2010 Short Films: Horror and Dark Thrillers

Bad Mistake (Mauvaise erreur)

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Written/ Directed by Xavier Hibon; Produced by Gérald Frydman

Sophie is not scared by horror movies anymore. One night, she’s kidnapped and she realizes that she is the wrong person. The kidnappers have made a mistake. The kidnappers are going to kill her, because they don’t want to have any witnesses. Sophie will try to escape and will kill one of them. But in fact, she kills her girlfriend’s new boyfriend who she was supposed to meet during the weekend. It was all a joke for her birthday party.

6 min

Death Row Diet

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Written by Jonathan Katz, Tom Leopold; Directed by Mike Salva, Tom Snyder; Produced by Jonathan Katz, Mike Salva, Tom Snyder

Jonathan Katz is a man who is on both death row and Weight Watchers. With Tom Leopold. (It takes the “D” out of Death Row and puts it back in “Delicious” where it belongs!)

3 min

Happy Face

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Written/Directed by Franklin P. Laviola; Produced by Franklin P. Laviola, Jack Lambert, Michael Gallart

“Happy Face” is a psychological thriller about a troubled Hollywood starlet named Katie who seeks to escape from the media spotlight by hiding out in a rehab facility on Long Island. However, when Les, her overbearing agent, tracks her down and attempts to whisk her back to LA, Katie must plan her next move, even if it means taking drastic measures that will affect the course of their twisted relationship and her own identity forever.

14 min

One Night

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Written/Directed/Produced by Laura Jean Cronin

The idea for this film first began with the question, “what would you do the morning after you took a human life?” This is where we begin with Allie, a little bruised up and very self-reflective. I had only then to figure out the why, when, where and how. I also wanted to bring the audience down an unexpected path while they think they are watching the “expected”. Allie’s flashbacks keep bringing her back to the Dance Club where she awkwardly put the moves on her long time crush. Did Allie stab Nicole to death? All too often “psycho lesbian” has been a cinematic archetype. One Night turns that archetype on its head and makes us examine our own boundaries and social anxieties as Allie, our protagonist, must examine hers.

13 min

Quartered at Dawn (Viergeteilt im Morgengrauen)

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Written/Directed by Norbert Keil; Produced by Roland Lippoldmüller

“I heard something,” he says and tries to peek through the foggy windows of his car. But she will not have any of this nonsense, and takes his face and guides it towards her open blouse, giggling with anticipation.

It is winter, the snowy landscape tranquil. But Marc and Sarah are not cold, their cheeks are flushed, their breath is heated.  And so they do not notice the car crashing nearby. The driver is hurt badly; she barely makes it out of the wreck.

“I’m positive I heard something,”‘ Marc says again, but Sarah once again directs his attention back to herself.

Another car arrives. The injured woman gets nervous, looks for her gun, tries to shoot – but too late: the axe rips the gun from her hand.

“You didn’t hear anything, no matter how sure you are.” Sarah moans.

And while they continue their little outing in the back of the car, they’re unaware that there was something after all… and it might be coming for them as well.

14 min

Self-Inflicted

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Written by Davey Sherwinter, Isabelle Carruthers; Directed by Davey Sherwinter; Produced by Luke Howard, Davey Sherwinter

A veteran detective, Carl Lambeth (Jerry Durkin) investigates a beautiful young woman, Leslie Renfrew (Sarah Karjian) about the brutal stabbing of her husband, Timothy Renfrew (Robert Axel). As she retells the day’s gruesome events in detail, it becomes unclear whether or not the crime in question was truly ‘self-inflicted.’

8 min

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