Here’s the first lineup of shorts I watched at Genre Blast.
Wooly Bully (2025): What a rough watch. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean that in an “I have lived this movie” way. My dad’s descent into dementia was not easy to navigate, and as always, avoidance and denial were probably how I dealt with it. Becca (Elizabeth Bays) is learning that her mother is both worse and better than she imagined; her father does his best to keep her happy, but the day-to-day moments, the times when you look away for just a moment, well…those can be harrowing. It’s hard to be the parent. It’s worse because you know they’re not getting better and you’re going to lose them. And you’ve already lost them, to be honest. Director Kristen Buckels Cantrell and writer Austin Jennings Boykin have really made something here; it’s not an easy or fun story to tell, but somehow, you come out smiling.
Bright Eye (2026): Callie Jones isn’t just any IT tech; they are a skilled, methodical bio-hacker hidden within a dystopian society, making a living by illegally modifying bio-implants. Operating mostly in the shadows, Callie leads an isolated, quiet life, except for their close friend and crush, Fay. That precarious balance shatters with a single wrong phone call that blows their cover, exposing them directly to the brutal crosshairs of the totalitarian police force and forcing a desperate fight for survival. Director Rio Miller brings a fierce, analog-driven vision to the screen, channeling the gritty atmosphere of classic science fiction, inspired by writer Mackenzie Robin. Yet instead of the CGI we expect, this world still feels handmade, at times appearing like physical artwork and embracing real lighting and effects rather than relying on computers to do it all. Yet through all of this, human emotion is at the core.
The Anchoress (2026): What a gorgeous short. Directed by Matthew Fisher and Kevin Ray, this period folk-horror piece transports us straight to medieval England. A deeply devout young woman (Corinne Lothers) leaves behind the noise of ordinary existence to pursue absolute, holy solitude in a remote wilderness dwelling. She’s chasing that pure, unbroken spiritual connection akin to the historical medieval mystics. But this sanctuary quickly turns into a battleground when a terrifying, disfigured trespasser crawls out of the surrounding dark woods to invade her refuge. Left entirely to her own devices, she has to fight tooth and nail for her survival and is forced to question whether this bloody nightmare is a curse straight from the pit of Hell or the profound sign from God she had been praying for all along. What we would find to be everyday, or even ancient, can appear to be the future for some, or to come from another, better place.
Clean Slate (2026): Directed by Alex Geffen and Cass Huckabay, this is all about a government-sanctioned program created to empty out overcrowded prisons by wiping the memories of violent offenders. When this happens, our justice system is thrown completely out the window. But you can’t just erase the past and expect the slate to actually be clean. The real reckoning falls upon the survivors of their victims, the ones left holding the pieces while the perpetrators walk around with new lives, entirely oblivious to the nightmares they caused. This set-up ends up in a very human moment between two people, forced to confront one another, one remembering the face who killed his wife and son; the other having to realize that no matter what he does now, to this man, he will always be a monster.
The GenreBlast Film Festival is a one-of-a-kind film experience created for both filmmakers and film lovers, celebrating genre filmmaking in an approachable environment. Described by Movie Maker Magazine as Summer Camp for Filmmakers, we screen the latest in independent, cult, niche and underground films that aren’t easily accessible. Other events include filmmaker Q&As, special guests, giveaways, after-parties, and an awards ceremony. The GenreBlast team is hard at work creating a destination event that will have the independent film industry talking about it all year long. GenreBlast is a festival for filmmakers, by filmmakers, that strives to become one of the best independent film festivals around. We celebrate the finest in true genre cinema, and we look for the best features, shorts, animation, music videos and screenplays you have to offer. For more info and tickets, visit the site.
