Short films are usually a gateway into a filmmaker’s larger body. Take Jill Gevargizian, for example. In our in-depth interview with her this past March, we discussed her career in short films. One of the concepts of her short films lent to her feature film debut with The Stylist. A portion of Grindsploitation Film Festival heavily includes short films, alongside features, to better celebrate the art of independent filmmaking. This year’s festival included 43 short films. Here are our picks for the top 10 short films of Grindsploitation Film Festival.

10. Breathing Hole (Japan)

This short film is an elegant fever dream that hinges on the darkest and most murderous desires of man. The cinematography is breathtaking and the acting is masterful. Despite making this list the film’s use of times can be hard to follow at times. Though, as I mentioned previously, this film is a fever dream.

9. Pelican Milkshake (Canada)

A woman attempts to bury a man until she is stalked by a drone. The film reverberates with slasher vibes and has a stellar cast. I really admired the concept but the movie was a tad predictable in the end. There is so much meat left on the bone for this one. Pelican Milkshake could definitely benefit from a feature length exploration. 

8. Cold Blooded (USA)

A pure love letter to 1980s creature features, right down to the VHS aesthetic and letterboxing, comes Cold Blooded. The story is simple. Girl loves reptiles and takes her love to new heights when she gets dumped by her ex-boyfriend. So she does what any sane person would do - she turns him into a humanoid lizard man, which in turn somehow makes him a household rockstar. This one is weird, visually stunning, and surprisingly hilarious. This has 80s b-movie horror written all over it. 

7. Fraternalings (USA)

The second film on this list to feature a slasher comes with a surprisingly heartfelt twist ending. The story centers on the “Selfie Killer” who is planning his next kill, only to get a surprise knock on his door from a future planned victim. The dynamic yields hilarious results that feels like it may be playing homage to recent slashers like Happy Death Day.  Oddly hilarious with a smooth emotional foundation, Fraternalings stands out among the festival’s horror with ease.

6. Hostile (Canada)

What if The Purge was a personalized service and allowed you to let out aggression for a small fee? Then somehow the man behind the service judged you for how you did it. Welcome to Canada’s Hostile. What starts off as a seemingly normal horror movie quickly derails for hysterical results. Two men going back and forth on how to properly kill someone doesn’t sound like it would be funny but the wittiness is what makes the movie. The writing is flawless in this short film that capitalizes on two actors with great comedic timing. 

5. Possessions (USA)

The only supernatural horror on this list tells the story that starts out as anything but supernatural. A man decides to sell his entire possessions in efforts to become a social media star. Somewhere in the midst of that one of the buyers becomes possessed by a Nazi demon, resulting in an origin concept that needs to be explored on a larger scale. Possessions is begging for a feature film to flesh out some more of its story.

4. Optic Nerve (USA)

Once again we have a film that is in a class all of its own. Optic Nerve is the only silent film on this list. The film tells the story of an artist struggling to finish a painting. During his brain freeze, viewers are welcome to a psychic vision of true beauty. Optic Nerve makes this list not solely for its eye popping aesthetic but also its score and the amount of emotion the actor portraying the artist was able to convey. From someone who has struggled with writer’s block, this one spoke to me deeply, and it didn’t have to say anything audibly.

3. Lifelike (Canada)

I will level with you on this one. The practice for the festival was to clap and applaud when shorts would end. There was silence after this one. Without a doubt an uncomfortable experience but sometimes you need experiences like this short to confront and discuss topics. This short chronicles a therapeutic experience that attempts to find ways for sexual assault survivors to cope with their experience, while also doing the same for those struggling in pedophilia. It’s as uncomfortable as they come but the film does raise valid points of conversation. 

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, please consult our resources.

2. My Dinner with Werner (USA)

This one is a straight up comedy that is aggressively unpredictable. My Dinner with Werner stands out for its writing and comedic timing. A truly refreshing experience and, much like Possessions and Pelican Milkshake, this film would benefit beautifully from a feature length treatment. I would just love to see what this team could do. The film tells the story of an actress attempting to win over the heart of a director to be cast in his next movie. Then you throw in his ex-business partner and expect a riot. Hilarious in nearly every way.

1. Bobby Pinwheel (USA)

This is the only animated feature on this list. Even more than that, it’s claymation, bringing this movie back to the days of Gumby. Bobby Pinwheel is set in the vein of Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared. It tells the story of a children’s birthday party that turns violent and quick. A truly fun film that comes equipped with great slasher instincts and a fun environment. Bobby Pinwheel is the stand out from this year’s Grindsploitation Film Festival.

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.

You can now support us on Patreon. Help us get mental health resources into schools and get exclusive content at the same time. Click here (http://bit.ly/vavpatreon) to join today!