Sydney, Australia’s Dark Nights Film Fest presents fear fare from around the globe on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Among its many selections are some terrific homegrown shorts. Here are capsule reviews of some of the Australian short films screening at the festival, all of which come recommended. For more information, visit https://www.darknightsfilmfest.com/.
They Kill By Night
One of the many things seasoned fright-fare fanatics have learned is to be leery of fellow motel guest. Cowriters/codirectors Grace Uther and Sam Uther deliver an excellent example of this in the shocker They Kill By Night. Jodie (Arnijka Larcombe-Weate) and Aiden (Christopher James Baker) check into a motel room, but will they check out safely? Jodie meets next-room neighbor Jack (Mitchell Bourke) in the parking lot, and They Kill By Night is off to the races with plenty of surprises, action, and the red stuff. This is a fantastic short with super performances, direction, and production values that deserves to get the feature-length treatment.
Screech
“Time is slipping . . .” — and so is the mind of Rosario (Cladio Leon), who after 20 years is still dealing with guilt over a gruesome act of bullying she committed toward a fellow schoolgirl. Cowriters/codirectors Alessia Pugliese and Fernando de Miguel Fuertes craft a hypnotic horror short with Screech that builds toward a gothic-tinged surreal sequence and a fitting climax.
Static
Codirectors Chanel and Layla Naidoo, working from a story by Chanel, deliver a meditative chiller on grief and guilt in which Nora (Chanel) is haunted by more than just the memory of her friend and roommate’s passing. Gracie Willow and Allyssa Perez round out the small ensemble cast; all three actors turn in solid work. Static also boasts a message that leaves viewers with plenty to think about.
Bear with Me
A troubled young woman (Malithi Weragama) anonymously receives an old, odd-looking teddy bear on her front porch. She should never have brought it inside her home. Director Dane Helg’s eerie Bear with Me has something to say about occultism.
Lost in the Sauce
Angus Lowe writes and directs Lost in the Sauce, a frenetic comedy with horror overtones. Lewis Defina stars as a chef making a sandwich at home who can’t find his favorite sauce to complete the meal. He undergoes a startling change, and we’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Defina goes all in with his fast-paced, physically challenging role. Lost in the Sauce has the fun feel of a live-action cartoon.
Wild Goose Chase
A young man (Brandon Fairley) learns of his father’s possible suicide in a letter included in a box of the father’s personal belongings — including a business card stating that he directed porn movies. After watching one of the included videotapes, the son goes on a surreal odyssey involving a human-sized goose . . . or is it something else in a goose costume? Writer/director Adam Jordan serves up a spirited horror comedy that will have several audience members wincing and protecting their private parts.
