AL(U)CINE: ALCINE'S MICROFESTIVAL OF FANTASY AND HORROR FILMS
AL(U)CINE, the section dedicated to fantasy and horror short films at ALCINE, the Alcalá de Henares/Community of Madrid Film Festival, returns for this 54th edition after the success of its 2024 premiere. And it returns as a micro-festival, on October 29 and 30, in the middle of the spooky season before Halloween, with the best short films in the genre (six short films in competition and a selection of the best international short films of the season) and the preview of a highly anticipated film as a surprise screening.
Here you have the entire AL(U)CINE program:
Special Feature on Contemporary Horror Literature
From Mariana Enríquez to Stephen King, the podcast hosted by Karim Shaker and his guests will introduce the evening by talking about the fear a person can experience when closing a book and finding themselves in a dark room. With the collaboration of Walskium.
A small classic in recent editions, the surprise screening, this time with a horror and suspense theme, is now part of AL(UCINE) and will open the microfestival on Wednesday the 29th. Once again, we will be screening one of the most anticipated titles of the season, recently released at Sitges 2025. In this case, we can only say that it is an adaptation that will delight the most discerning readers of contemporary horror.
In ALCINE 54's most terrifying competitive section, AL(U)CINE, six fantasy, horror, and related short films will compete for a prize of 600 euros awarded by the General Foundation of the University of Alcalá and CIMUART. The winner will be chosen by the audience after the screening. These are the short films in competition:
BUFFET PARAÍSO, by Santi Amézqueta & Héctor Zafra, Spain, 2024, 8 min. In a buffet restaurant, a diverse group of characters enjoys a wide variety of exquisite dishes, unaware of the grave sin that gluttony represents.
QUEDA’T EN MI, by Miriam Quesada, Spain, 2025, 14 min. Meri arrives at a retreat for pregnant women in a rural house. What seems welcoming soon becomes unsettling. Trapped between strange rituals and a secretive community, she must confront her deepest fears to protect her baby.
THE UNBEARING, by Also Sisters, USA, 2024, 14 min. After undergoing an illegal abortion, a pest controller must find a way to exterminate the sinister presence growing inside her before it takes over her body and ends her life.
VACÍO, by Javier Cano Larumbe, Spain, 2025, 14 min. All children fear the dark. But for eight-year-old Félix, the darkness is different—dense, corporeal, and hiding something sinister. A terrifying presence has settled in his house, threatening what he loves most.
CORPS ÉTRANGER, by Mathieu Mortelmans & Cécile Delberghe, Belgium, 2025, 16 min. In the middle of the night, a police detective is called to a crime scene at a monastery on a remote island. Alone examining the corpse, she realizes it might not be human…
EL FANTASMA DE LA QUINTA, by James A. Castillo, Spain, 2025, 16 min. In 1819, an aging Francisco de Goya retreats to La Quinta del Sordo, where he is haunted by the ghosts of his past. In his despair, he channels his torment into the Black Paintings, confronting his deepest fears.
We will also be joined by its directors. With the collaboration of the General Foundation of the University of Alcalá / CIMUART.
ALCINE brings together a selection of the season's best short films from the international circuit in the MadFant Marathon, curated by Mike Hostench for the Community of Madrid Short Film Week. A full-on horror marathon, with free admission until capacity is reached, and with the option to step outside between short films to catch your breath. In collaboration with the Community of Madrid Short Film Week. This is the MadFant Marathon program:
AMIRA, by Javier Yáñez Sanz, Spain, 2025, 23 min. Official Selection - Sitges 2025. In the 19th century, there was a music school where sunlight never entered.
JAQUES THE GIANT SLAYER, by Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, USA, 2025, 20 min. Official Selection - Sitges 2025. A dark reinterpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk, where an early 20th-century archaeologist makes a terrifying discovery.
DREAM CREEP, by Carlos A.F. Lopez, USA, 2024, 12 min. Sundance – Best Director Short Film. A couple wakes up at night to sounds coming from an unusual bodily orifice.
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, by Mattie Do, USA, Thailand, Laos, 2025, 23 min. Official Selection - Locarno 2025. The wife of a colonial governor faces devastation after her aristocratic son brings home an unending curse.
WHITCH, by Hoku Uchiyama, USA, 2025, 23 min. Special Jury Prize – Midnight Section, SXSW 2025. After putting her daughter to bed, Aura discovers an elderly intruder insisting on performing a bloody ritual before midnight.
PLAYING GOD, by Matteo Burani, Italy & France, 2024, 23 min. Audience Award – San Sebastián Animation Week. A clay sculpture comes to life in a dark workshop, surrounded by strange creatures.
WATER SPORTS, by Whammy Alcazaren, Philippines, 2025, 18 min. Official Selection – Fantastic Fest 2025. Two young lovers try to survive in a world devastated by climate change, discovering that love can also be an act of resistance.
TINIEBLAS, by Raúl Cerezo & Carlos Moriana, Spain, 2025, 15 min. Premiere – Austin Fantastic Fest. Miriam returns to her grandparents’ house to collect clothes, but the place seems to hide memories she would rather not awaken.
SAMMI, WHO CAN DETACH HIS BODY PARTS, by Rein Maychaelson, Indonesia, 2025, 19 min. Premiere – Berlinale Shorts 2025. Sammi was born with the ability to detach parts of his body. His mother tries to put him back together after his death.
I’M NOT A ROBOT, by Victoria Warmerdam, Netherlands & Belgium, 2025, 23 min. Oscar 2025 – Best Live Action Short Film. After failing several Captcha tests, a music producer begins to suspect she might not be human.
FREE ENTRY UNTIL CAPACITY IS FULL. ENTRY AND EXIT ARE PERMITTED FROM 6:30 PM.
