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Brain Rot

From the Archives • Short Films, 25-Mar-2026

A lonely girl falls in love with a woman who is secretly trying to turn her into a CRT television. Jay Villalobos directs “Brain Rot,” a mostly silent experimental film built with lo-fi textures and fragmented storytelling. At an arcade, Jessie meets a woman and they start going out. It’s not long before Jessie begins experiencing bizarre dreams, often ending in violent murder. As her mind gets foggier, we rewind and fast forward through unsettling moments as if Jessie’s memory was ingrained into warped magnetic tape. Villalobos recounts the tumultuous relationship via analog technology, craftily making use of intertitles, 8-bit melodies, and black-and-white atmospheres. -JM. Director: Jay Villalobos. Cast: Maria Iñes Manuel, Ella Marcs, Andrea Florens. DP: Jay Villalobos. Editor: Jay Villalobos. Producer: Lino Gil, José Pérez. Executive Producer: Jack McCoy. AD: Madison Heiderschit. PD: Sam Laidman. Make Up: Ella Marcs. SFX: Sam Laidman, Ella Marcs. Gaffer: Trina Mulligan. Key Grip: Brian Delisi. Sound Mixer: Ruby Que. Sound Designer: Alex Peek, Joan Villalobos. Data Wrangler: Tanner D. Masseth. Music composer: Lino Gil.

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Brain Rot, Jay Villalobos

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