[Editorial] Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2021 Round-Up and Review

Where can you see a queer-cannibal-ballet film, a fake trailer for a movie about ghosts having sex, a music video in reverse, a film exploring transhumanism, and a terrifying short that doubles as a PSA for NCMEC, all in one palce? Horrible Imaginings Film festival, of course!

I had the privilege to participate virtually in the festival this year, my first year ever attending HIFF. Now that it’s over, I can look back over the weekend as a whole, and see just how carefully and lovingly constructed it was. It’s clear that every single film or event scheduled was selected with a wide range of horror fans in mind. The programming was strikingly diverse and it felt like a festival for everyone - not just horror fans, but every film fan. Each story was distinct and had my full attention.

In addition to each individual selection being something special, the festival was arranged thoughtfully. HIFF programmers go out of their way to highlight short films and the importance of shorts to independent horror. There were eight feature films, each accompanied by shorts that reflected similar themes to the feature it accompanied. Throughout the festival, there were blocks of short films grouped by similar themes, and the blocks themselves were ordered to build on one another. The themes were Truther, Dangerous Knowledge, Social Anxiety, and A Failed Trust. Many of the shorts were processing emotions raised by world events of the last couple years, most of all the pandemic. There was also a block of longer short films, lasting 20-30 minutes that the festival programmers loved but didn’t fit anywhere else.

HIFF highlighted a few shorts from the digital anthology series, Welcome to the Horror Show (2019), with modern horror host Mr. Graves. The HIFF hosts pointed out that what makes this series special is that a horror host is using their platform to highlight independent horror, rather than the classic films we often see on horror hosts’ shows. Of course, there were interactive events, too. There were Q&A panels with filmmakers, a panel discussion about filmmaking in 2020, another panel about the neuroscience questions represented in the feature film Trans (2021), and a 30th anniversary discussion of The People Under the Stairs (1991). The purposeful arranging of the schedule gave the festival a logical flow. The experience was like opening Russian nesting dolls, in that there was always something coming next that fit perfectly with the last thing. 

While the in-person festival looked like a blast (and I do hope to go in-person next year), the virtual festival was engaging and smoothly executed. In 2020, the whole festival was virtual. This year was the first year they used a hybrid model, with virtual and in-person components. I was able to watch every film, Q&A, and panel discussion that the audience in the theater had access to. I could watch on the same schedule via livestream, or on-demand, and many films are available for days after the festival. The virtual attendees were kept engaged with daily videos from the festival staff, and a Discord channel for attendees to chat with one another. There was quick and responsive tech support, if you had any trouble with streaming and the team was hands-on and made me feel like an important part of the event. I have heard that they plan to keep a virtual component in future years, to make the fest more accessible to everyone.

I would highly recommend this festival to both die-hard veteran horror fans and those just getting into horror for the first time. The welcoming atmosphere, the diversity of films, and the thoughtful programming of the full experience make this an excellent way to end the summer and kickoff halloween season. Support independent horror by supporting smaller film fests, and check out Horrible Imaginings in 2022.

]Special thank you to festival director Miguel Rodriguez, and other festival staff including Sterling Anno, Jay Kay, Rabia Sitabi, and Lauren Cupp, who all interacted with me over the course of the fest. Well done to the entire team of staff and volunteers!

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