ABSURDIST COMEDY.png
ABSURDIST COMEDY.png

SATURDAY 7:00 // ABSURDIST COMEDY

$15.00

Saturday August 22, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:15* PM

Comedy… plus what? We’re not exactly sure, but these very funny, very odd short films carry a strange energy that lingers. Maybe something reflective? Human? Existential?  Whatever it is, it’s not your typical comedy fare. Best to come see for yourself.

*Run time includes 15+ minute filmmaker Q&A after screening

Saturday August 22, 2026
7:00 PM - 8:15* PM

Comedy… plus what? We’re not exactly sure, but these very funny, very odd short films carry a strange energy that lingers. Maybe something reflective? Human? Existential?  Whatever it is, it’s not your typical comedy fare. Best to come see for yourself.

*Run time includes 15+ minute filmmaker Q&A after screening

GET TICKETS

Want to attend multiple screenings at Defy? The Weekend and Day Passes are the biggest bang for your buck!

A limited number of individual tickets will be available online for each screening the week of the festival.

FILMS IN THIS PROGRAM (ALPHABETICAL ORDER):

Featured
The Audit
The Audit

Director: Jon Rizik

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: World

Synopsis: A very important company audit is jeopardized when a staff member reveals the fates of his coworkers' eternal souls.

Website

Buckets
Buckets

Director: Drew van Steenbergen

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: Tennessee

Synopsis: After a late night dating app match, Drew's excitement curdles into obsession as he spends 48 hours unraveling in a haze of paranoia, overanalysis, and self-sabotage.

Trailer

Fresh Values
Fresh Values

Director: Drew Durepos, Isaac Brooks

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: Tennessee

Synopsis: In the near future, a struggling urban food co-op adopts AR technology to save their store. The strategy proves too successful.

Website

Guy Playing a Saxaphone
Guy Playing a Saxaphone

Director: Josh Raby

Country of Origin:

Synopsis:

Trailer | Website

How to Make Yourself Miserable
How to Make Yourself Miserable

Director: Elizabeth Katz

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: Tennessee

Synopsis: A woman takes dating advice from her own Toxic Mind—an enthusiastic self-help guru determined to make her miserable.

Palace
Palace

Director: Jacob Forman, Joseph Hurt

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: Tennessee

Synopsis: Palace is a series of vignettes following a Roscoe Arbuckle-esque silent film star, who acts as both performer and audience in an empty palace theater.

Party Invitation
Party Invitation

Director: Chelsea Hall

Country of Origin: United States

Premiere: World

Synopsis: An introvert struggling with how to connect with others composes an unusual invitation to an elaborate house party but then has second thoughts.

Trailer

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