BloodPool Wants Short Films with Strong Characters

Located in Liverpool, UK, BloodPool will hold its debut screening this October 27th.

This is a shorts only festival. Altogether, ten shorts will be screened, to be followed by "interactive attractions" (e.g., a haunted house) and a party.

Festival director (and former film student) Junior Davies wants films that "grab your attention from the go, are unique, and hang on suspense leading to an unforeseeable scare. A horror filmmaker should have the skill to hang on a shot and build tension. This leads to your audience guessing what's going to happen. The more cine-literate audience might be more aware, but a great director can use this as a pre-jump to try and catch them out."

* Character Is King

"I think the biggest mistake filmmakers make with a short film is not developing a character," says Davies. "The more your audience feels for a character, the more they will be drawn in to what's about to happen."

Like almost all horror festivals, BloodPool accepts all subgenres, but "paranormal is a favorite of mine, being able to see how filmmakers use different camera tricks and effects to confuse and scare the audience. In our first year, we've accumulated a lot of killer based thrillers which is also scary, as it's more believable."

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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.

Upstate New York Horror to Screen in Rochester

Founded in 2014, the Upstate NY Horror Film Festival will hold its 5th screening this October 12 and 13 at The Cinema Theater, in Rochester N.Y.

Festival director Joseph Kelly is himself a 15-year filmmaking veteran. Based on his experience, he advises filmmakers to do diligent pre-production. "If your film is five minutes, 30 minutes, or a feature, plan it out. When you first start making films, you are so eager to get out there. But know your budget. Do your research.

"Great video and sound is a good start, but there are so many other factors that go into a film. I prefer good acting over boobies any day. It's good to see a nice rack, yes, but in the long run, you want the best picture possible."

After the first edit, Kelly advises filmmakers to get audience feedback before submitting to festivals. "Have a few friends watch the film when complete. Take their notes. Some films drag too much. I saw a 30 minute film that was shot great, sounds great, with great effects, but that film could have easily been edited into 15 minutes.

"Get your point across to your audience before they fall asleep in their popcorn. I personally had this problem until I realized, it's not what you want, it's what your audience wants."

Post-production is not only about editing. After you review your first edit, your film might require additional production. "If you need ADR, go get it," says Kelly. "If you need to take a week and do pickup shots, do them. You will always have mistakes. Even the greats have mistakes, which they might not realize until the 50th time they watch their films. It's going to happen. Just do the best you can."

While Upstate NY Horror welcomes all subgenres, Kelly says that "we are starting to pull in more sci-fi films as well. No Sharknados. Just some good alien films."

This year Kelly will be screening his own film -- Clown Motel: Spirit's Arise -- at his festival:

"Each year submissions pile in more and more, and we are still giving everyone an equal chance. We had films play in our theater that were on a shoestring budget to multi-million dollars." A theater that, Kelly adds, "is considered one of the five oldest movie theaters in the United States."

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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.

Slice of Fright Is a Festival for Short Shorts

Nic White is a film festival veteran. "I've directed various short film festivals in the last five years," he says, referring to the Bump in the Night Film Festival and Spring Shorts Film Festival.

His latest venture, the Slice of Fright Film Festival in Bay City, Michigan, will hold its first screening this October 13.

Slice of Fright seeks short short horror films. "Five minutes or less. The more bizarre the better. Films that create a strong tension from start to finish. Strong stories.

"The biggest mistake I've come across is lack of story. Some filmmakers create beautiful visuals, but neglect the story. If you want an audience to sit through your film, reward them with an interesting, amazing, blood-curdling story.

"Focus on story first. What is your film trying to say? If you keep that in mind as you dress the set, select costumes and makeup, adjust lighting, etc, it helps tie everything together. When your message is clear, it bleeds into the theme."

White also advises filmmakers to avoid the "obvious mistakes. Poor audio quality and lighting. It's hard to watch a film if you struggle to follow the story. Lighting and audio play a major factor here."

What makes for a great horror story? White offers two tips. "A great horror film always has a unique killer. Freddy, Michael, Jason, Art the Clown. And great horror always makes you think."

Which is not to say that Slice of Freight requires a psycho killer. "We're open to all subgenres," says White. "Personally, I'd like to see more creature films."

Slice of Fright will be presenting festival attendees with "door prizes" and their award-winning filmmakers with "one-of-a-kind trophies."

"There is a great deal of support for independent films within Bay City, which has a talented community of DIY filmmakers. And it's the home of one of Michigan's best independent film festivals, Hell's Half Mile.

"Directing a festival in Bay City is special for me. I grew up in Bay City. It's great to go back home."

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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.

Vancouver Horror Show Seeks Shorts

The Vancouver Horror Show will hold its first annual screening this October 23, at the Cinematheque Theatre in downtown Vancouver. Twelve shorts, no features.

Yes, that's right. VHS is a "shorts only" festival.

"A short film is a delicate balance," say Team VHS (David Taylor and Meghan Hemingway). "It's challenging to strike the chord of simple, effective storytelling with enough twists and turns to keep us interested."

To keep them interested, horror shorts should have "a compelling story, a specific vision, engaging characters, attention to detail, and a unique voice/point of view. The film must evoke fear, dread, or unease, using tropes recognizable to an audience as something that one would want to escape if encountered in real life.

"We are open to any subgenre of horror, but are not as fond of horror intended to shock through gore and viscera at the expense of a good story. That being said, when gore and viscera enhance a story, the result can be moving, scary, and memorable."

They also advise tight editing. "I can't tell you how many films could have been exponentially better if they'd had more ruthless editing. Sometimes it is clear that a filmmaker loved a particular scene or performance, but it ultimately took away from the overall story.

"A good filmmaker needs to be highly self-reflective, and be willing to let go of things they might love, but ultimately do not serve their project. Bringing in a trusted, outside editing eye that is less personally invested about the material can be a huge benefit."

Team VHS also warn against vagueness. "There is a fine line between letting the audience come to their own conclusions, and not telling the story. Sometimes a little bit of fog is mysterious, but if it's too foggy the story suffers and the viewer is left dissatisfied and frustrated. Filmmakers should remember the story they set out to tell, and be sure that on that final cut, the narrative integrity is sound."

In addition to having a "great editor," Team VHS also advises filmmakers to obtain a "great cinematographer."

"At Vancouver Horror, we focus on a 'good film,' before a 'horror film', which lends itself to a freedom when curating. Each member of the team is encouraged to fight for their favorites. The only rule is that each film must have 'an element of horror.'

"We believe in the universality of fear and want to bring together artists from all over the world to bolster our global community and get inspired by each others' work.

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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.

Hotlanta Wants Fast-Paced, Exciting Horror

Horror Films in Hotlanta will hold their second annual screening this October 25 - 26, in Atlanta, Ga. It's a film festival that emphasizes "exciting horror."

According to festival director Caroline King, Hotlanta seeks horror films that are "Action packed and scary. The last thing we want for our audience is boredom. Our films really need to be exciting."

Toward that end, there are a few things to avoid. "Slow editing is a deal breaker. If your film is a long, teary-eyed drama, where someone gets stabbed at the end of the film, then submit it to a drama film festival.

"Great horror films scare the crap out of people. They make people jump, cover their mouths, hide their eyes and cringe. We like antagonists, villains, monsters, scary situations or circumstances that wake people up!"

She also advises filmmakers to avoid "Long, slow, time-wasting, rolling credits. And production company logos that never end. They kill the momentum at the event and slow everything down. Make festival cut with credits that are 60 seconds or less. It keeps the audience pumped up, ready for the next film."

Although Hotlanta wants exciting scares, there's also room for laughs. "We like to select a few comedic horror films that can bring some great laughs to the event, if they are really clever. But they must still be horror films."

Some filmmakers worry that their films will only get a cursory peek at festivals, before being unfairly rejected. King assures that's not the case at Hotlanta. "We have twelve judges that watch every film, and read every screenplay, before final judgment is passed."

Yes, that's right. Hotlanta also has a screenplay contest.

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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.

Northeast Wisconsin Horror Recommends You Keep It Short

The Northeast Wisconsin Horror Film Festival will hold its third annual screening this October 13th and 14th.

It's too late to submit for 2018, but co-founder Paul Salzer offers the following tips to filmmakers who plan to submit for their 2019 season:

* Keep It Short

"When submitting to smaller festivals, keep your films as short as possible. Smaller festivals have far less minutes than you might realize for showing films. They are more likely to select multiple short films in place of one feature length film of equal selection rating. Larger festivals have multiple screens and a better chance of showing multiple longer films."

* Read the Rules

"Avoid submitting a film without reading the festival’s submission guidelines first. We, for example, want complete films. Therefore, we don’t select film trailers, no matter how good. We also note in our guidelines that non-English speaking films need English subtitles for our audience."

* Maintain Interest

"Our selection committee is composed of several film bloggers and reviewers. These judges' look at over 100 submissions in a few short weeks. As such, their interest can be difficult to hold. You need to keep the judges motivated from the beginning of your film to the end, otherwise it might not stand out enough to be selected."

Salzer adds that these judges' "tastes range from splatter gore, to supernatural terror, to dark comedies. Because of this, we get a diverse selection of films at the screenings.

"It's amazing how tastes change from year to year. Last year, we had quite a few zombie and clown films. This year, the focus seemed to be on imaginary friends."

Salzer is onto something. It had been a while since I saw any "imaginary friends horror." Then just last week, Rafael De Leon Jr's Goodbye Old Friend won an Honorable Mention at the 2018 Tabloid Witch Awards.

"We don’t give out awards," Salzer continues. "Instead, we offer filmmakers an opportunity to speak to the audience directly between our film segments. We also hold a social during the first evening for filmmakers and our judges."

As do other festival directors, Salzer recommends that you "go to the festivals if you can. Meet other filmmakers, fans, and reviewers. Talk to them and share your love the genre."

Northeast Wisconsin Horror screens at "the historic Time Theater of Oshkosh," which receives all the proceeds from the event "so that it can continue giving the community a unique theater experience."

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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.

Requiem Fear Fest: Keep It Short

Many horror film festivals die after one screening. Some last only two years. But a film festival that reaches its third anniversary is likely in it for the long haul.

The Requiem Fear Fest will hold its third annual screening this September 22, in Montreal Canada. If you plan on entering for their 4th event, festival director and co-founder Steve Villeneuve offers this advice:

* Keep short films short.

"If you are doing a short film, try to make it around seven minutes. If you go over that, be sure your film is rock solid. Every festival will take three 'okay' 10 minute films over an 'okay' 25 minute film."

* Hook 'em early.

"Timing is important. For feature films, you have about 15 minutes to catch the attention of the judges. If he's not hooked after 15 minutes, it's strike one. After 20 minutes, strike two. Twenty-five minutes and they are still not hooked, strike three [and you're out!].

* Sound is important.

"Bad sound is just bad. If your film has bad sound, you start with two strikes."

Requiem isn't solely about catering to filmmakers. Requiem also cares about its audience. "I'm all for the public," says Villeneuve. "Bring me some fun film that people will find epic. On our first year, we screened Night of Something Strange. It was amazing. This year we are screening Camp Death III in 2D!"

What distinguishes Requiem from other horror film festivals? For one thing, "We're doing a horror flea market," says Villeneuve. "Fans shop for a while. Then they stop to watch a film. Then they go shop again. That's the beauty."

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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.

Halloween Horror Fest Tienen Seeks Short Films

Tienen is in Belgium -- and the Halloween Horror Fest Tienen is the first horror short film festival in that European nation. As the name implies, they screen on Halloween night. This year marks their second annual event.

Festival organizer Ray Kermani offers these tips to filmmakers:

* Be original. Give the audience something they haven't seen yet.

* Choose one location for your film.

* Work with a small crew. The smaller, the better -- and faster.

* Limit the amount of dialog.

* Use the right lighting on set.

* Never forget the importance of a great sound design for your horror film. Sound is as important as your images.

* Listen to what the audience has to say and wants to see. You want your movie to be seen [and enjoyed, and talked about] by horror fans out there.

* Stay away from the zombie genre. We've seen way too many zombie flicks. If your name is George A. Romero, then go for it. Otherwise, make something else.

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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.

Gorst Underground Is Northwest Noir

The Gorst Underground Film Festival debuts this year, backed by experience. "Our organizers have been involved in other film festivals, both horror and underground," says festival director Kelly Hughes.

"We created Gorst to incorporate local artists and musicians into the event. To make it more multimedia, while still exploring darker themes and alternative approaches to filmmaking."

* What They're Seeking

"We love the underdog," says Hughes. "It’s very satisfying to showcase films that aren’t getting the attention they deserve.

"I would love to see more real-life horror. Documentaries on scary individuals or happenings. Documentaries about horror films and people associated with horror (e.g., actors, composers, writers, directors, SFX artists, etc). "Documentaries such as Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. There’s room for docus like that, but which cover even more obscure aspects of horror and underground film.

"Non-linear, abstract, and experimental narratives are appreciated.

"We’re open to ultra-low-budget/no-budget works. Films that are rough around the edges."

* Tips to Improve Your Craft

Hughes recommends that you "Put the fantasy back into dark fantasy. Take advantage of the freedom horror gives you. Get surreal. Go hallucinogenic.

"Re-watch all the movies that inspired you. Remind yourself about all the elements that got you excited about these films. Use those elements, but put your personal spin on it."

* What to Avoid

1. Long Opening Credits.

"Just dive into your film. Save the credits for the end."

2. Excessive Running Time.

"Be brutal with editing. Maybe your two hour feature can be 90 minutes? Maybe your feature would be stronger as a short? Even then, shave off a few seconds from every cut? Maybe you can delete entire scenes? Or cut to the middle of a scene?

"We don’t need to see people opening and closing car doors. We don’t need to see their every step from the bedroom to the bathroom. Audiences are aware of the basics of day-to-day living. Get to the point. Move your story along."

3. Static Shots

"Many beginning filmmakers pose their actors in shots like it's a still photo. If you're drawing attention to a 'cool' shot, you probably aren't advancing the story. Make your action so compelling that we don't even notice your beautiful lighting, production design, whatever.

"Get over the fact that you can create a workable image. Get back to telling a story that is constantly progressing and offering new information. Think in terms of a series of useful connecting shots, not a slide show of money shots."

4. Slow Burn

"Some filmmakers use it as an excuse for lazy filmmaking. Don't. If you achieve a sense of dread with gradually building suspense, more power to you. But don't defend your slow-moving story with the 'it’s a slow burn' excuse. It's not a slow burn. It's just slow. And boring."

5. Lovecraft

"Why do Lovecraft inspired films always end up unintentionally silly? It's not the filmmaker's fault. Lovecraft is a big tease. His literary 'payoffs' don't translate well to screen. If you want to adapt his work, go ahead. Maybe you'll be the exception. Maybe you'll crack the Lovecraft code."

6. Retro Synth Soundtracks

"Go ahead. Use 'em. But they're approaching cliché status through overuse. Sorry. Try shocking us with piano music. Or bagpipes. Or xylophone, even."

7. The Graffiti Wall Shot

"If you have access to a wall covered in colorful graffiti, resist the urge to shoot a random shot of your actor walking past the gratified wall. It's self-indulgent. It adds nothing to your story.

8. Giant Head-Covering Masks

"To achieve a sinister, horrific, kinky vibe, resist the urge to cover your actor's head with a big bunny head, or a big pig head, or even a slick black gas mask. These have all lost their shock value. Show us a villain with pantyhose pulled over his face. Or just give him crooked teeth and a wonky eye. The fetish dungeon look is so cliché."

9. Alarm Clock

"Never start your film with an alarm clock going off. Not even ironically."

* Gorst Is Northwest Noir

Why makes Gorst unique among the many horror film festivals out there? "Gorst is true Northwest Noir," Hughes answers. "It's a small community at the edge of Bremerton, near the Naval shipyard. A working-class town with steelworkers and an authentic blue-collar sensibility.

"Seattle is just across the water, but it feels like it's a thousand miles away. Gorst has that authentic Twin Peaks vibe. There is nothing ironic or self-conscious about it.

"We'll be screening our films in the warehouse workshop of metal artist Ray Hammar. It's a remote location. The space has an industrial feel. The audience will be surrounded by iron rods, steel beams and scrap metal.

"We'll have an art show, musical performance, reading of the winning screenplay from our writing contest, and a welding demonstration. But the films themselves will take center stage on a specially-built screen/set-piece created by local metal artists.

"This warehouse would make a good setting for a horror film. As the sun sets, the later screenings will take on a more immediate, spooky tone. Every little sound will make you think there's a killer hiding in the shadows behind the clusters of rusty metal. And since there's a women's prison not too far away, who knows? Maybe we’ll get a surprise visit from an escaped murderer."

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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 Haunted Saloon Welcomes "Dark Westerns"

The Haunted Saloon will hold its 3rd annual screening on October 21, 2018, in Vancouver, Canada.

"We want horror with a brain," says James Kingstone. So make it smart. And while he welcomes all subgenres, some might have an easier time getting in.

"We see a lot of 'monster in the house' movies. We get that it's easy to shoot, but it certainly is over-saturated at this point." One subgenre that's especially welcome is the Dark Western. "We are the Haunted Saloon, after all."

Kingstone offers filmmakers the following tips:

* Nerd it up. Learn what is going on in horror.

* Be mindful of maintaining suspense.

* Don't show the monster too much.

* Get the right sound design. Sound is a great worker. Without it, that "horror feeling" is tricky to create.

The Haunted Saloon offers winning filmmakers a Halloween party atmosphere -- and trophies!

"Our trophies are terrifying and custom made every year," said Kingstone. "The Rio Theatre is a classic location, complete with alcohol. It holds over 400 people, so we can really pack the house. A lot of people dress up in costume. We even have a contest at intermission.

"East Vancouver does Halloween right. We are a bunch of horror loving cinephiles."

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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.

Lucid Dream Fantastic Seeks the Surreal and "Non-Standard"

Another film festival making its debut -- October 26th through 28th this year! -- is Lucid Dream Fantastic.

The event's founder and artistic director, Stefano Cosimini, says the film festival "is part of a bigger project of cultural promotion, regarding not only cinema, but also music and theater."

The Lucid Dream Fantastic Film Festival sounds like it leans toward fantasy, but Cosimini says it actually has four categories: fantasy, sci-fi, horror and animation.

"We're looking for innovative films," said Cosimini "We're against the visual and conceptual standardization of the mainstream cinema. But we're not looking for niche experimental films. We want something that the common audience could enjoy. Something that can help them to get familiar with non-standard narrative styles."

So, innovative and non-standard, but audience friendly. Not too experimental. I interpret that to mean, not so artsy-fartsy that it ceases to entertain.

"Of course," Cosimini adds, "we'll have special consideration for films with oneiric atmosphere."

I had to look that up. Oneiric means "Of, relating to, or suggestive of dreams." Which makes sense, that a festival called Lucid Dream Fantastic would welcome the oneiric. I assume they'd just love David Lynch style surrealism.

Cosimini offers the following advice to entrants: "Being myself a filmmaker who has been selected in a few festivals, I think the key is never settle for your ideas. Always go further. If an idea seems to work, ask yourself what is the craziest plot twist that could happen, and then start working on that. I think the best stories come from the craziest ideas.

"The main mistake is being predictable. Independent films have the chance to be 'different.' Why not take an advantage of this?"

Lucid Dream Fantastic will screen in Tuscany, Italy, which Cosimini considers a big plus. "The LDFFF is set in Garfagnana, a magical place north of Tuscany. And when I say 'magical,' it's not just figurative. Our territory is full of legends and old tales, both dreamy and horror. This is the perfect location for a fantastic film festival."

Despite Lucid Dream Fantastic's bent toward fantasy, Cosimini describes himself as "a professional filmmaker, specializing in horror 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.

Death's Parade Film Fest to Debut in San Jose

New horror film festivals are always debuting. One of these is Death's Parade in San Jose, which will hold its first even on October 4th and 5th, 2019. 

That's over a year from now, but the Early Bird Deadline is January 1, 2019 (Last Chance, June 30th), so it's not too early to enter.

"Because this is our inaugural run," says founder Anthony DeRouen, "the theme will be inspiration. This will be reflected in our selected filmmakers' bios." DeRouen wants filmmakers to explain "What excites you? Show us what drives you to create that wonderful, terrifying, insidious art you make."

Death's Parade welcomes every horror subgenre. Just be scary. "We want to scare the audience --and I mean scare them. We want to get under their skin, get those beads of sweat going, subvert their expectations, show them something fresh and original. We want to expose the audience to creators and voices outside the norm. If we receive a submission completely out of left field that gets our palms sweaty, we will give it serious consideration."

But though DeRouen wants "fresh and original" horror (don't we all?), he doesn't want to discourage anyone. "Don’t be afraid to make a film which has elements done before. If you have a fresh spin on a well-worn trope, explore it, probe it, expand it. Combine elements not usually seen in horror and flip it upside down. What happens when you do? We have no idea, but we’d love to see."

Even so, Death's Parade has some limits. "No adult films, please."

DeRouen stresses the importance of finding talented actors, willing to commit to the material. "It doesn’t matter if the actor has ten credits to their name or none. The audience is not going to judge their IMDB page. They are going to judge the actor's performance on screen and nothing else. Find actors willing to embody the characters you created and lift their emotional levels to heights you couldn’t imagine."

Post-production is also important. In the editing room "pay close attention the film’s pacing. Don't rush the final cut, or the music composition. Sound mixing and color grading are also important steps in delivering a worthwhile film."

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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.