Popcorn Frights Festival Showcases 74 Shorts From 20 Countries

The 2025 Japan Cuts film festival in New York City showcased a diverse lineup of thirty films, including works by master filmmaker Kyoshi Kurosawa and Takashi Miike's latest martial arts drama, Blazing Fists, noted for its visual style and hand-to-hand combat focus. Emerging filmmaker Reece Feldman made his directorial debut with the short film Wait, Your Car?, which premiered at Cannes and is now featured at the HollyShorts Film Festival. Popcorn Frights Film Festival, the Southeast's largest genre celebration, returns for its eleventh edition from August 7–17, offering a hybrid in-theater and virtual lineup with seventy-four world premiere short films, including works by Eddie Alcazar, Joel Harlow, and Scott Vasey. This festival honors horror cinema's history and future through premieres, retrospective screenings, and immersive experiences, attracting special guests and emerging filmmakers. WILDsound Festival also highlights the best recent Action/Crime/Mystery films with a free screening followed by Q&A sessions, emphasizing international selections in these genres. Together, these festivals underscore a vibrant global film culture spanning genres from horror and animation to crime and martial arts.