The Cannabis Film Festival That's Celebrating Weird Cinema — And We're Here For It

Has there been anything more universally true in this community than the fact that watching a great film while elevated is just different? Like, genuinely one of life's

great pleasures?

Christopher Wells thought so too. And instead of just enjoying it at home like the rest of us, he decided to build a whole festival around it.

The Weird Short Films Festival is a cannabis film festival landing at the Vino Theater in Brooklyn, New York on April 18th, 2026 — and it is exactly what it sounds like. Weird films. Great vibes. A room full of people who love both. Christopher joined me on The Canna Boss Babes and honestly? I'm a little sad I'm on the West Coast right now.

So What Even Is This Cannabis Film Festival?

Christopher has been going to film festivals for years — and kept noticing that short filmmakers, who are honestly doing some of the most creative work in cinema, were being treated like an afterthought. No interviews. No real moment to shine. Just, here's a screen, good luck.

"I was at a festival where they didn't even interview the filmmakers — and this is their moment to shine." — Christopher Wells

So he built something better. At the Weird Short Films Festival, filmmakers get their films on an actual big screen, interviews, ten awards (yes, including Best Four-20 Vibe — we love him for this), swag bags, a step and repeat, photo ops, networking, and the option to have their film screened on the festival's YouTube channel for even more reach.

This is the kind of event where everyone wearing a lanyard feels like somebody. Because they are.

Why Cannabis + Horror Is the Most Natural Pairing Ever

If you've ever watched a horror film high, you already know. Christopher just put it into words.

"People who are partaking in cannabis are very laid back and chill — it's just gonna give us a really great atmosphere to watch these amazing films that are there to enhance the four-twenty experience." — Christopher Wells

He's not wrong. There's something about the combination of a dark theater, genuinely strange cinema, and being comfortably elevated that just works. Horror fans and cannabis lovers are both communities built on passion, loyalty, and a little bit of not caring what mainstream culture thinks. Of course they belong together.

The festival is also perfectly timed just before 4/20 — Christopher had originally planned for April 20th but wisely moved it to the Saturday before, because a Tuesday is a Tuesday. For any cannabis brands or dispensaries in the New York area, this is a very natural sponsorship conversation worth having.

The Films Sound Genuinely Amazing

Christopher and his team of judges — influencers and creatives from both the cannabis and horror worlds — have been watching every submission through Film Freeway, and he cannot stop gushing about them.

"The films that we've been viewing are just amazing. I'm so impressed with these filmmakers." — Christopher Wells

Short films, he explains, get to do things that features just can't. They're like music videos — you can get experimental, weird, completely off the beaten path in ways that a big budget production would never allow. And because you have less time to tell your story, when it lands, it lands.

Some of the films are hilarious. Some are deeply messed up. Some are holding a mirror up to society in ways that'll make you think. All of them were chosen because they clear a real bar — because if you're paying for a ticket, Christopher's name is on it, and he takes that seriously.

The Community Part Is Really the Whole Thing

Here's what I love most about Christopher: he's not doing this to be seen. He's doing it because he genuinely loves watching other people succeed.

"A rising tide lifts all boats. I really genuinely care about the success of others — and this just feels like a really nice fit for me." — Christopher Wells

He grew up watching his mom run art galleries on Long Island, championing artists, getting the word out, giving a damn about their success. That energy is baked into everything about this festival. The judges are featured on the website with links to their own platforms. The filmmakers who don't make the screening cut may still be offered a spot on the YouTube channel. Nobody gets ghosted.

And the networking hour isn't an afterthought — it's a core part of why this exists. Because making something great and having no one see it is a very real problem for a lot of independent creatives, and Christopher is trying to do something about that.

This is year one. It's not going to be perfect and he'll be the first to tell you that. But first years have an energy you can't manufacture — and this one sounds like a really good time.

Go Watch, Connect, and Show Up

The Weird Short Films Festival is April 18th, 2026 at the Vino Theater in Brooklyn. Tickets are coming soon, and if you're in the New York area, this is the kind of night worth clearing your schedule for.

Watch the full episode to hear Christopher talk filmmaking craft, sound design, his next feature Elimination Strain, and why getting a little weird is always the right call.

🎥 Watch the full episode: [Insert link]

🌐 Festival website: weirdshortfilms.com

📺 YouTube: Weird Short Films Festival

📲 Connect with Christopher: Instagram @weirdshortfilms