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Blood in the Snow Film Festival + Deadly Exposure — November 17 to 22, 2025

Blood in the Snow 2025

🩸 November 17–22, 2025 · Isabel Bader Theatre, Toronto, ON

📅 Quick View Schedule 🩸 Award Nominations 📄 Festival Program (PDF)

Monday, November 17 Opening Night

7:00 PM

Dark Visions

— Horror Shorts Program · 94 min

Opening night program featuring the darkest, most chilling, and intense Canadian short films of the year.

HorrorCanada 🇨🇦
Do You See Her?
Dir. Janet-Rose Nguyen · 7:14
Katie fears something stalking her, seen without glasses.
Donations
Dir. Shelly Findlay · 8:20
In a world where blood is money, one man pays the price to live.
The Spider
Dir. Michelle Godoy Priske · 5:00
A woman faces her birth mother on Halloween night.
Sweetie
Dir. Taylor Olson · 2:55
A little girl calls her dad for help when a monster lurks.
Zoé
Dir. Rémi St-Michel · 15:52
Shards of Zoé's mind cling to memories of happier times.
🏆 Best Short Film🏆 Best Lead Acting — Short
Nicky Nine Doors
Dir. Jenna Schaefer, Minsoo Koh · 4:52
Alone after hours, a woman becomes prey to a cruel prank.
First Rites
Dir. Findlay Ironside · 6:02
A young woman seeks comfort from a long-dead corpse.
Lost in Your Thoughts
Dir. Marshall Leigh George · 10:38
In therapy, a woman explores memories to find her sister.
Time Eater
Dir. Ryan Couldrey · 12:50
A grandma with dementia faces danger babysitting her granddaughter.
Hammer, Wrench and Screwdriver
Dir. Gabriel Vilandré · 13:00
A teen returns stolen tools, but events take a dark turn.
🏆 Best Supporting Acting — Short
Immortal Embrace
Dir. Reamonn Joshee · 7:19
Emily, turned vampire, finds help from her mother.
9:30 PM

Son of Sara: Volume 1

— Feature · 83 minDir. Houston Bone
🏆 Best Lead Acting — FeatureHorrorCanada 🇨🇦

Haunted by strange urges and visions, a pregnant woman accepts a dinner invitation that descends into a bloody, nightmarish spiral.

Opens with

Heirlooms
Dir. Dan Abramovici · 12:44
While clearing her late mother's things, she finds a secret.

Tuesday, November 18

7:00 PM

Monsters & Martians

— Sci-fi Shorts Program · 95 min

A collection of the finest sci-fi shorts from this planet—or any other.

Science FictionCanada 🇨🇦
Sanctorum
Dir. Prasanna Paul · 8:00
An ex-engineer builds a robot to battle evil forces.
Asteria
Dir. Daniel Brown · 4:55
An interstellar runaway hides in a man's home.
Echo
Dir. Victoria Long · 16:30
When her partner returns, Ava must choose her side.
Solipsis
Dir. Massimo Russo · 19:57
Years in a bunker, Cal fights to survive and reach the world.
Kitty & the Viper
Dir. John-Daniel Arauz · 13:05
In Neo San Francisco, the Viper and Kitty fight the Jackal.
Strangers
Dir. Andrew G. Cooper · 10:54
Trapped in a basement, two men hide from creatures outside.
He
Dir. Hira Vin · 16:00
A shapeshifter grants love, until one woman breaks the rules.
The Archivists
Dir. Dallas Harvey · 7:30
An agent bound to an alien relic fights to save the world.
9:30 PM

Foreigner

— Feature · 80 minDir. Ava Maria Safai
🏆 Best Screenplay — Feature🧏 ASL / Open CaptionsHorrorCanada 🇨🇦

Yasamin Karimi, a Persian teen, struggles to fit in at her 2004 high school. When she dyes her hair blonde, she unknowingly awakens a demon tied to the parts of herself she wishes to erase. A heartfelt horror story about the cost of assimilation and the power of denied identity. First pitched at the 2023 BITS Development Lab.

Opens with

The Indestructible
Dir. Kalen Artinian · 15:00
A teen escapes into comics as reality and fantasy collide.

Wednesday, November 19

7:00 PM

BITS and BYTES

— Web Series Program · 100 min

A feature-length program spotlighting the best genre web and digital series.

Web & DigitalCanada 🇨🇦
Petit Demons
Dir. Juan Francisco Calero Hueso · 5:00
A survivor becomes a hunter of society's cruelest monsters.
Creepy Cape Breton — Ep: Hatman Part 2
Dir. Dawn Wells · 11:53
A Mi'kmaq filmmaker hunts a shadowy figure.
Bunker Time!
Dir. Justin Miller · 19:46
Trapped in her bunker, kids TV host Pearle starts to crack.
Jeff Dotter: Space Courier
Dir. Shane Lawrence Campbell · 13:26
One man's strange delivery job spans the whole universe.
Ghosting
Dirs. Luke Hutchie, Matthew Finlan · 22:02
Actors turned ghost hunters explore real haunted places.
Ominous — Ep: Radioactive
Dir. George Mihalka · 29:00
A DJ attempts to banish a demon.
🏆 Best Digital or Web Series
9:30 PM

Buffet Infinity

— Feature · 99 minDir. Simon Glassman
Comedy HorrorCanada 🇨🇦

Petty rivals, cult leaders, and exiled Lovecraftian gods collide at your favorite restaurant. A genre-bending horror-comedy told through a series of inventive commercials.

Opens with

Tingling
Dir. Swaroop Elamon · 5:00
A man's ASMR video turns terrifying as he drifts to sleep.

Thursday, November 20

7:00 PM

Funny Frights & Unusual Sights

— Shorts Program · 97 min

A showcase of Canadian shorts highlighting the unusual, the surreal, and the lighter side of horror.

Comedy HorrorCanada 🇨🇦
Weeds
Dir. Stefano Toniatti · 5:40
A gardener battles monstrous weeds with wild bravado.
Cherry on Top
Dir. Lulu Liu · 14:57
Trapped for years, two sisters find hope in a vintage mag.
Ultra Cheese
Dir. Kyle Dunbar · 4:41
A disgruntled delivery guy curses a layabout's pizza.
Steal My Life
Dir. Annie Wren · 11:15
A cool girl unravels as everyone starts copying her style.
Blood Rights
Dir. Caitlin Starowicz · 7:49
Two friends summon Bloody Mary for feminist revenge.
As Pale As Death
Dir. Ryan Kukec · 15:05
A tanning salon visit turns deadly under a mummy's curse.
Seed
Dir. Cameron Macgowan · 6:40
On Trash Planet, two men discover a plant creature.
WFH
Dir. James Watts · 12:19
A writer fights to survive the grind of the gig economy.
Bidet
Dir. James Brylowski · 7:30
Friends face terror from a bathroom fixture possessed.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Dir. Dylan Pun · 12:23
The Shrimp and Dave face off against Rat Bitch.
9:30 PM

Fresh Meat

— Feature · 105 minDir. Daniel Turres
🏆 Best Special FX — FeatureHorrorCanada 🇨🇦

A group of influencers sneaks into an abandoned prison for viral content—unaware that one inmate never left.

Opens with

Breach
Dir. Ross Langill · 3:00
A pregnant woman defends her home from two intruders.

Friday, November 21

7:00 PM

Nash the Slash Rises Again!

— Documentary Feature · 80 minDir. Tim Kowalski
DocumentaryCanada 🇨🇦

A cinematic ode to Canadian music icon Nash The Slash, exploring the mind, madness, and artistic journey of this electronic pioneer and performance innovator. Clips from silent film, horror, and noir illustrate his emotional landscape, revealing a timeless message about identity and embracing one's true self.

Opens with

Sampling
Dir. Jérémy Arné · 6:01
A punk musician hosts a strange experiment.
Grain
Dir. Ilana Zackon · 6:45
A young woman's binge eating disorder threatens a town.
9:30 PM

Violence

— Feature · 80 minDir. Connor Marsden
🏆 Best Supporting Acting — Feature🏆 Best Music Score — FeatureSplatter HorrorCanada 🇨🇦

In an alternate 1980s, anti-hero Henry Violence battles through a brutal cartel war, forced to make impossible choices to survive the violent chaos.

Opens with

Pariah
Dir. AJ Lutsky · 6:11
A survival story where staying human requires compliance.
Appendage
Dir. Dave Thorpe · 6:21
Emma's morning is disturbed by alien creatures.

Saturday, November 22 Closing Night

4:00 PM

Emerging Screams

— Shorts Program · 95 min

A showcase of emerging and student filmmakers creating standout short films.

HorrorCanada 🇨🇦
INBTWN
Dir. Nic Altobelli · 11:10
Estranged sisters confront their past in turmoil.
The Outsider
Dir. A. Burnett · 3:00
A prisoner longs for connection and to escape isolation.
The Yellow Wallpaper
Dir. Lynn Naluyima · 6:14
A haunting take on Gilman's work.
No Lies in the Afterlife
Dir. Haley Elizabeth Richards · 4:39
Two friends try to connect with a dead ex, revealing secrets.
Hear No Evil
Dirs. Vai Petersen, Steve Petersen · 9:59
Deaf and alone, Melodie fights with a guiding voice.
Slaughter Slate
Dir. Xavier Wehrli · 8:11
A film student's clapperboard attacks!
Making Beauty
Dir. Tammy Salzl · 13:20
A young artist tries to beautify the world with savage results.
Cancer szn
Dir. Zach Green · 12:42
A witch's obsession with a rival leads to a deadly body-swap.
Disease
Dir. Alex Masciotra-Milstein · 4:48
A human asks for a zombie bite, sparking a gruesome love.
Is That a Mirage?
Dir. Grace Shi · 13:00
Juniper braves a dystopian wasteland to trade a rare berry.
Black Hole
Dir. Brianna Russell · 11:39
A curious boy finds a black hole, his only escape from a town.
7:00 PM

Behind the Castle Doors: The Origin of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein

— Documentary Feature · 66 minDirs. Morgan Baker, Tammy Heisel
🧏 ASL / Open CaptionsDocumentaryCanada 🇨🇦

The Markowitz brothers reveal the story behind their quirky 1970s Canadian cult-classic, including the legendary presence of Vincent Price.

Opens with

Soap Box
Dir. Jimmy G. Pettigrew · 16:14
A boy races down the Mountain of the Muertay to impress his crush.
My Friend Saabe
Dir. Morningstar Derosier · 15:00
A young Rez girl journeys with Saabe to heal her community.
🏆 "Indestructible" Award
9:30 PM

Influencers

— Feature · 110 minDir. Kurtis David Harder
🏆 Best Picture🏆 Best Director🏆 Best Cinematography — Feature🏆 Best Editing — FeatureHorror ThrillerCanada 🇨🇦 / France 🇫🇷

In southern France, a young woman's obsession with murder and identity theft spirals her life into chaos.

Blood in the Snow — Winners Laurel

2025 Bloodies — Award Winners & Nominees

Best Picture

🏆 Influencers — dir. Kurtis David Harder

Nominees

  • Foreigner — dir. Ava Maria Safai
  • Buffet Infinity — dir. Simon Glassman

Best Director

🏆 Kurtis David Harder (Influencers)

Nominees

  • Houston Bone (Son of Sara)
  • Simon Glassman (Buffet Infinity)
  • Ava Maria Safai (Foreigner)

Best Lead Acting — Feature

🏆 Chloe Van Landschoot (Son of Sara: Volume 1)

Nominees

  • Cassandra Naud (Influencers)
  • Rose Dehgan (Foreigner)

Best Supporting Acting — Feature

🏆 Maddie Hasson (Violence)

Nominees

  • Jane Moffat (Son of Sara)
  • Emily Tennant (Influencers)

Best Screenplay — Feature

🏆 Ava Maria Safai (Foreigner)

Nominees

  • Kurtis David Harder (Influencers)
  • Simon Glassman (Buffet Infinity)

Best Cinematography — Feature

🏆 David Schuurman (Influencers)

Nominees

  • Vincent Biron (Violence)
  • Dmitry Lopatin (Son of Sara)
  • Saarthak Taneja (Foreigner)

Best Editing — Feature

🏆 Robert Grant & Kurtis David Harder (Influencers)

Nominees

  • Kevan Byrne (Nash the Slash Rises, Again)
  • Mark Hussey (Violence)

Best Special FX — Feature

🏆 The Butcher Shop (Fresh Meat)

Nominees

  • The Butcher Shop (Violence)
  • Daniella Pluchino – DPFX (Son of Sara)

Best Music Score — Feature

🏆 Nowhere2run (Violence)

Nominees

  • Avery Kentis (Influencers)
  • Spencer Creaghan (Son of Sara)

Best Short Film

🏆 Zoé — dir. Rémi St-Michel

Nominees

  • Echo — dir. Victoria Long
  • He — dir. Hira Vin

Best Digital or Web Series

🏆 Ominous — dir. George Mihalka

Nominees

  • Ghosting — dirs. Luke Hutchie, Matthew Finlan
  • Jeff Dotter: Space Courier — dir. Shane Lawrence Campbell

Best Lead Acting — Short

🏆 Nisha Coleman (Zoé)

Nominees

  • Jordan Alexander (Echo)
  • Jane Moffat (Time Eater)
  • Chloe Van Landschoot (Heirloom)

Best Supporting Acting — Short

🏆 Patrice Dubois (Hammer, Wrench and Screwdriver)

Nominees

  • Hannah Klamann (Tingling)
  • Heather Gardner (My Friend Saabe)

"Indestructible" Award — Best Promising Filmmaker

🏆 Morningstar Derosier

Nominees

  • Dylan Pun
  • Rémi St-Michel

Festival Info

🎭 Venue

Isabel Bader Theatre
93 Charles St W
Toronto, ON
Nightly Nov 17–22 · Filmmaker Q&As to follow.

🍻 After-Parties

Tranzac Club
292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto
9:30 PM – close · Nov 17–22
DJ D-Rock (Mon–Thu)
DJ Osaze (Fri–Sat)

🎬 Industry Events

Deadly Exposure Industry Conference
deadlyexposure.ca
Daytime events throughout the festival.

📬 Contact

Kelly Michael Stewart
Festival Director
info@bloodinthesnow.ca

Partner Cocktail Events — Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Ave

Toronto Film Plug Cocktail

Toronto Film Plug Cocktail

Thursday, November 20 · 6:30–8:30 PM

Toronto Film Plug hosted a cocktail reception at the 2025 festival, connecting filmmakers across its network for an evening of conversation and celebration of Canadian genre cinema.

ConneKt Film Cocktail

ConneKt Film Cocktail

Friday, November 21 · 6:30–8:30 PM

An exclusive reception for filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals celebrating Canada's vibrant genre film community, hosted by ConneKt Film.

DTRM & First Slate Cocktail

DTRM Inc. & First Slate International Cocktail

Saturday, November 22 · 6:30–8:30 PM

Closing night cocktail celebrating Canadian and international genre cinema, hosted by DTRM Inc. and First Slate International.