Halloween Dream
Experimental
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Short Films, 30-Oct-2026
On Halloween evening, a New Yorker sullenly rambles through the city, unbeknownst that the ultimate trick is waiting for him around the corner. David Cardoza and Griffin Conner direct “Halloween Dream,” a seasonal tale told mostly through street photography and a man’s zany narration. Freddy Glooman starts his day in a cemetery, eyeing the tombstones of his late friends and loved ones. It’s a day that reminds him of death and the monster inside of him. Without a costume, he hits the city streets. Festive decor illuminates sidewalks and brown stones. In voice-over, we listen to his train of thought and dialogue with other trick-or-treaters. He gets caught up in a hodgepodge of Halloween traditions and interactions, often recognized from his old days on the local football team. There’s ghoulish tunes, flash photos full of personality, and intermittent bursts of super 8mm film and analog digital. It’s a rich account of the autumn Holiday with an eccentric performance from Bill Heidbreder. Cardoza and Conner’s previous seasonal flick, “The Christmas Kid,” features similar textures and the same star. -JM. Directed, Written and Photographed by David Cardoza & Griffin Conner, Starring Bill Heidbreder, Dante Fiallo, Max Isaacs, Will Tutino, Jeancarlo Gomez, David Cardoza, Shane Fleming, Sammy Schwartzman, Evelyn Grace Pereira.
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