Ripcord Halloween Film Festival, a new competition in which 50 horror, sci-fi, thriller, and fantasy shorts compete for the largest first-place cash prize in short film festival history, has officially unveiled the results of its inaugural edition.
The free festival, which launched online at ripcord.film on October 19, saw registered fans watch every film and vote for their favorites through October 22, with the overall winner taking home a massive $100,000, and the remaining nine selected short films splitting another $100,000.
This years esteemed jurors included Tim Miller (Deadpool, Love, Death & Robots), Jean Lauer (Fantastic Fest), Lisa Ogdie (Sundance Film Festival), Neville Page (Avatar, Star Trek: Discovery) and Peter Phok (A24’s X trilogy), who rose to the occasion and selected the most outstanding work.
Taking home the grand prize is Julian Doan's Long's Long Lost & Mini Mart, which is set in the back of a Little Saigon convenience store, and follows a young customer who reanimates his dead father for one last conversation.
Charlie Cleveland, founder of Ripcord, had the following to say of the first ever edition of the fest, and Doan's win:
“Last night, thirteen filmmakers watched their work play on one of the most famous screens in the world, and this morning one of them walked away with $100,000 to launch the next chapter of their career […] The fan vote was so close that we expanded the finals to thirteen films, because every one of these films earned its place. Congratulations to our first place winner, Julian Doan’s LONG’S LONG LOST & MINI MART, and to every filmmaker who took this ride with us.”
Second prize of $50, 000 went to Sophie Parella's Zippy's House, in which a teen discovers he’s the only guest at a house where the host’s brother is in permanent time-out, with Carl Fry and Maxwell Nalevansky's Harold Eats Maude, which sees a unlikely friendship between an infamous cannibal and his cannibal-curious stalker, taking home third prize of $25, 000.
Runner up was J. Zachary Thurman whose It Helps takes home $4,000. The short follows Spencer, who discovers her brother’s eerie sleep machine isn’t designed to soothe, but to keep an unspeakable presence at bay.
Honorable mentions – taking home $3,500 each – read as follows:
- BLOSSOM NEEDS A RIDE HOME (9:19), directed by Tim Schwagel: After defeating a bloodthirsty maniac, Blossom needs a ride home. What a hassle.
- BREEDER (7:14), directed by Sapphire Sandalo: A woman on the fence about having kids is hunted in her home by a demonic horse-man of Filipino folklore.
- DIRTY FUZZ (15:00), directed by Daniel Chimes: When an idealistic rookie cop accidentally shoots her corrupt partner in the slimy underbelly of Shit City, she must team up with a surprising crew of underworld characters to cover her tracks.
- DREAM CREEP (12:34), directed by Carlos A.F. Lopez: A couple awakens in the night to sounds emanating from an unlikely orifice.
- HOUR OF BLOOD (17:29), directed by Marcella Ochoa: In 1915 Texas, when ranchers mysteriously go missing, a young girl must defend her family ranch against the dark threat.
- MAKE ME A PIZZA (12:00), directed by Talia Shea Levin: BORED HOUSEWIFE seduces HOT PIZZA GUY for free pizza, but is desire worth $29.99?
- RAT! (16:48), directed by Neal Suresh Mulani: When a disgruntled music journalist accuses a global pop star of queerbaiting, the singer’s devoted fans descend on his remote cabin to seek retribution.
- SPANKED BY A GHOST (11:50), directed by Katelyn Douglass: Alone in her home, a woman is spanked by an unseen entity, awakening a force she cannot control.
- WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BALLOONS (5:44), directed by Jennifer Bonior: Dismissed by every adult in her life, a young magician unleashes an explosive final act that proves underestimating her is a fatal mistake.
The festival is only the beginning. In the coming weeks, Ripcord will begin adding independent genre features and shorts, as well as a series of online events to the platform, giving fans a place to discover, support and follow the filmmakers they love. Independent genre filmmakers interested in bringing their films to Ripcord can learn more at ripcord.film.
