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10 of the world's weirdest film festivals
Mile-high horror, golden apricots and mustaches are some of the more peculiar inspirations for these offbeat movie celebrations
By Candice Ward 16 April, 2012
World's weirdest film festivals"Look, schmuck -- my pal here gets the
'Best Mustache' gong or you're gonna meet Mr. Punchy."
Were we to turn a spotlight on film festivals across the world then
stalwarts like Cannes, Toronto and San Sebastian would surely shine
brightest. And that's only natural.
Occupying a darker corner of the stage, however, are scores of
cinematic celebrations that showcase the unorthodox, the weird and the
creepy.
If it weren't for these quirky additions to the global festival
calendar, our great storytellers might never have known, for example,
the Kevin Norwood Bacon Achievement Award -- a gong awarded for
exemplary achievement to a filmmaker or actor connected to Kevin Bacon
in six films or fewer.
With that taster still lingering in the senses, here are some of the
oddest and most wonderful celebrations of film, all (well, most)
screening at a town near you over the next year or so. Book your
tickets now.
1. Mile High Horror Film Festival (United States)
World
Not sure which one's Dorothy, but The Emerald City definitely ain't in
Denver.
If any part of this festival's name gives you goose bumps in a good
way, head to Denver, Colorado, to experience a showcase of independent
horror films.
Celebrating an eerie yet enduring genre, this scare-fest last year
featured titles such as "Bunny Boy," "I Saw the Devil" and
"Chillerama."
We're too petrified to ask what 2012 brings.
This one is not recommended for those with daemonophobia (fear of evil
spirits); hemaphobia (fear of blood); teratophobia (fear of deformed
figures); or, given the festival's high-altitude location,
aeroacrophobia (fear of open, high places).
Daemonophobic aeroacrophobes should not even attempt to browse the
festival's website.
October 5-7, 2012, at Denver Film Center/Colifax, Colorado, United
States. milehighhorrorfestival.com
2. Golden Apricot Film Festival (Armenia)
World
Armenian priests bless bushels of apricots ahead of the fruit's
headlining movie festival. No, really.
This renowned festival is based on the theme "Crossroads of Cultures
and Civilizations" -- a fitting subject for an event screened in a
country that can't decide whether it's in Asia or Europe.
Nine years running, the Golden Apricot now attracts more than 500
international films and this figure rises every time it's held.
While the festival's namesake, the apricot, is Armenia's unofficial
fruit, we're not sure how this ties into filmmaking.
However, both apricots and films are harvested there each July, and
this seems like a pretty palatable cause for celebration.
July 8-15, 2012, at various locations in Yerevan, Armenia's
capital. gaiff.am
3. Incredibly Strange Film Festival (New Zealand)
Incredibly Strange Film Festival
Boom! Incredibly Strange Film Festival in your face.
What could be weirder than an incredibly strange film festival? One
screened in New Zealand, of course. Just kidding, dear Kiwis.
For 17 years, ISFF has dedicated itself to screening bizarre flicks
that would otherwise never see the light of day.
The self-professed "greatest collection of cult films ever" last year
featured titles including "Troll Hunter" ("Blair Witch Project" meets
"Where the Wild Things Are," apparently), "Hobo With a Shotgun"
(down-on-his-luck man attempts to purchase lawnmower yet somehow ends
up with a firearm) and "Cold Fish" (serial killer story featuring
placid tropical-fish-store owner).
Incredibly Strange will be part of the New Zealand International Film
Festival (Auckland and Wellington) during July and August
2012. incrediblystrange.co.nz
4. KahBang Festival (United States)
World "C'mon guys -- not that six-degrees thing again ..."
This seemingly normal event features more than 50 films from budding
makers. Held in the U.S. state of Maine, KahBang is a tribute to
music, art and film run by hard-working curators. So far, so good ...
Now, cue the aforementioned Kevin Norwood Bacon Achievement Award,
given for those valuable connections to "Footloose's" very own Kevin
Bacon.
The coveted bauble was recently introduced in an attempt to prove that
the Internet-powered "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" actually exist,
rather than simply being the basis of a mindless pop-culture trivia
game.
>From August 9 at various locations in Bangor, Maine, United
States. kahbang.com/film
5. International Random Film Festival (Estonia)
International Random Film Festival
Round and round (Europe) it goes, where it stops, nobody knows.
This homage to all things arbitrary has no fixed abode and does the
rounds across Europe each year, but there's even more randomness
afoot.
For filmmakers and punters alike, it's gotta be hard to know exactly
what you're in for each year, when the festival is run in a randomly
selected location, on a random date, with random awards.
The 2012 gongs included the Runaway Turtle Award, and The Spoon and
The Goldfish Award, but recipients didn't know what each accolade was
for until presented. Yeah, we know -- those crazy Europeans, eh?
2012's Random Grand Prix was awarded to German film "Sudstadt." To
learn how it was chosen, watch this video. It has something to do with
sprouts, and yes, it's as random as it sounds.
IRFF 2012 has been and gone, but it is due to run again from December
8, 2013, in Garpenberg, Sweden (location and date randomly selected at
2012 festival). randomfilmfest.com
6. Fake Film Festival (Canada)
Fake Film Festival
Bork, bork, bork -- the Fake Film Festival sweding its way to success.
Virgin Radio Vancouver regularly presents this competition where
developing directors ham up their own parodies of movies. For a silly
60-second submission, money and fame abounds, we're told.
Entries are judged for their ability to entertain and recapture the
essence of the original movie, a process known as "sweding."
This year's shortlist included impressions of "Ferris Bueller's Day
Off," "Juno," "Bridesmaids" and "Salt."
The Festival ran in February this year. Look out for 2013 details on
the website.
7. Cinema in the Cemetery (Australia)
World
Cue gags about the audience being bored stiff, dead to the world and worse.
Surely a field planted full of corpses makes for a tough audience,
right? If you invite some live ones too, though, it's not so bad, we
hear.
In fact, Sydney's Cinema in the Cemetery is proof that motion pictures
are alive and well even in the deadest of locations.
St John's Cemetery annually screens a diverse range of classics --
this year's selection included Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Rear
Window" and 1980s cult classic "Ghostbusters." You'll probably need
someone to cuddle up to, so it's a great occasion for a first date.
Will next screen in 2013 at St John's, 81 Alt St., Ashfield, Sydney,
Australia. Check the Facebook page for details.
8. Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (Japan)
World
"Well done on your film, Mr. Tarantino -- have some melons."
This Hokkaido festival lives on after 22 years and for that alone it
deserves the gushing "fantastic" moniker, simply because it's survived
insurmountable odds.
The festival revived the coalmining town of Yubari when, around 1990,
the coal ran out.
As Yubari shifted its focus from black diamond to silver screen
effortlessly, the festival attracted movie royalty like Jon Voight,
Angelina Jolie and Steve Martin.
Quentin Tarantino even penned "Pulp Fiction" in his Yubari hotel,
we're led to believe. Would have hated being in the next room when he
did the read-throughs, though.
In 2007, however, Yubari fell off a cliff (not literally) and became
Japan's first bankrupt municipality. The festival was gutted, losing
its international competition section.
However, a community drive to continue in some form saved the Off
Theater program, which offers young Japanese directors Today, locals
greet festival dignitaries with candy made from the celebrated Yubari
melon, a delicacy fetching up to That's why Grand Prize winners at
this festival don't buy drinks for everyone -- it's slices of melon
all round instead. Very thin slices.
Last year's Grand Prize winner was "Invasion of Alien Bikini,"
directed by Oh Young-Doo. The festival runs early in the year, so look
out for 2013 dates at yubarifanta.com
9. Bring Your Own Film Festival (India)
World
Puri would never be the same again after the movie nerds hit town.
Could this be sheer laziness on the part of the festival's organizers?
Why spend hours on film selections when punters could bring their own?
In its defense, this east-coast Indian festival has the noble ethos of
removing standard film festival hierarchies, competition, juries and
laurels.
By inviting all comers to showcase their work, it supports a vibrant
grassroots community of film enthusiasts.
The next festival is set for early 2013 in Puri, India. byoffpuri.com
10. International Moustache Film Festival (United States)
World
Hairy is as hairy does at the International Moustache Film Festival.
While this list is in no particular order it should, like most every
festival we've mentioned, issue a prize -- a grand poo-bah of
weirdness, if you will. And the International Moustache Film Festival
surely deserves to take home that accolade.
To enter this fur-fest, your film must contain a mustache-related
theme, or a key cast member must be "mustachioed" (organizers' term).
Fake moustaches qualify, if you're curious.
Prize categories include Best `Stache Growth Story, Best `Stache
Shaving Story, Best Moustache Death Relationship Story and Best
Collection of Moustaches in One Film.
According to the IMFF, "one lucky filmmaker will win one hundred,
U.S., American dollars."
Guess that'll cover the barbershop fee immediately after the festival,
then.
Deering Grange Hall, Portland, Maine, United States. IMFF 2012 was
held in March -- check the website for 2013 details.
From: Baghdasarian
Mile-high horror, golden apricots and mustaches are some of the more peculiar inspirations for these offbeat movie celebrations
By Candice Ward 16 April, 2012
World's weirdest film festivals"Look, schmuck -- my pal here gets the
'Best Mustache' gong or you're gonna meet Mr. Punchy."
Were we to turn a spotlight on film festivals across the world then
stalwarts like Cannes, Toronto and San Sebastian would surely shine
brightest. And that's only natural.
Occupying a darker corner of the stage, however, are scores of
cinematic celebrations that showcase the unorthodox, the weird and the
creepy.
If it weren't for these quirky additions to the global festival
calendar, our great storytellers might never have known, for example,
the Kevin Norwood Bacon Achievement Award -- a gong awarded for
exemplary achievement to a filmmaker or actor connected to Kevin Bacon
in six films or fewer.
With that taster still lingering in the senses, here are some of the
oddest and most wonderful celebrations of film, all (well, most)
screening at a town near you over the next year or so. Book your
tickets now.
1. Mile High Horror Film Festival (United States)
World
Not sure which one's Dorothy, but The Emerald City definitely ain't in
Denver.
If any part of this festival's name gives you goose bumps in a good
way, head to Denver, Colorado, to experience a showcase of independent
horror films.
Celebrating an eerie yet enduring genre, this scare-fest last year
featured titles such as "Bunny Boy," "I Saw the Devil" and
"Chillerama."
We're too petrified to ask what 2012 brings.
This one is not recommended for those with daemonophobia (fear of evil
spirits); hemaphobia (fear of blood); teratophobia (fear of deformed
figures); or, given the festival's high-altitude location,
aeroacrophobia (fear of open, high places).
Daemonophobic aeroacrophobes should not even attempt to browse the
festival's website.
October 5-7, 2012, at Denver Film Center/Colifax, Colorado, United
States. milehighhorrorfestival.com
2. Golden Apricot Film Festival (Armenia)
World
Armenian priests bless bushels of apricots ahead of the fruit's
headlining movie festival. No, really.
This renowned festival is based on the theme "Crossroads of Cultures
and Civilizations" -- a fitting subject for an event screened in a
country that can't decide whether it's in Asia or Europe.
Nine years running, the Golden Apricot now attracts more than 500
international films and this figure rises every time it's held.
While the festival's namesake, the apricot, is Armenia's unofficial
fruit, we're not sure how this ties into filmmaking.
However, both apricots and films are harvested there each July, and
this seems like a pretty palatable cause for celebration.
July 8-15, 2012, at various locations in Yerevan, Armenia's
capital. gaiff.am
3. Incredibly Strange Film Festival (New Zealand)
Incredibly Strange Film Festival
Boom! Incredibly Strange Film Festival in your face.
What could be weirder than an incredibly strange film festival? One
screened in New Zealand, of course. Just kidding, dear Kiwis.
For 17 years, ISFF has dedicated itself to screening bizarre flicks
that would otherwise never see the light of day.
The self-professed "greatest collection of cult films ever" last year
featured titles including "Troll Hunter" ("Blair Witch Project" meets
"Where the Wild Things Are," apparently), "Hobo With a Shotgun"
(down-on-his-luck man attempts to purchase lawnmower yet somehow ends
up with a firearm) and "Cold Fish" (serial killer story featuring
placid tropical-fish-store owner).
Incredibly Strange will be part of the New Zealand International Film
Festival (Auckland and Wellington) during July and August
2012. incrediblystrange.co.nz
4. KahBang Festival (United States)
World "C'mon guys -- not that six-degrees thing again ..."
This seemingly normal event features more than 50 films from budding
makers. Held in the U.S. state of Maine, KahBang is a tribute to
music, art and film run by hard-working curators. So far, so good ...
Now, cue the aforementioned Kevin Norwood Bacon Achievement Award,
given for those valuable connections to "Footloose's" very own Kevin
Bacon.
The coveted bauble was recently introduced in an attempt to prove that
the Internet-powered "six degrees of Kevin Bacon" actually exist,
rather than simply being the basis of a mindless pop-culture trivia
game.
>From August 9 at various locations in Bangor, Maine, United
States. kahbang.com/film
5. International Random Film Festival (Estonia)
International Random Film Festival
Round and round (Europe) it goes, where it stops, nobody knows.
This homage to all things arbitrary has no fixed abode and does the
rounds across Europe each year, but there's even more randomness
afoot.
For filmmakers and punters alike, it's gotta be hard to know exactly
what you're in for each year, when the festival is run in a randomly
selected location, on a random date, with random awards.
The 2012 gongs included the Runaway Turtle Award, and The Spoon and
The Goldfish Award, but recipients didn't know what each accolade was
for until presented. Yeah, we know -- those crazy Europeans, eh?
2012's Random Grand Prix was awarded to German film "Sudstadt." To
learn how it was chosen, watch this video. It has something to do with
sprouts, and yes, it's as random as it sounds.
IRFF 2012 has been and gone, but it is due to run again from December
8, 2013, in Garpenberg, Sweden (location and date randomly selected at
2012 festival). randomfilmfest.com
6. Fake Film Festival (Canada)
Fake Film Festival
Bork, bork, bork -- the Fake Film Festival sweding its way to success.
Virgin Radio Vancouver regularly presents this competition where
developing directors ham up their own parodies of movies. For a silly
60-second submission, money and fame abounds, we're told.
Entries are judged for their ability to entertain and recapture the
essence of the original movie, a process known as "sweding."
This year's shortlist included impressions of "Ferris Bueller's Day
Off," "Juno," "Bridesmaids" and "Salt."
The Festival ran in February this year. Look out for 2013 details on
the website.
7. Cinema in the Cemetery (Australia)
World
Cue gags about the audience being bored stiff, dead to the world and worse.
Surely a field planted full of corpses makes for a tough audience,
right? If you invite some live ones too, though, it's not so bad, we
hear.
In fact, Sydney's Cinema in the Cemetery is proof that motion pictures
are alive and well even in the deadest of locations.
St John's Cemetery annually screens a diverse range of classics --
this year's selection included Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Rear
Window" and 1980s cult classic "Ghostbusters." You'll probably need
someone to cuddle up to, so it's a great occasion for a first date.
Will next screen in 2013 at St John's, 81 Alt St., Ashfield, Sydney,
Australia. Check the Facebook page for details.
8. Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (Japan)
World
"Well done on your film, Mr. Tarantino -- have some melons."
This Hokkaido festival lives on after 22 years and for that alone it
deserves the gushing "fantastic" moniker, simply because it's survived
insurmountable odds.
The festival revived the coalmining town of Yubari when, around 1990,
the coal ran out.
As Yubari shifted its focus from black diamond to silver screen
effortlessly, the festival attracted movie royalty like Jon Voight,
Angelina Jolie and Steve Martin.
Quentin Tarantino even penned "Pulp Fiction" in his Yubari hotel,
we're led to believe. Would have hated being in the next room when he
did the read-throughs, though.
In 2007, however, Yubari fell off a cliff (not literally) and became
Japan's first bankrupt municipality. The festival was gutted, losing
its international competition section.
However, a community drive to continue in some form saved the Off
Theater program, which offers young Japanese directors Today, locals
greet festival dignitaries with candy made from the celebrated Yubari
melon, a delicacy fetching up to That's why Grand Prize winners at
this festival don't buy drinks for everyone -- it's slices of melon
all round instead. Very thin slices.
Last year's Grand Prize winner was "Invasion of Alien Bikini,"
directed by Oh Young-Doo. The festival runs early in the year, so look
out for 2013 dates at yubarifanta.com
9. Bring Your Own Film Festival (India)
World
Puri would never be the same again after the movie nerds hit town.
Could this be sheer laziness on the part of the festival's organizers?
Why spend hours on film selections when punters could bring their own?
In its defense, this east-coast Indian festival has the noble ethos of
removing standard film festival hierarchies, competition, juries and
laurels.
By inviting all comers to showcase their work, it supports a vibrant
grassroots community of film enthusiasts.
The next festival is set for early 2013 in Puri, India. byoffpuri.com
10. International Moustache Film Festival (United States)
World
Hairy is as hairy does at the International Moustache Film Festival.
While this list is in no particular order it should, like most every
festival we've mentioned, issue a prize -- a grand poo-bah of
weirdness, if you will. And the International Moustache Film Festival
surely deserves to take home that accolade.
To enter this fur-fest, your film must contain a mustache-related
theme, or a key cast member must be "mustachioed" (organizers' term).
Fake moustaches qualify, if you're curious.
Prize categories include Best `Stache Growth Story, Best `Stache
Shaving Story, Best Moustache Death Relationship Story and Best
Collection of Moustaches in One Film.
According to the IMFF, "one lucky filmmaker will win one hundred,
U.S., American dollars."
Guess that'll cover the barbershop fee immediately after the festival,
then.
Deering Grange Hall, Portland, Maine, United States. IMFF 2012 was
held in March -- check the website for 2013 details.
From: Baghdasarian