Forbidden Worlds Film Festival
The Bristol Megascreen
25 April 2026
GENRE FILM-MAKERS OF THE FUTURE
SHORT FILM SHOWCASE
Since 2024, Forbidden Worlds has spotlighted the Genre Film-Makers of the Future with a showcase of short genre films (sci-fi, action, horror and fantasy) from around the world.
While the majority of the award winners are selected by a panel of judges, the Film of the Year is selected by the in-attendance festival audience who watch the shorts on the massive 19m x 15m Bristol Megascreen and vote in-person via secure ballots.
The winner of the Film of the Year vote will win £500 worth of post-production and £500 of equipment hire (for UK based film-makers) for their next project courtesy of Bristol’s leading kit rental and post production facilities Films@59.
If you’re interested in submitting a short film for next year’s festival, visit our Film Freeway page for more information.
You can also find most of these short films on Letterboxd should you wish to leave reviews!
NERVOUS ELLIE (2025)
Dir: David Yorke | UK
Ellie, new to dating and painfully shy, struggles to control her nerves during a date with Danni, resulting in some unexpecting and shocking results.
Content warnings (highlight to read): Blood and gore
David Yorke is a multi-award-winning writer/director specialising in dark drama, comedy and horror with over 15 years of experience in short films, music videos and broadcast television. His previous short film 'ERIC' premiered at Frightfest and went on to be screened at Panic Fest, Screamfest and Filmquest.
COLLECT CALL (2026)
Dir: Inez Playford | Australia
In a desperate bid for re-election, Senator Chiquita Olson partners with a corporate space program to launch a probe to Jupiter – complete with a tacky campaign ad and a secret self-destruct mechanism. But when the probe crashes into an intergalactic alien tyrant’s eye, Olson, alongside the hapless Dr. Jean Barrows and the conspiracy-loving ex-astronaut Frank Quarterflash, must engage in high-stakes diplomacy with the alien Bashoalgophfarc, Devourer of Shadows.
Inez Playford is an emerging Writer & Director with a Masters in Directing from AFTRS. Inez’s most recent short film, Rehabilitating, was screened at both Sydney Film Festival and St Kilda Film Festival in 2024 exploring the intricacies of chronic pain for young women. As well as her work in film Inez works as a consultant for disability across the arts world and is passionate about diversity of representation and accessibility in the film and television industry.
ICARE 9000 (2025)
Dir: Robert Duncan | UK
A vulnerable old lady is looked after by the ICare 9000, a high tech robot carer, but not everything is as it appears.
Robbie has written, produced, directed and edited several short films since graduating with an MA in Film direction from Napier Screen Academy. These films have won several awards and been shown in numerous film festivals across the UK and Europe. Robbie’s films range from ear slicing horror stories, awkward portraits of familial relationships and supernatural mockumentary but all share an absurdist streak of humour and a playful eye on the human condition.
KNIGHTS & RELATIONSHIPS (2025)
Dir: Sam Tung | US - UK PREMIERE
A chance encounter between two knights with troubled history leads to them unpacking their pasts. When we run into an ex, don't we all feel a bit like a knight in armor?
Sam Tung is a leading storyboard artist whose work spans dozens of films, series, games, and commercials, including Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters, Marvel Animation's X-Men ’97, and Nintendo’s Metroid Prime 4, for which he also directed some cinematics. In 2024, he wrote and directed Knights & Relationships, a short film based on Oscar Westberg’s comic about a chance encounter between two knights with troubled history that leads to them unpacking their pasts. The film featured historically-accurate and fully-functional armor.
DANGEROUS DELIVERY (2025)
Dir: Etienne Laurendeau | Canada
A delivery turns into chaos when Grégoire and Vincent, both convinced that the delivery driver is actually their ride, unexpectedly jump into her car. This leads to a showdown involving Kung Fu, seat belts, and honking horns.
SURPLUS TO REQUIREMENTS (2026)
Dir: Daniel J Chernett | UK
A young research graduate survives a shuttle crash on a remote space station run by an experimental AI. With the crew missing, the AI keeps her occupied with routine maintenance, psychological tests, and endless games of chess. Slowly she realises the system is not evaluating her, but learning her and that she is about to be declared surplus to requirements…
With a background in illustration, animation, and post-production, and a lifelong passion for science fiction and fantasy, this project marks Daniel Chernett’s first step into live-action filmmaking.
VOWELS (2025)
Dir: Rafael De Leon Jr. | US
Ava needs to record a self-tape but her speech impediment keeps getting in the way.
Content warnings (highlight to read): Blood and gore
Rafael De Leon is an award-winning writer, director, and editor born and raised in New York City. At the age of four, he broke his father’s Beta cassette player due to watching “Masters of the Universe” repeatedly. Since graduating from Fordham University, his short films have screened at festivals around the world such as SXSW, Fantasia, Panic Fest, and the Overlook Film Festival. His short horror film "Vowels" is currently on the festival circuit.
STILL YOURS (2026)
Dir: Mikko Löppönen | Finland
Elina and Lara love each other. But is it enough?
Mikko Löppönen is a professional editor based in Helsinki, Finland with 10+ years of experience.
SURPRISE! (2025)
Dir: Dave Gardner | UK
A working class mum discovers a terrifying secret at the surprise party from hell!
Content warnings (highlight to read): Blood and gore
Dave Gardner is an award-winning working class filmmaker from Essex, UK. They have a MA in Film and Literature and when they're not writing, directing, editing and acting, Dave can be found teaching Film and TV production, or hanging out with his cat, Pee-Wee.
THE COMPLETE PACKAGE (2025)
Dir: Wyn Wallace | UK
In this found-footage analog horror short, a 1980s tele-dating tape is not what it seems...
Wyn Wallace is a filmmaker telling stories in the disreputable world of the low-budget shot-on-video format, with a love of the immediacy and potent aesthetic of VHS. Working alongside the Broke N' Heartless Video collective, their feature film directorial debut releases in 2026.