Last night, Halloween made its presence known a little earlier than usual, with an amazing array of queer horror short films; while we shielded our eyes and jumped in our seats, we were also impressed by the high production values and great acting on screen.
FilmPride is a volunteer-run festival that showcases the work of LGBTQIA+ independent filmmakers from all corners of the world. Co-founder Deborah Espect introduced the evening, explaining the link between the horror genre and the real-world struggles within the community, where filmmakers have explored and relished in the joy of making films with a darker context. FilmPride was created in conjunction with our local TV channel, Latest TV.
As the lights went down, we gripped the edge of our seats and waited to see what would appear.
With ten short films on show, each run back to back, the evening took on an air of mystery and exploration. With limited time, these films needed to take us to their setting quickly, explore the situation and let the characters develop. And we found ourselves drawn into many foreboding corners as they explored how people behave when things are not quite as they should be.
To highlight some of our favourite films from the evening, we particularly enjoyed ‘Sleepeater’, directed by Amrita Acharia. The couple on screen started to fall apart after a life decision when insomnia takes over and controls them. We loved the chopping images and the use of creatures in unusual places, whilst the very fabric of the actors’ clothing and home succumbs to the impact of what they have done.
‘Itch’, directed by Susannah Farrugia, followed a novice nun struggling with her feelings, leading her to scratch and mutilate herself. The starkness of the situation and the graphic depiction of her desperation told us so much about the longing inside her, and while we were flinching at some of the scenes, particularly with the cheese grater, we completely understood her motivations.
And then of course there was Black Hole Barry, directed by Alejandro Alberola. Joyous and darkly comic, this film managed to bring together the gay experience in a completely new way as we watched the character descend into his own kind of hell. The whole audience laughed along only to be shocked and then amused again. This was a wonderful example of how a short film can have an impact that just can’t be achieved in a longer format.
We also met a drag queen dealing with an alien invasion, a priest caught up in a heist to steal a painting and a girl determined to cast a love spell over her best friend. As each film finished, we were left with the impression of the work it took to complete the projects, the range of skills on display and the quality of the storytelling. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the achievements of these directors who had clearly strived to work in a genre that meant something to them and found a way to bring their work to screen.
FilmPride has an ambitious remit and a totally inclusive philosophy and has been putting on events since 2019. Last night’s event showed just how much support this movement has behind it and just how much talent they have available to explore. We’re already looking forward to the 2027 season.
Here is the full list of films on offer last night
- The Monster Within Me (Dir: Kuba Marczuk, UK)
A young man must battle his nature and emotions after an unexpected tragedy. - Sleepeater (Dir: Amrita Acharia, UK)
Ahri and her wife Matilda institutionalise Ahri’s father to claim his house for themselves. But an exhausting cycle of guilt is awoken. Night after sleepless night, paranoia erodes the trust between them, until finally the insomnia destroys everything they love. - Son of God (Dir: Bruce Micallef Eynaud, Malta)
A Maltese priest, harbouring a secret, steals a valuable painting of Jesus from his church, hoping to sell it and start a new life abroad. - Love Spell (Dir: Lauren Vevers, UK)
In 1999, a teenage girl in a high school in Newcastle-upon-Tyne casts a spell to make her best friend fall in love with her. - Papergirl (Dir: Jack Warren, US)
Gender dysphoria gives way to terrifying metamorphosis when a lonely partygoer discovers that their skin is turning to paper. - Itch (Dir: Susannah Farrugia, Malta)
A novice nun develops a severe skin condition which continues to worsen, along with her mental state, as she struggles with her feelings for another nun. - Black Hole Barry (Dir: Alejandro Alberola, UK)
Facing his boyfriend’s move-in, Scott embarks on a self-destructive week of hookups – a decision he’s going to regret forever. - The Cost Of Living (Dir: Alice Trueman, UK)
Lily, a disconnected, neurotic fitness-freak, has a brush with death and comes face-to-face with her worst fear. But Death appears to Lily as a femme fatale, and Lily finds herself unexpectedly giddy with desire. - The Cruise (Dir: Richard Louprasong, US)
On Halloween night, a couple ventures into the woods rumoured to be haunted to conjure up an urban legend. But they’re about to meet a ghost from the past. - The Last Story on Earth (Dir: Aaron Immediato, US)
Trapped in a library during an alien invasion, a determined drag queen must use her storytelling and imagination to protect both her supporters and her protesters from terrifying extraterrestrial threats.
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