SPECIAL REPORT - Christina Critiques - 2026 GenreBlast Film Festival: Part 5
Title: DAGON
Directed by: Paolo Gaudio
Country: Italy Run Time: 6 mins
Synopsis: When a traveler comes home from a tragic situation, he may not have come back alone.
Favorite line: “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”
Thoughts: DAGON has one of the most oppressive feelings of the festival. What fascinated me the most about this short was the open endedness. Was the boat a warship? Titanic? Was it PTSD? It’s all up to the viewer and with each decision comes a completely different meaning to the ending.
Actor to watch for: N/A
Title: PAS de DEUX!
Directed by: Nathan Koranda
Country: US Run Time: 4 mins
Synopsis: Dancing can make two become one but what happens when it gets a little to close to the truth?
Favorite line: N/A
Thoughts: Much like DAGON, this short is open-ended. The two characters meld but…. Is it a tale of obsession or mental illness? Both? Neither? I have to point out two things: 1) the sound - it made the uncomfortable scene so much more upsetting and 2) the disjointed feel and confusion added to the over all experience.
Actor to watch for: N/A
Title: EMBRACE
Directed by: Matthew Rush
Country: US Run Time: 9 mins
Synopsis: A night at the club turns into a confessional and a little understanding between Aaron and Troy.
Favorite line: “Hey doc. Thanks for seeing me. My dick just fell off.”
Thoughts: The setting used as a confessional was absolutely brilliant. Even if it was funny in the grander scheme. The onscreen chemistry of Neer and Accettola was astounding. It felt real… if one can throw in a bit of Eldritchian horror.
Actor to watch for: Aaron - Sam Neer and Troy - Giovanni Accettola
Title: IT’S HARD NOT TO BE ROMANTIC ABOUT TIME TRAVEL
Directed by: Michael Charron
Country: US Run Time: 12 mins
Synopsis: Sometimes being a detective pays off and sometimes you get to time travel with your drug loving friend.
Favorite line: “Not the real Golden Girl, you dweeb.”
“I’m not ageist. I just don’t think old people are funny.”
Thoughts: Randall just steals every damn scene he is in. The silliness and suspense of what Swan was locked up for made this short too… short. I could have watched a full length movie of the shenanigans Randall and Swan could get into.
Actor to watch for: Randall - Ronald Short
Title: THE SHAPE OF KINDNESS
Directed by: Michael Smallwood
Country: US Run Time: 10 mins
Synopsis: Aveline goes back to the village of her childhood after her mother’s passing. Will the scars of the past catch up?
Favorite line: “Kindness makes a face worth remembering.”
Thoughts: Smallwood knew what he was doing with the direction of this short. Thomas was an asshole but so is Aveline. Harriett is an unfortunate casualty in Aveline’s life and that hurts - the viewer included. Absolutely stellar from the first frame to the last.
Actor to watch for: Harriett - Olivia Gainey
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