Terror Film Festival Is Keeping It Real

Horror film festivals are not known for their staying power. Every year new film festivals are founded to much fanfare. Many disappear within a year or three. Longevity confers legitimacy.

Entering its 12th year (having been founded in 2006), the Philadelphia based Terror Film Festival is among America's longest running horror film festivals. It's also run by one of the more enigmatic of festival directors, preferring to be known only as Claw.

Claw welcomes films and scripts (TFF also hosts a screenplay contest) that contain horror, fantasy, science fiction, thriller, or dark drama. "We watch every film, every frame, and have long discussions about it. If there are great moments, we love it."

* Be Real, Not Clever

While he remains open to any subgenre, Claw says, "It would be nice to see a few character driven movies. Or some actual heroes taken from the news. Be honest with your movie. Don't try to be clever, or original, or fresh. Don't try too hard. Just tell a story that has no holes.

"Be plausible. I mean, within reason. After all, you're making a movie with monsters. But, still, make sure there's a reason for everything that happens."

* Write Tight and Edit Tight

"Avoid a weak story or scenes that drag. Nothing hurts more than a scene than goes on and on, with mostly dialog. Make your point, then move on. Three minute scenes max. Focus on that script. Make it lean. Make it move. We love films that don't limp along.

"Bad editing can kill a film. One mark of an amateur filmmaker is a shot that should have been cut much sooner. Mechanics and software are important. But a genius who knows when to cut, and why, is the reason your film will flop or fly. Hire your editor based on their demo reel and your gut."

* Keep Music in Its Place

"The other mark of an amateur filmmaker is when music is too prominent or gets too much screen time. When the music is the star of the shot, then let's hear it. But when the faucet dripping is the star of the shot ... lower the music! Too many times, I've seen music ruin a really well done film."

* Free Your Actors

"When you cast the project, put your auditioning actors to the test. Push them respectfully. An actor is a delicate instrument. You must only urge and instruct, and then let them show you what they can do.

"Sometimes stars help a film. Sometimes they hurt it. Don't use stars to make up for weak filmmaking."

* Film Before Food

"Use your money wisely. Lunch is important. Feed your people right. But don't make it a banquet. No one signed on for the food. Get the shot before you interrupt the set mentality with food."

* Ask Questions

"Remember this from Terror Film Festival -- the professional filmmaker asks a lot of questions, and gets the answers. And they apply those answers to make the best film they can."

* Princess Horror

The Terror Film Festival is especially proud of its official hostess, Princess Horror. According to Claw, "Princess Horror is the love of Terror Film Festival. Without her, we're just trying to sell tickets."

* What You Get

Claw believes the TFF offers much to entrants. "We've helped our submitters get agents and screenings in other fests. We've helped actors gain a following or move from one coast to another. We sponsored a filmmaker's first trip to America from France, based on the quality of their film. We've helped writers get work and given endless critiques. Some of the stuff we've done is downright shady to me! But it's all done to get that filmmaker or screenwriter a real shot at success. We treat every Claw Award like it's an Oscar.

"I remember MovieMaker Magazine did an article on "the top 50 film festivals that are worth the fee." Then, it turned out they selected the fests based on how much advertising they did in the magazine. What a scam.

"Oh, and we don't charge an admission fee to the audience. We want the world to see these films and to become die-hard fans of these filmmakers."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Phoenix FearCON Offers Distribution to Winning Films

Phoenix FearCON is an oddity among horror film festivals in that its first venue (in 2006) was "in a very small art gallery." It's since "grown and expanded into a film festival & horror convention," says founder and director, Chris McLennan.

Apart from the film festival, FearCON offers "celebrity guests, panel discussions, flash mobs, special effects workshops, vendors, and many sideline entertainments and activities."

* Quality Over Variety

FearCON's most recent screening featured a glut of zombie films. While McLennan says she welcomes diversity in horror, she doesn't mind any particular subgenre dominating the event, provided the films are of high quality. In this she differs from some festival directors who, for the sake of variety, will screen one great and one decent film of two different subgenres, rather than two great films of the same subgenre.

"If the film is good," says McLennan, "it doesn't matter if it's been done in quantity. We always search for quality no matter what."

* What Is Quality?

What makes for a quality horror film?

McLennen seeks "A film that is solid. A great story, with a twist or two. A character study, with believable characters. Good locations. And great cinematography. With all the technology now available, that should be easier than it used to be. Our award winners all have those qualities.

"Filmmakers who win receive a one-of-a-kind awesome trophy, made by me. [See right.]

"And a bag of swag.

"And the best part -- a contract offer from one of two major film distribution companies for domestic and international distribution of their film."

McLennan offers some additional tips on how to win one of her cool trophies.

* Horror Is International

Keep in mind that horror serves an international audience.

"We get submissions from many countries. We hope they express horror in a way that everyone can appreciate it.

"We got a film from a country that could have been great, except the filmmaker used very colloquial language, and scenes specific to that area. Anyone outside this country became lost in the film translation, and couldn't appreciate what the filmmaker was trying to express."

* Avoid Shaky Cams

"My opinion, but the hand-held, shaky cam is old and worn out. I can't watch shaky cam at all anymore. I'd stay away from that, if possible."

* Continuity Matters

"I am a complete anal critic of continuity. Once there's a break in continuity (e.g., clothing, location, food, etc.) I tune out the rest of the film, looking for more faults. It's a small thing, but, in my past experience as a filmmaker and producer, I took great care to make sure the continuity was spot on. Sometimes it can be nearly impossible to do, depending on the scenes. But I like to see filmmakers try hard to keep it flowing continually."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

The Void Welcomes Smart Horror/Sci-Fi

The Zone SciFan International Film Festival screens at Comicpalooza, a Houston comic convention. Entering its fourth year, The Zone is both a film festival and a film race. It accepts entries of completed films, but also runs a filmmaking contest at the convention.

Initially, The Zone was a sci-fi only. "But this year we ventured into sci-fi horror with our newest film race, The Void," said J'Nathan Gwynn, who is both a festival director and filmmaker. "The Void has the same rules as The Zone, but with an additional challenge -- no blood. We want to challenge filmmakers and expand their talents."

Science fiction has been called a genre of ideas, a philosophy embraced by Gwynn's events. "We look for the best sci-fi ideas and concepts. Sci-fi is at its best when it addresses current issues in a unique way. It's a genre that lets you explore morality and ethics in way that no other genre can. Plus, it's one of the few genres that can combine with others to create something unique. Some of the best horror films are sci-fi."

* Avoid Clichés

"Many filmmakers just go for the cliché, because it's what they've seen," Gwynn laments. "They don't ask why it should be there. Don't just drop it in. Give it a reason. Otherwise, clichés take your audience out of the film and makes them roll their eyes.

"The days of the slasher are dead. We've seen everything we can. In the 1980s, slashers were fresh and new. For a brief period in the late 1990s, they became fresh again with Wes Crazen's Scream. But since then they've become cliché.

"We have an annual event at a local theater, called Horrorthon. The creator, Damir Catic, gets horror directors to come and screen one of their films. This year he had the director of Jason Goes to Hell premiere Secret Santa -- a hilarious horror film that also made me jump. It used clichés in a way I hadn't seen. He made the clichés work.

* Monsters Should Be Scary

"I love zombies," said Gwynn, "but not only have they become cliché, few movies or TV shows use them in a fun, scary way. Everyone wants to make them cool.

"And I'm sick of beautiful, sexy vampires. Enough already. They aren't fabulous creatures. They're monsters who feast on our blood. They don't fucking sparkle and have perfect jaw bones. They are to be feared.

"If anything in current horror annoys me, it's making monsters cool and sexy. Keep them frightening. Make me want to run from them, not fuck them."

* Keep the Monster Offscreen

"The best tip is an old tip: What you don't see is always more terrifying than what you do see.

"I miss 1970s horror. The smart horror that made you think. That terrified you by showing nothing. The mindfuck horror. Tension is the best horror aphrodisiac.

"It's started to make a slow comeback with films like The Babadook and It Follows. Those films scared me and made me anxious. What made It Follows scary wasn't what you saw, but what your imagination created. Fuck with the mind more. Be less visceral. We've seen just about everything. Now scare us with what we can't see."

Despite all this, Gwynn admits that he "personally loves gore porn."

* Future Growth

Like Crypticon, The Zone and The Void screen at a convention. "Presenting at Comicpalooza has been a great success. It provides us with a built in audience.

"We've reached out to the Hollywood indie scene for judges. They've been spreading the word. Some of our films have garnered international attention. Our mayor has a new initiative to bring films to Houston. We are working with him on that. But currently the city is still trying to rebuild itself after Harvey.

"We canceled The Void this year because it was to take place a week or two after that disaster, and we know no one could afford to spend money on it. Nor were they in the mood. We'll try again next year."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Horrific Film Fest Encourages Newer, Indie Filmmakers

The Horrific Film Fest in San Antonio, Texas held its 10th anniversary screening last October. That's an important milestone. Many horror film festivals arrive with a big promotional splash, only to disappear after their first year. To survive beyond two or three years is noteworthy. To attain a full decade shows admirable staying power.

While the Horrific Film Fest accepts "all kinds of horror films," shorts and features, its emphasis is on indie horror. "Our festival was created to help independent filmmakers show their films, and help them get distribution," said HFF owner George Ortiz. 

He adds that "X rated" films are not welcome.

Ortiz, who is also a filmmaker, offers the following tips to indie horror filmmakers:

* Budget for Marketing

"Many filmmakers only budget for their movies. They don't consider the marketing side and film festivals." Many film festivals charge hefty admissions fees. Make sure you've raised the money to pay for it, because Ortiz advises to "submit to as many festivals as you can" -- with the following two caveats ...

* Some Festivals Are Too Big

"Many filmmakers want to submit to bigger festivals. Nine out of ten times, they don't get in. You need to submit to the smaller festivals. Get your name out there first, before you try the big ones. That's just my personal opinion. No disrespect to anybody."

* Some Festivals Are Too Small

"Be careful with those online festivals. They are not real. They just want your money. You get nothing in return."

* Avoid YouTube

"Don't show all of your movie on YouTube. Only the trailer. You want to take your film to a festival. If it's on YouTube, nobody will come to see it at the festival."

* Meet Other Filmmakers

"Every year, I see filmmakers who just come to see their own film, and then they leave. You should want to see all the films, so you can see who you going against, and to cross promote, make friends, and ask questions of other filmmakers. Ask what kind of camera they used. Bond with actors and filmmakers, often from another country. Filmmakers who have won in past festivals have a greater understanding of film festivals, and how to take advantage of them. They know to bring posters, promotional materials, their cast. Newer filmmakers can learn from them.

Ortiz encourages newer filmmakers, and film students, to submit their works. "The Horrific Film Fest was created to help filmmakers showcase their talent and get distribution. Eight movies have been distributed from my film festival."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Wreak Havoc Wants Entertaining Horror

The Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival screened its third edition this past September, at the Carolina Theatre in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Festival director Dan Sellers has a simple rule for filmmakers looking to screen at Wreak Havoc: Be entertaining.

"There is no particular subgenre we look for or favor," said Sellers. "The best advice I can give to filmmakers is to simply be entertaining! We will not pick a well made film if it's boring. Don't be boring. We are willing to take very low budget films, with poor production value, if there's entertainment value."

Entertainment value is a broad and subjective criterion. However, Sellers does have some additional advice. "Have something you want to say. Or at least do something original and different."

Sellers also emphasizes the need for high quality sound. "Sound quality is often an issue with small microbudget productions. If a film looks visually interesting, but our audience can't hear what's being said, then we're not going to go with it. We're willing to forgive a lot of technical problems if a film is simply fun to watch and entertaining." But not, apparently, if the audience must strain to hear the dialog.

* Tip: Record Quality Sound.

Many film festival directors I've interviewed over the years have complained about poor sound quality among their submissions. Apparently, all too many filmmakers devote much effort toward obtaining beautiful visuals, leaving sound as a mere afterthought. Cinematographers are honored on set, while sound recordists and engineers are treated like second class citizens.

If you're planning to enter the film festival circuit, find a talented sound engineer, and treat him or her like gold. It'll give your film a winning edge.

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Crypticon Seattle Welcomes Northwest Horror Filmmakers

Eric Morgret founded and managed the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival in Seattle, which ran for three years before folding. Today he runs the film festival at Crypticon Seattle, a horror convention.

I asked Morgret what lessons he learned from Maelstrom that proved useful in running Crypticon's film festival.

"The main lesson was how to sift through and present films the judges liked and we felt would appeal to our festival growers," said Morgret. "A theatrical festival is a ton of work, but we had a projectionist that I could pass the work off to, allowing me to focus on the filmmakers and festival goers.

"A convention is different. The level of work that goes into finding the films and working with the filmmakers is similar, but most conventions do not have a theater. You have to create a "theater" in the hotel. You also need to get the gear to screen the films. So for the tech side, it can be a pain."

Morgret was with Crypticon even before he founded Maelstrom. "Crypticon started about 11 years ago. I've been with the convention from year one. We were showing films on an irregular basis for the first few years. Then in 2012, I started an official film festival for Crypticon. I am the festival director.

"It's hard to say why Maelstrom folded. We did not lose money, but the festival did not grow. Due to this lack of growth, one of our top contributors left the festival. This led to us closing our doors."

Like most horror film festivals, Crypticon accepts all subgenres and styles of horror. But as it's located in Seattle, it's an especially welcoming venue for filmmakers from the region. "We love our Northwest filmmakers," said Morgret. "We have a special block dedicated to them. We had films from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Since they are local, most all of them were able to attend the convention. It creates a sense of community."

Morgret offers the following advice to filmmakers:

* Learn your voice. There are hundreds of resources to learn how to make movies and tell stories. Use them. Once you understand the language of film, you can twist and turn it. You can save that cat in your own way.

* Don't automatically follow the "rules." Learn them and use them in a way that makes your movie better. Do not feel the need to make sure this plot point happens on this page. That is a sure way to get lost and trapped in a cliché.

* Don't think you have it all figured out. Don't ignore all the help you can find in the world now. Film is the greatest collaborative art. To do it at it’s best, you need to work with a team. Find a team that you can work with but will challenge you.

* Avoid ass-kissers. Avoid people who only tell you how amazing you are. If someone reads your script and says "it's perfect" -- probably not someone you should work with.

* Avoid grinches. But on the other hand, if all they have is criticism, with no ideas on how to improve things, they may not be who you want to work with either.

* Make the sound good. Technically the biggest problem is bad sound. Your eyes can process and forgive lots of strange things, but your ears are not discerning.

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

San Sebastian Advises Filmmakers to be True to Their Vision

The San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival is one of Europe's oldest genre film festivals. Its 28th edition will screen from October 28th through November 3rd of this year.

"We are mainly focused on hardcore genre," reports festival director Josemi Beltran, "but sometimes we also include a wider concept of fantasy or art house movies. Extreme horror, horror mixing with comedy, the experience of watching the movie with the audience is very important for us when we select a movie for the festival."

So audience reaction is a consideration in selecting films for screening.

Beltran welcomes almost any horror subgenre, provided the film "has quality. You can say that everything is already invented, but when you find a zombie movie so entertaining as Train to Busan, you forget that you're tired of zombies. Of course, we must confess that horror 'found footage' is a sort of plague."

Thus does Beltran join a growing list of festival directors who have tired of found footage horror films. (Or at least until filmmakers put a new spin on what has become a slavishly unoriginal subgenre.)

San Sebastian welcomes films with an authentic voice. "You must be honest with your style and your idea," Beltran advises. "Don't try to make everyone happy. Don't think about a festival's criteria or commercial criteria. Then your movie will at least be sincere and authentic, no matter what kind of fantastique film you have created. Production values and money are not the most important things to be successful. If you've created what you were aiming for, there will always be somebody who will value it. No rules. Please, we need more original and independent movies."

Although San Sebastian is held in Spain, English soundtracks or subtitles are acceptable for submissions. "We'll do the Spanish or Basque subtitling if your film is accepted for screening."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Horror-on-Sea Wants Endings that Make Sense

Debuting in January 2013, Britain's Horror-on-Sea Film Festival most recently screened on January 29, 2017.

Festival director Paul Cotgrove considers his event to be a big supporter of indie horror films, adding, "We are always on the lookout for new grindhouse and cult titles, such as Zombie Women of Satan 2 and Night of Something Strange."

His advice to horror filmmakers:

1. Try and keep the film's running time down to 80 minutes.

2. Finish with a good ending. A good ending to a feature or a short, that ideally makes sense, is crucial, especially with low budget films. Many films that we view have such disappointing endings, or just leave us wondering what the film was all about."

3. The only subgenre that we are getting a bit tired of is found footage films. We are really getting fed up with films that contain shaky camerawork.

Like some other horror film festivals, Horror-on-Sea offers year-round screenings in addition to their annual festival. "We run a monthly cult/horror double bill in our small 40-seat cinema. The last double bill that we screened at our Cult Film Night was Texas Chainsaw and The Town That Dreaded Sundown."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Knoxville Horror Film Fest Seeks More Animation Films

The Knoxville Horror Film Fest, founded in 2009, screens every October, coinciding with the Halloween season.

Film Programmer & Festival Director William Mahaffey shares some tips on what to takes to be accepted into Knoxville.

* Tight, Original Stories Rule

Tightness and originality are two key elements in determining whether a film is good enough to screen at Knoxville. No padding. No clichés.

"Work on your script and make sure it's tight," says Mahaffey. "Don't be overly attached to things you shot. The films that perform the best at festivals are usually around five minutes.

"Try to be as original and inventive as you can. If you look at your story and see things that have been done before, come up with something different. Or at least take a different approach. If you recognize that it's something clichéd or overused, then I guarantee the people screening your film will."

* Production Tips

Naturally, your film should look and sound its best. Many indie filmmakers seem especially prone to neglect sound. Poor sounding films is a widespread complaint among festival directors.

"Take your time and make sure you get sound and lighting right," said Mahaffey. "Sometimes your film might have an amazing script and acting, but it's hindered by poor production values. Bad sound is super common. Sound is a pretty hard thing to deal with, but if you take the time to get it right, or hire someone that knows what they're doing, it will make your film better."

* Shortage of Horror Animation

There seems to be a festival-wide shortage of animated horror. As with Crimson Screen, Knoxville welcomes all subgenres but is short on animation.

"We used to get more animated films," said Mahaffey. "I would love it if we got more of them."

* Zombies Okay, Torture Porn Not So Much

The zombie glut continues, making for an overdone, overtired subgenre. But don't despair. Your zombie film might still get admitted into Knoxville -- provided you've breathed some originality into it.

"I personally am pretty tired of zombies," said Mahaffey. "But I am occasionally surprised with how people can still bring something fresh to that genre.

"I do still get torture porn films, and for the most part, I don't want to watch another one of those."

* Not Just an Annual Event

In addition to their big annual screenings, some horror film festivals present smaller screenings throughout the year. Knoxville is one of those.

"We do monthly screenings," said Mahaffey. "Our last screening was on June 12th. It was an annual event we do called Terror in the Woods. It takes place at Ijams Nature Center. We showed The Descent and had a local haunted house create a haunted trail at the event."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Crimson Screen Encourages Filmmakers to Attend -- and Schmooze

Founded in 2014, the Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest had its fourth event last May.

Festival founder and director Tommy Faircloth offers advice to horror filmmakers planning to submit their films for the 2018 edition, to be held in North Charleston, South Carolina.

* Films are Heard as well as Seen

Like many festival directors, Faircloth emphasizes the importance of a film's audio quality. It should be clean, crisp, the dialog easily understood by viewers -- who are also listeners.

"We do our best to make sure your film looks and sounds great," said Faircloth. "But if you had bad audio, we can’t do much for you."

* Wanted: Animated Horror

If you're working on an animated horror film, you're in luck. Competition is currently low for this particular subgenre.

"We play all types of horror films," said Faircloth, "from established to first-time filmmakers. But we would like to see more animated horror films."

* Audiences Love Horror Comedy

After a film is shown at Crimson Screen, Faircloth says that "many" elements determine whether it goes on to win an award. Films are judged not solely by artistic merit, but also by entertainment value. 

"It's not only how good the film is," said Faircloth, "but also audience reaction."

So by pleasing the audience, your film stands a greater chance of walking off with an award. Any tips on how to please an audience?

"Comedy horror is always a bit hit with audiences," said Faircloth.

The takeaway: It's not that dramatic horror films don't win at Crimson Screen. But if you want to boost your film's chances, consider tossing in some laughs.

* Slashers Face Stiff Competition

"We have seen a lot of slasher films," says Faircloth, although adding, "We love slasher films."

Is there a slasher film glut? If something's trending at one festival, it could be trending throughout the festival circuit. And because most festival directors like to schedule for variety, a slasher glut means that your slasher film must outperform other slashers to get screen time on the festival circuit. Whereas a decent enough alien abduction film, if it's the only one submitted, might be a shoe-in.

The takeaway: If you're still in pre-production, consider changing your film's monster from a slasher to a radioactive porcupine, or some other rarely filmed creature. Even better if it's a funny radioactive porcupine.

* Schmooze or Lose

Winning an award at Crimson Screen is, to some extent, a popularity contest. (Actually, that's true of most awards, including Oscar.) Filmmakers must please audiences because their reactions while seeing a film matter in the judging process. But it's also important for filmmakers to "schmooze" audiences and judges between screenings, because another factor is ... Do they like you? 

Or as Faircloth describes it, "How the filmmaker helps promote their screening and what type of person they are. Don't be a dick. Don't think your movie is the best out there. It's okay to praise others.

"Making friends and showing support to other filmmakers is something we push at Crimson Screen. The fest should not only be about seeing movies, but about making a connection with the audience and other filmmakers.

"Filmmakers should not think that getting into the festival is the end of their work. They should promote their screening in any way possible -- social media, websites, etc. Especially if they can't attend the fest. But attending the fest is key."

===============

For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Horrible Imaginings Seeks Horror with a Personal Vision

Horrible Imaginings screened most recently in September 2016. They're now preparing for their 8th event in 2017, even as they host "year-round monthly screenings in San Diego."

* Horror with a Personal Vision

Like the Great Pumpkin, festival director Miguel Rodriguez believes that "The most important element of any film is sincerity. Horror is the most personal and sincere of genres when done well -- honest appeals to our fears, or expressions of the film makers' fears." Thus, his festival seeks "to showcase the inherent eccentricity and variety within the macabre -- to expand typical definitions of what makes horror.

"Our program can be extremely eclectic. A film on the periphery of horror has a chance of acceptance at ours that it might not have at another horror festival."

Which is to say, low-budget oddball horrors -- it they convey a strong personal vision -- have a better chance of acceptance than slicker, more traditional horror films that lack soul. (Or sincerity, as Rodriguez might put it.)

* Short Films Are Making Anthologies Obsolete

"Anthology films have less chance of acceptance -- not no chance, but less of one," says Rodriguez. "In a festival with short film blocks, an anthology can feel like just another short film block, taking up a feature film slot." Especially if each segment in an anthology film has its own director. "Films like Tales of Halloween, Southbound, and XX are not like the old days of Black Sabbath or Creepshow or Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, all of which had one director and a unified feel."

* Retro '70s Glut

While Rodriguez won't discount any subgenre, like other festival directors, he's tired of some. "There are still an over abundance of '70s grindhouse throwbacks, which started churning out after Tarantino/Rodriguez's film. But I was also tired of zombies. Then we get a Pontypool or a Train to Busan or a Girl with All the Gifts, and I feel the joy of proving myself wrong. So I try not to think of subgenres as being played out, and focus on each film individually."

* Tips for Getting It Right

Rodriguez recommends that filmmakers always be making films. "Even if with just a few friends and a cell phone every weekend. Then show it to people, get feedback, and make another. Many filmmakers want their first film to get into all the festivals and get all the attention, but filmmaking is a skill and a craft that is honed with practice.

"And watch films. Voraciously consume the cream of the crop, and incompetent films as well. The horror filmmakers I see doing some of the best work are able to have obsessive conversations about The Red Shoes, Seven Samurai, or Midnight Cowboy every bit as much as about films like The Beyond, Nightmare on Elm Street, or Night of the Living Dead. Become entangled in the unique and potent language of cinema, and how you can use that language to make an audience feel something.

"I was conversing with a guy who made a zombie movie. I mentioned Lucio Fulci. He had never heard of Fulci, so I gave him some recommendations. He said he didn't want to watch them because, in his own words, "I want to stay original." Unsurprisingly, his film was an unwatchable turd. Not seeing movies does not protect you from unoriginality. It just makes you ignorant, and unable to even identify when you are being unoriginal.

"Surround yourself with people who are the best at their jobs. Make the other creatives working on your film -- actors, cinematographers, composers, sound engineers, etc. -- truly understand and become unified behind your vision. An audience should not see separate parts, but one whole piece of art called a film. The director's job is to make the parts come together coherently.

"Some microbudget filmmakers defend their works by saying, "Yes, I know the sound was not so good, but I am proud of the script." Or they point to a couple of strong points, as if those should be enough to overcome glaring flaws elsewhere. That doesn't work. The finished film needs to be the best it can be of everything."

* Mistakes to Avoid

"Lack of purpose is mistake number one. It leads to other big mistakes, like a weak script and too many clichés. There is something exciting about having a finished film with your name on it, so many people make a film for that reason. The only good reason for making a movie is you have a story you are yearning to tell, and cinema is how you want it told. Why that story? What does it mean to you? Why is it important you share it with other people? A filmmaker should be able to answer all of those questions with vigor and passion."

Other mistakes include "technical problems like poor lighting, sound, color, and incoherent editing. (Especially for horror, sound is critical. Do not cheap out on your sound engineer. Sound is 80% of your film's effectiveness.) This is important even for microbudget films. Audiences don't care how much you spent on a film. They just want the film to transport them. If they get that experience, then learning a film was made for five grand might impress them, but they won't feel impressed if the film fails at that mission.

"Some filmmakers who finish a film for zero money feel entitled to a screening just for finishing a film at all. Unfortunately, there are thousands who that did the same thing and that entitlement doesn't exist. Their accomplishment is worthy of respect, but they should keep growing and improving."

===============

For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Story Is King at Edmonton Festival of Fear

Canada's newest horror film festival, the Edmonton Festival of Fear, will screen for the first time this October. The festival's founder and director, Barry J. Gillis, says that films are more likely to be accepted at his event if their stories are original and entertaining.

"We are looking for movies that will captivate the audience," said Gillis. "This starts with a great story. Original ideas. Stories that keep us on the edge of our seats and entertain the audience."

While story is king, Gillis also stresses the importance of accomplished acting, cinematography and sound. "Sound is important. We would like to see less films with bad sound. And less experimentation that doesn't work. Experimentation is fine ... when it works."

But an entertaining story can overcome even rough production values. "We don't reject all bad films," said Gillis. "Some bad films are what people like to watch, even if the cinematography or sound is not the greatest. We are more likely to reject a movie because it is boring as hell."

Finally, Gillis confirms that the world of film festivals is highly competitive. "There are great movies that we cannot get into the festival because of time slots, and time constraints."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Buck the Trend to Increase Your Film's Chances for Festival Acceptance

Want to increase your film's chances to be accepted in a festival -- or even win an award? Then try to figure out what other filmmakers are doing -- and do something different.

Every year certain styles and subgenres dominate festival entries. Ten years ago everyone was making zombie films. Film festivals were deluged with the walking dead. Torture porn was prevalent after Saw and Hostel were released. Twilight produced a flood of vampire clones. And they're still making found footage films, often about ghosthunters, shot in the unusual green nightvision.

Film festival directors like to program for variety. If they receive five great slasher film entries, and one mediocre ghost film -- and they only have screening time for five films -- they'll take the mediocre ghost over one of the great slashers. They still have four more of those.

At least six excellent actresses were considered for Best Actress in the 2013 Tabloid Witch Awards. Five had turned in excellent dramatic performances, playing similar sorts of characters (strong, but long-suffering, women). The remaining actress gave an excellent comedic performance, playing an entirely different sort of character (a gonzo mad scientist). As against the five long-suffering women, the mad scientist stood out -- thus Guenia Lemos won that year. Had it been five excellent comedic performances and one excellent dramatic performance, the dramatic performance might have won.

To win it helps to have both talent and luck. The luck that all the other contestants coincidentally arrived in blue dresses, whereas you happened to wear a red dress. The judges couldn't help but notice you.

You can't guarantee luck. But you can watch for trends so as to not follow them. What's currently hot in horror? Are there many ghost films out there featuring strong, but long-suffering, women? Chances are other filmmakers are already "taking inspiration" from those films. If ghosts and slashers are hot, consider doing a mad scientist or alien abduction film. Or better yet, stretch your imagination and scare us with something no one's seen before.

Film festivals are competitive. It helps to produce an excellent film. Even better if your excellent film stands apart from all the other excellent films

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Are Gender Specific Acting Awards Offensive?

Since the 1970s feminism has been remarkably successful in purging English of gender specific words. Waiter and waitress are out. Server is in. Steward and stewardess are out. Flight attendant is in.

Yet despite feminism's success, gender specific acting awards have proven amazingly resilient. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences still presents Oscars for Best Actor and Best Actress, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

Are these sex specific categories sexist? I've never known a Best Actor or Best Actress Oscar recipient to complain. Yet when the Screen Actors Guild introduced its acting award in 1995, it argued that actor and actress were inaccurate and outmoded terms. The "proper" term was actor, whether that actor was male or female. Thus SAG's award categories are for Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor.

Most film awards still follow Oscar. In researching my book, Horror Film Festivals and Awards (which records the names of horror film award recipients from the 1960s up through 2010), I learned that Best Actor and Best Actress remain the preferred terms among most film festivals. But some festivals are following SAG's example. Australia's A Night of Horror film festival presents awards for Best Male Performance and Best Female Performance.

Are Best Female Actor or Best Female Performance less offensive terms than Best Actress? I don't see how. You're still recognizing the performer's sex, despite using more words to do it.

And these newer terms still fail to address the increasingly complicated issue of gender. How many genders are there now? How do you categorize them in terms of awards? How do you even know what gender any actor identifies as, unless the film comes with notes for the awards committee? Some people claim to be "non-binary" (i.e., having no gender). How do you honor a "non-binary" performer? SAG's Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor categories fail to address that issue.

MTV's solution is to abolish "gender specific categories." The Associated Press reports [April 7, 2017]:

NEW YORK (AP) — MTV has scrapped gender specific categories for its upcoming Movie & TV Awards. In place of the Best Actress and Best Actor categories, this year's awards will honor a non-gendered Best Actor in a Movie and Best Actor in a Show.

The move follows the Grammy Awards' decision in 2011 to dump gender distinctions between male and female singers, collaborations and groups.

This trend has the potential of reducing acting awards by half. Up until now, actors competed against other actors, actresses against other actresses. (Like Oscar, I use the old terms.) But now actors and actresses will compete against each other for one award. 

This contravenes a longstanding trend among film festivals to increase the number of award categories every few years. Everyone loves getting an award. The more you present, the better liked your festival becomes and the more publicity it receives.

If more festivals go gender neutral, they might compensate for it by increasing the number of acting categories (e.g., Best Actor in a Slasher Short Film, Best Actor in a Zombie Feature Film, etc.) But for now, Best Actor and Best Actress remain the preferred terms among most film festivals.

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Nightmares Film Festival Asks: Does Your Film Improve Horror?

The Nightmares Film Festival is a new kid on the block. Its first screening was held on October 19, 2016.

When I asked Nightmares's Jason Tostevin (head programmer and co-founder) what filmmakers can do to improve their chances of being accepted to his festival, he provided six suggestions:

1. Have a fresh, powerful premise. (I take that to mean originality.)

2. Characters that make natural decisions from their motivations.

3. Tell the story visually at least as well as, if not better than, through dialog.

4. Maintain a distinct voice and tone throughout.

5. Be efficient with the runtime (i.e., no padding or wasted time).

Tostevin wants "more short films that get in fast, land a powerful punch, and get right back out. Many great premises end up watered down in a too-long runtime."

6. And the final item on the judging sheet: "Is horror is better with this film?"

"Sometimes it's originality that gets a movie in, despite uneven writing," Tostevin said. "Sometimes it's a shocking gag or reveal, despite missteps in performances. Sometimes it's a moving story that overshadows production issues. But all of them are highly rated on that one item -- Is horror better with this film? 

"We exist to elevate horror and inspire horror filmmakers. When we see something that makes horror better, we find a way to play it."

* What sorts of films screened at the first Nightmares Film Festival?

"We fielded a very strong thriller category," said Tostevin, "But we'd love to see even more true thriller shorts and features." By thriller, Tostevin means "dark suspense. We operate under the idea that the key element in a thriller is tension. Suspense."

* What should filmmakers avoid?

"We'd like to see fewer slasher setups with undefined characters. The best horror we see invests in character so the stakes can be raised, and the horror can pay off.

"We aren't tired of them yet, but the '70s and '80s throwback homages, with film grain added, washed-out color palettes, and synth scores, might be reaching their peak. There are so many of them.

"The things that we especially reject are stilted writing, runtimes that exceed the premise of the film (i.e., the movie goes too long, and the tension dissipates), and distracting performances."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Calgary Horror Con and the Problem of Unoriginal Horror Films

Canada's Calgary Horror Con welcomes every horror subgenre, yet some are more played out than others, leading to a glut of unoriginal submissions. "It is all about seeking a good mix," said Calgary Horror CEO Dan Doherty. "I don't care for paranormal movies, yet we have had paranormal movies win for Best Feature."

Even so, he adds that "We typically stay away from experimental films." And he has grown "tired" of found footage and generic zombie films.

CHC receives "a flood" of zombie films, but rejects many "because if you're not a true horror fan, your film lacks sincerity. Most zombie submissions are neither original or interesting." Doherty likes The Walking Dead, yet "their fan base are not necessarily horror fans, so the ones making zombie films, for the most part, are just jumping on a trend."

The two determining factors in selecting winning films are story and the technical elements. "Ninety percent of submissions are the same gag, over and over again, with nothing added for originality." If your story is unoriginal, Doherty advises to add some unique element to "make it your own."

Such as last year's Best Short winner, Night of the Slasher. "While its story was pretty typical for the subgenre, it was entertaining and had its own little twist. The slasher wore a painted white Leonard Nemoy mask, whereas in Halloween, Michael Myers wore a white painted William Shatner mask."

A good story can "carry" a film despite its technical flaws. "I loved H.G. Lewis's Two Thousand Maniacs because I loved the story," said Doherty. "The effects were not at all believable. He used paper mache for severed heads."

The reverse is also true. Superior technical elements can help compensate for an unoriginal story. Again, while Night of the Slasher "was nothing we hadn't seen before, it was done so well, from casting to cinematography."

Regarding technical elements, "Can your audio stand up to any feature you see in the theaters? If you use digital FX, does it fit the movie? You don't need a high end camera, just know how to use the one you got. You don't have to be a professional to know about filmmaking -- camera angles, types of shots, lighting, sound, music."

Found footage films pose an additional critical challenge during the judging process. "Where is the line between found footage and shitty camera work?" asks Doherty. Is the filmmaker hiding his incompetence behind the found footage style?

The Calgary Horror Con is in its 7th year. "We screened films from the beginning, but were not a true film festival until the last four years. We are the first convention in Canada dedicated to horror, and also the largest -- with over 800 films submitted annually from around the globe, then narrowed down to 16 hours of screenings."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Wreak Havoc Wants Fast-Paced Horror

If you want your horror film screened at the Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival, it should be fast paced, not sluggish or dull.

"The biggest mistake of filmmakers is that their films are boring," said Wreak Havoc HFF director Dan Sellers. "Many of these films are slow paced, don't have a strong point of view, and lack entertainment value. Our award winning films are enjoyable. They're fun to watch."

Wreak Havoc is currently accepting films for its third edition, to screen this September in Greensboro, North Carolina's Carolina Theater. Its first edition had been in Wadesboro, NC. "Where they filmed Evil Dead 2," says Sellers.

Wreak Havoc has many award categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Special FX, and Best North Carolina Film.

===============

For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Hot Springs Horror Advises Filmmakers to Focus on Sound

Poor sound quality is the most common mistake committed by film festival rejects, says Bill Volland, director of Arkansas's Hot Springs Horror Film Festival.

"You can tell in the first few minutes of a film if a technical area is bad, be it sound, photography, or lighting," said Volland. "If your film is noticeably weak in one area, it draws you out of the film and into critique mode. You lose the story because it doesn't feel real. And that one bad area will most often be sound. A lot of new filmmakers overlook sound."

Volland also recommends that filmmakers invest a lot of time on pre-production. "Unfortunately, many people who love horror films acquire a camera thinking they can just run out and shoot a film, with no pre-production or planning. The good films benefit from good pre-production, a good crew, good post-production, good actors, and a little luck."

Hot Springs Horror last screened on September, 16, 2016. In future, Volland hopes to receive more feature length entries.

That's to be expected. Because features require more effort and expense than do shorts, fewer features -- much less features of quality -- are being made than are shorts. So if you're working on a horror short film, yours must be extra impressive to perform well on the festival circuit. Plan well, and pay attention to your sound recording and mixing.

Finally, Volland wants to see more horror films like they made 'em in the 1980s, "when the plot was thrilling and the scares were big."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.

Russian International Horror Film Festival & Awards Seeks Horror Trash Comedies

The Russian International Horror FilmFestival & Awards is in its 7th year, having last screened in March 2016. I asked the festival's president, Victor Boulankin, what filmmakers can do to increase their chance of being selected for his event.

"I definitely would prefer to see trash comedy horrors," said Boulankin. "Although it is not popular in Russia, I love this subgenre."

He is, however, tired of vampires. "Too many of them, especially films like the Twilight saga. But the biggest mistake is cliché. A film should be original, specific. Not the 1,376th film about a zombie virus.

"My advice is to try to analyze what is scary in your country, following your history, origins, and traditions. Then shoot such a story based on local traditions, scary tales, maybe even literature. This would be interesting. This would help your film to be accepted."

============

For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.