May Calamawy Short 'Night Feeds' to Open Tokyo's New Yami Horror Festival

May Calamawy, known for "Moon Knight" and "The Mummy," fronts "Night Feeds," the psychological horror short that will open the first edition of the Yami International Film Festival in Tokyo. The festival runs Nov. 20–26 at Human Trust Cinema Shibuya, with Alex Goyette's feature "Breeder" closing the event.

Yami Inc., a Japanese company known for horror exhibitions and genre-themed attractions, runs the new showcase. Its stated goal is to introduce Japanese audiences to new horror filmmakers from home and abroad. An open call ran from late May to the end of August and drew 182 entries from 40 countries and territories. Six features were selected for the feature competition and eight shorts for the short competition.

Yami chose to open with a short and close with a feature. The organizers believe both formats will shape where the genre goes next.

What are the bookend films about?

"Night Feeds" was made at the American Film Institute. It follows a new mother whose isolation and anxiety become tangled with dread about a war in the world outside, until it is hard to tell what is real and what is a nightmare.

"Breeder" mixes dark comedy with scares in a story built around breeding. Dot-Marie Jones, a multiple Emmy nominee for "Glee," plays Patti, a character pushed close to madness.

Who judges the competition?

Rana Roy and Alex Goyette will both travel to Tokyo to sit on the jury. Japanese actress Sukezune Kiki — internationally credited on "Heroes Reborn," "Lost in Space" and "Westworld" — completes the three-person panel. (The source identifies her as Sukezane Kiki.)

Producer Wada Arihiro ("Silver Express," "Fujiko") serves as festival director and heads programming.

"Physical terror, psychological horror, the unease lurking beneath the everyday, and dark humor. The films presented at Yami each explore 'fear' in their own distinctive ways," Wada said. "Rather than simply fitting within the boundaries of established genres, we sought out films that unsettle the senses, challenge expectations, and reveal new forms of fear. Come to Shibuya, Tokyo, and experience the cutting edge of horror from around the world."

Which premieres anchor the lineup?

The feature competition includes two Asian premieres: Zoe Berriatúa's Spanish title "Buffet Libre" and Abner Pastoll's South Korea–U.K. co-production "Nervous." The other four features will have their Japan premieres. On the shorts side, Rick Kawanaka's Japanese entry "The Pot" is the festival's only world premiere. Katagiri Eriko's "When You Open the Door" screens as a special presentation.

The full lineup:

Feature Competition

• "Species," Marion Le Corroller (France, Belgium)
• "Buffet Libre," Zoe Berriatúa (Spain)
• "Hold to Death: Hand in Hand," Alex Wang (Taiwan)
• "Gaua," Paul Urkijo Alijo (Spain, U.S.)
• "Nervous," Abner Pastoll (South Korea, U.K.)
• "No Rest for the Wicked," Kasper Kalle (Denmark, Iceland)

Short Competition

• "Idols," Matt Halsall (South Korea, Japan, U.K.)
• "The Pot," Rick Kawanaka (Japan)
• "Dormant," Cris Gavrilova (Russia)
• "Bestiary," Anne Zinn-Justin (France)
• "Amira," Javier Yañez Sanz (Spain)
• "Hollow Paths," Francesco Madeo (Italy)
• "Floor," Jo Bareun (South Korea)
• "Happy," Victor Basallote (Spain)

Opening Film: "Night Feeds," Rana Roy (U.S.)

Closing Film: "Breeder," Alex Goyette (U.S., Canada)

Special Screening: "When You Open the Door," Katagiri Eriko (Japan)

What does this change for horror filmmakers? With 182 entries from 40 territories already in its first year, Yami gives international genre work a dedicated Tokyo gateway — and a jury of working directors to match.