Defy Film Festival

08/22/2026

📣 Doors today are at 12:00 p.m. and we will be showing 35 films in 5 film blocks - Drama, Experimental, Coming of Age, Horror Comedy, and Absurdist Comedy! 📣

All weekend pass holders will receive 15% off at Vega Shawarma during the festival. Tickets and weekend passes are available at defyfilmfestival.com! The link is in the bio. Snag yours today and we’ll see y’all there!

Saturday films include:

DRAMA SHORTS BLOCK - 12:30 p.m.

* ”The Tempest” directed by Diego Müller - Diego Müller
* ”Barbed wire” directed by Sepideh eghbali - Sepide eghbali (WORLD PREMIERE)
* ”Curtains” directed by Oskar Peacock - curtains_shortfilm
* ”Happy Anniversary” directed by Munjal Yagnik
* ”Another February” directed by Tobias Ervolder - .mirror®

EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS BLOCK - 2:30 p.m.

* ”It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead” directed by John + Dan Bell - Bell Brothers
* ”Patch” directed by Meg Cook - Meg Cook
* ”explant / implant” directed Josh Weissbach - Josh Weissbach
* ”Painting Cathedral Rock” directed by Mel Day - Mel Day
* ”Dream Synth™” directed by Ryley O’Byrne - Ryley O’Byrne TemporaryUtopia
* ”On the Way Out of Time” directed by Steven Palassis
(WORLD PREMIERE)
* ”CASINO!” directed by Izzy Leung - iz
* ”NO SWIMMING” directed by Andy Carrasco + Andrea Dratch - Andrea Dratch (WORLD PREMIERE)
* ”Brain Rot” directed by Jackson Coates - Jackson Coates!

COMING OF AGE SHORTS BLOCK - 4:30 p.m.

* ”Preparing for the Worst” directed by Taylor Paris Benjamin + Megan Jensen - Megan Jensen + taylor
* ”Something Wrong” directed by Paola Termine - L'Endroit Films
* ”The Oldest” directed by Cathlin McCullough - The Oldest, a short film
* ”Henry and the Horrible Thing” directed by Phynley Joel - HENRY AND THE HORRIBLE THING
* ”When Big People Lie” directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz - Gianfranco Fernandez Ruiz + whenbigpeoplelie + Sasha Merci

Cont’d in comments…

08/21/2026

Defy Film Festival XI is about to start and we are so excited to spend the weekend together. We look forward to this all year long! Doors are at 5:30 p.m tonight.

Tickets and weekend passes are available at defyfilmfestival.com and all weekend pass holders will receive 15% off Vega Shawarma aaannnddddd Bunny the Archmage 🗡🐇 will be slinging tunes all weekend! Link is also in the bio. Snag yours if you haven’t already and make sure to check out our repeating GALLERY BLOCK happening throughout the duration of the festival!

Weekend-long Gallery Block films include:

• “As it all burns” directed by Anna Ostasenko Bogdanoff + Tessa de Baudinière - L'Endroit Films
• “I Was There” directed by Kamila Kuc - Kamila Kuc
• “The Garden Sees Fire” directed by Kiera Faber - Kiera Faber
• “Primetime Mr. President” directed by Saif Alsaegh - saifalsaegh
• “Cellulose Documents: Forget Me Not” directed by Katina Bitsicas + Scott McMahon - Katina Bitsicas + Scott McMahon
• “WHY-EEELA” directed by Ian Gibbins - Ian Gibbins

📍: Eastside Bowl
⏰: Aug 21, Doors 5:30 p.m. | Aug 22, Doors 12:00 p.m.
Photo + poster design kayleigh

08/21/2026

📣 Opening Night! 📣 DEFY FILM FEST XI has arrived! 📣

Tickets and weekend passes are available at defyfilmfestival.com (15% off Vega Shawarma for all weekend pass holders)! The link is in the bio. Snag yours today and we’ll see y’all there!

Doors are at 5:30 p.m. at Eastside Bowl 🎬

Friday night films include:

THRILLER SHORTS BLOCK - 6:30 p.m.

• “Next in Line” directed by Danny Dolan - NEXT IN LINE-QUEER! DANCE! HORROR!
• “THE SCHISM & THE BUTTERFLY” directed by Joseph Taglieri - THE SCHISM & THE BUTTERFLY
• “Lady Puritan” directed by Gustine Füdickar & Justin
Streichman - Justin Streichman
• “COYOTES” directed by Said Zagha

HORROR SHORTS BLOCK - 8:30 p.m.

• “Mangittatuarjuk (The Gnawer of Rocks) directed by Louise Flaherty - taqqutproductions
• “The Chosen” directed by Brady Richards - Brady Richards
• “MurderBird” directed Barrett Lesly Shuler - Make the art…suffer the consequences of your choices.
• “The Witchening” directed by MK Kopp - thewitchening.mov
• “Heirlooms” directed by Dan Abramovici - Stagg Forrest Films Boundless Imaginations
Zeus Pictures
• “Harvester” directed by Charlie Schwann - Charlie Schwan

FEATURE FILM BLOCK - 10:30 p.m.

• “Dog of God” directed by Lauris and Raitis Abele - dogofgod_dievasuns

📍: Eastside Bowl
Poster photo + design: kayleigh

08/20/2026

📣 THIS WEEKEND! 📣 August 21 + 22! 📣 Friday and Saturday! 📣

What’s showing at the 11th Annual Defy Film Festival, you ask?! Hear first hand from our Senior Programmer and Defy Film Festival Founder, Billy Senese!

Doors are at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Eastside Bowl so snag your tickets and passes at defyfilmfestival.com (link in bio).

We’ll also have Birdie’s Tattoo with us on Friday, Bunny the Archmage 🗡🐇 DJ-ing with us both days, and all weekend pass holders will receive 15% off at Vega Shawarma during the festival!

Friday, August 21 SCHEDULE:

5:30 p.m. - Doors
6:30 p.m. - Thrillers
8:30 p.m. - Horror
10:30 p.m. - “Dog of God” Feature Film

Saturday, August 22 SCHEDULE:

12:00 p.m. - Doors
12:30 p.m. - Drama
2:30 p.m. - Experimental
4:30 p.m. - Coming of Age
7:00 p.m. - Absurdist Comedy
9:00 p.m. - Horror Comedy

📍: Eastside Bowl

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

We are so excited for this weekend and cannot wait to see y’all for the 11th Annual Defy Film Festival at Eastside Bowl starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday August 21 and running through Saturday, August 22!

Our final Film block of the weekend will be the HORROR COMEDY BLOCK starting at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and featuring these 9 incredible films:

• “Halfway Haunted” directed by Sam
Rudykoff - Big Pig Co.
• “CHÄIR” directed by Chris McInroy - Chris McInroy
• “Weak in the Knees” directed by Shivers +
Viking - Weak in the Knees
• “Like Me” directed by Ashley Lauren
Thomas - Ashley Lauren Thomas
• “Wall Udder” directed by Alexandra
Hayden - Alexandra Hayden
• “Truckee’s: The Truck Stop Beaver” directed by Madeleine Hicks - madeleinemack +
DEEP STRANGE (WORLD PREMIERE)
• “Ramy” directed by Pouyan Rostami - Kasra Tirsahar
• “Museum of Regret” directed by Skye Braband - Skye Braband
• “Five Star” directed by Kai Hasson - Five Star Film

Additionally, Birdie’s Tattoo will be offering flash on Friday, all weekend pass holders will receive 15% off Vega Shawarma during the festival, and Bunny the Archmage 🗡🐇 will be DJing both days!!

The link to purchase tickets, passes, and for the full schedule details is defyfilmfestival.com and is available in our bio!

📍 Eastside Bowl

08/19/2026

Are y’all as excited for the weekend as we are?! Defy’s 11th Annual Film Festival starts Friday, August 21 at Eastside Bowl and we are beyond thrilled! Join us Friday and Saturday to experience 50+ films from all over the world.

Here is the incredible ABSURDIST COMEDY BLOCK starting at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 22:

1. “Buckets” directed by Drew van Steenbergen - Drew van Steenbergen
2. “Palace” directed by Jacob Forman + Joseph
Hurt - JCH Films + Jacob Forman
3. “Fresh Values” directed by Drew Durepos +
Isaac Brooks - Drew Durepos + Isaac Brooks
4. “The Audit” directed by Jon Rizik - The Audit Movie (WORLD PREMIERE)
5. “How to Make Yourself Miserable” directed by Elizabeth Katz - Liz
6. “Party Invitation” directed by Chelsea Hall - Chelsea Hall (WORLD PREMIERE)
7. “Guy Playing a Saxophone” directed by Josh
Randy - Josh Raby (WORLD PREMIERE)

Check the link in our bio or defyfilmfestival.com for full schedule details, weekend passes, and tickets.

📍 Eastside Bowl

08/17/2026

Counting down the days til the 11th Annual Defy Film Festival! Join us at THIS WEEKEND for an awesome 2 days of films, filmmakers, friends, and fun!

Doors on Saturday are at 12:00 p.m. and we will be showing 35 films in 5 film blocks - Drama, Experimental, Coming of Age, Horror Comedy, and Absurdist Comedy!

We will also have offering flash AND all weekend pass holders will receive 15% off at during the festival.

Tickets and weekend passes are available at defyfilmfestival.com! The link is in the bio. Snag yours today and we’ll see y’all there!

Saturday films include:

DRAMA SHORTS BLOCK - 12:30 p.m.
• “The Tempest” directed by Diego Müller -
• “Barbed wire” directed by Sepideh eghbali - (WORLD PREMIERE)
• “Curtains” directed by Oskar Peacock -
• “Happy Anniversary” directed by Munjal Yagnik
• “Another February” directed by Tobias Ervolder - .bio

EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS BLOCK - 2:30 p.m.
• “It’s a Wonderful Night of the Living Dead” directed by John + Dan Bell -
• “Patch” directed by Meg Cook -
• “explant / implant” directed Josh Weissbach -
• “Painting Cathedral Rock” directed by Mel Day -
• “Dream Synth™” directed by Ryley O’Byrne -
• “On the Way Out of Time” directed by Steven Palassis (WORLD PREMIERE)
• “CASINO!” directed by Izzy Leung -
• “NO SWIMMING” directed by Andy Carrasco + Andrea Dratch - (WORLD PREMIERE)
• “Brain Rot” directed by Jackson Coates -

COMING OF AGE SHORTS BLOCK - 4:30 p.m.
• “Preparing for the Worst” directed by Taylor Paris Benjamin + Megan Jensen - +
• “Something Wrong” directed by Paola Termine -
• “The Oldest” directed by Cathlin McCullough -
• “Henry and the Horrible Thing” directed by Phynley Joel -
• “When Big People Lie” directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz - +