Southern Utah’s 15th annual “Horror-Fest” is bringing in the clowns

On Saturday, Oct. 29 at Megaplex’s Red Cliffs Cinema, southern Utah’s Horror-Fest is back for its 15th straight year — and this time, they’re bringing in the clowns! Each October, programmers behind this spooktacular shindig look to give the community a scary good time. In honor of its 15th anniversary, the 2016 event returns with a vengeance by way of a Halloween-inspired cinematic get-together programmers are affectionately referring to as “Horror-Fest Episode XV: Attack of the Clowns.”

The evening begins with the Guerilla Shorts Showcase at 6 p.m. followed by a tribute to Rodrick Stephan Medigovich at 8:15, the Guerilla Shorts Showcase awards at 8:45, and a screening of the cult classic “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” at 9. Here’s a look at the line-up.

Guerilla Shorts Showcase

As always, the centerpiece of the event will see the return of the long-running and increasingly popular Guerilla Shorts Showcase. This showcase was designed to give local filmmakers of all ages and all skill sets an opportunity to make short films using any resources available to them. For this particular event, filmmakers were given “clowns” as a theme, a specific line of dialogue, a clown-appropriate prop, and a running time of six minutes or less. Local storytellers then had a few short weeks to put together their projects. This recent challenge attracted over 25 storytelling teams, a Guerilla Shorts Showcase record! There are plenty of familiar faces in the mix alongside a handful of creative individuals new to the proceedings.

Included are Dan Bringhurst, Lonie Black, Brandon Tippetts, Shayne Cullen, Christian Navarrete, Corbin Navarrete, Derek Dowsett, Ned Cordery, Adam Mast, Tonja Mast, Rebekah Jackson, Liz Baxter, Don Barfuss, Alysha Aldred, Aaron Eames, Cragun Clayburn, Kipp Howard, Dean Jones,  Mike Wiest, Phil Sargent, Jeremiah Holt, Shane Stewart, Mike Crockett, Caleb Hatton, Jordan Hurd, Tanner Lund, Ryan Huskins, Derek Solberg, Jeff Sanders, Kevin Jones,  John Pugh, Briana Pugh, Matt Moon, Scott Mathews, Sheldon Demke, Hollie Reina, Austin Peck, James Beacham, and Shaun Labrecque.

These incredibly inventive, undeniably entertaining shorts include everything from live action to animation and range from funny to serious to terrifying. One thing all these shorts have in common is that they were made with tender, loving care by the teams behind them. And now, event attendees will have an opportunity to experience these mini-cinematic creations on the big screen. Attendees will also have an opportunity to get in on the action by voting for their favorites. That’s right! There will be prizes awarded to the strongest guerilla films of the bunch.

Tribute to local film aficionado Rodrick Stephan Medigovich

Chances are, if you’re a moviegoer and you’ve lived in the St. George area for the past several years, you’ve crossed paths with local movie legend Rodrick Stephan Medigovich. The man was known for his cinematic intellect, and when he wasn’t writing screenplays and appearing in ’80s and ’90s commercials, he’d be engaging in relentlessly entertaining movie conversations with fellow filmgoers while changing out the marquees at our local movie theaters. Sadly, Medigovich recently passed away, but thankfully, he’s left behind a wonderful collection of short film appearances to remember him by. This 30-minute tribute will be curated by long-time friends, collaborators, and fellow film enthusiasts Lonie Black and Brandon Tippetts, and it promises to be an entertaining look back at a man who will be missed but certainly not forgotten.

“Killer Klowns From Outer Space” screening (PG-13)

This undeniable sci-fi/horror charmer finds a strange, other-worldly circus tent and its inhabitants touching down in everytown U.S.A. and wreaking havoc on unsuspecting townsfolk. Simply put, “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” is one of the great B-movies of the ’80s. It’s certainly an acquired taste, but after watching it, it’s easy to see why it has acquired such a rabid cult following through the years. This low-budget gem is the brainchild of the Chiodo brothers, a team of sibling puppeteer/visual effects geniuses who would go on to work on everything from “Elf” to “Team America: World Police.” “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” is endlessly campy, deceptively creepy, undeniably inventive, and righteously hilarious. It’s a ton of clown-inspired fun from beginning to end. There have been whispers of a sequel or a possible TV series for years, and for good reason. After you get a look at “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” on the big screen, it’s safe to say you’ll be as bewitched by it as I am. Having said that, if you have a phobia of clowns, you might want to stay away.

Costume contest

Time, schedule, and venue subject to change. For updated information, be sure to visit the “Southern Utah’s Horror-Fest” Facebook page.

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