Terror Returns to Toronto: Blood in the Snow Marks 14 Years of Canadian Horror Mayhem

Celebrating the best in Canadian horror, sci-fi, and genre cinema – November 17–22, 2025 at Toronto’s Isabel Bader Theatre

TORONTO –The Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS), Canada’s premier showcase of homegrown genre cinema, returns for its 14th thrilling edition this fall — running November 17 to 22, 2025, fully in-person at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto.

This year’s festival dives deep into the many faces of horror — from dark psychological thrillers and sci-fi nightmares to bloody action, 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 a week of bold and unforgettable Canadian storytelling. Among this year’s most anticipated titles is Foreigner by Ava Maria Safai, a mysterious and haunting feature that was first pitched at the 2023 BITS Horror Development Lab — marking the first completed feature to emerge from the festival’s own development incubator.

Documentaries take center stage as well, with the Toronto Premieres of Nash the Slash Rises Again! and Behind the Castle Doors: The Origin of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein, both paying tribute to iconic figures who shaped Canada’s pop and genre legacy.

The festival closes on a high-energy note with the Toronto Premiere of Influencers — Kurtis David Harder’s standalone sequel to the critically acclaimed Influencer, which first screened at BITS in 2022 once again starring the acclaimed Cassandra Naud.

Other major highlights include the Toronto Premieres of Buffet Infinity and the blood-soaked mayhem of Fresh Meat and Violence, ensuring a lineup that’s as eclectic as it is intense.

BITS 2025 also features five curated short film programs, spotlighting Canada’s most innovative emerging voices. This year introduces a brand-new sci-fi showcase, Monsters and Martians, alongside returning audience favourites like Funny Frights and Unusual Sights and Dark Visions, which will help kick off opening night festivities.

“This is easily our most wide-ranging program yet,” said Kelly Michael Stewart, Festival Director and Founder of Blood in the Snow. “Fresh Meat is by far the most violent film we’ve ever played, but we’re also celebrating children’s programming with Behind the Castle Doors — proving there’s something for everyone this year.”

Each feature will be preceded by a short film and followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers, giving audiences a rare opportunity to engage directly with the creative voices behind the work.

Tickets for the Isabel Bader Theatre lineup are on sale now – https://bloodinthesnow.ca/

Below is the complete 2025 Blood in the Snow Film Festival lineup, featuring all feature and short film programs screening in-person at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

About Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS)

Now in its 14th year, the Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS) is Canada’s leading platform dedicated to celebrating and championing contemporary Canadian genre cinema — including horror, sci-fi, thriller, action, and dark comedy. Founded in Toronto by Kelly Michael Stewart, BITS has grown from a grassroots showcase into a nationally recognized festival spotlighting emerging and established voices in independent filmmaking.

Through its annual screenings, the BITS Horror Development Lab, and its Deadly Exposure industry conference, the festival continues to support and strengthen Canada’s genre film community. Blood in the Snow remains a vital launchpad for new talent and bold storytelling, bringing fans and filmmakers together in celebration of the strange, the dark, and the unforgettable.

 

Tickets and passes are now on sale at www.bloodinthesnow.ca 

   

BITS 2025 Full Screening Schedule 

Monday, November 17th

7:00 pm – Dark Visions (94 mins)

Our opening night program brings together the darkest, scariest, and most intense Canadian short films of the year.

Do You See Her? (dir. Janet-Rose Nguyen) – 7:14 mins

Katie struggles with terrible vision and a creeping sense of paranoia as she suspects a

terrifying entity is stalking her—visible only when her glasses are off.

Donations (dir. Shelly Findlay) – 8:20 mins

In a world where blood is currency, a man must decide how much of himself to sacrifice to follow his ex-girlfriend on social media.

The Spider (dir. Michelle Godoy Priske) – 5 mins

On Halloween night, a young woman confronts a shocking reunion with her birth mother.

Sweetie (dir. Taylor Olson) – 2:55 mins

A little girl calls on her father’s help when a monster lurks in her room.

Zoé (dir. Rémi St-Michel) – 15:52 mins

Shards of Zoe's mind cling desperately to fleeting memories of happier times.

Nicky Nine Doors (dir. Jenna Schaefer, Minsoo Koh)– 4:52 mins

Alone in the office after hours, a woman becomes the target of a prank that escalates

into something far more sinister—and unnervingly watchful.

First Rites (dir. Findlay Ironside) – 6:02 mins

Seeking solace for the afterlife, a young woman turns to a long-dead corpse—the only

source of answers.

Lost in Your Thoughts (dir. Marshall Leigh George)– 10:38 mins

During EMDR therapy, a woman enters a physical manifestation of her memories in

search of her missing sister.

Time Eater (dir. Ryan Couldrey) – 12:50 mins

While babysitting her granddaughter, a grandmother with undiagnosed dementia faces

an unexpected home invasion.

Hammer, Wrench and Screwdriver (Marteau, clé anglaise & tournevis) (dir. Gabriel

Vilandré) – 13:00 mins

Jonathan, 16, returns stolen tools to a hardware store—only to find events unravel in

unexpected ways.

Immortal Embrace (dir. Reamonn Joshee) – 7:19 mins

Turned into a vampire against her will, 16-year-old Emily must navigate her new reality with the unwavering support of her single mother. A poignant coming-of-age tale exploring identity, family, and mother-daughter bonds amid the supernatural.

9:30 pm – Son of Sara (dir. Houston Bone) – 83 mins

Haunted by strange urges and visions, a pregnant woman accepts a dinner invitation that descends into a bloody, nightmarish spiral.

w/ short: Heirlooms (dir. Dan Abramovici) – 12:44 mins

A young woman attempts to dispose of her deceased mother’s belongings, uncovering a shocking secret in the process.

Tuesday, November 18th

7:00 pm – Monsters & Martians (95 mins)

A collection of the finest sci-fi shorts from this planet—or any other.

Sanctorum (dir. Prasanna Paul) – 8:00 mins

Decan, a former mechatronic engineer, secretly builds an advanced robot designed to

hunt the malevolent forces threatening humanity.

Asteria (dir. Daniel Brown) – 4:55 mins

An interstellar runaway breaks into a rural man’s home on a cold winter night.

Echo (dir. Victoria Long) – 16:30 mins

When her partner returns from investigating a mysterious ocean crash site, Ava must

choose where her loyalty truly lies.

Solipsis (dir. Massimo Russo) – 19:57 mins

Years after hiding in an underground bunker with her late husband, Cal survives by

clinging to two tenets: stay alive, and keep trying to reach the outside world.

Kitty & the Viper (dir. John-Daniel Arauz) – 13:05 mins

In futuristic Nouveau San Francisco, the hero "the Viper" and his rage-fueled partner

"Kitty" attempt to stop the industrialist "the Jackal" from triggering a pollution apocalypse.

Strangers (dir. Andrew G. Cooper) – 10:54 mins

A young man trapped in a basement with a stranger must survive as otherworldly

creatures prowl the streets outside.

He (dir. Hira Vin) – 16:00 mins

A shapeshifting entity fulfills patrons’ dreams of love—but one woman’s choice to defy the rules leads to chilling consequences.

The Archivists (dir. Dallas Harvey) – 7:30 mins

A desperate agent becomes host to a parasitic alien relic, while a secretive doctor and

his assistant race to prevent a world-ending calamity.

9:30 pm – Foreigner (dir. Ava Maria Safai) – 80 mins

Yasamin Karimi, a Persian teen, tries to fit in at a 2004 high school. When she dyes her hair blonde, she unwittingly unleashes a demon tied to the parts of herself she wishes to erase. A horror tale with heart, exploring the cost of assimilation and the power of denied identity.

This screening is a celebration of this project that was first pitched at the 2023 BITS

Development Lab.

w/ short: The Indestructible (dir. Kalen Artinian)– 15 mins

James, a troubled high schooler, escapes his oppressive world through a comic-book

fantasy. Increasing pressure from family and peers pushes him to the brink, blurring the lines between imagination and reality.

Wednesday, November 19th

7:00 pm – BITS and BYTES (100 mins)

A feature-length program spotlighting the best genre web and digital series.

Petit Demons (dir. Juan Francisco Calero Hueso) –5 mins

A survivor of prolonged abuse develops an addiction to absorbing the violence of

criminals—but a shadowy organization closes in.

Creepy Cape Breton – Ep: Hatman Part 2 (dir. Dawn Wells) – 11:53 mins

New witnesses reveal terrifying encounters with a shadowy figure known across

Indigenous communities as a harbinger of tragedy. Mi’kmaq filmmaker Dawn Wells

expands the investigation beyond her community, uncovering even darker horrors.

Bunker Time! (dir. Justin Miller) – 19:46 mins

Pearle and her rat companion, Cheese Louise, argue over a crack in the bunker during

Doomsday, risking their friendship and the safety of their world.

Jeff Dotter: Space Courier (dir. Shane Lawrence Campbell) – 13:26 mins

One man’s cosmic quest to maintain employment in the universe’s strangest delivery

job.

Ghosting (dirs. Luke Hutchie, Matthew Finlan) – 22:02 mins

Actors-turned-amateur ghostbusters explore haunted sites with celebrity guests, blurring fiction and reality.

Ominous – Ep: Radioactive (dir. George Mihalka) –29:00 mins

A DJ attempts to banish a demon from her airwaves, inadvertently exposing her entire

audience to supernatural peril.

9:30 pm – Buffet Infinity (dir. Simon Glassman) –99 mins

Petty rivals, cult leaders, and exiled Lovecraftian gods clash at your favourite restaurant in this chaotic, hilariously surreal feature.

w/ short: Tingling (dir. Swaroop Elamon) – 5 mins

A man’s ASMR video spirals from soothing whispers to unsettling terror as he drifts

toward sleep.

Thursday, November 20th

7:00 pm – Funny Frights (97 mins)

A showcase of Canadian shorts highlighting the unusual, the surreal, and the lighter side of horror.

Weeds (dir. Stefano Toniatti) – 5:40 mins

A gardener faces an epic showdown with monstrous backyard weeds, battling with flair and over-the-top bravado.

Cherry on Top (dir. Lulu Liu) – 14:57 mins

Two sisters use tips from a vintage porno magazine to escape a basement where

they’ve been trapped for a decade.

Ultra Cheese (dir. Kyle Dunbar) – 4:41 mins

Buddy’s pizza delivery takes a cursed turn, turning his Saturday night into a chaotic

misadventure.

Steal My Life (dir. Annie Wren) – 11:15 mins

A cool girl spirals into paranoia and psychosis as everyone seems to be copying her

style in this psychological-horror-comedy.

Blood Rights (dir. Caitlin Starowicz) – 7:49 mins

Summoning Bloody Mary to solve an unplanned pregnancy, two Texan friends ignite a

supernatural, feminist campaign, turning the demon into an icon of empowerment.

As Pale As Death (dir. Ryan Kukec) – 15:05 mins

A family outing to The Golden Goddess tanning salon turns nightmarish when the

ancient mummy owner absorbs victims to regain youth.

Seed (dir. Cameron Macgowan) – 6:40 mins

Two feral men on Trash Planet stumble upon a mysterious humanoid plant creature

while foraging.

WFH (dir. James Watts) – 12:19 mins

A writer struggles to survive the relentless demands of the gig economy.

Bidet (dir. James Brylowski) – 7:30 mins

A group of friends find themselves hunted by a possessed bathroom fixture.

Shrimp Fried Rice (dir. Dylan Pun) – 12:23 mins

At a gourmet Chinese restaurant, The Shrimp and his puppet Dave seek redemption

against Rat Bitch, the rodent benefactor of an animated hit.

9:30 pm – Fresh Meat (dir. Daniel Turres) – 105 mins

Influencers break into an abandoned prison for viral content—unaware that one inmate never left.

w/ short: Breach (dir. Ross Langill) – 3 mins

A pregnant woman defends her home from two intruders in a tense, rapid-fire

confrontation.

Friday, November 21st

7:00 pm – Nash the Slash Rises Again! (dir. Tim Kowalski)– 80 mins

A cinematic ode to Canadian music icon Nash The Slash, exploring the mind, madness, and artistic journey of this electronic pioneer and performance innovator. Clips from silent film, horror, and noir illustrate his emotional landscape, revealing a timeless message about identity and embracing one’s true self.

w/ short: Sampling (dir. Jérémy Arné) – 6:01 mins

A punk musician with perfect pitch invites strangers into his studio for an unusual musical experiment.

w/ short: Grain (dir. Ilana Zackon) – 6:45 mins

A young woman’s binge eating disorder transforms her into a ravenous creature

threatening an entire town.

 9:30 pm – Violence (dir. Connor Marsden) – 80 mins

In an alternate 1980s, anti-hero Henry Violence navigates a brutal cartel war, making

impossible choices to survive the violent landscape.

              w/ short: Pariah (dir. AJ Lutsky) – 6:11 mins

A tense survival story where compliance is the key to staying human.

                w/ short: Appendage (dir. Dave Thorpe) – 6:21 mins

Emma’s quiet morning is upended as alien creatures arrive, disturbingly resembling

certain appendages.

Saturday, November 22nd

4:00 pm – Emerging Screams (98 mins)

Showcasing Canada’s brightest first-time and student filmmakers in horror.

INBTWN (dir. Nic Altobelli) – 11:10 mins

Two estranged sisters confront their unresolved past in a liminal space where

temperature reflects emotional turmoil, seeking peace and closure.

The Outsider (dir. A. Burnett) 3:00 mins

A lonely prisoner longs to escape isolation and experience human connection.

The Yellow Wallpaper (dir. Lynn Naluyima) – 6:14 mins

A haunting adaptation of Charlotte Gilman’s classic, exploring the tension between

imagination and confinement for an isolated 19th-century woman.

No Lies in the Afterlife (dir. Haley Elizabeth Richards)– 4:39 mins

Two friends attempt to connect with a deceased ex-boyfriend, only to have their secrets

revealed and their friendship tested.

Hear No Evil (dirs. Vai Petersen, Steve Petersen)– 9:59 mins

Deaf after a car crash, Melodie must navigate her home alone while masked intruders

search for stolen items—and a mysterious voice guides her fight for survival.

Slaughter Slate (dir. Xavier Wehrli) – 8:11 mins

An obsessive film student’s sentient clapperboard turns his non-cliché horror project into a slasher-style nightmare.

Making Beauty (dir. Tammy Salzl) – 13:20 mins

In a secret backyard studio, a young artist attempts to beautify the world with

increasingly savage results.

 

 

Cancer szn (dir. Zach Green) – 12:42 mins

A modern witch’s obsession with a former friend leads to a fatal body-swapping spell

when she discovers her rival shares a birthday with her dream partner.

Disease (dir. Alex Masciotra-Milstein) – 4:48 mins

A human asks his zombie boyfriend to bite him, triggering a transformative—and

gruesome—love story.

Is That a Mirage? (dir. Grace Shi) – 13:00 mins

Juniper traverses a dystopian wasteland to trade a rare medicinal berry, aiming to save

her family and community.

Black Hole (dir. Brianna Russell) – 11:39 mins

A curious boy discovers a black hole in the woods of a town where no one can

leave—potentially his only escape.

 

7:00 pm – Behind the Castle Doors: The Origin of The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (dirs. Morgan Baker, Tammy Heisel) – 66 mins

The Markowitz brothers reveal the story behind their quirky 1970s Canadian cult-classic, including the legendary presence of Vincent Price. 

w/ short: Soap Box (dir. Jimmy G. Pettigrew) – 16:14 mins

Hubert, 10, competes in the annual soap box race down the Mountain of the Muertay,

hoping to impress the girl who makes his heart race.

w/ short: My Friend Saabe (dir. Morningstar Derosier)– 15:00 mins

A young Rez girl embarks on a journey with Saabe to bring spiritual reawakening to her community.

 

9:30 pm – Influencers (dir. Kurtis David Harder) – 110 mins

In southern France, a young woman’s obsession with murder and identity theft sends her life into a chaotic spiral.