I attended the Silver Scream Film Festival this weekend and it was so much fun! The event occupied the second floor of the Roxy 14 Stadium, which isn’t very big at all, so the event seemed rather modest in comparison to larger film festivals. However, there were plenty of people there, and many in costume! I would estimate the event drew a crowd of 2 to 3,000 people altogether. The most popular costume I noticed on Saturday was the iconic red and black striped shirt worn by Nightmare on Elm Street‘s unforgettable Freddy Krueger (who happened to be there as well!).
I volunteered for the event, so my job was to walk around and take pictures, collect video and help where I’m needed. Philip Kim, the man behind the festival, was there all day, and proved to be a charismatic fellow who was fully involved with the event. I also met actor David Naughton (of whom I embarrassingly did not recognize from his role in An American Werewolf in London … he made fun of me for that), makeup effects artist Rick Baker, and several other famous artists and directors of horror flicks. I also attended a panel with Nightmare‘s own Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp after catching a few minutes of Wes Craven’s New Nightmare on the big screen.
I adored the atmosphere and the crowd. You have to be a certain kind of person to gravitate towards horror movies and comics! There were hordes of fanboys (a new term for me) and plenty of scream queens dressed to the nines as slasher chicks, vampires and/or werewolves. Everyone was super-friendly, animated and talkative. It’s too bad I did not get my IRB approvals before the festival, so that I could interview these amazing people! I did get plenty of video and pictures to use for my site.
One thing I learned is that this is the festival’s very first year in Santa Rosa, CA. This raises a bit of anxiety in me as I realize there will be very little history to draw from on the actual festival itself (since this is its first year). Most of its history comes from the magazine that inspired it, Famous Monsters in Filmland, which is now run by Philip Kim. What I know is that he paired up with CULT Film Series founder Neil Pearlmutter (this is the Roxy’s own cult film series, which occurs every Thursday) and they came up with the 2016 Silver Scream Film Festival. I’m wondering if I will need to shift gears and focus on other film festivals in the area that have more history involved, such as the 19th Annual Sonoma Film Festival, which is scheduled for March 30 – April 3 this year. I am still awaiting word on this. I did apply as a volunteer for this event, although I haven’t yet decided if I’ll actually attend. Next Monday, they have a “call for volunteers” event, which might be a good idea to attend as this festival’s admission tickets can be super pricey depending on what you want to do.
Overall, I’m happy I got to be a part of the Silver Scream Film Festival. I learned they are trying to gain enough attention to make this festival a permanent annual fixture in Sonoma. I would absolutely return every year for this event!
I love this write-up, Tanya! I was sorry to have to miss the Silver Scream Fest–my daughter was visiting from San Francisco, and I don’t get to spend all that much time with her, so . . . I decided to stay in and cook a nice dinner with her.
Your “Alien Finds Himself Looking for a Ride Home . . .” is priceless! Did you take that stunning, eerie photograph? It’s perfect for your write-up on your adventures at the Fest: quirky and witty and wonderful.
Hi! Yes, all pix posted are my own … just a few I took from my phone. I have much more on my camera and a GoPro that I am hoping to post on my page! Thank you for reading! It was raining pretty heavily that day … a good day to stay in!