Dogs Reign (France, 2026)
Official synopsis
Léa, a young deaf woman, is approached by Raph and Julien, two insistent men whose ‘friendly’ invitation feels slightly off — yet she accepts it. As the night unfolds, their intentions grow increasingly unclear, and the tension rises.
Review
Axel Zeltser won Dark Nights Film Fest’s Best Short Film Director Award for Dogs Reign, and for good reason. The short uses horror to shine a light on predatory behavior. Léa (Chiara Corbetta) is approached by two young men (Julien Crampon and Julien Le Lons) with bad behavior on their minds. She takes them up on their offer and invites them to her home. Giving away anything further would be a disservice to future viewers, but suffice it to say that Zeltser, who also wrote the screenplay, has plenty of shocking surprises in store. Corbetta gives an excellent lead performance and Crampon and Le Lons add solid support. The pacing is perfect and the payoff is fantastic.
Flagfall (New Zealand, 2025)
Official synopsis
As disturbing voices and visions plague his night shift, a troubled cab driver begins to fear he’s not alone in his taxi — and that the person he trusts most may be the one he should be afraid of.
Review
Writer/director Joe Lonie crafts a top-notch supernatural shocker with his short film Flagfall. Dahnu Graham gives an excellent performance as Dean, whose personal demons he is battling are little compared with what he is about to go through when an unexpected passenger boards. Flagfall is a superb example of a short film delivering a satisfying, complete story as viewers get to know enough about Dean in a succinct manner so that we are wholly invested in his character once the suspense and eeriness kick in. Flagfall is great looking and sounding, and absolutely shudder inducing.
Dimness (Tinieblas; Spain, 2025)
Official synopsis
A young woman comes across a strange tape recording whilst at her grandparents’ home. Past, present, trauma, and transfers of consciousness collide and collude to ensure the next generation is born.
Review
Codirectors Raúl Cerezo and Carlos Moriana bring on the heaviness in their dread-infused short film Dimness (Tinieblas). Ángela Arellano portrays a young woman contemplating an abortion who is haunted by a tragic incident from her past when she is at her grandparents’ home. José Ramón Pardo plays the grandfather, whose dark secrets are slowly and surely revealed as the short plays on. Cerezo and Moriana, working from a screenplay by David Verdugo Represa, blend the supernatural with real-world horrors in a highly effective manner in this chilling yet beautiful looking slice of fear fare. You can view the trailer at https://vimeo.com/1084355448.
Dogs Reign, Flagfall, and Dimness screened as part of Dark Nights Film Fest, which ran on October 10, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit https://www.darknightsfilmfest.com/.
