Mad Monster Party is a horror, sci-fi, and fantasy convention that features top genre celebrities and vendors. The event is known for its meet & greets and photo ops. The vendor floor is full of collectibles, toys, and other horror, sci-fi, and fantasy themed wares.
HorrorHound Magazine presents a series of mid-west horror conventions where fans can meet some of the biggest icons in horror history while shopping among a selection of 100+ vendors. Each show has movie screenings & premieres, as well as celebrity Q&A panels, concerts, tattoo vendors, and more.
HorrorHound is an award-winning bi-monthly horror magazine that also hosts horror conventions and an international film festival.
Days of the Dead is the fan convention where horror comes to play! The event’s primary goal is to create a welcoming genre convention that brings together like-minded friends and fans for a full convention experience. The event is known for its impressive celebrity guest roster and high-quality horror collectible vendors.
Hauntmare Expo is designed to bring Halloween & horror directly to the fans. They promise celebrity guests, mini haunts, experiences, and a vendor floor with Halloween props, animatronics, masks, costumes, toys, and collectibles.
CT Horrorfest is a horror fan event featuring celebrity guests and exhibitors. The event is presented by Connecticut-based horror website Horror News Network.
I Heart Horrror Day is the ultimate celebration of all things horror! This annual event was created by the Cuneo Brothers to honor the genre that has captivated and terrified audiences for generations. Inspired by the shared birthdays of horror icons George Romero and Alice Cooper, I Heart Horror Day is a day for horror fans to come together and share their love for all things spooky and macabre.
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest and longest-running horror film fest in the United States. It has launched the careers of numerous filmmakers by discovering and premiering groundbreaking films such as Paranormal Activity in 2007. With high praise from some of the most respected horror publications, it has earned the well-deserved moniker of the “Sundance of Horror.”
Screamfest is dedicated to premiering the newest and most innovative works from American and international independent horror filmmakers. The festival has a proud history of helping filmmakers gain distribution and representation, thus providing them with the opportunity to launch their careers in the industry.
Can’t wait to see their films? Check out their YouTube channel, which features past years’ horror shorts.
Spooky Empire bills itself as the “dark side of comic con”. The convention caters to rock ‘n roll, horror, Halloween, and Tattoo enthusiasts and features a vendor floor, celebrity guests, film festival, costume contests, and more.
TGIF! The Horror Of Being Emily likes to start the weekend off right by featuring one spooky short film each week. Watch late at night with the lights turned down low to maximize the scary atmosphere. Grab your popcorn and enjoy!
Since my days curating ScareLA’s screening room, I have loved watching creative films from around the world. Short films are a wonderful way to start out as a filmmaker and demonstrate a proof of concept for longer works. It is much harder than you’d think to convey a coherent story in a short amount of time! I hope you enjoy this curated selection of the best fantastic horror, science fiction, and fantasy the internet has to offer.
Want to binge more? Check out all my past Film Friday entries.
Fans of horror animation will love this week’s entry: Death and the Winemaker. Written and directed by Victor Jaquier, this short was based on an old tale from the Swiss region of Valais. Featuring watercolor backgrounds and darkly whimsical characters, viewers are pulled into the fantastically macabre world from the very first few seconds. Be forewarned, that this is not the most uplifting film I have presented to you here in this blog, however, its beautiful story of misguided acts for love and eventual understanding will stick with you long after the film’s seventeen minutes have passed.
I love fairytales and films set in whimsical interpretations of the past. Jaquier crafts a beautiful depiction of Death (“La Mort”), highlighting both the fear and beauty that lie within her embrace. Man’s feeble attempts to outsmart their inevitable fate have dire consequences that can affect far more than an individual can realize. Take heed from the young winemaker’s mistakes and accept that which cannot be avoided.
Released in 2021, this film had a successful film festival run, screening at Fransasia, Fantastic Fest, Filmquest, and over 40 other events. It has since been posted on ALTER’s youtube channel. ALTER describes itself as “an ever-expanding platform for the most daring storytellers in the world of horror”.
A young winemaker creates a wine so exquisite, that even Death demands to taste it. As he learns the awful truth about his beloved’s fate, he captures Death in a barrel, ignoring the consequences on the natural order of things.
Want to learn more about Death and the Winemaker, and Victor Jaquier? Jaquier released a behind-the-scenes video chronicling the making of the short. In it he describes his filmmaking process – from unearthing a long-forgotten Swiss tale to working with a talented team of actors, animators, and live symphony. See rough sketches, animation reference videos, and the voice-over actors recording their lines. Gain even more insight into the process through a 2023 interview Jaquier had with Ramin Zahed of Animation Magazine.
Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from Victor Jaquier on his website and Instagram. Click here for Death and the Winemaker’s official website.
Happy Halloween shopping 2024! For over two decades now, the Halloween shopping season has been my main time for household and clothing purchases. Each year, I love to shop around
TransWorld’s Halloween & Attractions Show 2024 is the premiere haunt industry trade show. For over four decades, it has been the place where haunt industry members gather to network, learn,
Take part in a spirited séance aboard the historic – and haunted – Queen Mary with 57 Ghosts. From Master Magician and Apparitionist Aiden Sinclair, this 90-minute immersive experience takes
Days of the Dead is the fan convention where horror comes to play! The event’s primary goal is to create a welcoming genre convention that brings together like-minded friends and fans for a full convention experience. The event is known for its impressive celebrity guest roster and high-quality horror collectible vendors.
Welcome to my home of all things horror & Halloween! The Horror of Being Emily showcases resources, creative projects, small businesses, and more related to my weird and wonderful Halloween & horror obsession.
#ha
