Below is an archive of past films and filmmakers featured at the Detroit International Festival of Darkness. Click the links to view the films online, where available.
2024 Festival of Darkness Schedule
September 28th 2024 – Redford Theatre – Detroit
“The Dance of the Nain Rouge” – Eric Millikin (2023 Michigan 3:00)
An experimental decolonial Detroit demonology deepfake dream dance documentary, based on the legend of the Nain Rouge (“Red Dwarf”) of Detroit.
“Re:” – Matthew Jarjosa (2021 Michigan 2:45)
An experimental animated horror short.
“Blind Spot” – Jon Clark (2023 Michigan 9:13)
After a tragic car accident, Jennifer struggles to find absolution and understand the mysterious presence in her house.
“Döppleganger” – Quentin Marié (2024 France 5:00)
On the way to his home, Marc hears a strange sound in a narrow Parisian street… But between his next encounter, what do we know? And who can we trust?
“Match” – Victor Basallote (2023 Spain 8:00)
Rachel, a restless insomniac, stumbles upon Zalir through a dating app, an entity determined to intertwine their fates.
“Night Feeding” – Sarah K Reimers (2023 California 5:37)
Exhaustion and sleep-deprivation begin to take their toll on a new mother, who struggles through the strange, dark stillness of the 4am feeding.
“Transylvanie” – Rodrigue Huart (2023 France 15:00)
Ewa, a 10-year-old girl, is an odd, lonely child and for good reason: she’s convinced of being a vampire.
— INTERMISSION —
“The Hungering” – Alyson Phillips (2023 Michigan 1:49)
Zombies in today’s world in rural Michigan.
“Manticora” – Samuel Télot (2024 France 5:20)
Deep within the woods, a young lady remembers the rules given by her mother. Words which only had but one purpose: to protect her from facing the beast.
“Everything That Rises” – Jon Curtis, Dillon Norton (2024 Michigan 24:44)
In 1945 war-torn Poland, a man finds himself stuck in hiding as time slowly ticks away. Outside the walls of his hidden room, the sounds of a chaotic world haunt his dreams.
“Late Sleeper” – Peter Morris Hardy (2023 Georgia 3:35)
Nightmares don’t always come at night.
“Mildred’s Exotic Meat Emporium” – Zalika Jasmine English (2024 United Kingdom 4:57)
After some time apart, Annie jumps at the opportunity to work at her aunt Mildred’s butcher store.
“Spider” – Austin Torres (2024 Michigan 6:43)
Blake gets attacked by a large spider while house-sitting for her scientist uncle.
2023 Festival of Darkness Schedule
October 7th 2023 – The Narthex – Detroit
“La Nueva (The Newcomer)” – Ivan Villamel (2022 Spain 15:00)
Maria is the new teacher who arrives at an old religious school and an unexpected event will turn the classroom into hell.
“Poppet” – Dan Raymond (2021 Michigan 03:36)
A short film about the horrors of those who hold grudges for the smallest of actions.
“Firstborn” – Thomas Butcher (2022 Michigan 10:08)
A decision made in a moment of despair leads to further agony down the wooded path. In this dark twist of an old fairy tale, love is only a reason for the darkness to prevail.
“Decorator” – Ramil Muradov, Nadir Aliyev (2019 Azerbaijan 06:09)
No matter what the answer to the question is, the true answer can only be known by the one who came up with the question.
“The Traveller” – Carter Ferguson (2023 United Kingdom 11:00)
All salesman Elliot wants to do is get back to his family, but on Christmas Eve, an ancient evil has other plans.
— INTERMISSION —
“The Legend of Morrow Road” – Tim Shechmeister (2023 Michigan 15:30)
Two young women perform a dare at a legendary Michigan bridge, where a woman froze to death while searching for her lost child.
“SKINWALKER” – Daimein Parmelee (2023 Michigan 01:34)
A teenager left alone while his mother is out of town realizes an eerie discovery…
“IVI ELV” – Luigi Scarpa (2022 Italy 11:31)
A man regains consciousness somewhere unknown and claustrophobic. Dazed and confused, he begins to wander its dark corridors, but a series of visions will force him to deal with a far worse reality…
“SMRT Services” – Jeff Vande Zande (2023 Michigan 02:09)
It was the strangest ride share service he’d ever experienced.
“The Way Back” – Michelle Blumenau (2022 Michigan 10:17)
A man wakes up and meets two strangers trapped inside a room with no windows, a locked door, a timer and a gaping hole in the floor.
“The Final Blink” – Ronny Strehmann (2022 Germany 02:57)
When a mere blink is about to seal your fate.
“Unwelcome” – David Mair (2023 Minnesota 04:03)
While running from the police, a criminal seeks refuge by breaking into a home.
2022 Festival of Darkness Schedule
October 1st 2022 – The Narthex – Detroit
“Dark Hallway” – Eric Winick (2022 New York 1:30)
A nightmare set in a hallway.
“ATRIUM” – Alako Myles (2020 Australia 5:41)
An individual loses themself from a vast, natural landscape into increasingly darkened and claustrophobic environments, eventually leading to a point of realization.
“A Machine For Boredom” – Marc Cartwright (2020 California 3:14)
Isolation drives a man to rethink his position within a capitalistic society.
“teleVision Quest” – Terence Cover (2016 Michigan 4:50)
An experimental short about apathy, obsession and television.
“Luccica” – Jesse McAnally (2020 Michigan 10:30)
In this modern opera, a couple eagerly enter their married lives by renovating an old Victorian they hope will become their home.
“Respirations” – Rémi Tournier (2022 France 4:47)
In a burning world, wrecked by pollution, a survivor is heading toward his final destination.
“Trail” – Maxwell Seiler (2022 New Jersey 13:55)
A bird-watching trip turns into a nightmare as an entity stalks through the forest.
– – – INTERMISSION – – –
“Gnaw” – Rosalee Yagihara (2022 Canada 7:10)
As romantic tensions consume Cote and her girlfriend, a pesky hangnail triggers a downward spiral into obsession.
“Phonetrip” – Miriam Muraca (2022 Italy 1:25)
A young girl’s nightmare trip into the social networks’ world. How many likes do we need to log out, once we’ve logged in?
“The Culling” – Cuyle Carvin (2022 Georgia 8:00)
Amidst a global extinction event, two survivors seek to find help while contemplating what went wrong.
“Witchy Woman” – Martin Malinov (2022 Bulgaria 4:14)
She has been receiving nasty looks her whole life and her dark, twisted mind runs free as her nightmare imaginations come to life.
“Negative Space” – Jake Weber, Heather Irvine (2019 Michigan 7:56)
The demeanor of a solitary man begins to erode after a toy he’s ordered arrives at his home.
“In the Dark” – Roman Duneshenko (2022 Russian Federation 5:00)
A manifesto against the authorities that restrict the freedom of a person and punish for their desires.
“Extended Warranty” – Thomas Angeletti (2022 United States 2:31)
“The Witching Hour” – Abigail Brenker (2022 New York 3:53)
A woman is haunted during the night by a spirit in her home.
