This year’s Fantasia has another strong line-up and there are already some standouts. But there is more to the fest than just its awesome feature films. Fantasia has always been home to some of the most strange and creative short films of any given year. The latest edition is no exception. Here are the short films that are on our radar.
Aliens Don’t Like White People (International Premiere)
One of the most eye catching titles coming out of the short films block. This short from Fantasia takes things in a different direction than what some audiences may be expecting, however. Two friends are debating the existence of aliens. They commit to a break-in and are surprised at what they find.
Check Please (International Premiere)
Going out to dinner can be a tricky proposition once the check arrives. What is everyone has different ideas on who is picking up the tab? Check Please is about a Korean and a Korean-American who go out to eat together. When the bill is left, both of them want to pay. This leads to deadly action packed martial arts fight.
Disappeared (North American Premiere)
It can be an odd thing when someone you do not really know addresses you by name. It just is not something many of us are used to. Unless someone is calling out to you, it rarely happens even with people you do know. So what does it mean when complete strangers begin doing it?
Exit the Red Room: A David Lynch Tribute (Canadian Premiere)
David Lynch is one of the most important and influential directors in cinema history. His impact is so great that his name alone can be used to describe films. Exit the Red Room may be the most Lynchian film at Fantasia. It is an animated tribute to the legendary director. It’s not that you don’t like David Lynch, it’s that you don’t understand him.
How to Drag a Body (World Premiere)
This oft-used horror premise is perfect for a short. A man wakes up at the bottom of what seems to be an endless stairwell. He has no memory and a corpse is with him. A disembodied voice lets him know that he will tell him everything. All he has to do is carry the body to the top of the steps.
Shrimp Fried Rice (World Premiere)
Audiences love cooking shows. And they love cooking competitions even more. This delicious mockumentary chronicles the battle between a talented chef with a big ego and his rival who gained his popularity following a successful movie about him. But things are not as they seem in this insane short.
The Fantasia Film Festival takes place from July 16, 2025 through August 3, 2025