Time to say goodbye…

🧭 Mission

Horrible Imaginings Film Festival strives to provide a home to artistic expressions of fear, anxiety, taboo, outré, or other potentially uncomfortable emotions or experiences. This home is an agora where the whole ecosystem of this community—artist, audience, media, and business—converge on equal footing for a mutual exploration of art that can be challenging or even confrontational.

🔭 Vision

Our Vision is to explore past works, discover emerging artists, cultivate student creators, and amplify the voices in genre cinema & art that foster challenging conversations, grow communities, and, ultimately, build empathy and action toward a better, more equitable, and more sustainable world.

⚖️ Values

Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Other Genre Art is a Vehicle for Change

We believe that the types of genre we curate acts as a gateway into the emotions, fears, anxieties, and values of other people. We also believe that the emotions expressed by horror are especially central to who we are at our most primal, and thusly, most honest. As a popular form of art and entertainment, genre cinema and art also has the potential to reach a much wider audience with sub-textual notions that challenge or question. Entertainment CAN be Enlightenment. Exhilaration CAN be Thoughtful. Trash CAN be Treasure.

Comparing AND Contrasting Are Important

We believe that our disagreements can be as interesting to discuss as our agreements. We believe that cultural differences and experiences should acknowledged and celebrated. We believe that simultaneously acknowledging differences while discovering similarities is what builds empathy amongst different people—particularly with emotions as potent as fear.

For this reason amongst many, REPRESENTATION MATTERS. We are committed to showcasing a multitude of voices from different cultures, subcultures, experiences, gender identities, and abilities.

Purpose and Intention

We believe the art we curate has some value as a mirror to our everyday struggles. Discovering that value is central to our mission. Identifying the purpose or intent of a work of art is sometimes counter to its affect on an audience. This is part of the conversation and key to the consideration. The artist is only 50% of the conversation...

Defying Expectations

We believe that horror, often thought of as a vehicle for cruelty, is actually a vehicle for empathy. We believe that being transgressive can be utilized to foster progressive ideas and open-mindedness.

We believe that the traditional expectations for certain genre marketing definitions are secondary to purpose and intent.

We believe that art considered "trash," "pop" or "schlock" is actually an acute view into a particular zeitgeist.

Horror is PERSONAL

Horror and other dark or macabre genre expression is deeply personal. It is why horror lovers are so committed to it. It is why people who dislike horror are often committed to destroying it or antagonizing the people who love it. These stories touch nerves and approach the core of what we as humans often try to keep secret. It is also why, even amongst strident horror enthusiasts, there are so many debates about what is or isn't horror or what is or isn't scary. Everything is dependent on the baggage and experiences of the viewer: personal baggage, cultural baggage, and more.

Taboos and Mores Should be Questioned

Cultural taboos and mores are often tools of the oppressor. Art that calls them into question is something we find worthy of discussion, empowering for the voiceless, and potentially a means to build bridges.

Empathy is Not an End, but a Means

We believe that empathy without action is almost valueless. Bringing people together and building bridges where mutual humanity is recognized is merely the first step. Through programs, panels, and partnerships, we aim to contribute to a better, more equitable, and more sustainable world.

The 2021 Horrible Imaginings Film Festival will be hosted at The Frida Cinema in Orange County, CA.

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