Every year, Cinequest examines what’s happening in the world of genre film, and this year we’re bringing fifteen world-class short films in action, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. Whether it’s a look at ghosts, time travel, or things we can’t quite name, these shorts explore worlds we may never encounter, yet somehow understand instinctively.
Music videos and effects-driven dramas weave together with time-travel comedies and subtle explorations of our relationships with technology. GenreQuest tells stories that venture outside our world and into the ones that live in our hearts and heads.
Film festival shorts programs are some of my favorite and least favorite things to review, and they can be problematic for the reader of the review. It’s my hope that this review will be valuable long after this year’s Cinequest ends. But it’s unlikely the group of films will be played together again, or that names of short films will stick with the reader.
But I want to give you a taste of what the shorts programs can provide, so this will be a series of review snapshots. Not every film in the GenreQuest program, and not an expansive examination. If you’re interested, you should go to the listing in the Cinequest catalog and read more.
So with that said, let’s peep in on some of these short films.
DOORS – At 2 minutes long this one is a “don’t blink” kind of film. A woman urgently running through doors, down stairs, and eventually arming herself from an unfinished dinner. She’s obviously in a panic, and then… well, that would be telling. See how difficult it is to review this stuff? But I hope you’ll agree it was worth 120 seconds of your time.
Em & Selma Go Griffin Hunting – Tied with one other film for the longest in this program, this is a tight bit of storytelling. In a sideways projected world, a feminine coming of age story, in the tradition of similar masculine monster hunting tales. Production shines here with settings, props and profound special effects essential to the story. In a surprisingly short period of time the film makers enthrall, enchant, startle, panic, and surprise the audience cleanly and memorably. The acting is spot-on.
Aside: If Selma looks familiar to you, you may recognize Pollyanna McIntosh from her role on AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Fireflies in the Dusk – It’s fun to see creators and actors from earlier Cinequest festivals, and Emily Goss is no exception. I recall her as early as 2011 and she just keeps getting better.
Fireflies is kind of a comedy time travel film. But to leave it at that would be to ignore all the other film tropes and beats that it entertains. Heavily leaning on the spirt of Somewhere in Time (Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, 1980) as a backbone, this film just dashes down the intersecting hallways of films it borrows from and mocks. This is the other lengthy (18 minutes) “short” and beyond the borrowing and mocking, it’s uniquely a fresh comedy.
Reprogrammed – OK, now when I see a cuddly AI in a film festival short, I typically think “well, somebody’s gonna die.” Well, put your mind at ease here. This is a nice exploration of the complexity of feelings, avoidance, dedication, and unexpected avenues of help.
You can relax and enjoy this… or can you?
No, seriously, you can.
Spooky Encounters of the Sad Kind – Sometimes short films are like poetry. Using just the right words, feelings, and encounters we can explore quite a bit in just a little time. Our main character is a amateur film maker. And apparently her flat is haunted. Of course this is an opportunity. First make contact with the ghost. Chat him up a bit. And then explore sadness, loneliness, creativity, audiences, and how one person’s disappointment is another’s… well, just being seen. Lovely film at just the right length.
Wax Girl – OK, time to get creepy. For nine minutes.
An artist receives a lifelike statue at his home/studio. He begins to sketch it, talking to it about the Pygmalion myth as he sketches. And then he falls asleep. I will go no further than to say if you were ever a fan of Rod Serling’s The Night Gallery, this would make a more than worthy addition to that collection. This is from Stimson Snead, another Cinequest return visitor, who wrote and directed 2024’s bizarre and wonderful Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox.
When I See You At The End Of The World – And while some short films are like poems, others are like riddles, that resolve into poems. Without end credits, this film is just under 6 minutes long. Its description in the Cinequest catalog is almost 600 words, more than most feature descriptions. The film voice over is mostly Mandarin Chinese, subtitled in English, with the only spoken line in English. There are a lot of unexplained visuals, but I’ll stop there. I would challenge you to watch the film first, saving the catalog description for post-viewing. And remember that last line, which feels close to a haiku poem. You’re going to have to decide about this film on your own, but don’t be too quick to do so.
This has only been about half of the experiences you’ll have watching Cinequest’s GenreQuest shorts. As with most shorts programs, you’ll likely like or love some, and others may not be to your taste. The good thing is that if you’re not enjoying one of them, just wait a moment and give another a chance. You’re bound to find enough to make these experiences worthy your while.
Showings
Wed, Mar 11 9:30 PM Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose
Sat, Mar 14 12:20 PM Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Screen 1), Mtn View
For Trailers and Ticket Information
Ric Bretschneider
March 3, 2026
San Jose CA
