Fantastic Fest’s patented bipedal program of short-subject cinema that buck conventions and blur boundaries of genre, aesthetics and taste returns with a barrage of provocative peculiarities. Expect the unexpected, but prepare for an array of unique sensibilities — from the polished to the anarchic — as absurdism and experimentation abound and silliness co-mingles with severity.

Alegrías Riojanas (2022): Experimental filmmaker Velasco Broca has created a short where an ophthalmologist has his urgent need for a confession interrupted when the priest leaves. Growing tired of waiting, he returns to his office and is killed by a car. Then, his soul travels through a purgatory populated by horrifying demons and devils. Where will his journey take him?

This movie is at once frightening and gorgeous. It’s unlike anything else I saw at Fantastic Fest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflSkvlJoNw

Amor to Love (2022): Taco Bell’s new Grilled Stuft Corazon-a-rito. They say it has three layers of cheesy admiration and sizzling hot passionate ground beef all grilled to deep perfection. Yes, somehow, this was a film made for Taco Bell, but you know, as much as I hate corporations I for some reason I give a pass to Taco Bell. I mean, bean burritos. They’ve been a staple in my diet since I was a child, which is possibly why I’m so fat and fart so often. Also: this movie was fun. You can learn more at the official site.

The Breakdown Parables (2021): Directed and written by Emil Benjamin, this tells the story of a purgatory casting office, as the receptionist (Maria DeCotis) sees appointment after appointment. Through five stories, the actors within the waiting room experience a variety of human emotions as well as baring their truest self; anything in the pursuit of that big part, right? Does the receptionist have dreams of her own? Can anyone be friends in the business of show? Will this all end with a musical number? Is heaven real? Man, that’s a lot of questions. This answers at least a few of them. I certainly had no expectations of this, but if I did, they would have been exceeded. You can learn more at the official site.

From Water Comes Melon (2022): Micah Vassau directed and wrote this tale of the last watermelon on Earth. A young woman discovers it and must decide whether to keep it for herself or share it with the rest of what’s left of humanity. Also, rampant nudity for some reason. I never thought I’d watch a movie about post-apocalyptic watermelons appearing on a beach, but life is incredibly odd and I love that.

Hubbards (2021): There’s a guy who digs every day in a quest to find his brother’s bones. When he needs the sustenance it takes to excavate sibling skeleton parts in the dusty sand and dirt, well, he turns to Hubbards. You may as well. This was a four-part journey into weirdness that I enjoyed and wouldn’t mind watching again.

I Dreamed I Heard a Song Called Habibi (2022): An experimental mixed-media vibe that ruminates on technology, theater and transformation set to a soundscape by Your 33 Black Angels and directed by Benji Kast. It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine referred to the music of this band as “Part XTC, part New Order, part VU; like Galaxie 500 being beaten up by Kraftwerk and the Wu-Tang Clan.” This animation was pretty wild. Check it out:

Precautionary Measure (2021): Created by Lizzy Deacon and Ika Schwander, this tells the story of Helen, who wins a life coaching session in a raffle at her local village hall. What follows is her life coach Helen guiding her through the help she never really needed. Together, they will explore healing strategies to cope with fear, rejection and grief. Maybe they’ll help one another. Maybe it’ll be a mess. They say the unexamined life is not worth living, but who are they anyway?

The Straight Ball (2022): Eugene Kotlyarenko and Nate Wilson made this story about a date that’s filled with information as it falls to pieces. It kind of gave me PTSD, reminding me that I’m really lucky that I’m inside on a cold Sunday night with my wife and not failing to connect with any other person. For that, this movie has made me very thankful.