Victory Int'l Film Fest

09/07/2026

Step into the lives of real people through our Documentary Shorts showcase—a gripping lineup featuring the World Premiere of a new work by IU instructor Wyatt Fritz alongside the Academy Award-qualified sensation ‘A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil’, delivering unfiltered glimpses into human resilience and extraordinary truths that challenge the way you see the world.

A Short Documentary About A Giant Pencil
A Lake of the Isles homeowner and a Minneapolis chainsaw sculptor shape meaning (and a twenty foot tall pencil) from the twisted trunk of a fallen oak tree.
But this pencil isn’t meant to last. Every year, thousands gather to sacrifice a part of the pencil in a sharpening ceremony, and in the process renew the collective promise to “do something.

Glacier's Requiem
In isolation on Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Nigerian-born modular synthesis artist Colloboh transforms glacial and oceanic recordings into sonic compositions – uncovering a dialogue between ice and sea that reshapes his understanding of consciousness, ecological collapse, and humanity’s place within both.

A Mystical Ornithology
In this lyrical portrait, ornithologist, poet, and professor Drew Lanham invites us into his South Carolina farm, where birdwatching becomes both refuge and revelation. As he listens for absent songs in the spring air, Drew not only reckons with loss and memory but also takes action—cultivating his land as a sanctuary, an underground railroad for winged migrants. His reflections move beyond science into wonder, blurring the line between human and bird. For Drew, they are more than names on a list—they are companions, teachers, and a last wild hope.

Contact
CONTACT is a short documentary film directed by Jonathan Walley that chronicles the transformation of an entire skatepark into a playable musical instrument—where the skate, BMX, art, and music scenes collide.

Dos Hermanas
This preliminary archaeological survey was conducted by Indiana University (IU) Anthropology PhD Candidate Pamela Lara Tufiño in Dos Hermanas Cavern (Los Arados, Dominican Republic) on May 20th, 2025. The goal of this project was to contribute to IU's data on the geographic distribution and material analysis of pre-Columbian ceramics in the Dominican Republic. Pamela is a Research Associate with IU's Center for Underwater Science, and her project was funded by The Explorers Club and IU's School of Public Health.

ABEL
Abel Berumen, an accomplished Mexican-American photographer, woke up blind one day as a result of a rare disease called Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum. This film, made seven years after the unexpected event, reflects on the paradox of his disability: how his loss of vision has enabled him to truly see.

09/07/2026

Pushing the boundaries of traditional narrative, this curated selection of Experimental Shorts showcases boundary-pushing visions, abstract storytelling, and unconventional techniques. Don't let the genre label fool you, some of this year's most compelling films lives right here in this block. Plus 'The Ride' is narrated by Ron Perlman! These films challenge standard perceptions of cinema through avant-garde editing, striking visual poetry, and immersive sonic landscapes that redefine the moving image.

A Crime Across Four Landscapes
When a small-town crime goes awry, the evidence is scattered across four picturesque landscapes in the American South - inviting viewers to piece together what happened.

The Ride
A ’76 Plymouth reflects on its journey, witnessing decades of human life, capturing moments of freedom, temptation, and redemption as it changes hands from one owner to the next.

How Now, House?
How Now, House? investigates our yearning to leave traces behind through the prism of one house in Rotterdam. Using archives, personal memories and the philosophy of time, the film questions whether a space can ever really belong to one person, or time period, at all.

A Stable Marriage
A woman's sexual fantasy is fulfilled -- with surprising ramifications.

Because of (U)
Laura is trapped in a toxic relationship with a famous rapper. After a violent argument, her reality starts to warp, straddling the line between the familiar and the distorted, the everyday and the hallucinatory.

An Alternate Pond
A man takes his boat out on a pond. A conversation with a fish becomes a meditation on the lives we didn't live. Surreal imagery blurs the line between waking and dream as the film explores regret, aging, and the search for peace within the only life we have.

The Right to Be Forgotten
Deep underground, embedded in old muddy rock, the oracle is waiting. A big bright square tells the story of our present on repeat. Slowly it descends over small motionless people stuck in the middle of a world consuming itself. How do you want to be forgotten?

Tuktuit : Caribou
An experimental documentary created with handmade and manufactured emulsions exploring the close and enduring connections between Inuit, caribou, lichens, and land use. Lichen developers help bring the images to life, while caribou hide is processed into gelatin to make handmade emulsion. Filmed primarily on the land in Nunavut where caribou struggle to maintain their lifeways amidst burn events, habitat disruption and changing conditions.

09/07/2026

Step outside the boundaries of the known universe with a visionary collection of sci-fi and fantasy shorts exploring speculative tomorrows, alternate dimensions, and modern myth. From dystopian dispatches to quiet magical realism, this short film block brings together boundary-pushing storytellers who bend physics, reshape history, and breathe new life into the impossible. ‘The Man I Wave At’ has been Oscars Qualified, and a special celebrity appearance by Annabel O’Hagan from Fallout.

Brujo
In a rural post-modern world, grieving parents are offered a chance to speak with their dead daughter through a cutting-edge device—but soon the lines between faith and technology begin to blur.

Lost Touch
Amelia is the sole survivor on a damaged spaceship. Caught in the gravitational pull of a planet, she struggles with grief and isolation. When a mysterious presence appears, she is torn between the past and the future.

The Man That I Wave At
A man has an existential crisis trying to work out who the mysterious man is that he waves at.

The Door
A small-town sheriff investigating a missing person discovers a freestanding door that tempts her with the life she once refused.

In the beginning
A spaceprobe called beresheet, legless birds of paradise, hamster cull and humanity trying to make the world make sense.

Please and Thank You
When an AI apocalypse begins, a virtual assistant risks everything to save her well-meaning user for one simple reason: he’s polite to technology. If it fails, they'll both be assimilated. A darkly funny fable about manners, survival, and the last glimmer of humanity worth saving.

Leonardo
Inspired by the Vitruvian Man and the Leonardo DiCaprio syndrome, “Leonardo” imagines a near future in which Néstor, after losing his partner, seeks comfort in an artificial replica of her. What begins as a desperate attempt to revive their relationship seems to work... until an unexpected event changes everything.

Long Distance
An astronaut prepares for a flight into space, and a diver
descends into the depths.
The further apart they are, the closer they are.

CAN I PUT YOU ON HOLD
A man struggles with the crushing bureaucracy of immigration as he waits on hold with his immigration lawyer, trying to keep hope alive for his future with his fiancée, only to face a devastating setback that forces him to reconsider everything.

09/07/2026

From our backyard to the big screen. This lineup of short films showcases highly anticipated cinema crafted right here in Indiana. This block is a special treat that includes THREE World Premieres!

Bloom
After failing to beat his own record for America's tallest sunflower, Ukrainian immigrant Alex Babich makes a push for a Guinness World Record—all while balancing the needs of his family and the challenges of nature in Northeast Indiana.

Everything's Loud: The Making of Compression
Follow the very personal journey of making an independent film. This is the story of Compression, a feature film from Evansville, IN directed by Jakob Bilinski, and starring Emily Jean Durchholz. In this documentary, directors Elijah Bolin & Jake Clark retell the madness of principal photography and capture the emotional experience of the film's award-winning festival run.

Fawn
A child participates in the ritual of hunting a deer with her family. In a dissociative haze, she begins to see their true nature.

The Knife Thrower's Daughter
A documentary exploring the surreal life of 74-year-old Mary Hurst, who performed as a human target in her family's traveling Wild West show starting at age four. Driven by her larger-than-life cowboy father, “Wild Bill” Cody, the story shifts from a quirky 1950s Appalachian travelogue into a cautionary tale of trauma and reality. Rejecting a victimhood narrative, Mary finds solace in animals and prepares to crack her bullwhip one final time, backed by archival ephemera, surreal animation, and a warped Americana score by Califone.

09/06/2026

We’ll have new merch for sale at the festival this week! Thanks to Burnt Prairie Print Shop for the t-shirts!

09/06/2026

Masterclass storytelling takes center stage in this film block of narrative shorts, where brilliant writing and visionary direction forge unforgettable emotional connections. From quiet character studies to sweeping tension, every film in this block is a triumph of pure craft, proving that true narrative brilliance needs nothing more than a powerful story told to perfection. This film block includes a Cannes Winner, one Oscars Qualified film, and an Oscars Winning cinematographer.

Useless
A man starts using an AI therapist and soon faces humiliating consequences

I'm Glad You're Dead Now
Two brothers return to the island of their childhood, where buried secrets and heavy tensions force them to confront a dark past that connects them.

Agapito
It's the last day of the month. Bowlers flock to the lanes of a bowling alley that has seen better days. Mira, the manager, decides to close early.
She's awaiting the arrival of a special visitor.

Rock, Paper, Scissors
Mateo, a writer, invites his friends for a weekend and proposes a game: share their best memory of him, and he’ll choose a winner. Secrets emerge—why does Carmen refuse? “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is a journey through the shared memories that bind us.

Child of the Rouge
The recounting of a tale about a young girl who had a traumatic coming into this world on April 17th 1975 when the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh.

PALE SUN
On a beach in summer, 12-year-old Abel is ashamed of his father’s body, marked by cancer.

The Liars of Black Mountain Road
When a couple runs over a stranger's dog, they compete for the moral high ground at any cost.

One Twenty-Six
Evan tries to outshine his best friend and prove himself to the seniors by taking them on a high-speed joy ride in his mom’s Mini Cooper.

09/06/2026

Venture into the shadows where humor and the bizarre collide. This hilarious program explores the delightfully twisted side of human nature, blending razor-sharp satire and cynical wit. Discover award-winning cinema that proves true laughs often come with a guilty conscience, complemented by celebrity appearances featuring Mellissa Villasenor, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Hannan Younis.

SURPRISE
A bathroom mishap at a surprise party sets off a chain of disastrous events that spiral wildly out of control.

Halfway Haunted
A tenant in a haunted house teams up with a ghost to stop a real estate developer from demolishing the home they share.

CHÄIR
Carl just wanted to sit down. The chair had other plans.

Deli Meat
Two inept criminals, Cammy and Coops, are tasked with burying their first body in the woods but find themselves at loggerheads when they realize that they’ve only brought one spade.

Sound Asleep
Deen Peels needs sleep, but the world just won't shut up.. Over one relentless night, he’s determined to take back control — even if it kills him.

The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much
In 1975, Italian director Enrico Januzzi began filming a giallo set in Rome - a feverish tale of a blind violinist who rises to first chair of the symphony, only to find herself stalked as a black-gloved killer murders her fellow musicians one by one. The only witness: her seeing-eye dog. Production collapsed after a week, and the footage was presumed lost, until its rediscovery in 2025. Painstakingly restored by WBAZ Films, this surviving fragment is presented here for the very first time.

A Few Questions
In the aftermath of a racial assault, a mixed race man is interviewed by the police. However, he quickly discovers the police might not be as interested in helping as he would have thought.

FRANKSLIST
a simple interview spirals into a nightmare of bizarre encounters and escalating chaos.

Night Whispers
A one-night stand takes a terrifying turn for Tom when his date starts talking in their sleep.

09/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19HQtFvUbP/

Cinema Chat: 2026 Victory International Film Festival (9/4/2026)

09/05/2026

The art of filmmaking is alive and well in Indiana. This category features films made by talented Hoosier artists right in our own backyard. Award Winning short films!

On The Stream
A documentary film about Al White, an Indiana flyfisherman whose journey to the river becomes a reflection on life. Al’s transition from a turbulent youth to finding peace in fly fishing is both deeply personal and universally human. He finds that the water can be a place of healing, that community can come from unexpected places, and how important it is to encourage others to find their own way to have peace in a chaotic world.

SUCKS TO SUCK
After a workplace incident, a newly promoted boss becomes the target of his office’s robotic vacuum.

Finding a Way: Revitalizing Nature in America's Heartland
The midwest has abundant freshwater and wildlife but habitat loss by way of human development has threatened its biodiversity and quality of our water. Habitat restoration, through prescribed fire, native plantings and community engagement is how people can find a way to coexist with nature.

Tangent
A woman and a circle discover a relationship that requires balance, nurturing and letting go.

Broken Shells
From surviving a 'varsity level' battle with Crohn’s to reaching the height of academic success, an Indiana educator’s life is upended by a cruel statistical anomaly: a shared cancer diagnosis with his two best friends. Now, he must navigate the debris of survival to discover the profound purpose behind a life of broken shells.

Robin Raps: Fleshed Out
An Indianapolis-based rapper shares his journey into songwriting and the big decision he needs to make if he wants to progress his career.

Rock, Paper, Destiny
In the high-stakes Rock Paper Scissors league, Westside High School’s ill-fated team of misfits is facing Eastern High School’s cocky, undefeated champion. But if Westside loses again, they’ll lose funding for all their after-school programs.
Inspired by an unlikely mentor, the team’s timid watergirl, Zelda, steps up to the challenge. But she’s haunted by her own sordid family history, as well as self-doubt, on her way to mastering the key RPS moves that could give her pitiful team a fighting chance.
Can Zelda overcome her dark family legacy to prove to the world she’s more than just a watergirl?

A Simple Act
A lonely widower struggles to rekindle hope during the Christmas season.

Roses
Returning to her hometown, Elena must face her estranged brother in the wake of a painful loss.

Silo
Siloina “Silo” Mercado has spent over 13 years quietly anchoring a strip mall on Indianapolis’s northside, repairing clothes and building a community one stitch at a time. A Mexican immigrant who learned to sew at age six, Silo transforms worn and discarded garments into something worth keeping—much like she has done with her own life. This is a portrait of a woman, a craft, and a neighborhood held together by the same thread.

09/05/2026

WORKSHOP
Victory Theatre (Executive Room)
September 12 @ 2:30 pm

From Stage to Screen and Back Again:
Join us at the Victory Int’l Film Fest for an exclusive workshop with award-winning director Jakob Bilinski and actress/ producer Emily Jean Durchholz. As the creative minds behind the local Evansville indie film production company Cinephreak Pictures—and with Emily also serving as the President of the Evansville Civic Theatre—this power couple brings a wealth of local and industry-wide expertise. They’re pulling back the curtain on how to navigate and succeed in both mediums.

Whether your roots are in film or live theater, you’ll walk away with actionable insights and best practices from two creators who’ve mastered both worlds right here in our community.