This summer marks the return of the Hollyshorts Film Festival for its 21st edition! From August 7 to August 15, 2025, the festival will showcase the best in short-form cinema across genres and styles. But, we here at Dread Central are most excited about their lineup of horror short films, which we have the privilege of announcing today.
For this year’s event, the Hollyshorts Film Festival boasts a roster of over 40 genre entries, all of which are vying for the Best Horror award.
Highlights from the phenomenal horror slate include Iris Dukatt’s nail-biting revenge thriller Long Pork, led by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey; Bianca Poletti’s surreal homage to 80s horror Video Barn starring Grace Van Dien and Reina Hardesty; and Xian Elder’s Black vampire drama, Woke. A chaotic family dinner is at the heart of Matt Campanella’s Sunday Sauce, featuring a standout performance from Academy Award nominee Cathy Moriarty. Meanwhile, a tenant and a ghost team up to stop a real estate developer from demolishing their house in Halfway Haunted.
Manuel Villarreal’s Deep Dish Dimples offers a poignant look at a trans man wrestling with his past self, and Spanish director J.A. Villalobo’s Who Calls sees a couple confronted with a chilling decision after a stranger knocks at their door in the dead of night. In Neuro, Wes Ellis explores emotional trauma through a struggling couple’s visit to an unethical research facility, starring The Love Witch’s Samantha Robinson. Keeping with the sci-fi thread, Milk Baby follows a woman trafficked into a human dairy farm in a disturbing and surreal tale.
Blending horror and comedy, Camila Grimaldi’s Breadwinner tells of a twisted love triangle between an obsessive woman, her unsuspecting boyfriend, and a malevolent sourdough starter. Meanwhile, a group of friends face off against a demonic bathroom fixture in the irreverent Bidet. In Hoku Uchiyama’s delightfully fiendish Whitch, a woman and her child are visited by a confused intruder.
From the UK, Joan Iyiola tells a visceral story about a woman suffering from fibroids in MANGO, Ali Cook uncovers a mystical 19th-century Cornish tale in The Pearl Comb, and Hector Bell explores the challenges in a modern relationship in Skin Deep. Josie Charles’ Blue Violet dives into the dark psychological aftermath of heartbreak, while the environmentally conscious Plastic Surgery showcases captivating performances from Anna Popplewell and Daniel Ings.
In the Midnight Madness section, Riley Donigan’s absurdist SHITHEAD follows a man coping with a bizarre affliction. A woman devastated by grief confronts the beast responsible in the gothic Eeohtoh, while a young man becomes trapped in a void in You Are Here. DEFORMED follows someone with a disturbing eating disorder, and Here Comes Santa Clause tells a twisted festive tale.
A woman suffering from memory loss awakens beside a dead body in Chris Johnson’s GREEN, while the diary of Anne Lister provides the inspiration for Very Fine Day from Nik Kacevski. Jill Sachs’ Taga, starring Kim Adis, follows a young woman reconnecting with her roots as an ancient evil awakens, and Sierra Nutkevitch spins a gothic Jewish fairytale in The Golem. Rounding out the section are Charlie Schwan’s Harvester, Dan Abramovitch’s Heirlooms, and Jake Goes on a Date, in which a man endures a grotesque transformation before his big night out.
Other notable titles include The Littles, a chilling encounter between a young girl and a mysterious presence, from bestselling author Andrew Duplessie; Sharon Chetrit’s SOUP, depicting a pregnant woman tormented by nightmarish visions; and A Good Death from Kaz PS. Craig Blair’s The Trunk and Rafael Agustin’s Sundown take audiences on terrifying road trips, while Lucía Forner Segarra’s Berta serves up cold revenge. And to finish, Cuban filmmaker Mila Vilaplana’s Shed follows a young woman stalked by grief.
To view the complete list of official selections, visit http://www.hollyshorts.com
This year’s hybrid celebration of short films will take place in person, with screenings at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and virtually through the official festival streaming platform, Bitpix TV. The festival opens on August 7 and will culminate in the Awards Gala on August 17.
For additional information and tickets, visit: https://hollyshorts2025.eventive.org/passes/buy
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