Miami film lovers have a busy stretch ahead, with free horror shorts on Mischief Night, a queer film festival running through Oct. 25 and a secret cinema club’s Spooky Season lineup. The Miami Film Festival’s awards-season mini-fest, called GEMS, also returns this Halloween weekend.
On Friday, Oct. 30, two short horror films will screen at SoundScape Park, 400 17th St., in Miami Beach, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free. Both were made on location in Miami Beach through the Class of 2026 Horror Shorts Program, which was funded by Fangoria Pictures and WEG Films. The filmmakers said they relied on practical effects rather than AI.
South Florida’s LGBTQ+ film festival, OutShine, opened Oct. 20 with the Spanish Oscar contender “La Bola Negra” and runs through Oct. 25 at venues in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Nite Owl Cinema Club, at 8365 NE Second Ave. in Miami, has scheduled a string of genre screenings. They include “The Crow” and “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” on Oct. 24, original “Twilight Zone” episodes on Oct. 25, and horror sequels on Oct. 30. Tickets for the Spooky Season lineup cost $24.99 through Resy.
The GEMS lineup at Silverspot Cinema Downtown Miami and the Koubek Center, plus the Coral Gables Art Cinema, features several award-season titles through Nov. 5. Tickets and showtimes are listed at miamifilmfestival.com.
