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Mr. HoleHead’s Warped Dimension is the first online film festival to be presented entirely through the Zoom app. Taking place from September 24th through the 29th, 2020, it will showcase Independent films from the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Horror, Thriller, Dark & Off-the-Wall Comedy, Animation, and Art/Experimental–as well as Music Videos and Documentaries with related content. 13 Features and 97 Short Films will be streamed over the six days of the fest.
Conceived at a time when conventional online festival venues are offering an isolating, Home Video-like experience, Mr. HoleHead’s Warped Dimension seeks to keep the audience in touch with the collective, spontaneous festival spirit. There will be no VOD; each film will screen once, at its designated time. With the exception of a handful of sessions involving filmmakers outside the US, all Q&A will stream live, with the possibility of special guests dropping in without prior notice.
Produced by members of the team that has brought SF IndieFest’s Another Hole in the Head (AHITH) to San Francisco for 16 years, this new festival continues AHITH’s unconventional, DIY tradition by re-purposing the functions of the Zoom Webinar platform to serve the needs of the audience:
- The Polling button allows the audience to rate each film immediately after viewing. The films with the highest ratings will win Audience Awards in various categories.
- The Q&A button allows the audience to write in any questions they have about the films, which will be answered after each screening, either by the filmmakers during Live Q&A or by festival staff.
- The optional chat-box allows the audience to share their comments and reactions with one another during the film, via text and emojis.
OPENING NIGHT, Thursday, September 24th
The fest kicks off at 5 pm with “ASSORTED FLAVORS 1,” the first in a series of eclectic short film collections. Titles include: Unagi, Lost Treasure of the Valley, MILICENT (a short-short excursion through the mind of the woman who designed The Creature from the Black Lagoon), The Foal, Skin Deep, FIG, and IN THE DEATHROOM (adapted from a Stephen King story). Live Q&A sessions with the filmmakers will follow the screening. [All titles USA.]
The first feature of the festival screens at 7 pm. Troma’s “VHS Massacre Too” is a continuation of the 2016 documentary “VHS Massacre,” exploring the rise and fall of physical media and its effect on Independent and cult films. Interviews with Joe Bob Briggs and Lloyd Kaufman (creator of “The Toxic Avenger”) are featured, among many others. Followed by live Q&A with Director Thomas Edward Seymour.
Starting at 9 pm “TROMA’s Future Filmmakers to be Reckoned With” closes out the night. This collection of 11 short films from Troma’s up-and-coming filmmakers includes the World Premiere of John Burgio’s “READY? READY!” and an Advance Screening/Rough Cut of Thom DeMicco’s “THIS NIGHT’S END,” along with “MEAT IS MURDER!” directed by James Boylan, BLOOD STAB directed by Dwane Mendez, “BE CUT OR GET STABBED: THE MAKING OF BLOOD STAB” – a Rives Elliot Joint, “MASTER EXPLODER” directed by John Burgio & Fletcher Graham, “BUCKET LOVERS, ANONYMOUS” directed by Kelly Polk, “DOLLY DEADLY 1.5” directed by Heidi Moore, “TAMMY” a Rives Elliot joint, and “WET WORKS” directed by Derek Johnson. Also included as an added bonus is Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman‘s documentary “From Festival to Fascism” dealing with the Troma team’s ill-treatment at the hands of repressive festival officials during Cannes 2017. Live Q&A with selected filmmakers will follow. [All titles USA.]
CLOSING NIGHT, Tuesday, September 29th
The final short collection of the festival, “ASSORTED FLAVORS 4” screens at 5 pm. Titles include City of Shells (USA), Death Offers Life (India), Detour (Canada), En Vogue (Singapore), Peril (USA), Pick Up (USA), and You Will Dance To The Tune Of Propaganda (Singapore). Live Q&A with the filmmakers will follow.
Screening at 7 pm, is “The Hill and the Hole,” a Science Fiction/Eldritch Horror feature based on a story by celebrated Fantasy author Fritz Leiber. On his last job for the Bureau of Land Management, an archaeologist finds himself confronted with a strange man-made hill in a remote corner of New Mexico. Followed by Live Q&A with director Bill Darmon.
At 9 pm, Bringing the festival to its conclusion is “Flesh City,” the first narrative feature directed by acclaimed German experimental filmmaker Thorsten Fleisch. It’s a surreal Body Horror film with substantial musical content, designed to mess with the viewer’s mind. Followed by a pre-recorded interview with the director.
Other Feature Screenings
**World Premiere** “Stray Dogs” 9 pm Friday, September 25th. This Action/Adventure Thriller concerns two brothers who embark on a backpacking trip to bury a dog, and the suspicious character they encounter in the wilderness. Followed by live Q&A with director Adam Gascho.
“Re-Elected” 11 pm Friday, September 25th. After a Fourth of July reading from a cursed copy of the Declaration of Independence, a group of zombified American Presidents go on the attack. Followed by live Q&A with director Max Radbill.
“AGFA Mystery Mixtape #3: Sequelitis” 5 pm Saturday, September 26th. A Supercut constructed of Retro footage from the American Genre Film Archive in Austin, TX. Followed by live Q&A with creator Bret Berg.
“Night of the Rumpus” 7 pm Saturday, September 26th. A town prepares for its annual Halloween festivities after a series of unsolved murders. Meanwhile, in a nearby creek, something is growing into a fleshy abomination that will turn this into a night…mare to remember. Followed by live Q&A with director Jorge Torres-Torres.
“Backwoods” 9 pm Saturday, September 26th. After a date gone horribly wrong, a high school cheerleader escapes into the woods. There, she encounters the Hangman–a deformed zealot said to hang male trespassers and keep the women as “brides.” Followed by live Q&A with director Thomas Smith.
**World Premiere** “Willie, Jamaley & The Cacacoon” 7 pm Sunday, September 27th. Childhood friends Willie and Jamaley embark on a quest to prove the existence of a local mythological creature known as–The Cacacoon. Followed by live Q&A with directors Writer/directors Ryan Dellaquilla & Tyler Schnabel (who also stars), along with DP Carlos Medina, and co-stars Trystin Bailey & Paul Schnabel.
Troma’s “Slashening: The Final Beginning” 9 pm Sunday, September 27th. Five years after “The Slashening,” 22-year-old Madison Santangeli moves to Brooklyn to start a new life in the wake of her father’s suicide. Followed by live Q&A with director Brandon Bassham.
“Blackmail (ASMR)” 7 pm Monday, September 28th. ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a pleasant tingling of the scalp (often spreading to the neck and upper spine), that occurs in some people in response to a stimulus such as a particular kind of soft sound. It tends to have a calming effect. This experimental Neo-Noir film incorporates special sound effects into its soundtrack, designed to lull the viewer into a state of relaxation. When coupled with the suspenseful events onscreen, it results in a unique frisson. Note: Headphones are strongly recommended in order to experience the full effect. Followed by live Q&A with director Alexander Roman and selected cast members.
Troma’s “Mutant Blast” 9 pm Monday, September 28th. After a nuclear strike wipes out most of the city, a group of survivors find themselves in an epic bloody fight for their lives in this hysterical and bloody zombie action comedy. Directed by Fernando Alle.
Other Short Film Collections
“ASSORTED FLAVORS 2” 5 pm Friday, September 25th. An eclectic short film collection. Titles include Bertie (UK), Tune Forest (USA), The Walrus & The Prairie Dog (USA), On Command (USA), The Secret Pool (USA), Mikey Meatballs (USA), Lily in the Maze (USA), Out of the Blue (Canada), COPPER BONE (UK), and Look Twice (USA).
“STRANGERS WITH EYE CANDY” 9 am Saturday, September 26th. A special collection of Animated short films, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include cupid is not a terrorist (Switzerland), One Last Monster (USA), Depressed Rabbit (USA), Don’t Die (Canada), Malakout (Iran), The Cask of Amontillado (Canada), and Malady of Mine (USA).
“RUDE, CRUDE, AND OCCASIONALLY NUDE” 11 am Saturday, September 26th. A special collection of short films featuring Mature and Immature content, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include Adventure Brothers (UK), Thrift Store Shampoo (USA), Fucking with a robot (France), Lobster Spouse, Flick (USA), SUCCOR (USA), Mashed Potato Face (USA), Wing Man (USA), and The Fingerdome (USA).
“SCIENTIFIC METHODS” 1 pm Saturday, September 26th. A special collection of Science Fiction short films, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include Serious Matters in the Middle of the Night (USA), Fray (Finland), The Infinity Machine(USA), Blue Unnatural (Italy), One of Their Own(USA), Same Time Next Week (UK), You have arrived at your destination… (USA), and The EIA Welcomes You! (USA).
“BENJI’S COSMIC FINDS I” 3 pm Saturday, September 26th. The first of two special short film collections, curated by Warped Dimension producer and MC, Benji Carver. Titles include TripAdvisor (Australia), Salton City (USA), Snipoless: The Saga of the J-Boys, (USA) Machine Wash Cold (USA), Cry Wolf (Canada), RAAL (USA), Stay Inside (USA), and Ketchup(USA).
“MYTH AND MAGIC” 9 am Sunday, September 27th. A special collection of Fantasy short films, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include Brazen – Demon Huntress (Finland), Witcher – Mines of Eeclor (Finland), Alder (UK), The Witch Hunters Are Coming (UK), Out of the Box (Canada), DEERLY BELOVED (USA), Devil Snail (USA), Prometheus Lives (UK), Victim of the Beast (USA), and Belle Fatale (USA).
“ASSORTED FLAVORS 3” 11am Sunday, September 27th. An eclectic short film collection. Titles include A wreck in paradise (France), The Burned Man (Belgium), Framed (Ireland), BOB (Germany), Make A Wish (USA), Shhh (USA), The Thin Orange Line (USA), TMARAMRLT (USA), and Scribbler (USA).
“DOUBLE FEATURETTE” 1pm Sunday, September 27th. A pair of extended short films from two Bay Area filmmakers. Daryl Della’s “Am I See You?” is a dark adventure set in Disneyland. Theo Hollingsworth’s “Sirius Lee: The Problematic Time Traveller” is compiled from the first season of his forthcoming Sci-Fi/Comedy web series.
“THE BOLD, THE BEAUTIFUL, AND THE BIZARRE” 3pm Sunday, September 27th. A special collection of Art/Experimental short films, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include D A Y D R E A M (USA), fireworks (USA), Landstrength (France), A Way Of Seeing(USA), Lost Lula (USA), Twilight (Australia), Lairs (USA), The Recognition Reception (Australia), Shelter-in-place (Australia), and Metamorphopsia (Australia).
“DARK RAINBOW” 5pm Sunday, September 27th. A special collection of LGBT+ themed Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy short films, curated by Warped Dimension producer Romany Adams. Titles include My Boyfriend The Boogeyman (USA), Something Round (USA), The Song Of Her (USA), Kiko’s Saints (France), and AMOR SANGUE DOR (“LOVE BLOOD PAIN”) (Brazil). Warning: portions of this program contain graphic sexual content and violence/torture. Viewer discretion is advised.
“BENJI’S COSMIC FINDS II” 5 pm Monday, September 28th. The second special short film collection curated by Warped Dimension producer and MC, Benji Carver. Titles include Mama’s Lil Bus Driver (USA), The Elvis Room (USA), Creatures of the Wind (Indonesia), Sticky Note Love Story (USA), and Los Ausentes (Mexico).
The Warped Dimension Team:
George Kaskanlian Jr., Producer
Romany Adams, Producer
Benji Carver, Producer
Bob Pearce of KillerBob Graphics, Art Director
Admission is sold in the form of Day Passes ($10 each); a separate pass must be purchased for each day of the festival. Patrons must register with Zoom in order to purchase passes.
