BiTS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18th

7:00 pm
DARK VISIONS Total program 90 mins
Our opening night collection of the darkest, scariest, moodiest and the most intense Canadian short films playing this year!

SHIVA (Dir. Josh Saltzman) 13:29 mins
Shiva is an unnerving tale about a recently widowed woman who breaks with a long-held Jewish mourning ritual in hopes of connecting with her deceased husband.

HOW TO STAY AWAKE (Dir. Vanessa Magic) 5:30 mins
A woman fights to stay awake, to avoid battling the terrifying realm of sleep paralysis, but as she risks everything to break free, will she be released from the grip of her nocturnal tormentor?

POCKET PRINCESS (Dir. Olivia Loccisano) 9:45 mins
A young girl must take part in a dangerous task in order to complete her doll collection in this miniature fairytale.

FOR RENT (Dir. Michèle Kaye) 10:33 mins
In her new home, Donna unravels a sinister truth—her landlord is a demon with a dark appetite.

LUCY'S BIRTHDAY (Dir. Peter Sreckovic) 9:29 mins
A father struggles to enjoy his young daughter's birthday despite a series of strange and disturbing disruptions.

PARASITIC (Dir. Ryan M Andrews) 10 mins
Last call at a dive bar, a writer struggling to find his voice gets more than he bargains for.

NAUALLI (Dir. Adrian Gonzalez de la Pena) 6 mins
A grieving man seeks revenge, unwittingly awakening a mystical creature known as the Nagual.

THE SAINT AND THE BEAR (Dir. Dallas R. Soonias) 6:34 mins
Two strangers cross paths on an ominous park bench.

THE SORROW (Dir. Thomas Affolter) 13 mins
A retired army general and his live-in nurse find they are not alone in a house filled with dark secrets.

CADABRA (Dir. Tiffany Wice) 6 mins
An amateur magician receives more than he anticipated when he purchases a cursed hat from the estate of his deceased hero.

9:30 pm
(This film is presented with Open Captioning and ASL Interpreter)
DARK MATCH (Dir. Lowell Dean) 91 mins Trailer
A small time wrestling company accepts a well-paying but too good to be true gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader… and their event is now a pay-per-view fight to the death. The ’80s set wrestling film stars Ayisha Issa (Transplant) and Steven Ogg (Grand Theft Auto V, The Walking Dead), with wrestling legend Chris Jericho (Terrifier 2).

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19th

7:00 pm
MOURNFUL MEDIUMS Total program 98 mins
Not too short, not too long! A shorts film program of the best in Canadian medium-length genre films.

NIGHT LAB (Dir. Andrew Ellinas) 15 mins
When a mysterious package arrives from one of the lab's field research stations, a promising young researcher uncovers a conspiracy against her masterminded by her jealous boss. She soon finds herself having to grapple with her conscience before making a life or death decision.

DIRTY BAD WRONG (Dir. Erica Orofino) 14:40 mins
Desperate to keep her promise to host the best superhero party for her 6 year old, young mother Sid, a sex worker, takes extreme measures and books a last-minute client with a dark fetish.

MIDNIGHT AT THE LONELY RIVER (Dir. Abraham Cote) 17 mins
When the lights go out at a seedy little motel bar, at the crossroads of a seedy little town, nefarious happenings are taking place and three predators are enacting their evil deeds.

MEAN ENDS (Dir. Émile Lavoie) 14:58 mins
A buried body, a missing sister and an inquisitive neighbour makes for a hell of an evening. And the sun isn’t close to setting on Eric’s sh*tty day.

STUFFY (Dir. Dan Nicholls) 18:26 mins
A young couple sets off in the middle of the night to bury their kid's stuffed bunny, as one of them is convinced that the stuffy might be cursed

DUNGEON OF DEATH (Dir. Brian P. Rowe) 18:33 mins
Torturer Raullin loves cracking jokes while cracking bones, but his latest victim seems oddly resilient.

9:30 pm
HUNTING MATTHEW NICHOLS (Dir. Markian Tarasiuk) 96 mins Trailer
Twenty-three years after her brother mysteriously disappeared, a documentary filmmaker sets out to solve his missing person's case. But when a disturbing piece of evidence is revealed, she comes to believe that her brother might still be alive.

Opening with the short film:
JOSEPHINE (Dir. John Francis Bregar) 6:15 mins
A man haunted by his past seeks forgiveness from his deceased wife, but a session with two spirit mediums leads to an unsettling encounter.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20th

7:00 pm
BITS & BYTES Total program 93 mins
A special feature-length program of some of the best genre web and digital series.

EZRA (Dirs. Luke Hutchie, Mike Mildon, Marianna Phung) 10:57 mins
After fleeing the dark and demonic chains of his shadowy old home, Ezra, a killer gay vampire, takes a leap of faith and enters the modern world.

HEAD SHOP (PAPA GUILLOTINE) (Dir. Namaï Kham Po) 18:14 mins
In a post-apocalyptic world, Anna’s life and work are dominated by her father Sylvestre, a short-tempered mechanic with a terrible reputation for tearing the head off anyone who dares cross him. He decides that she’s old enough to follow in his footsteps, much to her dismay. To prove herself, she must now decapitate her first victim. Can she find a way to defy fate?

D DOT H (Dirs. Meegwun Fairbrother, Mary Galloway) 18:02 mins
Struggling artist Doug is visited by the beautiful and enigmatic H, who claims he holds the power to visiting “inconceivable places.” Still half-asleep, Doug is shocked when H vanishes suddenly and her doppelganger, Hannah, strides past.

CREEPY BITS: "LAST SONATA" (Dir. Ashlea Wessel) 21:08 mins
Emilie, a celebrated cellist with a terminal illness, moves into a secluded house to finish her opus in peace, but the more she tries to shut herself away from the world, the more she finds herself haunted by powerful, enigmatic forces.

TALES FROM THE VOID: "WHISTLE IN THE WOODS" (Dir. Francesco Loschiavo) 24:36 mins
Horror anthology TV series based on stories from r/NoSleep. Each tale blends genre thrills & social commentary exploring the dark side of the human psyche.

9:30 pm
SELF DRIVER (Dir. Michael Pierro) 90 mins Trailer
Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he'll be compelled to do to make it.

Opening with the short film:
NORTHERN ESCAPE (Dirs. Lucy Sanci, Alexis Korotash) 10:38 mins
A couple on a cottage getaway tries to work on their relationship but ends up getting more than they bargained for when they discover something sinister lurking beneath the surface.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21st

7:00 pm
FUNNY FRIGHTS & UNUSUAL SIGHTS Total program 92 mins
A collection of Canadian shorts premieres, covering a bit of unusual, the surreal, and the lighter side of horror!

MIDNIGHT SNACK (Dir. Sandra Foisy) 1:41 mins
Hunger always strikes in the dead of night.

HELL IS A TEENAGE GIRL (Dir. Stephen Sawchuk) 15 mins
Every Halloween, the small town of Springboro is terrorized by its resident SLASHER – a masked serial killer who targets sinful teenagers that break ‘The Rules of Horror’ – don’t drink, don’t do drugs, and don’t have sex!

GASLIT (Dir. Anna MacLean) 10:36 mins
A woman goes to dangerous lengths to prove she wasn't responsible for a fart.

BATH BOMB (Dir. Colin G Cooper) 9:55 mins
A possessive doctor prepares an ostensibly romantic bath for his narcissistic boyfriend, but after an accusation of infidelity, things take a deeply disturbing turn.

ANY LAST WORDS (Dir. Isaac Rathé) 14:22 mins
A crook trying to flee town is paid an untimely visit by some of his former colleagues. What would you say to save your life if you were staring down the barrel of a gun?

PAPIER MÂCHÉ (Dir. Simon Madore) 4:30 mins
A whimsical depiction of the hard and tumultuous life of a piñata.

THE LIVING ROOM (Dir. Joslyn Rogers) 9:59 mins
After an unexpected call from Lady Luck, Ms Valentine must choose between her sanity and her winnings - all before the jungle consumes her.

A DIVINE COMEDY: WHAT THE HELL (Dir. Valerie Lee Barnhart) 8:55 mins
Dante's classic Hell is falling into oblivion. Charlotte, a sharp-witted Harpy, navigates the chaos and sets out despite the odds for a new life and destiny.

MR FUZZ (Dir. Christopher Walsh) 2:30 mins
A long-limbed, fuzzy-haired creature will do whatever it takes to keep you watching his show.

OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE WICKED (Dirs. Luke Sargent, Benjamin Hackman) 5 mins
After a harrowing journey home from hell, old Pa boasts of his triumph over evil, and how he came to lock the devil in his heart.

THE SHITTY RIDE (Dir. Cole Doran) 9:13 mins
Hoping to impress the girl of his dreams, Cole buys a used car but gets more than he bargained for with his shitty ride.

9:30 pm
(These films are presented with Open Captioning and ASL Interpreter)
INVITED (Dir. Navin Ramaswaran) 73 mins Trailer
When a reluctant mother attends her daughter's Zoom elopement, she and the rest of the family in attendance quickly realize the groom is part of a Russian cult with deadly intentions.

Opening with the short films:
DEFILE (Dir. Brian Sepanzyk) 11:40 mins
A couple's secluded getaway is suddenly interrupted by a strange family who exposes them to the horrors that lie beyond the treeline.

A MOTHER'S LOVE (Dir. Lisa Ovies) 2:29 mins
A young girl deals with the consequences of trusting someone online.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd

7:00 pm
CREEPY BITS 90 mins Trailer
Set among forests, lakes, and small towns, Creepy Bits is a horror anthology series helmed by five innovative filmmakers exploring themes of human vs. nature, the invasion and destruction of the natural world by outsiders, and isolation within a vast, eerie landscape that is not afraid to fight back.

THE MASSACURRA MAN (Dir. Adrian Bobb) 10:35 mins
Hitman Jamie targets Leslie, the unassuming owner of a cheap roadside attraction full of exotic monster sculptures from around the world. But much to Jamie’s surprise, Leslie turns out to be a far tougher foe than he bargained for.

BONDED (Dir. Ashlea Wessel) 13:53 mins
Jeremy and his son, Charlie arrive at a remote cabin in hopes of finding common ground, but increasingly strange occurrences reveal that they may be more connected than they know.

HORS D'OEUVRE (Dir. David J. Fernandes) 10:42 mins
Vicky is enjoying some downtime on her houseboat when she’s interrupted by strange noises from below. Is it a fish, an otter, or something much more sinister? Vicky must gather her wits and face her deepest fears to discover the truth.

BLACK EMPANADAS (Dir. Sid Zanforlin) 11:33 mins
Lucia and Fernando move to a small Ontario town with the dream of opening a thriving empanada bakery, only to find the locals less than welcoming. With the help of a ghostly ancestor, they craft a new, supernatural recipe that could win over the town—or curse them forever.

ROUTE 17 (Dir. Kelly Paoli) 7:54 mins
Ride-share driver Miles takes Nina to her destination in a remote part of the woods, but as they approach their destination, it appears they may both have ulterior motives.

WRETCH (Dir. Sid Zanforlin) 9:55 mins
Unhappy small-town boys Mani and Anton dare each other to spend three nights in an abandoned warehouse, but when an ancient demon is awakened, Anton must decide whether to fight back and save Mani, or save himself.

LEAVE NO TRACE (Dir. David J. Fernandes) 8:50 mins
Bro-dude litterbug Matt proposes to his influencer girlfriend Sarah in the middle of the wilderness, only to be interrupted by the discovery that nature itself is coming to life, and doesn’t seem too keen on visitors.

BELOW (Dir. Adrian Bobb) 11:15 mins
Yara and her son Zach attempt to fulfill her father’s final wishes by spreading his ashes into a lake the family once owned. But their bonding is interrupted when the dark history of the area refuses to stay submerged.

HORTICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS (Dir. Kelly Paoli) 7:27 mins
A tour guide leads an eager troupe of horticulture enthusiasts into the dark depths of a forest to witness a rare species of flora, but when strange noises interrupt the outing, the group wonders if they might also get a glimpse of the mythological creature that brought the flowers there.

9:30 pm
PINS AND NEEDLES (Dir. James Villeneuve) 81 mins
Follows Max, a diabetic, biology grad student who is entrapped in a devilish new-age wellness experiment and must escape a lethal game of cat and mouse to avoid becoming the next test subject to extend the lives of the rich and privileged.

Opening with the short film:
ADJOINING (Dirs. Harrison Houde, Dakota Daulby) 11:42 mins
A couple's motel stay takes a chilling turn when they discover they're being observed, leading to unexpected consequences.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd

4:00 pm
EMERGING SCREAMS Total program 94 mins
A collection of short films from brilliant first-time directors and the most promising student filmmakers in Canadian horror.

APNEA (Dir. David Matheson) 14:58 mins
A single, working mother finds her career and her offbeat son’s safety in jeopardy when she discovers that her late mother is possessing her in her sleep.

NEREID (Dir. Lori Zozzolotto) 7:48 mins
A mysterious woman escapes from an abusive relationship with earth shattering results.

BEDLAMER (Dir. Alexa Jane Jerrett) 15 mins
On the shores of a small fishing village lives a lonely settlement of men - capturing and domesticating otherworldly creatures that were never meant to be tamed.

BLOCKED (Dir. Aisha Alfa) 6:30 mins
A new mom is literally consumed with the futility of cleaning up after her kid.

DANCE OF THE FAERY (Dir. Kaela Brianna Egert) 10:23 mins
A young woman cleans up her estranged, great aunt's home after her death. Upon inspection, she soon realizes that her eccentric obsession with fairies was not born out of love, but of fear.

DEEP END (Dir. Juan Pablo Saenz) 7:36 mins
A gay couple's heated argument during a hike spirals into a nightmare when one of them vanishes, leading the other to a mysterious cave that could reveal the chilling truth.

OJICHAAG - SPIRIT WITHIN (Dir. Rachel Beaulieu) 11:21 mins
An emotionally devastated woman seeks comfort in her choice to end her life. As she faces death in the form of a spirit, she must decide to let herself go to fight to stay alive.

LURE (Dir. Jacob Phair) 9:56 mins
A tormented father awaits the return of the man who saved his son's life.

LET ME IN (Dirs. Joel Buxton, Charles Smith) 10 mins
A reluctant man interviews an unusual immigration candidate: himself from a doomed dimension.

7:00 pm
THE SILENT PLANET (Dir. Jeffrey St. Jules) 95 mins Trailer
An aging convict serving out a life sentence alone on a distant planet is forced to confront his past when a new prisoner shows up and pushes him to remember his life on earth.

Opening with the short film:
ASCENSION (Dir. Kenzie Yango) 3:57 mins
Deep in a remote forest, two friends, Mia and Riley, embark on a leisurely hike. As tensions run high between the two, a strange humming noise appears that seems to be coming from somewhere in the woods.

9:30 pm
SCARED SHITLESS (Dir. Vivieno Caldinelli) 73 mins Trailer
A plumber and his germophobic son are forced to get their hands dirty to save the residents of an apartment building, when a genetically engineered, blood-thirsty creature escapes into the plumbing system.

Opening with the short film:
OH…CANADA (Dir. Vincenzo Nappi) 6:20 mins
Oh, Canada. Such a wonderful place to live - WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. A musical look into the artifice surrounding Canadian identity.

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