by Dov Kornits
With the slogan ‘where films and fans converge’, HorrorHound is both a film festival and a convention, specialising in the horror genre. In 2020, the US festival screened virtually due to COVID, with 3 Australian films recognised in its awards.
11 feature films and 4 dozen short films screened at Virtual Horrorhound Film Festival this year, which was scheduled to take place in Ohio.
Jace Pickard won Best First Time Filmmaker for his feature film Fragmentary.
“I spent the full five days watching some inspiring and crazy films and I loved seeing that two other films were also representing Australia,” he says of participating in the virtual film festival. “I was already shocked I was nominated. I personally did not think I had a chance of winning due to my competition but when I saw my name, I was speechless. A big shout out to my cast and crew. I couldn’t be prouder of their trust in me as a director. It was an amazing response for my first feature film, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Fragmentary tells the story of Ben Sanderson, a man who believes he can travel to an alternate reality under the influence of alcohol to see the love of his life who was murdered in his reality two years before.
Best Short Film was picked up by Brunch Shift Massacre. “Even though I had to drag my butt out of bed at 6am, it was an exceptional treat to be able to read the fans’ comments as they watched the mayhem of Brunch Shift Massacre unfold – they had me laughing out loud!” says filmmaker Adam Boys. “I am so proud of the entire team of Brunch Shift Massacre and especially overjoyed that our violent romp connected with a whole new host of horror nerds across the water.”
Last, but not least, Amalia Krueger was Runner Up for Best Actress in the short film The Desperate, which follows 5 best friends during a sleepover who find themselves fighting for their lives from a masked killer.
“It was an honour to be up against such exceptional talent, many of whom have been in the industry a lot longer than I, so to come second is a massive achievement. I had an insanely talented director, Nathan Sirikumara, by my side the whole way who deserves just as much thanks and congratulations.
“Amalia Krueger was a force to be reckoned with in The Desperate; performing her own stunts, opening herself up emotionally and delivering a killer monologue in our film’s climax,” added Sirikumara. “I was blown away by her performance, and we couldn’t have been more surprised to hear she had been nominated for Best Actress – a category primarily focused on the stellar feature films in competition. Her placing as Runner-Up was just the icing on the cake.”
Thank you for showcasing the amazing talent that coming out of Australia. We (HorrorHound) were so fortunate to receive their submissions. We hope their communities support these filmmakers & actors because we all want to see more of them in the future!