Horror-Themed Film Festival Coming to Center City
Attention, horror fans! I myself am a scaredy-cat and can’t bring myself to watch slashers, thrillers, or suspense films of any kind, but I am well aware that there are lovers of scary movies out there who will be excited about this news. Dread Central announced recently that the first-ever Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival, or PUFF, is now accepting submissions. (I wonder if they are aware how silly a name that is for a horror festival?) The focus of PUFF is on “horror, sci-fi, and bizarre films with an emphasis on emerging filmmakers.” Both short- and feature-length films are being considered.
The Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival will be a first-of-its-kind horror and sci-fi get-together in Center City.
PUFF’s mission, as per a press release, is to “bring independent genre films to Center City Philadelphia.” It is being run by some major names in the world of scary films: Fangoria Magazine contributor Madeleine Koestner and longtime pop culture blogger Alex Gardner. PUFF has been holding monthly screenings at CineMug, one of the city’s last video-rental stores. These screenings, the release states, “will culminate in a weekend-long festival that will feature a networking night, horror trivia, and plenty of exciting new features and shorts.”
Koestner explained that, while the city has plenty of “great retro events,” it doesn’t have a dedicated film festival aimed at promoting “new and upcoming talent.” Additionally, any film festivals currently held in the city don’t specialize in horror or sci-fi films. The PUFF weekend will give aspiring filmmakers a chance to get together, view each others’ work, and be inspired.
The festival’s organizers have big plans for its future. Eventually, they hope that PUFF will become an annual event at which filmmakers can showcase and discuss films, incorporating Philadelphia’s renowned nightlife and culture to become something that is part of the city landscape. “Discovering great films will always be the focus, but after the credits we want to make sure the filmmakers and badge holders have a party to go to,” says Gardner.
