The Blood within the Snow Movie Competition (BITS), Canada’s premier showcase of homegrown style cinema, returns for its 14th thrilling version this fall — working November 17 to 22, 2025, absolutely in-person on the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto.
This 12 months’s pageant dives deep into the numerous faces of horror — from darkish psychological thrillers and sci-fi nightmares to bloody motion, eerie mysteries, and twisted comedy.
The 2025 lineup opens with the World Premiere of Director Houston Bone’s Son of Sara, setting the tone for per week of daring and unforgettable Canadian storytelling. Amongst this 12 months’s most anticipated titles is Foreigner by Ava Maria Safai, a mysterious and haunting function that was first pitched on the 2023 BITS Horror Improvement Lab — marking the primary accomplished function to emerge from the pageant’s personal improvement incubator.
Documentaries take middle stage as effectively, with the Toronto Premieres of Nash the Slash Rises Once more! and Behind the Citadel Doorways: The Origin of The Hilarious Home of Frightenstein, each paying tribute to iconic figures who formed Canada’s pop and style legacy.
The pageant closes on a high-energy notice with the Toronto Premiere of Influencers — Kurtis David More durable’s standalone sequel to the critically acclaimed Influencer, which first screened at BITS in 2022 as soon as once more starring the acclaimed Cassandra Naud.
Different main highlights embody the Toronto Premieres of Buffet Infinity and the blood-soaked mayhem of Recent Meat and Violence, making certain a lineup that’s as eclectic as it’s intense.
BITS 2025 additionally options 5 curated brief movie packages, spotlighting Canada’s most progressive rising voices. This 12 months introduces a brand-new sci-fi showcase, Monsters and Martians, alongside returning viewers favourites like Humorous Frights and Uncommon Sights and Darkish Visions, which can assist kick off opening evening festivities.
“That is simply our most wide-ranging program but,” stated Kelly Michael Stewart, Competition Director and Founding father of Blood within the Snow. “Recent Meat is by far essentially the most violent movie we’ve ever performed, however we’re additionally celebrating youngsters’s programming with Behind the Citadel Doorways — proving there’s one thing for everybody this 12 months.”
Every function might be preceded by a brief movie and adopted by a Q&A session with the filmmakers, giving audiences a uncommon alternative to interact immediately with the artistic voices behind the work.
Tickets for the Isabel Bader Theatre lineup are on sale now – https://bloodinthesnow.ca/
BITS 2025 Full Screening Schedule
Monday, November seventeenth
7:00 pm – Darkish Visions (94 minutes)
Our opening evening program brings collectively the darkest, scariest, and most intense Canadian brief movies of the 12 months.
Do You See Her? (dir. Janet-Rose Nguyen) – 7:14 minutes
Katie struggles with horrible imaginative and prescient and a creeping sense of paranoia as she suspects a
terrifying entity is stalking her—seen solely when her glasses are off.
Donations (dir. Shelly Findlay) – 8:20 minutes
In a world the place blood is foreign money, a person should determine how a lot of himself to sacrifice
To observe his ex-girlfriend on social media.
The Spider (dir. Michelle Godoy Priske) – 5 minutes
On Halloween evening, a younger lady confronts a surprising reunion along with her beginning mom.
Sweetie (dir. Taylor Olson) – 2:55 minutes
A bit of lady calls on her father’s assist when a monster lurks in her room.
Zoé (dir. Rémi St-Michel) – 15:52 minutes
Shards of Zoe’s thoughts cling desperately to fleeting recollections of happier instances.
Nicky 9 Doorways (dir. Jenna Schaefer, Minsoo Koh) – 4:52 minutes
Alone within the workplace after hours, a girl turns into the goal of a prank that escalates
into one thing much more sinister—and unnervingly watchful.
First Rites (dir. Findlay Ironside) – 6:02 minutes
Looking for solace for the afterlife, a younger lady turns to a long-dead corpse—the one
Supply of solutions.
Misplaced in Your Ideas (dir. Marshall Leigh George) – 10:38 minutes
Throughout EMDR remedy, a girl enters a bodily manifestation of her recollections in
search of her lacking sister.
Time Eater (dir. Ryan Couldrey) – 12:50 minutes
Whereas babysitting her granddaughter, a grandmother with undiagnosed dementia faces an sudden dwelling invasion.
Hammer, Wrench and Screwdriver (Marteau, clé anglaise & tournevis) (dir. Gabriel Vilandré) – 13:00 minutes
Jonathan, 16, returns stolen instruments to a ironmongery store—solely to seek out occasions unravel in sudden methods.
Immortal Embrace (dir. Reamonn Joshee) – 7:19 minutes
Become a vampire in opposition to her will, 16-year-old Emily should navigate her new actuality with the unwavering assist of her single mom. A poignant coming-of-age story
exploring identification, household, and mother-daughter bonds amid the supernatural.
9:30 pm – Son of Sara (dir. Houston Bone) – 83 minutes
Haunted by unusual urges and visions, a pregnant lady accepts a dinner invitation that descends right into a bloody, nightmarish spiral.
w/ brief: Heirlooms (dir. Dan Abramovici) – 12:44 minutes
A younger lady makes an attempt to eliminate her deceased mom’s belongings, uncovering a
surprising secret within the course of.
Tuesday, November 18th
7:00 pm – Monsters & Martians (95 minutes)
A set of the best sci-fi shorts from this planet—or another.
Sanctorum (dir. Prasanna Paul) – 8:00 minutes
Decan, a former mechatronic engineer, secretly builds a sophisticated robotic designed to
hunt the malevolent forces threatening humanity.
Asteria (dir. Daniel Brown) – 4:55 minutes
An interstellar runaway breaks right into a rural man’s dwelling on a chilly winter evening.
Echo (dir. Victoria Lengthy) – 16:30 minutes
When her associate returns from investigating a mysterious ocean crash website, Ava should
select the place her loyalty actually lies.
Solipsis (dir. Massimo Russo) – 19:57 minutes
Years after hiding in an underground bunker along with her late husband, Cal survives by
clinging to 2 tenets: keep alive, and maintain making an attempt to achieve the surface world.
Kitty & the Viper (dir. John-Daniel Arauz) – 13:05 minutes
In futuristic Nouveau San Francisco, the hero “the Viper” and his rage-fueled associate
“Kitty” try to cease the industrialist “the Jackal” from triggering a air pollution apocalypse.
Strangers (dir. Andrew G. Cooper) – 10:54 minutes
A younger man trapped in a basement with a stranger should survive as otherworldly
creatures prowl the streets exterior.
He (dir. Hira Vin) – 16:00 minutes
A shapeshifting entity fulfills patrons’ goals of affection—however one lady’s option to defy
the foundations results in chilling penalties.
The Archivists (dir. Dallas Harvey) – 7:30 minutes
A determined agent turns into host to a parasitic alien relic, whereas a secretive physician and
his assistant race to stop a world-ending calamity.
9:30 pm – Foreigner (dir. Ava Maria Safai) – 80 minutes
Yasamin Karimi, a Persian teen, tries to slot in at a 2004 highschool. When she dyes her hair
blonde, she unwittingly unleashes a demon tied to the elements of herself she needs to erase. A horror story with coronary heart, exploring the price of assimilation and the ability of denied identification.
This screening is a celebration of this undertaking that was first pitched on the 2023 BITS
Improvement Lab.
w/ brief: The Indestructible (dir. Kalen Artinian) – 15 minutes
James, a troubled excessive schooler, escapes his oppressive world by way of a comic-book
fantasy. Growing stress from household and friends pushes him to the brink, blurring the
strains between creativeness and actuality.
Wednesday, November Nineteenth
7:00 pm – BITS and BYTES (100 minutes)
A feature-length program spotlighting the perfect style net and digital sequence.
Petit Demons (dir. Juan Francisco Calero Hueso) – 5 minutes
A survivor of extended abuse develops an dependancy to absorbing the violence of
criminals—however a shadowy group closes in.
Creepy Cape Breton – Ep: Hatman Half 2 (dir. Daybreak Wells) – 11:53 minutes
New witnesses reveal terrifying encounters with a shadowy determine recognized throughout Indigenous communities as a harbinger of tragedy. Mi’kmaq filmmaker Daybreak Wells
expands the investigation past her group, uncovering even darker horrors.
Bunker Time! (dir. Justin Miller) – 19:46 minutes
Pearle and her rat companion, Cheese Louise, argue over a crack within the bunker throughout
Doomsday, risking their friendship and the security of their world.
Jeff Dotter: Area Courier (dir. Shane Lawrence Campbell) – 13:26 minutes
One man’s cosmic quest to keep up employment within the universe’s strangest supply job.
Ghosting (dirs. Luke Hutchie, Matthew Finlan) – 22:02 minutes
Actors-turned-amateur ghostbusters discover haunted websites with celeb company, blurring
Fiction and actuality.
Ominous – Ep: Radioactive (dir. George Mihalka) – 29:00 minutes
A DJ makes an attempt to banish a demon from her airwaves, inadvertently exposing her whole
viewers to supernatural peril.
9:30 pm – Buffet Infinity (dir. Simon Glassman) – 99 minutes
Petty rivals, cult leaders, and exiled Lovecraftian gods conflict at your favorite restaurant on this chaotic, hilariously surreal function.
w/ brief: Tingling (dir. Swaroop Elamon) – 5 minutes
A person’s ASMR video spirals from soothing whispers to unsettling terror as he drifts
towards sleep.
Thursday, November twentieth
7:00 pm – Humorous Frights (97 minutes)
A showcase of Canadian shorts highlighting the bizarre, the surreal, and the lighter facet of horror.
Weeds (dir. Stefano Toniatti) – 5:40 minutes
A gardener faces an epic showdown with monstrous yard weeds, battling with aptitude
and over-the-top bravado.
Cherry on Prime (dir. Lulu Liu) – 14:57 minutes
Two sisters use ideas from a classic porno journal to flee a basement the place
they’ve been trapped for a decade.
Extremely Cheese (dir. Kyle Dunbar) – 4:41 minutes
Buddy’s pizza supply takes a cursed flip, turning his Saturday evening right into a chaotic
misadventure.
Steal My Life (dir. Annie Wren) – 11:15 minutes
A cool lady spirals into paranoia and psychosis as everybody appears to be copying her
model on this psychological-horror-comedy.
Blood Rights (dir. Caitlin Starowicz) – 7:49 minutes
Summoning Bloody Mary to unravel an unplanned being pregnant, two Texan pals ignite a supernatural, feminist marketing campaign, turning the demon into an icon of empowerment.
As Pale As Loss of life (dir. Ryan Kukec) – 15:05 minutes
A household outing to The Golden Goddess tanning salon turns nightmarish when the
historic mummy proprietor absorbs victims to regain youth.
Seed (dir. Cameron Macgowan) – 6:40 minutes
Two feral males on Trash Planet come upon a mysterious humanoid plant creature
whereas foraging.
WFH (dir. James Watts) – 12:19 minutes
A author struggles to outlive the relentless calls for of the gig economic system.
Bidet (dir. James Brylowski) – 7:30 minutes
A bunch of pals discover themselves hunted by a possessed lavatory fixture.
Shrimp Fried Rice (dir. Dylan Pun) – 12:23 minutes
At a connoisseur Chinese language restaurant, The Shrimp and his puppet Dave search redemption
in opposition to Rat Bitch, the rodent benefactor of an animated hit.
9:30 pm – Recent Meat (dir. Daniel Turres) – 105 minutes
Influencers break into an deserted jail for viral content material—unaware that one inmate by no means left.
w/ brief: Breach (dir. Ross Langill) – 3 minutes
A pregnant lady defends her dwelling from two intruders in a tense, rapid-fire
confrontation.
Friday, November twenty first
7:00 pm – Nash the Slash Rises Once more! (dir. Tim Kowalski) – 80 minutes
A cinematic ode to Canadian music icon Nash The Slash, exploring the thoughts, insanity, and
creative journey of this digital pioneer and efficiency innovator. Clips from silent movie,
horror, and noir illustrate his emotional panorama, revealing a timeless message about identification and embracing one’s true self.
w/ brief: Sampling (dir. Jérémy Arné) – 6:01 minutes
A punk musician with excellent pitch invitations strangers into his studio for an uncommon
musical experiment.
w/ brief: Grain (dir. Ilana Zackon) – 6:45 minutes
A younger lady’s binge consuming dysfunction transforms her right into a ravenous creature
threatening a whole city.
9:30 pm – Violence (dir. Connor Marsden) – 80 minutes
In an alternate Nineteen Eighties, anti-hero Henry Violence navigates a brutal cartel warfare, making
unimaginable decisions to outlive the violent panorama.
w/ brief: Pariah (dir. AJ Lutsky) – 6:11 minutes
A tense survival story the place compliance is the important thing to staying human.
w/ brief: Appendage (dir. Dave Thorpe) – 6:21 minutes
Emma’s quiet morning is upended as alien creatures arrive, disturbingly resembling
sure appendages.
Saturday, November twenty second
4:00 pm – Rising Screams (98 minutes)
Showcasing Canada’s brightest first-time and pupil filmmakers in horror.
INBTWN (dir. Nic Altobelli) – 11:10 minutes
Two estranged sisters confront their unresolved previous in a liminal house the place
temperature displays emotional turmoil, in search of peace and closure.
The Outsider (dir. A. Burnett) 3:00 minutes
A lonely prisoner longs to flee isolation and expertise human connection.
The Yellow Wallpaper (dir. Lynn Naluyima) – 6:14 minutes
A haunting adaptation of Charlotte Gilman’s basic, exploring the stress between
creativeness and confinement for an remoted Nineteenth-century lady.
No Lies within the Afterlife (dir. Haley Elizabeth Richards) – 4:39 minutes
Two pals try to attach with a deceased ex-boyfriend, solely to have their secrets and techniques revealed and their friendship examined.
Hear No Evil (dirs. Vai Petersen, Steve Petersen) – 9:59 minutes
Deaf after a automotive crash, Melodie should navigate her dwelling alone whereas masked intruders
seek for stolen objects—and a mysterious voice guides her battle for survival.
Slaughter Slate (dir. Xavier Wehrli) – 8:11 minutes
An obsessive movie pupil’s sentient clapperboard turns his non-cliché horror undertaking right into a slasher-style nightmare.
Making Magnificence (dir. Tammy Salzl) – 13:20 minutes
In a secret yard studio, a younger artist makes an attempt to beautify the world with
more and more savage outcomes.Most cancers szn (dir. Zach Inexperienced) – 12:42 minutes
A contemporary witch’s obsession with a former good friend results in a deadly body-swapping spell
when she discovers her rival shares a birthday along with her dream associate.
Illness (dir. Alex Masciotra-Milstein) – 4:48 minutes
A human asks his zombie boyfriend to chunk him, triggering a transformative—and
ugly—love story.
Is {That a} Mirage? (dir. Grace Shi) – 13:00 minutes
Juniper traverses a dystopian wasteland to commerce a uncommon medicinal berry, aiming to avoid wasting
her household and group.
Black Gap (dir. Brianna Russell) – 11:39 minutes
A curious boy discovers a black gap within the woods of a city the place nobody can
go away—probably his solely escape.
7:00 pm – Behind the Citadel Doorways: The Origin of The Hilarious Home of Frightenstein
(dirs. Morgan Baker, Tammy Heisel) – 66 minutes
The Markowitz brothers reveal the story behind their quirky Seventies Canadian cult-classic, together with the legendary presence of Vincent Worth.
w/ brief: Cleaning soap Field (dir. Jimmy G. Pettigrew) – 16:14 minutes
Hubert, 10, competes within the annual cleaning soap field race down the Mountain of the Muertay,
hoping to impress the lady who makes his coronary heart race.
w/ brief: My Good friend Saabe (dir. Morningstar Derosier) – 15:00 minutes
A younger Rez lady embarks on a journey with Saabe to convey non secular reawakening to her
group.
9:30 pm – Influencers (dir. Kurtis David More durable) – 110 minutes
In southern France, a younger lady’s obsession with homicide and identification theft sends her life right into a chaotic spiral.
