When I first covered the Women in Horror Film Festival back in 2020, before it became the Renegade Film Festival, I did not expect the community I’d find, and the sense of the unexpected, and belonging that the festival provided. By the time I finished covering it in 2022 and 2023, I knew for sure this would be a festival I’d go to for as long as I can. After a year off, Renegade returns, and once again, I will be there for all of it.
Thursday, February 20
The festivities begin on Thursday at The Pub at the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta hotel with a meet-and-greet between organizers, press, filmmakers, and attendees, in general. I have some work I’m doing that afternoon/evening that will prevent me from getting there right on time, but I do hope to get there for some of it afterwards.
Friday, February 21
On Friday, two days of concentrated moviewatching begins, and barring any personal issues that arise, I will be there for every single screening. The short film blocks begin at 10:30am with Curiouser & Curiouser, which features “short films that are outside the box, experimental, outside the horror genre, the cinematic misfits.” At 12:15pm, we get our first feature film in “The Rebrand”, as well as a trailer for a film from Renegade veteran Brooke H. Cellars. At 1:45pm, we get our next short film block with Creature Comforts, where we get “films with a little more blood, a little more gore and sometimes monsters.” At 3:30pm is another feature, “The Protos Experiment”. At 5:15pm we get a quick block of animated films called, Drawn This Way, followed by a short film block at 6:15pm called Be Kind, Rewind, where it is “time to discover those cinematic gems you might find from strolling the aisles at your favorite video rental store.” Finally, at 8pm, we get an exciting double feature, with a 40th anniversary screening of the iconic “Re-Animator”, as well as Richard Elfman’s “Bloody Bridget”, before we unwind at the lounge upstairs at The Strand, which is once again hosting the festival.
Saturday, February 22
On Saturday, the screenings begin at 10:30am at The Strand with the Southern Discomfort short film block, with films made by southern filmmakers or filmed in the south. At 12:15pm, we get another short film block in Monstrous Feminine, which has “horror made by women, horror inflicted upon women, horror inflicted by women…women in horror.” At 2pm we get the first feature film of the day in “Puppet Killer”. At 3:45pm we get a short film block called Mind Fuck, with “psychological horror films that fuck with your head.” At 5:15pm is the feature film, “House of Ashes”, followed by the final short film block of the festival, the horror comedy block, Sedagive!, at 7pm. At 9pm, we have the awards ceremony before winding down at The Pub at 10pm.
I cannot wait to be back at Renegade.
Thanks you listening,
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
