As the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. It is a saying that holds true for the filmmakers and fans who have now been attending Nightmares Film Festival at Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio, for the last decade. I myself have been alongside them every year for the past ten years. If you had told me back in October 2016 that I’d still be coming here to Nightmares a decade later, I’m not sure if I would have entirely believed you. That’s no shade on Nightmares itself, mind you. It’s just that grassroots indie genre festivals do not often make it to the five-year marker, let alone the 10-year one. Being present for the X edition of Nightmares all these years later feels wonderful.
NFFX kicked off Thursday night with dueling screenings. The first was a showing of Stephen Biro’s A Serbian Documentary, a feature-length look at both the story behind and the reaction to Srdjan Spasojevic’s A Serbian Film. Those who wanted deeper insight into the 2010 landmark extreme horror opus were treated to just that. The other half of the audience—myself included—hit up the first of many curated short film blocks this weekend. Particular highlights from Horror Shorts A included Brick Boy, Kevin Must Dance, and Spanked by a Ghost.
The second round o’ screenings offered up a choice between a block of wild midnight horror-themed shorts and a chance to see Night of the Reaper director Brandon Christensen’s latest film, Bodycam. I opted for the latter and was not disappointed. Bodycam is a crowd-pleasing supernatural found footage flick that is comprised entirely of bodycam footage from its police leads. Two officers are tasked with responding to a domestic dispute in a rundown part of their city and find themselves at the center of an escalating horror of the demonic variety. Christensen has another winner on his hands with this one. Shudder has already scooped it up, so it’s one to keep an eye out for in the coming year, especially if you’re a found footage fan.
Speaking of crowd-pleasing, the final round of the night unleashed a block of horror comedy shorts that apparently played like gangbusters. I was a bit jealous that I missed out, but such is the nature of Nightmares Film Festival. The programming is designed so that you’re unfortunately always going to miss out on something, but only because there’s a smorgasbord of horror and thriller fare playing on dueling screens for the entire duration of the fest. Whether one opts for the features or the shorts, there’s no wrong decision.
Mine for the final round was to check out Alex Phillips’ latest flick, Anything That Moves. Phillips previously helmed the memorable All Jacked Up and Full of Worms a few years back. He has now turned with a comedic neo-giallo packed to the brim with trippy imagery, unforgettable moments, and gorgeous cinematography. If you’re a fan of Worms or of Vinegar Syndrome’s previous production, Eight Eyes, it’s worth a look.
Thursday nights at Nightmares are the quieter ones, as folks are still rolling in from their daily lives. Early years of the festival had a light turnout for that very reason, but that’s no longer the case. The first night of NFFX was a lively kickoff with a sea of faces both familiar and new. Things will undoubtedly ramp up in a major way for the remaining three days of festivities as we all enjoy new art and—perhaps more importantly—the horror community. For this horror fan, there’s nowhere I feel more at home as a lover of dark things than at Nightmares Film Festival.
The rest of NFFX holds opportunities to see things like Ritesh Gupta’s The Red Mask, Kevin Lewis’ Pig Hill, Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks, Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead, Robbie Banfitch’s Tinsman Road, and many more. Tickets are still available for the festival, but they *are* going fast. So if you’re near Columbus, Ohio, and are interested in joining in on the fun, don’t hesitate long, or you might miss out.
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