A Labor of Love: Jessica Rizk’s ‘Cracked’ to Make North American Debut at Dances With Films

A haunting new vision in independent animation is set to take the stage this month. “Cracked,” a hand-drawn 2D animated short by Lebanese-American filmmaker Jessica Rizk, will make its North American premiere at the Dances With Films: NY festival on January 16, 2026.

The five-minute short explores the “liminal space between routine and horror,” following a young woman through the motions of a mundane daily task—making breakfast. However, beneath the surface of this ordinary chore lies a dark psychological journey. The protagonist’s mental state and self-neglect manifest through unsettling environmental details, including flickering lights, invasive roaches, and grime that eventually push her toward a breaking point.

Rizk, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, drew visual inspiration from Picasso’s Blue Period. She utilized a melancholic palette to mirror the protagonist’s dismal environment and internal psyche, creating an atmosphere that captures the “alienating and dissociative experience of big city life”.

“Cracked” is a true labor of love, representing two years of continuous work to produce just five minutes of footage. The film consists of 7,000 hand-drawn frames, a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship Rizk brought to the project.

The short is further elevated by an original score and sound design from Soren Anderson, a pianist and Rizk’s frequent collaborator and husband. His work provides the auditory “grating and perturbing” backdrop necessary to convey the film’s descent into horror.

The film will screen as part of the Midnight Shorts Block 1 at the Regal Union Square in New York City on Friday, January 16, 2026 @ 9:15 PM. Get tickets here.