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."
"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."
================
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.
================
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.
