Science fiction fans have something to look forward to next week. The Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival runs December 15th to 18th in New York. The festival coincides with Dick's birthday, which is December 16th. Like most of PKD's writings, most of the films are shorts, but there are also a couple features screening.

Celebrating the event's tenth annual gathering, founder and director Daniel Abella is proud of the festival's accomplishments within the science fiction genre. "Our festival is made up of the most astute filmmakers and devoted fans," he said. "We have been able to showcase extraordinary talent from all around the world, and become a voice for the universal language of sci-fi." When previewing this year's lineup, he said, "Think of this as the coming attractions of tomorrow's world, with each film exploring the intersection of technology and culture, all set within the framework of Philip K. Dick's vision."

Opening night on December 15th will present Jonathan Lawrence's classic sci-fi filled music video Nice Shorts, Anthony Kalmeta's mystery puzzle-drama Echoes, and Sebastien Landry's alien-within-a-human-body tale Motherload. The night will also include Rod Blackhurst's Hysteric, which focuses on a mother and her two daughters' fight for survival, and Daryl Denner's The Jogger, where a woman makes a shocking discovery during a run through the park. On December 16th, short films include Ginew Benton's Mirror Man about a Native police officer who is confronted by a supernatural entity, Daniel Merlot's House of the Unholy about a bloodthirsty princess on the quest for a magical elixir, and Patrick Biesemans' Creep Box about a scientist's use of a new technology that determines to existence of life after death. The evening will also present the feature film Capsules, by Luke Momo, which follows four chemistry students who find themselves addicted to a mysterious substance. Highlights on December 17th include Carol Butron's Faith, which follows a woman's hunch that her deceased childhood friend is actually alive within another dimension, and Shane Lim's Dawn, about a woman called upon by her estranged father to join a society of elites and escape the planet. The feature presentation of Michael Yurinko's Impuratus, about a detective summoned to a remote mental hospital to witness the deathbed confession of a mysterious Civil War soldier, will follow. Closing night on December 18th will screen the documentary A Tear in the Sky, directed by Caroline Cory, which follows special guest William Shatner and a team of military personnel and scientists in their attempts to discover the truth about UFOs.

The festival takes place at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens and also at Producers Club Theaters in Manhattan. Passes to live and virtual screenings are available at www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com.