Horror short film fest haunts Akron

By Kelli Comer

A new horror short film festival to die for has been created by and for Ohio filmmakers, just in time for those looking for a fright during the Halloween season. The first-ever Akron Independent Horror Short Film Festival will screen 20 short films from local filmmakers across two screens at the Akron Civic Theatre on Saturday, September 16.

Tickets are on sale now for the festival at the Akron Civic Theatre After a months-long submission and judging process, a panel of local artists has selected 20 films from a group of diverse filmmakers who currently live or have lived in Ohio, spanning various ages, gender identities, ethnicities and countries of origin. The films, ranging between 18 seconds to 15 minutes, will be screened in The Civic’s auditorium, as well as on a continuous loop of five “micro-films,” with a combined duration of 13 minutes at the Knight Stage.

“Many indie filmmakers never get to see their work on the silver screen, let alone at a historic venue like the Akron Civic Theatre,” AIHSFF Director Neil “Shankar” Sudhakaran says. “Especially in today’s filmmaking climate, it’s incredibly important to support independent film and even more important to support local artists.”

The festival’s main stage will also include Q&A sessions with local film experts on topics like low-budget filmmaking, fight choreography and low-cost special effects, as well as two live musical performances. The night kicks off with a filmmaker mixer at 4:45 p.m. and concludes with an awards ceremony, followed by the Killer Karaoke after party in the theatre’s Grand Lobby Mezzanine.

Tickets are available for purchase for $15 on Ticketmaster or by calling the Akron Civic Theatre’s box office at 330-253-2488. Visit AkronCivic.com for more information