[Editorial] Ho Ho Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2021

What could be a better way to boost the holiday spirit than a mini-festival of spooky seasonal short films? Before the holiday season gets maximally crazy, I was able to enjoy a one-day festival to give me a shot of holiday spirit this month. Horrible Imaginings Film Festival (HIFF) hosted an event charmingly named Ho Ho Horrible Imaginings on December 12th 2021. It was part of their Campfire Tales series, where they show independent horror throughout the year, in addition to the big festival in August. I had the pleasure of covering HIFF this past August, and I was delighted to participate virtually in Ho Ho Horrible Imaginings. As I experienced with their main festival earlier this year, it was well-organized, featured a variety of horror stories, and they did a fantastic job with virtual access. 

This holiday-themed Campfire Tales event had two blocks of shorts, each film one-to-fifteen minutes long, with a panel discussion after each block. They ended with a feature film, Red Snow (2021) directed by Sean Nichols Lynch, and an accompanying panel discussion. 

Red Snow was a perfect movie to end the night. A smart, Christmassy vampire tale that nods to our favorite vampire stories and adds something new to the genre. I have so much more to say about Red Snow, which you can read here.

Not all of the shorts were exactly Christmas-themed, but those which didn’t have a connection to Christmas had elements of family stories and/or snow, both very appropriate for the season. It was a refreshing mix because it didn’t only focus solely on Christmas. I will end with my top five shorts from the festival. Seek these out if you want some bite-sized scares in your holiday season!

Kid Nap (2020), Directed by Gurkan Yaman

A couple wakes to their baby crying, and they are tired and reluctant to get out of bed. The reveal of why the baby is crying made me jump. Only one minute long, but that’s all I needed to be scared by this story!

Woodland Cemetery (2020), Directed by Niels Bourgonje

Conducting a photoshoot in a cemetery in the woods of Stockholm, a photographer sees an old woman place a lantern on a grave. Looking through her photos later, she finds a haunted image that is hard to escape. An excellent, efficient ghost story. 

Cupcake (2021), Directed by Robyn August

A man and daughter are visited one evening by a mysterious intruder with dark intentions. The amount of tension this film built in five minutes was truly impressive. It’s a mystery that unfolds slowly, until a realization hits and you look at the story from a new angle. I had to take a deep breath after this one. 

Prudence (2021), Directed by R.D. Womack II

Similar to Cupcake, Prudence let’s the mystery unfold over its short run time, and the viewer is along for the ride with Prudence’s character. She wanders out in the middle of the night into what appears to be a group of people conducting an occult ritual, but that’s not the strangest part. Watch and find out!

Naughty (2019), Directed by Shawn Driscoll

A thief dressed as Santa breaks into houses on Christmas Eve to steal presents from under the tree. A little girl wakes up and starts talking to Santa, throwing off his plans. Naughty is for fans of  home invasion movies in which the invaders are quickly in over their head. 

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