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Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival: Thriller Picture Show 2025
October 2, 2025 – October 9, 2025
October marks the official start of spooky season. Once again, The Lindsay is getting into the Halloween spirit right away.
The Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival‘s Thriller Picture Show will soon return to The Lindsay for the third consecutive year. Presented by Image 987 Productions and What Sleeps Beneath, this annual event offers audiences a wide variety of thrilling features and short films from around the world.
The 2025 Thriller Picture Show will take place from Oct. 2-5 and also include a Dark Date Night on Thursday, Oct. 9. This year’s lineup includes everything from a twisted tale about influencers to a new horror comedy from Tina Romero, George Romero’s daughter.
Tickets are currently on sale for each feature screening and short film block. Filmgoers can purchase All Festival Passes (including Dark Date Night access) for $35, Single Day Passes for $15 or individual feature/short block tickets for $11. Queens of the Dead and Demons are not included in either the All Festival Pass or Single Day Passes.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s seasonally appropriate Thriller Picture Show offerings:
OCT. 2 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Bizarre Bazarre Block
7:30 p.m. | 15min | Horror, Thriller
The 2025 Thriller Picture Show will open with a block of three character-driven shorts:
• The Second Floor is a psychological thriller from director Jackson Bonds. It follows a young man facing extraordinary challenges during a brothel visit.
• The Convent, directed by Cole Rawson, is a horror-thriller about a girl going through immense effort to convince a ritualistic cult that she still remains faithful.
• Mallory is director Jaime Meyers’ portrait of a man who learns that some things should remain hidden while searching for his missing daughter.
Grind
8 p.m. | 1h 24min | Horror
Director: Mark Cantu
Stars: Kelsey Rhea, Brian Ceponis, Molly Souza
Fans of locally made horror may recognize Pittsburgh-based filmmaker Mark Cantu as the director of 2021 slasher Massacre Academy and 2023 creature feature Wolf Hollow.
His latest project, Grind, is a horror-thriller about a group of college students who accidentally unleash cosmic horror after unearthing a cursed movie during a grindhouse film festival. All it took was pressing play on The Creeping Chaos to release uncontrollable mayhem.
Cantu co-wrote the script for Grind with Brian Bell and Brian Ceponis. Ceponis, a local actor and co-founder of Western Pennsylvania production company RedSlate Films, co-stars alongside a cast that also includes Kelsey Rhea, Molly Souza and Stanton Rutledge.
OCT. 3 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Kick the Can
11 a.m. | 1h 30min | Comedy, Crime
Director: Jim Menza
Stars: Kristin Auge, Jack Burr, Niko Caponigro
Kick the Can is a lighthearted crime comedy from writer-director Jim Menza. The title evokes both a classic children’s game and a renowned episode of The Twilight Zone. This Milknose Films production comes with a tantalizing tagline: “Some games, you play for keeps.”
The film is centered around a man who sets out on a 24-hour adventure to save a woman’s life. Along the way, he meets a plethora of chaotic characters and finds himself in consistently strange situations.
Hitman: The Slaughter
12:40 p.m. | 1h 28min | Thriller, Crime
Director: Seth Nardo
Stars: Ian Falcone, Frank Ripoly, Steve Nardo
This crime-thriller’s title is also a pretty good description of what’s in store for moviegoers. Director Seth Nardo’s film follows a group of dangerous individuals as they engage in … well, the things hitmen do.
Nardo is a 24-year-old Ohioan making his directorial debut with Hitman: The Slaughter. Between the film’s content, its setting and colorful characters, a good alternate title for this film may have been Once Upon a Time in Ohio.
The Muscle
2:20 p.m. | 1h 20min | Thriller, Crime
Director: Ryan Halasz
Stars: Ryan Halasz, Stephen Caruso, Eric Cerbo
The Muscle is another-crime thriller that would make a great double feature with Hitman: The Slaughter. Ryan Halasz wrote, directed and stars in this film about a guy with a big heart who gets caught up in a life of crime.
Ron (Halasz) witnesses a murder, which eventually leads to him discovering the truth about his father’s death. It’s far beyond what Ron could have ever imagined. He must choose revenge or forgiveness—even as he grapples with some pretty extreme violations of trust.
Frenzy Moon
3:50 p.m. | 1h 21min | Horror
Stars: Alyssa Grace Adams, Aaron Krygier, Kayla Malika
Director: Gregory Lamberson
You probably could’ve guessed by the title that this is an old-fashioned werewolf flick. Gregory Lamberson wrote and directed this creature feature about six graduate students and a mysterious stranger battling a pack of ferocious man-beasts in a secluded cabin.
Dark Funhouse Block
5:20 p.m. | 2h 2min
Horror fans, this is the short film block for you!
• Bealtaine: Two otherworldly companions entertain a special guest as they celebrate their annual Celtic tradition of Bealtaine. Directed by Roland Keller.
• Tasty Tongue (from Taiwan): A-Zhe, who constantly curses others, encounters a mysterious and beautiful woman. He soon realizes that something is amiss after she tries to feed him roasted tongues. Directed by Pearl Zheng.
• The Dark: After a sudden tragedy, a young woman purchases a candle that allows her to contact the dead. Directed by Brandon Diaz.
• The New Blood: A woman starting a new job at a small town mall finds it complicated by a mysterious man who may have a connection to her past. Directed by Pittsburgh-area filmmaker Adam Morgan.
• Trim the Barley: A photo shoot becomes a lesson on modern farming techniques. Directed by Joshua Thomas.
• Real Dead: A whirlwind of bloody twists and turns await when a man comes home to propose on Valentine’s Day. Directed by Paul Pilcz.
• Pennsylvania Leaf Blower Massacre: In this film trailer parody, three youngsters are helpless against the demented whims of a would-be landscaping company that turns roadside travelers into compost, elaborate garden sculptures—and worse. Directed by John Morgan and Jonathan Frost.
• Infernalis: In a remote 19th-century pioneer village, suspicion spreads when a newborn vanishes under mysterious circumstances. Directed by Naomi Wildermuth.
• Crisis Point (from Romania): A former soldier travels through a toxic post-apocalyptic environment in search of a cure for a virus that strips the afflicated of their humanity. Directed by Valentin Raileanu.
• The Balloon: A downtrodden mechanic lives in a deteriorating paradigm, but there is more than meets the eye when the past and present converge. Directed by local filmmaker Stephanie Swift.
Queens of the Dead
7:30 p.m. | 1h 39min | Comedy, Horror
Director: Tina Romero
Stars: Katy O’Brian, Jack Haven, Jaquel Spivey
This new horror-comedy was co-written and directed by zombie cinema royalty. Tina Romero, a veteran filmmaker and vice president of the George A. Romero Foundation, is the daughter of late Night of the Living Dead auteur George Romero.
Her latest directorial effort recently won an Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the Tribeca Film Festival. Romero and comedian Erin Judge co-wrote this bloody romp about a zombie outbreak in Brooklyn. An eclectic group of drag queens, club kids and frenemies at a warehouse party must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead.
Queens of the Dead boasts a talented ensemble that includes Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Jack Haven (I Saw the TV Glow), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Riki Lindhome (Knives Out), Margaret Cho (Fire Island) and Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls).
OCT. 4 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Dead, White and Blue
10 a.m. | 1h 30min | Comedy
Director: Mike Davis
Dead, White and Blue is a fascinating moviemaking experiment. Director Mike Davis recycled footage from more than 300 stock and public domain films and injected his creation with brand new storylines and dialogue.
This sci-fi satire follows a rogue FBI agent who is forced to partner with the United States Army to defeat the Ku Klux Plan. In an attempt to go mainstream, the KKK has modernized and gone high tech with flashy new promotional videos, clothing and an evil plot to plunge the country into a race war—with a shrink ray.
“I made this film as if it was the last one I’d ever do,” says Davis. “It’s a comedy, a satire, a surreal absurdity, and ideally an inspiration to independent filmmakers and creators everywhere who are working with limited resources and great imaginations.”
Weird Adventures Block
11:40 a.m. | 1h 51min
This shorts block is a fun mix of live-action and animated fare:
• Boxes for Rox (animation): Awareness is the first phase. Directed by Directed by Chelsey Raegen Knapp.
• Rusty Pipe: Four characters gather in an old dark warehouse to exchange a mysterious object in a high-stakes transaction. Directed by Robert Obin and Roberto Joy.
• Lord of All Future and Space: When a duffle bag explodes int existence over the Nevada desert, Dyson Wheeler—set to be hanged—seizes his chance at escape. Directed by Chris Paul Russell.
• Waiting on You: When their world begins to crumble, the characters in a sitcom realize their reality may not be all that it seems. Directed by Emilia Brewer.
• The Itch: A young man awakens in an unfamiliar apartment only to find himself under surveillance—and decaying rapidly. Directed by Gordon Phillips.
• Homie: When a man realizes his “smart home” device is manipulating him to commit murderous acts, he must find a way to regain control over his life. Directed by Kevin John Henry.
• Howl If You Love Me (animation): Jim is dating Jane, who is a werewolf. Drama emerges when Jane is put in danger and Jim is forced to make a decision that will transform his life. From Academy Award-nominated director John Dilworth.
• APT 44: A young woman moves into a new apartment but hears strange noises. She finally realizes what has been banging on the door all this time. Directed by Laura Musgrave.
• Tina 7X4 (United Kingdom): A very unusual upgrade causes a robot to be inhabited by a spirit. Directed by Colin Swinfin.
The School Duel
1:40 p.m. | 1h 35min | Thriller
Director: Todd Wiseman Jr.
Stars: Kue Lawrence, Christina Brucato, Oscar Nunez
Are you a fan of films like The Hunger Games or Battle Royale? Then you’ll be right at home with The School Duel, a thriller set in a near-future Florida.
Sammy (Kue Lawrence), a tormented 13-year-old, is recruited to participate in a deadly, statewide competition known as “The School Duel.” As he takes the battlefield, Sammy slowly starts to understand what’s at stake. The film’s cast also includes Christina Brucato (The Menu) and Oscar Nunez (The Office).
Twisted Treats Block
3:25 p.m. | 1h 41min
These shorts are not for the faint of heart:
• It Gets Closer: After spitting out his medications, Todd comes face to face with the thing keeping him awake at night. Directed by Matthew “Gray” Strack.
• Where the Shadows Feast: After decades of men, women and children vanishing into the darkness, a detective and mother must follow her child’s voice into the shadows. Directed by Aaron Cabrera.
• Impish: A confused religious student wants to make sure he isn’t being misinformed about the supernatural. Directed by Eric von Laudermann, a student at Community College of Allegheny County.
• RIP Advisor (Switzerland): A man obsessed with rating every tiny detail of his life realizes he doesn’t truly feel anything. Directed by Ludovic Matthy.
• What Hides in Us: Looking to rebuild their relationship, Emma and Ben find themselves terrorized by what hides inside them. Directed by Derek Hughes and Samantha Garzon.
• Devil’s Playground: In the quirky, suburban neighborhood of Devil’s Playground, multiple children—including Molly’s daughter—have gone missing. Directed by Halle Sullivan and John Steele.
• Looker: Anna learns she is inexplicably cursed to melt away when not being perceived and must go to greater and greater lengths to be seen. Directed by Max Kaplan.
• Sanitorium (Spain): Overview: In the world of entertainment and mass media, ethics is sometimes just another obstacle. Directed by Bruno Martinez.
• Dying of the Light: Two sisters tend to their mentally ill mother in the midst of an apocalypse. Directed by Justin Gorun.
• Bishop’s Day: Two college coeds break into the long-abandoned Bishop’s Barbershop for a night of fun. However, they’re not alone. Directed by Christopher Kelly.
Mondo Hollywoodland
5:15 p.m. | 1h 34min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Director: Janek Ambros
Stars: Chris Blim, Alex Loynaz, Alyssa Sabo
James Crowell, the Oscar-nominated star of films like Babe and L.A. Confidential, produced the sci-fi comedy Mondo Hollywoodland.
Director and co-writer Janek Ambros shot this entire film on an iPhone. A groovy mushrooms dealer and a man from the fifth dimension journey through Hollywood to find the true meaning of “Mondo.”
Demons
8 p.m. | 1h 28min | Horror
Director: Lamberto Bava
Stars: Urbano Barberini, Natasah Hovey, Karl Zinny
This Italian classic is celebrating its 40th anniversary! Demons, directed by Lamberto Bava, was produced and co-written by famed horror master Dario Argento.
A random assortment of guests are given free tickets to a mysterious film screening. They quickly find themselves trapped in the theater alongside a horde of ravenous demons.
OCT. 5 SHOWTIMES AND TICKETS
Spelonk
11 a.m. | 1h 10min | Sci-Fi
Directors: Desmond Denton
Stars: Jenny Umbhau, Greg Kriek, Scot Cooper
Spelonk is a sci-fi feature from South African director Desmond Denton. The Cape Town-set film takes place in 2044, after the world has been ravaged by climate collapse and social upheaval. It was heavily inspired by “Day Zero,” a massive drought that led to a water crisis throughout South Africa during the late 2010s.
At the film’s heart is Dante, a disillusioned bounty hunter grappling with moral dilemmas associated with hunting rebels. His fateful encounter with Ophelia, a rebel leader with secrets that could change the world, sets the stage for a thrilling, emotional journey of redemption and revolution.
Cultivated Chills Block
12:20 p.m. | 2h 9min
This shorts block contains quite a few international thrills and chills:
• The Alert (France): After a journalist receives dangerous political information from a coworker, he faces a tough decision: broadcast it, or run for his life. Directed by Pascal Gonçalves.
• Hunter Loading: A social media post about a soldier’s homecoming party goes horribly wrong when his friend insists on telling him about his girlfriend’s infidelity. Directed by Sasa Numic.
• Patterns (Canada): A woman struggling with intrusive thoughts attempts to solve a jigsaw puzzle. Directed by Tomasz Nunes.
• It Doesn’t Pass: A man manifests an entity to guide him through a difficult night. Directed by Dan Lopez.
• Islander (Portugal): On an isolated island, a woman is followed by a mysterious figure that torments her as she tries to uncover the mystery behind her husband’s disappearance. Directed by Margarida Saramago.
• The Burden of the Oath (Mexico): A dedicated and ethical doctor receives an unexpected visit that places him in a complicated situation. Directed by Alan Calderon-Villarreal.
• Confrontation (France): Maxime, a 17-year-old, must face her greatest fear while visiting a police station. Directed by Marie Abbenanti and Sandy Pujol Latour.
• Room Service: Victoria battles vivid intrusive thoughts as she comes off her antidepressants. Directed by Nieves Garcia Perchin.
• Granted: A working-class student in a prestigious academic fellowship program forms a friendship with a privileged peer—until an unexpected turn of events turns their partnership into rivalry. Directed by Kaia Chambers.
• The Invisible Finish Line: Is it possible to make 100 sales in nine hours? That’s for a cryptic boss to know and his employees to find out. Directed by Cyrus Choi.
• The World’s Worst Porn Film: What was supposed to be a historic porn movie shoot turns into a disaster. Directed by Pat Battistini.
Last Block on the Fest
2:40 p.m. | 2h 5min
Do you like a quirky short? Then step right up!
• The Act: A man makes an irrevocable choice after his daughter’s tragic death. Directed by Lance Parkin.
• Saint James: A young man becomes obsessed with becoming a sailor after a failed suicide attempt. Directed by Luke J. McDonough.
• Nemesis: A man tells his therapist about multiple incidents of being stalked by a masked figure who may be connected to his past. Directed by Dylan Cole Black.
• Distant Blueshift (Singapore): A young boy ventures into the realm of AI-driven virtual communication, believing his father to be on a faraway space station. Directed by Aloysius Ong.
• The White Feather (Canada): In 1915 Belgium, two Canadian soldiers are isolated and under attack by German snipers. Directed by Jacob Puiras.
• Belleville: A phone call echoes through time, weaving past and present into a chilling memory. Directed by Béla Baptiste.
• Lavenza (Canada): When Lavenza, a 19th-century noblewoman, overhears her husband complaining about her looks, she turns herself into his ideal wife by thrifting body parts from all the women he desires. Directed by Lauren Eden.
• Flat Song: Two drifters stumble into a small Nevada town plagued by cattle rustlers. Directed by Christiana Charalambous.
• Plumber Landlubber: When a group of kids finds a treasure map, they’ll play pirates for the last time. Directed. by Noah Weisel.
Uh…I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me
4:55 p.m. | 1h 33min | Dark Comedy
Director: Estevan Morin
Stars: Eva Prevost, Luc-Olivier Boutet, Julianne Boucher-Telmosse
Uh…I’m Sorry, Please Forgive Me is the English title for the Canadian film Desole, Pardon, Je m’excuse. Eva Prevost stars in director Estevan Morin’s dark comedy as Ella, who enjoys watching torture videos online.
Ella enjoys her hobby so much that she decides to kidnap someone herself. She quickly realizes, though, that the situation is more fraught (and much stranger) than she ever could’ve anticipated.
Beyond the Drumlins
6:30 p.m. | 1h 35min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Director: Daniel W. Bowhers
Stars: Michael Kowalski, Emma Jessop, Morgan DeTogne
Beyond the Drumlins is a sci-fi/horror extravaganza from director and co-writer Daniel W. Bowhers. Fellow co-writer Michael Kowalski also stars as Jonathan Rust, a professor leading an expedition to find a suitable dig site for the archeology department’s latest field work course.
The trip presents a rare opportunity for Jonathan to get his hands dirty, and success could result in publication—or even tenure. The plan is quickly derailed when a member of the team mysteriously vanishes. Soon, the group finds themselves at the intersection of reality and the afterlife in a harrowing descent into madness.
Influencers
8:15 p.m. | 1h 50min | Horror, Thriller
Director: Kurtis David Harder
Stars: Georgina Campbell, Jonathan Whitesell, Cassandara Naud
Influencers is the pulse-pounding sequel to writer-director Kurtis David Harder’s 2022 psychological thriller Influencer. Cassandra Naud returns to the role of CW, a murderous young woman with a particular disdain for social media stars.
The action in Influencers moves from Thailand to Southern France. Charlotte (Barbarian star Georgina Campbell), another social media sensation, unwittingly finds herself in CW’s crosshairs after becoming a vacation irritant.
DARK DATE NIGHT SHOWTIME AND TICKETS
Under My Skin
Oct. 9, 7 p.m. | 1h 25min | Horror, Drama, Supernatural
Directors: Jonas Larson, Caleb Marks
Stars: Carter Sirianni, Alex Schultz, Reagan Kelly
Directors Jonas Larson and Caleb Marks just completed Under My Skin in June. Their supernatural horror-drama begins with two brothers cleaning out their childhood home following their father’s death. While there with their wives, they encounter parts of their past and present that haunt them.
