Jess Blackwell –
Halloween may be over, but the spooky season continues for Toronto’s film-going community. From November 17 to 22, 2025, the Blood in the Snow film festival will take over Victoria University’s Isabel Bader Theatre and the Tranzac Club.
Similar to Toronto After Dark, a genre-focused film festival held in October, Blood in the Snow celebrates horror, sci-fi, thriller, fantasy and cult films. But its unique focus is on Canadian films and filmmakers.
“This is easily our most wide-ranging program yet,” said Kelly Michael Stewart, the festival’s director and founder. “Fresh Meat is by far the most violent film we’ve ever played, but we’re also celebrating children’s programming with Behind the Castle Doors — proving there’s something for everyone this year.”
The diversity Stewart refers to is reflected in the films at the top of my festival watchlist. In the category of socially conscious films that use genre to explore uncomfortable but important topics are the short films Blood Rights by Caitlin Starowics and Time Eater by Ryan Coudrey. The former tells the tale of two Texan friends who summon Bloody Mary to solve an unplanned pregnancy, while the latter depicts the peril faced by a woman grappling with undiagnosed dementia while babysitting her granddaughter.
Also of social interest is Shelly Findlay’s short film Donations. Set in a world in which blood is currency, in this film a man must decide how much of himself he’s willing to give to follow his ex on social media.
On the feature side, the heartfelt film Foreigner, directed by Ava Maria Safai, depicts a Persian teen trying to fit in at a 2004 high school. Trying to conform, she unwittingly unleashes a demon tied to parts of herself she wishes to erase, calling attention to the cost of assimilation.
Blood in the Snow also offers lighter viewing. Similar to the 2024 festival, which screened the outrageous Scared Shitless (now available on Netflix Canada), this year’s lineup includes comedic selections. Also incorporating the bathroom theme, James Brylowski’s Bidet tells the story of a group of friends hunted by a possessed bathroom fixture. In contrast, Annie Wren’s psychological-horror-comedy short film Steal My Life depicts the plight of a cool girl who spirals into psychosis upon discovering that everyone seems to be copying her style.
Want to experience the thrills and chills offered by Canadian genre filmmakers this November? Tickets are on sale now at bloodinthesnow.ca
