Genre Filmmaking A Standout of the 29th Festival REGARD

Vampires, zombies, and witches, oh my.

Genre storytelling is alive and well at the 29th edition of the Festival REGARD, which ran from March 19 to 23, 2025 in Saguenary, Quebec, Canada. Filmmakers from around the world brought new twists on favourite genre subjects, delighting audiences during two sold-out festival screenings.

In a festival where audiences are enthusiastic about short films of all genres and subject matter, the Genre Movies programme stood out among a well-programmed short film festival. Eight filmmakers showed their creativity with new twists on old genre favourites, whether it be a vampire tale, witchy coven, or zombie outbreak.

An enthusiastic audience reacted to Carlos A.F. Lopez’s Dream Creep, a horror short that unlocks new fears as a man is awakened in the middle of the night to a voice coming from his sleeping wife’s ear. For the rest of the festival, it was common to hear snatches of conversation effusively praising “that ear movie”. Lopez builds his horror short with humour as David (Ian Hunt) is roused from sleep by his wife’s voice pleading for help from inside her ear. Whatever David does, the little voice cautions, he must not wake the sleeping Suzy. Or else she dies.

Making a big impact in a small way, the film’s use of practical effects takes the film from comedic territory into the realm of full-blown horror. A simple concept executed incredibly well thanks to a superb performance from Hunt and Lopez’s direction, Dream Creep unlocks a new nightmare that will surely stick with audiences well beyond their dreams.

Leaning on genre expectations certainly works well within a short film where time is of the essence. Drawing on audience expectations for the subject matter, these short filmmakers economize their runtime by forgoing too much background information, allowing them to jump right into new storytelling territory. When runtime is at a premium, no moment can be wasted.

One film that puts a twist on the standard vampire tale is Familiar, by Marco Novoa. Hauntingly beautiful, this French short film ties birth, life, and death together through its trio of characters. Caroline (Flora Fischbach) struggles with mourning motherhood while accompanying vampire cabaret performer Yuri (Le Filip) on tour as his familiar, taking care of his needs during daylight hours. Their paths cross Steve (Renan Prévot), a young person who has just been kicked out of his home by his parents over his homosexuality.

The loneliness and solitary nature of each of the characters echo in the spartan dialogue and in the cinematography, recalling Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive. As the fate of the trio intersects, Novoa executes the climax like a dance, moving and observing his characters as if the camera were an extension of their life force. Though the vampire in cinema is painted in blood and horror, Familiar is one of love and warmth, which is absent in its human characters. Feature-length filmmakers have struggled to bring the same emotions and depth to such characters in far more words and longer runtimes.

Another standout in the programme is Jake Wachtel’s The Sentry. Filmed in Cambodia, the short takes on the spy genre with a twist. While the hero typically dispatches anonymous henchmen with little care or thought, the story focuses on the Sentry (Dara Phang) killed by the Spy (Daniel Raymont). Who is he? What are his motivations for his work? Blending humour, action, and pathos in 17 minutes, Wachtel’s unique vision brings this character to life as our Spy can’t shake the Sentry off in death.

What presents itself as a take on the B-movie action flicks of the 1970s, The Sentry quickly shows its true intentions. A ghost story at heart, audiences delighted in watching the Sentry’s spirit ride on the back of a motorcycle with the Spy as he haunts him with a stream of consciousness-style talk until the Spy promises to leave a sum of money with his family. It’s an unexpected story whose twist proves that looks can be deceiving when it comes to genre films.

The main throughline throughout the Genre Movies programme is the dedication to bringing audiences something new and bold. These twists are not for shock value, nor are they simply narrative gimmicks.

One of the true highlights of not just the programme but the entire REGARD festival is Hoku Uchiyama’s Whitch. As Aura (Alicia Blasingame) puts her young daughter to bed, she finds an old woman (Rosemary Hochschild)  in her living room, compelling her to make a blood sacrifice to a demon. Surely, she is confused and in the wrong house, Aura asks. For 90 per cent of the film’s six-minute runtime, Whitch is a true horror. Utilizing visual and practical effects, it is scary – until the old woman receives a phone call informing her that, yes, she is in the wrong house. The coven is meeting for their sacrifice across the street.

While the twist is shocking, this quick reveal is so perfectly comically timed that on both screenings I attended, audiences howled with laughter and surprise. One of the most refreshing twists, Whitch proves that big things can come in short packages.

REGARD’s selection of short films is a testament to the exciting directions genre filmmaking is headed.

By Rachel West
Edited by Steffen Moestrup
Copyright FIPRESCI