Not-Your-Traditional-Saturday-Morning-Cartoons Shorts | HorrorFest International 2026

HORRORFEST INTERNATIONAL PROUDLY PRESENTS THE "NOT-YOUR-TRADITIONAL-SATURDAY-MORNING-CARTOONS" SHORTS BLOCK

Get ready for 7 animated shorts that prove horror doesn't need live action to get under your skin. From AI memes gone rogue to a farm trapped in hell, a stop-motion identity crisis, an ancient god's cult, a haunted movie theater, and even a puppet murder plot, this block blends animation styles, puppetry, and nightmares into one unforgettable lineup. Expect dark humor, unsettling visuals, and a few images you won't be able to shake.

Some of these films may contain mature content (Language, Adult Themes, Blood, Gore, and Violence)

The films in the Not-Your-Traditional-Saturday-Morning-Cartoons Shorts Block are as follows;

CreAtIon - 6 Min | USA | Utah Premiere

Directed by Sav Vivanco, Angela Grace Aguas

Written by Sav Vivanco, Angela Grace Aguas

Produced by Brittany Lopez

Cast: Dan Stabb, Jake Terrell, Joe Diez

Synopsis: In this animated cautionary tale, it's all fun and games as 3 friends generate AI memes into the night…Until the prompt starts to generate on its own.

Hell - 5 Mins | USA | Utah Premiere

5 Mins | USA | Utah Premiere

Directed by Parker Croft

Written by Parker Croft, Spike Milliken

Produced by Nolan Gould, Erika Totoro, Parker Croft

Cast: Sean Marquette, Sharon Powers, Bill Welden

Synopsis: In this darkly realized animated short, we’re taken to a place where dreams are real, wishes come true, and everything is always awful for everyone. In “Hell,” we follow the patriarch of a dying farm as he is methodically ground down by the machinery of despair.

In My Skin - 2 Min | Canada | Utah Premiere

Directed by Erica Amato

Written by Erica Amato

Produced by Erica Amato

Cast: -

Synopsis: With subtext that delves into themes of identity, this stop motion animated short explores a complicated relatability between man and monster.

The Gates of Irkalla - 4 Min | USA | Utah Premiere

Directed by Alexi Tsitlakidis

Written by Alexi Tsitlakidis, Grace Huebner

Produced by Alexi Tsitlakidis

Cast: -

Synopsis: A team of mercenaries is hired by a regional governor to rescue his daughter from a cult worshipping an ancient deity in the temple, and must survive the dead coming back to life.

Theater of Mystery - 2 Min | USA | Utah Premiere

Directed by Matthew Rosvally

Written by Matthew Rosvally, G.R. Claveria

Produced by G.R. Claveria

Cast: Juliet Landau, Malcolm McDowell

Synopsis: A young girl goes to the movie theater, her place of comfort and joy, only to be haunted herself by the spirit of the theater in a hand drawn animated piece featuring Juliet Landau and Malcolm McDowell.

What We Leave Behind - 11 Min | Canada | Utah Premiere

Directed by Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte

Written by Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte

Produced by Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte

Cast: Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Jack Hackel

Synopsis: Dan has a gaping hole in his neck that won’t heal. Why? He can’t remember, nor talk about it. Back in the sinister arena of his childhood, he must find the part of himself he once left behind that prevents him, now an adult, from being whole.

She Felt Like Murder! - 20 Min | USA | Utah Premiere

Directed by Ryan Clausen

Written by Ryan Clausen

Produced by Ryan Clausen

Cast: Courtney Harmon, Bradford Trojan, Callie Hutchison, 

Synopsis: Gertrude and Raymond dream of getting married and starting a new life together but one thing stands in their way; Raymond’s wife, Muriel! Making matters worse, Muriel also happens to be Gertrude’s overbearing sister and this only adds to a volatile situation. Special note of interest; This short features an all puppet cast!