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.

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.