The Cabin in the Woods Film Festival is an all-inclusive, Black-led event. It kicked off its second year of festivities on August 21, 2024, at a cabin in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. The festival begins in a cozy cabin where over three days attendees experience a filmmaking class, a horror-themed photo shoot, and Sasquatch survival lessons (because, why not?). The cabin experience also affords attendees the ability to watch and judge the submitted horror short films by filmmakers from around the world. The final two days take place in a Seattle theater, where guests watch films and connect with the filmmakers behind these projects. And let’s not forget the online, virtual festival that allows remote attendees to experience collaborative games and a live festival stream.
Even as a fairly new festival, there were over 200 short film submissions. Chosen submissions were then categorized into three different groups: VIP exclusives, theater screenings, and virtual screenings. There was no shortage of amazing films but the following roundup will include the titles that took home the top awards at the close of the festival. You can check out the full lineup of films shown on the Cabin in the Woods Film Festival site here.
Best Director
Tu Repartidora, Rosa (Your Delivery Girl, Rosa) (dir. Guillermo Tirado & Daniel Tirado)
Synopsis: Uncertainty and fear are two words that define the world as it is today in the eyes of young people. An increasingly violent society, crossing a dangerous line of hatred.
Tu Repartidora, Rosa (Your Delivery Girl, Rosa) is an examination, with a horror lens, of modern society’s desensitization to violence and an ever-decreasing attention span. This is a film that has little dialogue, but its single location (the dinner table) features beautiful compositions using visuals alone to tell a compelling, thought-provoking story. And wow, that punchline ending is all too real!
Los Pies Fríos (Cold Feet) (dir. Samantha Lopez)
Synopsis: Once upon a time, there was a father and a girl, who lived happily together. It could be a fairytale story, but it is not: the girl is going to die, and her father will do whatever it takes to save her…including killing someone else.
Cold Feet was a festival favorite. With compelling storytelling, beautiful shots, and cinematography combined with exceptional performances and dialogue, this film was a standout. It explores death and parenthood in a way I’ve never seen before and gives viewers one of the best endings of the festival.
Best Kill Scene
Have a Good Day (dir. Lisa Soper)
Synopsis: A popular horror writer encounters the reality of terror and her own dark secret as she strives to overcome writer’s block. The journey of self-discovery becomes a surreal battle for survival.
If you are a writer, you probably know all about the demon we call writer’s block. Have a Good Day is a creative horror film that provides a look at a writer battling the physical manifestations of her writer’s block with creepy sequences and good laughs sprinkled throughout. This film is so unique in its concept and definitely is one for all the writers out there. What’s better than watching someone “kill” writer’s block.
Wisteria (dir. Adam Lapallo)
Synopsis: When three estranged siblings agree to sell their childhood home, an ancient family curse emerges to restore the balance.
Wisteria examines family drama with a supernatural backdrop. And who doesn’t love a little drama? What makes Wisteria so effective is the tension and chilling plot. This is a slow burn, but the payoff is well worth it.
Best Monster
You Are On Your Own, Kid (dir. Michael Matsui)
Synopsis: Sophia is pursued by an entity in her home, and the terror is experienced from the imaginative perspective of Sophia. An imagination where all of her nightmares come to life, so what normally brings her comfort is horror personified.
Anything involving children automatically bumps up the horror factor. You Are On Your Own, Kid follows a kid named Sophia as she tries to escape the monsters of her nightmares brought to life. It’s a creepy film with a dark subject matter that is only enhanced by the horrifically beautiful monster design. All I know is that is definitely not a monster I could have handled encountering as a kid.
The Skin She’s In (dir. Cole McCraken)
Synopsis: A woman whose skin has begun to rot goes for a night on the town, looking for someone to lure home for a deadly purpose.
What. A. Film. The Skin She’s In was at the top of our lists. This is one that we hope becomes a feature in the near future. The attention to detail, a well-crafted story, and even the monster reveal were everything you could possibly hope for in a horror short.
The Nightlight Award (Scariest Film)
Sangria (Bleeding) (dir. Andrea Segarra Bueno)
Synopsis: Jesús is a 15-year-old boy who dreams of recording a homemade horror movie starring Lara, his platonic love. The odds seem decisively stacked against him. An overprotective and extremely religious mother, classmates who bully him, and a strange disease that forces him to use a wheelchair all stand in his way. However, on Halloween, they will all become part of his macabre film.
There is one scene in the closing of this film that needs to be a poster on every horror fan’s wall. Sangria is art. It feels like a modern take on a Giallo film and is such a beautiful watch. The performances take this one to a different level and immerse you almost instantly. You think you know where this one is going until you don’t, and I loved every moment of it.
Other films were awarded Best FX, Best Final Girl/Guy, Best Slasher, Best Last One Standing, Best Sound Design, Best Death Scene, and the Campfire Award.
The Cabin in the Woods Film Festival takes place each year in August and is held in a cabin, the theater, and online. Check out what to expect next year on their site, and see you at the cabin!
