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Poster for Nitehawk Shorts Festival 2026: MIDNITE

Nitehawk Shorts Festival 2026: MIDNITE

Midnite weekend screenings happen on Friday & Saturday nights (meaning arrive on Friday and/or Saturday night by 11:45pm for seating, the movie starts after midnite)!

Run Time: 93 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 2026

Where can you find a creepy baby, jocks in soft-core, and a persistent spot of mold that just won’t quit? Look no further than this year’s Midnite program. We are thrilled that the Midnite program is returning with a new selection of scary, surreal, silly, and sexy shorts, all screening at a reasonably late hour. This year’s lineup is packed with premieres that are guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat. We invite you to join us for this wild ride—if you dare.

Q&A moderated by Desmond Thorne, Nitehawk Cinema

Benny’s Second Birthday
R.J. Glass, 12 min.
When strangers arrive at her toddler’s birthday party, an expectant mother confronts her son’s unexpected popularity.

I Beg Your Pardon
John W. Lustig, 4 min., NYC premiere
A man commits a terrible crime and the consequences are not what you’d expect.

Birth of the Hive Queen
Tempest Creation, 8 min.
Amina, a trans escort, gives birth from her anus.

Collectors
Susan C OBrien, 14 min., NYC premiere
When an unexpected visitor arrives at a blind man’s doorstep posing as a saleswoman, the night takes a fatal turn as he soon discovers her true intentions.

JOCK
Max Wren, 5 min., world premiere
College football player Harry battles his desires as he tries to comfort his friend. Shot on VHS and inspired by soft-core gay porn.

Water Sports
Whammy Alcazaren, 19 min.
Sad boys Jelson and Ipe harness the power of their love in an attempt to survive a world devastated by climate change.

ROT.
Wes Andre Goodrich, 6 min., world premiere
Over the course of a sleepless night, a father is consumed by the fear that the mold in his apartment is not only sentient, but has dark designs on his family.

Bad Dad
Chisa Hutchinson, 11 min., NYC premiere
When a stranger shows up at Warren’s door to escape the heat, it soon becomes clear he is definitely not waiting for a tow.

Cathexis
Libe Barer, 5 min., world premiere
A young woman who has found herself under investigation for murder begins liking being thought about by the female detective tasked with catching the killer.

Birth Controlled
Isa Fraga-Abaza, 5 min.
A visceral response to a lifetime of medical neglect, patriarchal control, and the systemic failure to treat vaginas as vital organs essential to well-being.

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