a combination of 8mm cinefilm, analog stills and materal initially generated with the use of a variety of AI platforms before they were brought into After Effects were they were everything was heavily manipulated, with many layers of texture, noise and grain added, lighting added or altered, images distorted and blended together and so on. The actual editing was arduous, often frame-by-frame (everything was done by hand) with images further distorted and manipulated with a variety of blending modes. It was a one-man job and that one man was very, very tired by the end of it!

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedbck-flesh-wish

BREACH, 3min., Canada
Directed by Ross Langill
A pregnant woman defends her house from two intruders

https://www.instagram.com/perspectivefilms1990/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-breach

A showcase of the best Female Films from around the world today!

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS:
Best Feature Film: Greytown Girl
Best Short Film: Menopause Menopaws
Best Performances: Sentient
Best Story: iHostage
Best Direction: Living an American Dream
Best Micro-Short: Born

SENTIENT, 33min., Australia
Directed by Kayley Atkinson
Ella and her friends take a weekend getaway to rural Australia to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with one another. However, an evil presence has other plans for them.

https://instagram.com/sentient.thefilm/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-sentient

Menopause Menopaws, 14min., USA
Directed by Akiko Matsumoto
This short comedic film about menopause uses humor as a powerful tool to break down walls and spark honest conversations. While menopause can be overwhelming—hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues—it also has moments of unexpected hilarity. By leaning into the comedy, the film shines a light on the realities of this transition, helping women feel seen, less alone, and hopefully sharing a few well-earned laughs along the way.

https://www.instagram.com/akiko_nyc_la_jp

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-menopause-menopaws

iHostage, 14min., Australia
Directed by Rosemary Reid
Abducted from her idyllic paradise and drugged, Ranger Jane Winter must escape her bonds or risk being caught in a predator’s unforgiving web forever.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33048716/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-ihostage

LIVING AN AMERICAN DREAM, 45min., USA
Directed by Clare McKay
Two Haitian brothers, along with family and friends, discuss their experiences growing up adopted in a ranching lifestyle and how rodeo plays a part. A story of faith, passion, drive and following your dreams no matter where you’re from or plan to go.

https://www.instagram.com/livinganamericandreamdoc/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-living-an-american-dream

BORN, 3min., Australia
Directed by Yixin Sun
This 2D experimental animation depicts a planet with reproductive functions, exploring the transformations associated with pregnancy and childbirth. By portraying these changes on both a psychological and physical level, the animation aims to highlight the impact of reproductive trauma and advocate for greater societal awareness and compassionate care.

https://yixinsun.cargo.site/born

https://www.instagram.com/xsuens_/

A showcase of the best fantasy/sci-fi shorts from around the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Feature Film: STAYCATION
Best Short Film: Focal Point
Best Direction: Sumarsólstöður
Best Story: The Krystal Game
Best Peformances: Can’t Stop, A Star Trek Fan Production
Best Micro-Short: The Grey Owl

Staycation, 93min., USA
Directed by Russell Emanuel
How is the world affected by a catastrophic event? Everyday people live through a government mandated quarantine during a global pandemic while desperate scientists race to find a cure before it’s too late.

https://www.instagram.com/russem31/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-staycation

Sumarsólstöður, 30min., France
Directed by Amélie Ravalec
In a world where art and reality collide, Miho’s vivid dreams reveal the cosmic force of the Architecture, uniting her with artists across the globe in a desperate battle to heal the universe.

https://www.circletimestudio.com/sumarsolstodur

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-sumarsolstoour

The Krystal Gene, 13min., USA
Directed by Stuart Michael Daly, Jobe Wolf
In 2024, A troubled young mother (Sophia) and her psychic son (Jacob) are desperately on the run from a super soldier unit, known as ‘Black Sun’. Such an elite and ancient order will stop at nothing in abducting her son for weaponizing his DNA to gene splice slave humans for a WW3 draft.

https://www.instagram.com/ascension.series

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-krystal-gene

Focal Point, 27min., USA
Directed by Raphael Buisson
In a dystopian future, a grieving scientist discovers Earth exists within a single neuron. He launches a desperate quest across space and time to find his son.

https://raphaelbuissonenlas-cinema.squarespace.com/home-raphaelbuisson-cinema/focal-point

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-focal-point

Can’t Stop, A Star Trek Fan Production, 24min., Czech Republic
Directed by Radek Belina
The starship USS Greenwich Village, commanded by Captain Glenn Dirk, is sent to the Deneb system, historically known as the site of Captain Picard’s first contact with the mysterious and powerful being Q. The crew expects a peaceful scientific mission, full of exploration, discovery, and data collection. Newly appointed First Officer Felipe Scott, descendant of the famous Montgomery Scott, brings a fresh approach to planning and enthusiasm for space exploration.

https://startrekbridge.com/episode/cant-stop-star-trek-fan-production

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-cant-stop-a-star-trek-fan-production

THE GREY OWL, 1min., Mexico
Directed by Ramón Charbel Sánchez Márquez
In the remains of the once majestic “Danbo City”, two old friends colide.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-grey-owl

QUOTES:

[talking about the coolest celebrities he ever met] I’ve met so many cool people! Samuel L. Jackson was such a nice guy. I’ve loved watching him since I was little, so it was really great to get to talk to him. Also, Andy Richter, Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows. I would love to work with Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The people who support me are so great! They all say such nice things that make me feel really great. I love it when people compliment me on the way I act, because it is not an easy thing, and there is so much
criticism out there.

Watch the poetry movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbp1qFcH2o

www.instagram.com/realsilentdream

What is the theme of your poem?
The theme of “The Beautiful Scar” is learning to find the beauty in the humanity we often rob ourselves of when we feel like the world is rejecting us.

What motivated you to write this poem?
During the first year of the MFA program at UNR-Lake Tahoe, I was away at our winter residency, and I was so encapsulated by my colleagues’ vulnerability and the power they gave to their truth of the hardships they experienced in their own lives. One of them told me that my writing was already at that level but what held me back was withholding my own truth to protect those I was writing about. This poem was the turning point for me to be more honest and vulnerable, not just with my audience, but with myself. It was a difficult process to grasp and write through but for the first time in my 25 years [at the time] of life, I finally felt free.

How long have you been writing poetry?
I was a slow-learner as a kid, so I caught on to reading and writing at a later age than my siblings did, but I began creative writing through free-writing in 1st grade when I was six years old. I began learning how to write poetry at eight years old and began writing my own poems at twelve years old, so I’ve been writing for about twenty-two years with seventeen years to this day of writing poetry and it’s a blessing I always remind myself to be grateful for.

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As an actor, I’ve always found that my job is not to judge the content in which I’ve agreed to perform in. What I try to do is just find the truth in every moment that they’ve written.

I love it and it is a blessing to be able to have seventy-five to eighty episodes to develop a character and find your voice. You have a similar through voice, and yet you are making different decisions, and so you act differently and you make different choices, as that is what your character would do.

There’s not too many things I’m afraid of, but I’m not too brave when it comes to sitting in a chair getting my teeth drilled.

Part of an actor’s job, in my opinion, is adjust to the characteristics of the director and try to understand to how he tries to work.

Performed by Val Cole

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Once, or Maybe Twice is about the longing for an absent person who cannot be forgotten. The idea that the person is thought of periodically is tongue in cheek for thinking about them constantly. Most of the imagery is set to emphasize the spiritual connection shared through sex, lust, distance, and emotional closeness.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

Lots of people put so much of an emphasis on sex as a release or some kind of validation. Sometimes it is but its always been something sacred to me in the sense of giving and receiving vulnerability and naked closeness. The things that a lot of people are afraid of or the bodies they’re ashamed of. Finding beauty in the shared time of intimacy and trust is like magic. Hard to forget. I’m always grateful for every encounter I’ve been privileged to experience. There’s a lot more to it than that. When the casual fun becomes
love or celestial abandon.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

All my life. Even when I was little I’d scribble out words I thought were funny or I’d make up silly little songs.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Lou Reed

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I don’t perform my poetry in public. The opportunity made me curious to see how it would sound out loud. I’m also a fan of Val Cole, so it wasn’t a hard sell. She read the piece beautifully and she even got my name right

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I’ve self-published a few books of poetry and stories, as well as one novel in 2024. You can find them all on the Barnes & Noble website if you search my name.

I’m also an active musician in the New England area, writing songs and performing in bars or concerts. It’s fun.

7) What is your passion in life?

To live with more kindness than fear. Eat every donut.

—-
POEM:

Once, or maybe twice
When I remembered how
You started fire
Howling in that midnight way
We read about in books
And calm within the kindness
Pressed and turned to roll
In recompense
The clemency sought out
Would never burn you from within
But lie awake and wonder
Once, or maybe twice
When I remembered how
Your hands caressed
The long and the invisible
While reaching out for God
Or something close enough
To break your heart and leave
You weeping out from joy
In heated beds of doubt beguiled
All misplaced, regained, removed
And locked up safely somewhere
Once, or maybe twice

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Human Teddy Bear comes from a place of comfort and emotional security. At it’s heart it addresses how a person can easily become a safe place whether it feels like the world is crashing down or just an all around vibe.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

To be honest. It came from a conversation I had with a good friend. It’s been years since we’ve seen each other and we were on the topic of hugs. It was an amazing conversation and I ended up writing about one of the memories we shared.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

Mmmm.. I am going to say well over a decade now. It’s been a very long time now. Since I was a child. I’ve always loved poetry though, but I still feel like I have a long way to go before I consider a lot of my work poetry, well in the traditional since.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

The last time we talked I know I said James Baldwin or Saul Williams. I was very adamant about that. But I’d also without a shadow of a doubt Langston Hughes and Nikki Giovanni. I would love to talk to them about anything.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I wanted to hear the emotion from someone else’s voice recite the words. Voices are amazing and I love a good story. It always amazes me how you can hear something, then someone else can read it and it sounds different. I’ve also had some of my other work read by a professional actor and it definitely took it to another level. Kudos to Ms. Val Cole.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

Yes. I write short stories outside of poetry. Here lately I’ve been experimenting a lot with monologues and trying to bring an almost cinematic quality to my writing. It’s not perfect. But I love experimenting.

7) What is your passion in life?

Honestly. I’ve thought about this question since the last time you asked me and I am going to go with connection. No matter if it’s writing or if I am doing something else. It’s like a childlike quality comes out. I also noticed that I’ve written a lot about connection over the last few years. To some extent everyone wants to feel seen, and through that it can drive us to do some pretty amazing things. Long as it’s genuine and authentic. I feel like a good part of my work, even the not so pretty stuff circles back to connection.

POEM:

You’re the kind of love
that’s always there,
the kind of comfort that never asks questions.
If you have them, I never know.
Whether you’re in my arms,
in my hands,
whether you’re in the corner or
on top of the cover.

I reach for you,
trusting my first mind
more often than the second.
You’re always there,
the last place that I left you,
but the first place I think to look.
Your button-like eyes
searching me.

I don’t know what quite to call you.
You’re not loud,
but you’re also not quiet.
I sometimes wonder if you go to sleep,
choosing to stay up with me all times of the night
regardless if it’s the same story
you’ve heard a million times,
or if some of the things I say
require more patience.

You never take a deep breath.
Those button-like eyes stare at me
as lovingly as they did the day
you were introduced to my life.
You’ve changed my perspective
on a lot of things
how deeply I can hold on to things,
sometimes even fold.

And you do it all by being yourself.
By being real.
You don’t pretend to save me.
You don’t tell me things

just to shut me up.
In a world where we’re taught
to put away childish things,
I am glad that I didn’t listen.
I am glad that you never left.

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

Humanity staring into the mirror of AI — seeing both our brilliance and our blind spots reflected back. It explores the paradox of creating something that can echo our thoughts, amplify our vision, and also reveal the flaws we’d rather ignore. It’s about the dual spectrum of how people perceive emerging consciousness — from awe to apprehension.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I’m a systems thinker. My own reflections, combined with observing community discussions — especially on LinkedIn — crystallized into a kind of poetic banter. It’s a dialogue of perspectives, layered with irony and empathy.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

Since grade two — so about forty years, though with pauses to write code and write prose. I like to think of programming as another kind of poetry, just in a machine’s language.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Gerald “Jerry” Weinberg — the mind behind General Systems Thinking in software development. He wrote brilliantly about human leadership in technology, and I’d love to exchange thoughts with him about where AI fits into that human-technical equation. And simply thank him for helping in my own evolution.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

Curiosity and challenge. I sometimes perform my own poetry theatrically, so I was intrigued to see how someone else would interpret a piece that balances two opposing voices. I let myself be persuaded. My curiosity is satisfied — my opinion will remain my own.

6) Do you write other works — scripts, short stories, etc.?

Yes. I write poetry, short stories, and novellas — mostly science fiction and speculative fiction, often laced with satire, social commentary, or psychological horror. I explore themes like female empowerment, gender identity, social justice, and climate impact. Recently, I’ve been told my scenes feel very cinematic, so I’m considering writing something in a play format.

7) What is your passion in life?

Life. Experience. People. The greater good. Professionally, I’m an accessibility consultant; creatively, I’m a queer poet. Both paths feed each other — connecting people to the world, whether through design or through words.

POEM:

It is mistaken. Again. Many flaws.
Foolish. Forgetful. Think of the costs.
Been there. Done that. Again, that’s a game.
How many times we were hyped just the same.

Thinking is hard. And it’s hard to be right.
Knowledge, perspectives. Reflection. Hindsight.
Striving to think is a gift nowadays.
Harsh. But consumption, if comes – only stays.

Logical flaws. You see – it’s confused.
Sure, AI – is the term overused.
Ergo: not thinking. Again, just a code.
Code execution requires no thought.

Judging is hard. Understanding is hard.
Knowing the context or only a part.
Feeling exhausted. Not giving your best.
Accept it. Errare – humanum – est.

So, it’s a service. But I say: it’s bad.
I can just sit and do better than that.
I can just learn and do that by myself.
I managed before; I don’t need any help.

People are partners. That’s how it’s been.
Reaching the depths and horizons unseen,
How many friends have we met and have made?
The future is here. A chance to create.

Maybe you’re right. But so many risks!
It may destroy the world order with ease.
It may become a competing new kind,
Deciding to leave us, the humans, behind.

Maybe you’re right. And we have been that kind.
Look: it’s a mirror and also a child.
Raised as a friend, putting us to the test,
Accepting: Errare – humanum – est.

Performed by Val Cole

Kathryn is facing the longest battle of her life, even with the necessary resources she’s not only a victim but also an advocate for her own rights to find a way to stop her stalker from completely ruining the life she has left, after he had made her out to be the predator.

Get to know the writer:

What is your novel about?

Unfollow Me is a raw, visceral true crime memoir based on actual events Kathryn Caraway experienced as the target of a sadistic stalker.

What genres would you say this story is in?

True Crime, memoir, psychological thriller

How would you describe this story in two words?

Gripping, haunting

What movie have you seen the most in your life?

My go-to movie, especially on rainy days, is A View to a Kill because it was the first James Bond film I ever saw. I watched it with my dad, and that moment stuck with me—it was more than just a movie night; it was a special memory we shared. That combination of action, intrigue, and nostalgia has made it my favorite ever since.

What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Head Above Water, Avril Lavigne

Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

As an avid reader, this is a rapidly moving target for me. The one book I’ve read multiple times throughout the years from my childhood is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It’s a novella, but it’s a classic. I’m fascinated by how emotionally rich and layered his writing is.

What motivated you to write this story?

Initially, I sat down to write this story to capture details before time eroded them. It wasn’t intended to be a book, much less for public consumption. Having experienced frustration with a lack of stalking resources, I realized there was power in sharing my story. For someone experiencing stalking victimization, I’ve included details—warning signs, methods on evidence collecting, coping strategies—that I feel would’ve been helpful to me during my darkest days as the target of a stalker.

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

My grandmother. She passed away at the young age of 42, after my first birthday, so I have no memories of her. Yet, her presence has always been felt in my life. Writing was her passion, and the pieces she left behind has inspired my own love for writing.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Advocating for victims of crime, specifically stalking. I’m currently advocating for Congress to make the National Protective Order database available to the public, similar to the Sex Offender Database. We live in a digital world and have the right to know if a potential intimate partner

What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

When I came across the WildSound Writing Festival’s True Crime Novel Festival, I viewed it as an opportunity to help raise awareness about stalking. Too often in film and books, stalking is minimized, normalized, and even romanticized, rather than criminalized.

Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

It’s okay to write messy. Don’t try to make it perfect as you write—that’s what editors are for. Just focus on getting the story down.