Pain in the Neck Shorts #19
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, 2025 AT 9:00 PM
From medical nightmares and haunted toys to twisted encounters and brutal showdowns, these shorts deliver strange, shocking, and darkly unforgettable horrors.
99 min. total run time
Bleed
Director Nico Van Den Berg, Ilana Armida Simone - USA - 3 min. music video
In a near-future facility testing control over women’s bodies, Ilana breaks free from restraints and ensures no one else will suffer—by leaving no survivors.
Peace
Director Sam Pacala - USA - 7 min. horror
A young man, peeved by his roommates’ raucous behavior, searches for some peace and quiet.
The Hike
Director Erik Palladino - USA - 15 min. dark drama
When Mike and James set out on a hiking trip, lighthearted banter and candid conversations give way to rising tensions. As things spiral, the lines between camaraderie and conflict come to a head. Some paths should never be taken.
Monster Medicine
Director Veronica Felicity Johnson - USA - 12 min. monster
A young woman arrives at a Los Angeles emergency room with a condition that only a special group of doctors called the “Monster Medicine” team can treat.
Last Story
Director Erick Solis - USA - 19 min. horror
When her brother Benjie arrives to a celebratory dinner with a mysterious scratch, Ellie doesn't realize their conversation about fears will evolve into their worst horrors coming true.
*filmmaker in attendance
Unstrung
Director Jerold Wallace - USA - 14 min. horror
A toy maker rushes to repair a client's cherished puppet, only to find something horrific upon delivery.
*filmmaker in attendance
Jokers Wild
Director Aaron William Bennett - USA - 13 min. horror
The Joker (David Howard Thornton, "Terrifier") has captured Robin and after two days of awful torture his revenge plays out in front of a helpless Batman. Inspired by the 1988 DC comic "A Death In The Family" - with a horrific twist.
*filmmaker in attendance
A Really Good Deal
Director Sarah Stephens - USA - 6 min. horror comedy
A young woman’s will do everything in her power to make the sale.
*filmmaker in attendance