Jump Scare – 2026

Tuesday, April 14, 9:00 PM

The Story of The Cricket Queen
Director: Natalie Peracchio, Experimental, USA, 4 min
The “Story of The Cricket Queen” recreates digital media tropes, trends, and aesthetics with analog film techniques.

Woof
Director: Wes Donnelly, Narrative, USA, 11 min
Kevin, a recluse with a peculiar hobby, gets in a heated confrontation with his neighbor.

Someone to Steal Horses With
Director: Dylan Pailes-Friedman, Narrative, Italy, USA, 10 min
A rainy morning is interrupted by the radio. A horse’s voice transports the daily commute in Los Santos, San Andreas to a remote broadcasting station in an unspecified location.

Goblin Market
Director: Pasha Shapiro, Animation, USA, 14 min
A surreal retelling of Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market. Two sisters fall under the spell of goblin merchants, as temptation, sensuality, and sacrifice unfold in a dreamscape that teases out the poem’s erotic undertones.

The Cauldron
Director: Thomas Pierce, Narrative, Slovenia, 16 min
In 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic, a young boy must protect his family from an unknown threat in their remote, isolated home.

Breadsong
Director: Katariina Aule, Narrative, Estonia, 16 min
The story of a 19th century rural family, who discover a catchy song that is broadcasted from the future through the family children after they’re accidentally fed mouldy bread.

Merrimundi
Director: Niles Atallah, Animation, Chile, 20 min
A twisted utopia unfolds, as singing cherubs melt to the sound of decay.