Tubi FrightFest Reveals Massive 2026 Short Film Line-up

Fresh voices from around the world will once again take centre stage at Tubi FrightFest this August, with the festival revealing a packed programme of short films that spans four dedicated showcases and features an impressive mix of world, international, European and UK premieres. Running alongside the main feature programme, this year’s selection shines a spotlight on emerging genre filmmakers from ten countries across four continents, while also celebrating established names experimenting in the short form.

Screening between 28 and 31 August at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square and ODEON Luxe West End, the programme comprises four curated showcases and 38 short films in total, including two additional presentations attached to feature screenings on the festival’s Main Screen.

The first International Showcase, taking place on Friday 28 August, opens with Fangoria Presents’ Goodbye Monster, directed by Luke Barnett, before continuing with Noah Lang’s Priority Ride, Dan Abramovici’s Leopard, Filip Momirovski’s TLSM, David Robinson-Smith’s The Shirt Off Your Back, Richard Mulock’s Sounds Good, Casimir Nozkowski’s Book U Can Ask???s, Rob Himebaugh’s Feed the Dark, Erick Freitas’ Saturday Morning Coffee, Adrián Nassar’s In a Room, Sitting Still and Martha G. Ayerbe’s Bait.

Saturday’s UK and Ireland Showcase highlights a wealth of homegrown talent, including Cheryl Bayliss’ Pretend with Pibble starring Julia Davis, Dean Puckett’s Fuck Face, Lainya Craig’s Jammy, Matthew Bulley’s Beneath the Sheets, Seán Connolly’s The Cure, Leila Murton Poole’s Violent Delights, Nick Arthurs’ It Always Comes Back and Syd Heather’s Hush Little One, starring Mandip Gill.

The third showcase, returning to international cinema on Sunday, features Kevin McTurk’s Icelandic fantasy Grýlu Sker: An Icelandic Ghost Story, Ren Ariel Sano’s The Candle, Steven Schloss’s Vape Glow, Ryan Lilienfield’s Inheritor, Brady Richards’ The Chosen, Leonardo Benericetti’s Dread, Michael Spencer’s Udders!, Alexandra Ruggieri’s Skinned, Emily Lawson’s provocatively titled Man Eating Pussy, and Joe Heath’s No. 3.

The final UK and Ireland showcase on Monday rounds off the programme with Dylan Delaney’s Call Centre Shiva, Quentin Beroud’s Decorum, Brendan Cleaves’ Crak Hack, Grattan Aitkins’ The Test, David Yorke’s I Spy, Ben Ngondo-Cooke’s Hope This Finds You Well, Scott McCartney’s Baxter Hammond: P.I., Aimie Willemse’s Sundowning and Shir Ariya’s The Sorrows of Young Charlotte.

Alongside the dedicated showcases, FrightFest will also present two special short films on the Main Screen. Michael Dougherty’s newly restored 4K version of Season’s Greetings receives its UK premiere ahead of Ponderosa, marking the 30th anniversary of the filmmaker’s debut appearance by the now iconic trick-or-treater Sam. The festival will also screen the UK premiere of Nomura Fusso’s stop-motion animated dark comedy Hoodsteps before You Are the Film.

This year’s selection ranges from supernatural horror and psychological thrillers to animation, science fiction, body horror, dark comedy and folk tales, reflecting FrightFest’s continued commitment to showcasing new filmmakers alongside more established genre voices.

Tubi FrightFest 2026 runs from 27 to 31 August at the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square and ODEON Luxe West End in London. For full programme details and tickets, visit: frightfest.co.uk/