Saturday afternoon at Toronto After Dark gives Canadian filmmakers a chance to showcase their genre shorts, and this time around, there are nine shorts for your spine-tingling enjoyment.

There is Bird Hostage written and directed by Lauren Andrews and features her and fan favourite Jay Baruchel in this eccentric little tale that sees Lauren (Andrews) house-sitting and looking after a bird (voiced by Baruchel) that wants out and the plan they concoct.

Blood Line from Richard Rotter features Andi Hubeck as a woman who is trying to make a life for herself, while also looking after her sick father, played by Douglas E. Hughes. A heart-rending riff on vampires about fathers and daughters.

Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween from Aaron Peacock is a delightful throwback. Made in the manner of a silent film, this black-and-white film plays with expectations and delights with its ham-fisted effects, all in service to a fun slasher tale that plays out wonderfully as poor Colin gets himself into all manner of trouble.

Demon Box from Sam Weinsteim gives viewers a lot to unpack as it is filled with important thematic materials, generational trauma, and the horrors of the holocaust that continue to stay with us. At times moving and others funny, Weinsteim delivers a narration that gives us insights that we may not otherwise be able to express.

Forgotten Lake from Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy is a fun and bloody riff on the oh-so-familiar summer camp slasher. It’s tongue is planted firmly in cheek, just like an axe in the head. as Blueberry Boy stalks the usual collection of camp counsellors.

Director Austin Birtch brings Ghosts Do Not Exist to the festival. This one is sure to entertain, as the narrative forces you to confront the truth that… Ghosts Do Not Exist. Do they? This one may be my favourite of the bunch. I like the character motivation, and the way the film is shot and the narrative delivered. This is a winner.

Night Drives: Campfires in the Sky was directed by Jono Hunter and is an animated short that isn’t so much about roasting marshmallows and singing songs around the campfire as it is an alien abduction! A short laugh inducer.

Nicole Bazuin delivers Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie which is a playful exploration of dissociative identity disorder based in part on true life experiences. A little surrealist, and cleverly made, this may not feel like your usual TAD fare, but it fits in wonderfully.

Closing out the nine shorts of the program is Your Money’s No Good Here from Jakob Skrzypa. Silly, and rude this one explores the famous saying, and how it disrupts one man’s life completely.

It’s a fun collection of Canadian talent and Toronto After Dark does a wonderful job showcasing them. Make sure you check them out and the other screenings at TAD. Find tickets, times, and screenings here. And I’ll see you After Dark!