Panic Fest 2019: Monsters, mayhem and madness

Panic Fest 2019 featured some amazing short films ! We take a look at the first block of 7 powerful productions.

Panic Fest 2019, located in Kansas City, MO, is known for showcasing short films. These efforts are bite sized works that pack a lot of punch and sometimes will outshine feature films completely. Short filmmakers work hard to create a comprehensive story in 5-20 minutes on average and that is not an easy feat. Here are some of the most well-made, powerful, interesting and hilarious of the bunch.

Panic Fest 2019 – Short Film Showcase

Here There Be Monsters

First up on our block of Panic Fest 2019 shorts is a film by Drew McDonald. It stars the outstanding Savannah Foran-McDaniel, Jordan Small, Tyallah Bullock and Toby Barron. The story follows a brutally bullied girl named Elki who falls asleep on a bus and finds herself locked in for the night.

It would seem she is not alone in the bus yard but it may not be the scariest thing out there. Savannah was phenomenal and the effects were perfect. Here There Be Monsters was amazing and worth seeing.

Image courtesy of Wanderer Films

Cryptina’s Spook-Time Variety Show

Ryan Rigley’s short film is a hilarious addition to this showcase. Stephanie Twyford Baldwin portrays the title character, horror hostess, Cryptina. The plot revolves around an inventive and quirky horror anthology show and the wacky cast of characters surrounding her.

I couldn’t decide what’s funnier, Cryptina and her clingy bat friend or the movies on the show. I enjoyed this one immensely and belly-laughed several times. Plus, it has the best opening ever. If you haven’t seen this one, remedy that immediately!

4EVR

This short from Panic Fest 2019 was penned by Joe Fordham and directed by Sergio Pinheiro. It stars Alana Kearns-Green, Brian Rohan and Matt McNutt. The story follows a woman who just buried her brother after an accident.

She is taking the whole thing extremely hard. When her brother starts messaging her from his phone, she begins to lose touch with reality and then the secrets start coming out. 4EVR is a tad confusing but has very artistic editing and camera shots.

Image courtesy of Parker Finn

The Hidebehind

A Hidebehind according to Wikipedia is a “nocturnal, fearsome critter from American folklore that preys upon humans that wander in the woods. ” When an injured hiker goes astray, he sees someone he thinks can help, but as it turns out maybe being lost alone would have been better. The setting is awesome and it is VERY effective.

Dodah

Dodah was written and directed by Jondaniel Cornett and stars Jill Jordan, Travis Owens, and Tanner Thomason. This short is a little confusing. I can’t tell if it shows the dangers of a one night stand or the punishment for taking advantage of someone in an inebriated state. It was still pretty engaging but I just wish the story was a bit more clear.

Chickens

Created by Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. Chickens stars Amelia Hensley, Brian Ramian, William J. Beaumont, Chris Sackey, Jai’lyn A. Spivey, Adrien Coles and Choice Skinner. This film centers around two racist white cops that murder an unarmed black teen. When they try to cover it up, things don’t go exactly how they planned. Get ready to get angry and then watch two guys get their just desserts.

Pinki

The last film in this block from Panic Fest 2019 is an adorable Korean story. It was created by Kim Spike Hyunsuk and stars Han Songchan, Kim Serin, Lee Daekwang, Jong Hojoon, Kim Mina, and Spike himself. This was my most favorite of the seven films in this group.

At first, Pinki might be a little hard to understand but when you do, you will get the biggest smile on your face. It is sweet and beautiful and makes you have second thoughts about the technology you toss away that used to make you so happy.

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The effects were awesome and the story was perfect. Definitely see this one if you can.

What was your favorite short film on this list? Let us know in the comments!

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