FOGFEST V: Independent horror film fest brings frights to the rock

By
Ian Mills
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fogfesttitle
FOGFEST was founded by the filmmaking collective GRIND MIND in 2021 (FOG FEST)

Halloween may have passed, but the annual FOGFEST Independent Film Festival aims to keep the scares rolling just a bit longer.

Returning for its fifth year of frights, the annual independent horror film festival provides plenty of scares from talented creators, looking to showcase their skills in a massive collection of both short and feature-length horror films.

“I’m so excited to see my work on a stage like this, and for everyone involved in making this a reality,” said Luke Wheaton, director of Escape Reality, one of the horror short films being showcased. “It’s surreal, honestly.”

FOGFEST represents a massive opportunity for these artists to get their work out there. “It’s a big deal for everyone involved,” said Wheaton. “It will be huge for their passion for film, and their careers moving forward.”

FOGFEST V will take place at the Majestic Theatre in downtown St. John’s from November 7th to the 10th.

Hangashore (top) and Time Eater (bottom). (FOGFEST)

Here’s a brief rundown of what you can expect from FOGFEST V, starting with the feature-length films, which are all accompanied by an opening short film.

  • Mother of Flies (Dir. John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser) Opener: The Girl in the Street (Dir. Chris Paicely, Miles August)
  • Deathstalker (Dir. Steven Kostanski) Opener: The Traveler & The Troll (Dir. Adam Murray)
  • Hangashore (Dir. Justin Oakey) Opener: Time Eater (Dir. Ryan Couldrey)
  • Foreigner (Dir. Ava Maria Safai) Opener: Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake (Dir. Javier Badillo)
  • Ginger Snaps (Dir. John Fawcett) Opener: Gender Reveal (Dir. Mo Matton)

Next up are the short horror collections. These are five groups of horror short films, created by artists from Canada and beyond.

Indigenous Horror Spotlight: Six short films looking to provide unique takes on the horror genre through an indigenous point of view.

  • Immortal Embrace (Dir. Reamonn Joshee)
  • ‘Wats’a (Dir. Dustin McGladrey)
  • Ojichaag (Dir. Rachel Beaulieu)
  • Pimple Patch (Dir. Noah Berc)
  • The Hunter and His Apprentice (Dir. Reamonn Joshee)
  • Midnight at the Lonely River (Dir. Abraham Cote)

Flesh & Frame: The largest collection of the group, featuring a combination of live action and animated works from around the world.

  • Poppa (Dir. Peter Ahern)
  • Cosmic Crash (Dr. James Smith)
  • VHX (Dir. Alisa Stern, Scott Ampleford)
  • Nostril (Dir. Michael Dondero, Shengnan Dong)
  • Visceral (Dir. Leah Galarneau)
  • Autophagy (Dir. Edie Lawrence)
  • DAGON (Dir. Paolo Guadio)
  • Skeeter (Dir. Chris McInroy)
  • Frame (Dir. Olivia Cordell, Libby Morris)
  • My Lily (Dir. Kashika Kaushal)
  • Living in Hanna (Dir. Robin Careless, Kayle Jo Farris)
  • RUN! (Dir. Adam Marley, Jonathan Brito)
  • Devil’s Prism (Dir. Kika Magalhães)
  • Meat Crayon (Dir. Richard Rotter)
  • Slow (Dir. Rebecca Berrih)
  • Cadabra (Dir. Tiffany Wice)
  • Berta (Dir. Lucia Forner Segarra)
Foreigner (top) and Lupe Q and the Galactic Corn Cake (bottom). (FOGFEST)

Signal Drift: A collection of 12 mind-bending, perception-challenging short films. The first of two blocks highlighting Atlantic Canadian artists.

  • The Jokes On You (Dir. Brooklyn V. Cox)
  • Mudder’s Mess (Dir. Nadia Duman)
  • Last Stop at the One Stop (Dir. James Titford)
  • The Man in the House (Dir. Eric Elliott)
  • Man/Meteorite (Dir. Stephen Haring)
  • Panopticon (Dir. Levi Cook, Stephen White)
  • Kaufman & Richter (Dir. Cullam James Bruce-Lockhart, Sean Michael Alexander Jessome, Annalise Josefine Smith)
  • Meditator (Dir. Oliver Quinton)
  • Chemical Egg (Dir. Mike Simms)
  • Escape Reality (Dir. Luke Wheaton)
  • Radio Hell (Dir. Bart K. Pierson)
  • A Place to Wait and Watch (Dir. Vaida Vaitkutė)

Fog & Firelight: 11 works meant to really get under the viewer’s skin and linger in their minds. The second of two blocks highlighting Atlantic Canadian Artists.

  • In The Details (Dir. Steward Pulinney)
  • SIGNAL / NOISE (Dir. Jonathan Kennedy)
  • Black Hole (Dir. Brianna Russell)
  • Peripheral Visions (Dir. Robert J. Finbow)
  • Technophobic (Dir. Michael Peers, Yasmine Majchrzak)
  • BIRDS two by two (Dir. Nicola Hawkins)
  • Flickers (Dir. Alexa Jane Jerrett)
  • The Eyes of the Storm (Mark MacLean)
  • Mother’s Skin (Dir. Leah Johnstton)
  • An Interview With The Devil (Dir. Peter Collins)
  • Oliver (Dir. Andrew Strickland)
The poster for the Signal Drift collection of short films. (FOGFEST)

The Shape Behind the Eyes: Featuring works from around the world, this last collection of short films emphasizes not just physical horror and violence, but psychological as well.

  • A Variation on the Old in ‘n Out (Dir. Christopher Beaubien)
  • Fire & the Forest (Dir. Liam Bursey)
  • SLURP (Dir. Elena Sturk-Lussier)
  • No One is Coming to Rescue You (Dir. Ruth Platt)
  • Cringe (Dir. Lisa Ovies)
  • When Shadows Lay Darkest (Dir. Jacob Leighton Burns)
  • The Nest (Dir. Ignacio Rodó)
  • Flush (Dir. Ladane Ali)
  • Bronze (Dir. Corey Benson Powers)
  • Endzgiving (Dir. Tina Carbone)
  • Karak (Dir. Ian Tan)
  • Slush (Dir. Dir. Ashley George)

Additionally, Bell FibeTV1 is holding a free presentation, which will feature episodes from the following shows:

  • Cradle in the Waves (Season 2)
  • Downtown Old Haunts
  • Tales from the South Shore
  • Phantom Line
  • Creepy Cape Breton (Season 2)

Further information about schedules and pricing can be found here: https://www.fogfest.ca/

Author

  • Ian Mills

    Ian is an undergraduate student currently studying Communications and English, who is passionate about journalism. His interests include football, video games, and history.