five with frights:- terror film festival
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There's no shortage of horror film festivals out there but we wanted to gab with one that has something special to it, so we hit up Claw, the Terror Film Festival director...
MR. FRIGHTS: Can you tell us a little about the Terror Film Festival in general? (When, where, what goes on, summary)-
CLAW: It's an annual international film fest that takes place every October in Philadelphia, PA. We receive submissions and attendees from around the world and we try to help the filmmakers and screenwriters get their careers started by providing them with a showcase to present their work to the masses. Once the festival kicks off, it's nothing but films, scripts, moviemaking, and lots of happy fans. We throw parties, have catered events, and then there's the after parties. Just film and fun for the whole run. And then we wrap it all up with the spectacular Claw Awards on Saturday night. We simply try to find moments of brilliance in the films and show them to the world. -
MR. FRIGHTS: How long does it take to put an event like this together?
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CLAW: We work at it all year long to hopefully make it the best it can be.
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MR. FRIGHTS: How long has the festival been running?
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CLAW: 2006 was our first year, and we look forward to continuing into the next millenium!
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you have the same motivations today in running the film festival as you did when you began?
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CLAW: I'd like to think so. We believe in what we're doing and approach it with as much honesty and honor as possible.
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MR. FRIGHTS: What do you see as the future for the Terror Film Festival?
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CLAW: Well, we have expansion plans on several projects going on right now, but we can't really divulge them at the moment.
Hit the Grab Bag Questions below to go on with the interview...
GRAB BAG QUESTIONS
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you have a most memorable movie? (Good or bad)
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CLAW: Well, my personal favorite out of the last five years has been "The 30 Bones of Unfortunate Joey Jones". Unknown, quirky, but really enjoyable. But it's tough. They ALL rock!
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MR. FRIGHTS: Is there something you'd like to see happen with your event that you haven't done yet?
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CLAW: Yes. I want a video game with Princess Horror kicking azz!!!!!
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MR. FRIGHTS: Where do you sit on the issue of zombie equal rights?
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CLAW: LOLOLOLL!!! I SUPPORT IT, OF COURSE!!!!!!!!!
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MR. FRIGHTS: Ever invite the undead or monsters to help with Terror Fest?
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CLAW: Are you kidding?! Their the only reps we have working on it!
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MR. FRIGHTS: How did you come up with Princess Horror and can you tell us a bit about her?
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CLAW: She's an award winning filmmaker and screenwriter and a classically trained opera singer and ballet dancer. And I didn't come up with her really. She's flew it from the planet TFF one day and never left! And we're glad she did.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Do you have any pointers for people who'd like to run their own event like this?
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CLAW: It's a lot of work. But, it's worth it if you stick to your guns and do it for the right reasons and with the right focus.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Have you ever made a film yourself? If so, what was it and can we see it?
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CLAW: Yes, I've made 2 features and like 20 shorts. Superhero Excelsior and Hell's Threshold are the features. They're available on the internet somewhere, but you gotta look for them. But beware! They are made for me, by me, to me. They are heavy in
experimentation, and light on caring if anyone else but me likes them. Don't get me wrong, I like success as much as
the next guy, but I make art for my own reasons and with creativity as the only driving force. And my venture into filmmaking has been for the sole purpose of making visual art that encourages thought and compelling involvement. If you're looking for cool, go somewhere else. I'm more about doing things that have never been done before and taking the audience to places they've never been.
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MR. FRIGHTS: Having seen a ton of movies at the film fest, do you have any recommendations for others to check out if they didn't get to see them?
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CLAW: Oh, man, that's a loaded question! There are SO many. Hundreds that should be seen. Out of the
thousands of films we've watched since 2006, there are literally hundreds that are really worth seeing. Just go to our website and peruse through the past stuff and you can find them listed under the AWARDS section. Basically, if we selected it, it's got moments of brilliance in it and is definitely worth the watch.
Listen, I gotta go, man. But it's been great chatting and LET THE TERROR BEGIN!!!!!!!!!