If your idea of an ideal Saturday night involves nervous chuckles and sudden jump scares, the Long Beach Film Festival has just the ticket. On Saturday, August 29, 2026, the festival is turning up the terror with “Nightmares on 4th Street.” It’s a wildly inventive late-night short film block that proves horror is always better when served with a side of dark comedy.
Eight Shorts, Infinite Ways to Die Laughing
Kicking off at 9:00 p.m., this 90-minute curated marathon brings together eight eccentric shorts. Each is designed to keep audiences balancing right on the razor’s edge between laughing out loud and hiding behind their popcorn. Screening inside the vintage atmosphere of the Art Theatre, the block delivers a chaotic buffet of campy creature features, lethal tech satire, and surreal psychological dread.
From Grim Reapers to Deadly Dating Apps
The star-studded lineup leaves no phobia unturned. Comedy favorite Will Forte faces off against Death himself in the dark comedy A Man Apart. At the same time, the Emmy Award-winning Roomtone turns subtle audio manipulation into pure, spine-chilling horror. Cinephiles will find out what happens when a cozy screening takes a fatal turn in Midnight Movie Club. Modern romance gets a blood-soaked makeover in Matches, where a swipe-right app turns into a ruthless combat sport.
Rounding out the madness, Help examines the surprisingly thin line between romantic commitment and monster-infested chaos. The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much teases that man’s best friend might be witnessing things best left in the dark. Meanwhile, YouTube vloggers get far more than clout in Park Boys. The viral thriller Prime delivers a sharp, satirical jab at health crazes. That leans considerably closer to dangerous cults than actual wellness routines.
A Full Weekend of Independent Cinema
“Nightmares on 4th Street” serves as a crowning centerpiece for the inaugural Long Beach Film Festival. The festival runs from August 28 through August 30, 2026. The weekend-long celebration of indie cinema kicks off Friday with a grand Opening Night party aboard the legendary Queen Mary. It then rolls into a full slate of screenings, panel discussions, and special events across the city.
Weekend festival passes and individual screening tickets are available now at www.longbeachfilmfestival.org. To keep up with festival news and schedule updates, follow @longbeachfilmfest on social media.
