The Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival (VHS) has been scaring the socks off west coast audiences since 2018.  In just a few short years, VHS has developed a reputation as one of the most diverse and exciting genre film festivals in Canada.

Now in its sixth year, the festival has expanded from its Vancouver roots with an additional weekend of screenings in Burnaby — and even a travelling road show that’s bringing a selection Canadian and international films to the smaller communities of Terrace and Grand Forks in the interior of British Columbia over the next couple of weeks.

While feature films usually draw bigger audiences, VHS’ short programming is always a highlight for me.  Not only are short films a great way to discover new and emerging filmmakers, they’re also a fantastic way to sample multiple flavours of horror in a single sitting.  Whether you’re in the mood for blood and gore, or thrills of the more psychological variety, you’ll find something to suit your taste.  The short films at the 2023 Vancouver edition of the festival ran the gauntlet from campy horror-comedy to mind-bendingly meta.  Here are some of my favorites.

Get Away (DIR. Michael Gabriele)

This clever twist on the “remote cabin” trope follows three friends whose vacation in the desert takes a terrifying turn when they play an old VHS tape.  When the scary movie on the tape and their own circumstances begin to intertwine, the group find themselves fighting to survive.  Directed by Michael Gabriele and created for Sony to showcase the ability of the Sony FX3 Camera, Get Away is (predictably) visually striking — but a tight script, genuine scares, and a scene-stealing performance from Steph Martinez as a horror-movie-hardened vacationer take this film to the next level. 

Sleep Tight (DIR. Lisa Ovies)

What if the monster in your closet wasn’t just in your head?  In Sleep Tight, every little kid’s nightmare is transformed into horrifying reality.  A young boy with sleep paralysis navigates his parents’ tumultuous divorce and suffers through nightly visits from the demon in his closet in this sinister, and thoughtful, exploration of trauma and abuse from director Lisa Ovies (Puppet Killer).  Featuring impressive practical effects and a chilling performance from Christian Sloan (Star Trek Beyond; TV’s Superman and Lois) as the little boy’s father, Sleep Tight proves that a short runtime can still deliver big scares.

No.8 Reporting (DIR. Aljosha Kilmov, Matthew Lyon)

Animation isn’t the first medium that comes to mind when most people think about horror films, but maybe it should be.  This tale of a team of reporters investigating a government-run train system that takes well-heeled tourists into the poverty-ridden countryside outside their carefully walled-off city is the kind of story that lingers long after the credits roll.  Written and directed by Aljosha Kilmov and Mathew Lyon — and adapted from the 2007 short story “Mozharovo” by Dmitry Bykov — No.8 Reporting is as impeccably paced as it is creepy.  Haunting and atmospheric, this is a story that pulls you in fast and doesn’t let go.

Terror/Forming (DIR. Rylan Friday)

Telling the story of a single evening and shot in a single, continuous take, writer/director Rylan Friday’s Terror/Forming is haunting, disorienting, and disturbing.  Parker (Sasha Mark) and his boyfriend (Josh Dohy) head out to Parker’s late kokum’s remote cabin, but a gristly discovery in the woods sets the couple on edge and strains their already unhealthy relationship.  It comes as no surprise that this film walked away with the Best Sci-Fi/Horror Short Award at this year’s London Independ Film Festival in the UK.  Friday is a director to watch, showing the rare ability to balance rich themes and complex characters with tight pacing and technical prowess.

Zip (DIR. Ava Maria Safai)

Days before the school talent show, Melody, a singer-songwriter, wakes up with a zipper sewn over her mouth.  The premise is simple, but slow, lingering shots and a subtle yet effective score build steady dread.  Directed and co-written by Ava Maria Safai, Zip isn’t just gruesome and creepy — it’s also an impactful commentary on women’s rights in Iran, as Melody’s zipper becomes a metaphor for her overbearing father and the silent obedience expected of her.  I stan a horror movie with a message, especially when it’s delivered as succinctly and effectively as this.

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For more information on the festival and its travelling road show, visit the official Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival website.

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