GenreBlast Film Festival

Last updated
GenreBlast Film Festival
Industryfilm-exhibition
Founded2016
FounderNathan Ludwig, Chad Farmer, Raygan Ketterer
Headquarters
Winchester, Virginia
,
United States of America
Website www.genreblast.com

The GenreBlast Film Festival is an annual event held in the Winchester, Virginia area that specializes in genre film. GenreBlast is the largest genre film festival in the Washington, D.C. region, spotlighting short and feature films that are typically independently produced and would not otherwise receive theatrical release.

Contents

History

Started in 2016, by Nathan Ludwig, Chad Farmer, and Charles Hill, the first annual GenreBlast Film Festival took place in August 2016 in Culpeper, Virginia at the now defunct State Theatre. [1] Programmers officially described the fest as playing, "horror, action/adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, martial arts, exploitation, grindhouse, international, experimental and more!" [2] [3]

After the first year, the festival relocated to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Winchester, Virginia, where it has been located since. [4] Hill departed from the team after the second year of the fest and Raygan Ketterer, previously the fest designer, replaced Hill as programmer.

GenreBlast is attended by filmmakers and writers whose work is recognized by the fest, with about 50% of films represented in the first year [5] and a much higher percentage in subsequent years. [6] It has also been judged to be a top genre fest. [7]

Awards

GenreBlast gives out rocket trophies in a number of categories for short films, feature films, and unproduced screenplays. [8] The festival also gives out a special wrestling belt to recognize an outstanding woman in genre film each year. The Les Femmes Du Genre Award was given to Tristan Risk in 2016, [9] Samantha Kolesnik in 2017, [10] and Sophia Cacciola in 2018. [11]

GenreBlast also gives out the "Forever Award" for a film that "a film that truly encapsulates the spirit of the fest — fiercely independent, highly original, and spectacularly innovative." [12] The 2020 recipient was Force to Fear. The 2021 recipient was The Transformations of the Transformations of the Drs. Jenkins. [13] The 2022 recipient was Gouge Away. The 2023 recipient was The Once and Future Smash .

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References

  1. ↑ "B101.5 GenreBlast Promo".
  2. ↑ Hedelt, Rob (17 August 2016). "Trio who met at film school launching action/horror film fest in Culpeper Friday". Fredericksburg dot com.
  3. ↑ Perry, Joseph. "GenreBlast Film Festival Offers Cutting-Edge Horror, Outre Dark Comedies, and More".
  4. ↑ Lee, Izzy. "GenreBlast Film Festival Wants Your Craziest Films". Birth.Movies.Death.
  5. ↑ "GenreBlast Film Festival". 10 February 2017.
  6. ↑ https://www.genreblast.com/2018-schedule.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑ Țofei, Adrian (28 January 2015). "Top 100 Horror & Fantasy Film Festivals + Submitting Tips [July 2018 Update]".
  8. ↑ "GenreBlast Awards".
  9. ↑ "GenreBlast 2016 Awards".
  10. ↑ "GenreBlast 2017 Awards".
  11. ↑ "GenreBlast 2018 Awards".
  12. ↑ Malone, Stephanie (22 September 2021). "GenreBlast 2021: Five Film Favorites". Morbidly Beautiful.
  13. ↑ Malone, Stephanie (22 September 2021). "GenreBlast 2021: Five Film Favorites". Morbidly Beautiful.
  14. ↑ Rotten, Doc (12 September 2016). ""Night of Something Strange" (GenreBlast 2016): Offensive In Every Way, Entertaining With Every Frame".
  15. ↑ "FRANKENSTEIN CREATED BIKERS NOMINATED FOR FIVE AWARDS AT GENRE BLAST 2016".
  16. ↑ Cardullo, Paul (8 November 2017). "[Review] Family Possessions (GenreBlast, Wreak Havoc Film Festival, 2017)".
  17. ↑ Rotten, Doc (23 September 2017). "[Review] Guardians (GenreBlast, 2017) – By Doc Rotten".
  18. ↑ Storc, Matt (27 August 2018). "Clickbait (Genreblast Film Festival Review)".
  19. ↑ "Doomsday Wins Best Feature at GenreBlast!" . Retrieved 2020-06-18.
  20. ↑ "CINELATION | Movie Reviews by Christopher Beaubien | SOCKET (2016)". www.cinelation.com. Retrieved 2018-09-05.
  21. ↑ Malone, Stephanie (22 September 2021). "GENREBLAST 2021: FIVE FILM FAVORITES". Morbidly Beautiful.
  22. ↑ DuPée, Matthew (2021-09-05). "GenreBlast Film Fest 2021: Red Snow". Morbidly Beautiful. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  23. ↑ "GENREBLAST FILM FESTIVAL 2023: The Once and Future Smash (2022)". B&S About Movies. 4 September 2023.
  24. ↑ "THE FURTHERGenreBlast Film Festival – Lineup for This Year's Fest Includes 'Livescreamers', 'Project Eerie' and More". Bloody Disgusting.
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