News
"Mind the Sentience" Takes Best of Show at the 2026 BloodBat Film Race
A first-time solo director from Chicago walks away with the weekend's top prize
Sunday, August 9, 2026
LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Screaming Room is proud to announce that "Mind the Sentience," created by Killin' It, has won Best of Show - the top honor of the 2026 BloodBat 48-Hour Film Race, held as part of MidSummer Scream.
Killin' It is a one-person team (costume counts as a plus-one) led by a costume creator, actor, and writer from Chicago making her very first film as a director. She entered the race as a low-stakes way to finally take a step she'd long wanted to take - and walked away with the weekend's highest award.
"Mind the Sentience" unfolds in split POV. One thread is a candid, vlog-style look at the filmmaker as herself; the other is the perspective of her scare-actor persona, who is very clearly trying to take over. The result is a clever, deeply personal meditation on identity and performance - made with a mic, a tripod, and a considerable amount of nerve.
The film's take on this year's theme, "a horrifying musical," drew particular praise from the judges. Rather than reach for a big production number, Killin' It wove humming directly into the story, letting it thread quiet dread through the film and become part of the narrative itself.
That inventiveness, paired with a confident and singular voice, earned "Mind the Sentience" Best of Show — a striking debut for a filmmaker at the very start of what she's described as a long journey into the film world.
The BloodBat Film Race challenges teams to write, shoot, and edit a complete horror short in just 48 hours, working from a shared theme revealed at the start of the clock. This year's field spanned family productions, seasoned creators, and first-time solo filmmakers - proof that a great idea and the courage to chase it can outrun any deadline.
"Mind the Sentience" is now streaming online at The Screaming Room, alongside the full slate of 2026 BloodBat films.
About The Screaming Room
The Screaming Room is MidSummer Scream's curated home for horror short films — an ongoing archive celebrating independent filmmakers and the BloodBat 48-hour film race.