Short Film AFIN 396
They Kill By Night
Directed by 
Grace Uther, Sam Uther
AFIN 2026 Winner
- 2026
- 17m
-
Australia - English
- M
- Thriller
- Horror
- Dark Comedy
Stills
9 frames 
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Cinematography
Editing
Production Design
Music & Sound
Synopsis
With reports of a serial killer on the loose, a curious woman locked out of her roadside motel room turns to the stranger next door for help.
Directors' Statement
They Kill by Night is a tense and stylish female-led Australian thriller about the hunt for justice in a dangerous world. Attraction and hidden agendas collide when two strangers meet in an isolated roadside motel. Inspired by Psycho, Thelma & Louise and Gone Girl, and underscored by a killer retro soundtrack, the film cleverly blends genres to keep you guessing until the end. With stellar performances by Arnijka Larcombe-Weate (Boy Swallows Universe), Mitchell Bourke (A Royal in Paradise), and Christopher James Baker (True Detective), They Kill By Night is a unique, cathartic and timely exploration of gender and impunity, anger and hope. Grace Uther & Sam Uther Writer-Directors of They Kill By Night This project is supported by Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund.
What makes this one special
- Grace Uther has been here beforeAlso in the 2020 programme
- 2 awards at other festivalsBrisbane Indie Film Festival · Smodcastle HorrorFest
- Programmed at 8 other festivalsAcross 3 countries
- Nominated in 3 AFIN categoriesBest Sound & Music · Best Australian Lead Performance · Best Australian Supporting Performance
From the Judges
From the Judges
Lighting and framing do a great deal of work here, holding a dark, unsettling mood without ever losing vibrant colour, and the extreme close-ups draw the tension tight. Direction keeps the world fully realised and the pacing brisk, with no time wasted across a story that rewards a second viewing for the foreshadowing laid down early. Strong performances across the cast and a plot that keeps an audience second-guessing round out a confident, richly made piece of genre filmmaking.
Also selected at
2 awards, 6 official selections across 8 other festivals
- WinnerBrisbane Indie Film Festival
- WinnerSmodcastle HorrorFest
- SelectionBrisbane International Film Festival
- SelectionByron Bay Film Festival
- SelectionCinefestOZ
- SelectionMonsterFest
- SelectionSan Sebastian Horror Festival
- SelectionThree Rivers Film Festival
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Directors' Biography
Grace Uther Sam Uther Directors
Grace Uther and Sam Uther are writer-directors based in Meanjin/Brisbane, Australia. Their collaborations include thriller shorts: They Kill By Night, Nineteen Ninety Nine, and Obsessive. They love action-packed, cinematic storytelling with dynamic characters in heightened situations. Together, Sam and Grace were shortlisted for the Australian Writers' Guild Monte Miller Award, and inducted into the AWG's Pathways Showcase. They are currently developing an exciting slate of original film and tv projects.
Trailer
Official laurels
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Verified by AFIN Winner · Best Australian Short Film Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Sound & Music Download laurel Download certificate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Australian Lead Performance Download laurel Certificate: Arnijka Larcombe-Weate -
Verified by AFIN Nominee · Best Australian Supporting Performance Download laurel Certificate: Mitchell Bourke
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They Kill By Night was Winner of Best Australian Short Film and a Nominee for Best Sound & Music, Best Australian Lead Performance and Best Australian Supporting Performance at the AFIN International Film Festival 2026, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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