A mind-boggling enigma about the entire world dropping dead in an instant, leaving people reeling for answers. A murder mystery tinged with comedy, forcing sleuthing characters to discover the perpetrator. A creepy fortune-reading prophesying the death of a subject followed by a series of near-death experiences. And the teasers go on.
These are sneak peaks for some of the short films that will be screened at Norse Film Society’s Horror Roulette Film Festival, taking place Oct. 27 in collaboration with Activities Programming Board (APB) for a Movie on the Lawn.
Norse Film Society (NFS) holds a series of film festivals every year, giving members a chance to gain experience in movie production and display their creations.
Horror Roulette is an annual film festival held by the club, but they’re looking to take the event up a notch this year.
Most of NFS’s film festivals are held in the Griffin Hall Digitorium. They decided to partner with APB this year to upscale the event, moving the viewing venue to the Natural Science Center lawn using an inflatable movie screen to project the films onto.
This is the first time in recent history that the club has used a grant to finance the event, said NFS President Austin Jameison, who is also directing a film for Horror Roulette. APB pointed them toward the Programming and Activities Grant Fund, which will cover the screening, audio technology and snacks for attendees, he said.
This year’s slate of films were pitched to the club’s executive board and chosen by vote. For this festival, the story ideas were tasked to fit a spooky, Halloween-inspired theme, according to NFS Secretary Anthony Gentry.
The films are produced in the month leading up to the public screening, including script writing, shooting and editing. Directors, producers and actors must collaborate to bring their ideas to life before the grand showing, said Gentry.
“I think that collaboration aspect of it is very appealing to people, where you get to make your own movie and you get to work with people. And at the end of the day you get to watch it on this big screen,” said Gentry.
Savannah Belote, a sophomore electronic media and broadcasting (EMB) major, is taking the reins as a director for her first time for her Horror Roulette film.
Last year she was a School of the Arts student studying theater and minoring in EMB. Belote joined NFS during Horror Roulette, taking on an acting role in one of the films. The script has flipped this year. She discovered early on in her EMB course work that she prefers being behind the camera more than being in front of it.
“I love it. I have a lot more creative freedom,” said Belote of her switch to a production-focused role.
Belote’s film is a dreadful account of a haunted vinyl record tormenting an unlucky listener—an idea that was hatched by her love of vinyl records and horror movies. While the production process has spurred some challenges, she’s been supported by her peers in the club and is confident in her skillset, the director said.
Jameison hopes the festival draws a strong crowd in support of the filmmaker’s creative efforts. While not everyone is a movie enthusiast, he thinks there is something to be appreciated about the grassroots-nature of student films.
“There’s something kind of just so heartwarming—even if it’s not a heartwarming film—about seeing a student project. It’s very personalized,” said Jameison. “Often, the films we shoot are on campus or in the tri-state area, so it’s kind of getting to see your own home on the movie screen.”
Horror Roulette is on Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m. on the Science Center Lawn. A costume contest will occur along with the film showings.