By Julia Berkman
Looking to roast yourself in the vitriolic flames of hell for two nights only? The Bleedingham Film Festival of the Macabre is catering to all your spooky spiritual needs this October.
Bleedingham was started five years ago by Western alum Gary Washington and his friends. They had noticed the lack of arts and film festivals with a local feel, as well as the lack of horror genre appreciation. They aimed to make a film event that mentored and catered to all members of the community. Thus, Bleedingham was born.
Washington strives to keep this festival a very grassroots, university student affiliated event. He himself was a film studies major at Western, and to this day tries to keep the connection between the school and Bleedingham alive with student films and crew members.
Bleedingham’s hand-selected films on display this year at the Pickford Film Center are sure to haunt and delight. The judges chosen for this event are members of an elite club of filmmakers, authors, and others who are certifiably interested in the horror genre. Films this year will be judged by veteran Thom Carrell, a horror writer and certified eye enucleist (a doctor who performs eye-removal surgeries), as well as Roman Stadtler, owner of The Comic Place and board member of the Whatcom Film Association. Also judging the films is Lorelei Shannon, author of horror books “Possum Kingdom” and “Mad Madame LaLaurie.” James Pidgeon and Chris Vargas will also be judging the event from the perspective of filmmakers and artists. The final judge is producer and Special Effects makeup artist James Fairley, who has worked on productions such as “True Blood” and “The 100.” These six judges will watch the shorts films made by local filmmakers and dole out the prizes as they see fit. The first place filmmaker will receive $1000.
What films are on display, do you ask? Well, that’s a secret. However, Washington said that there would be films from creators of all ages, from Hollywood bigwigs to high school amateurs. The local feel Washington strives for is also apparent in the amount of businesses who have agreed to come out and support Bleedingham. Gift cards will be handed out to audience members a la Oprah, in a truly spectacular look-under-your-seats moment. Before the films are screened there will be a meet and greet with the filmmakers during which they will answer any and all questions.
If scary movies aren’t your thing, there will also be a Festival of the Macabre held for those who want to be spooked and delighted by all the freak Bellingham has to offer. There will be psychics, tarot card readers, magicians, you name it! Circus performers will walk amongst the crowds on stilts for mystifying photo opportunities. If it can give you the chills, it’ll be under the roof of the Leopold Crystal Ballroom on October 21. Local vendors will be on site to sell their wares and promote their businesses in pop up shops all throughout the venue. There will also be food trucks parked right outside for anyone who’s hungry. In case you’re hankering for guts rather than tacos, zombies will be invading the Leopold Crystal Ballroom at some point in the evening. Be prepared to fight off a zombie or two.
Attending and speaking at the Festival of the Macabre are the Bellingham Observers of the Odd and Obscure. This paranormal investigation team hunts down ghouls and gaffs all down the Pacific coast. Boasting the playful acronym B.O.O.O., they will no doubt talk about their greatest haunts and paranormal activities during their panel session. If you’re a ghost chaser too, they also hold a Bellingham Ghost Hunt Class for all those interested in finding their own Casper to catch.
But the folks at Bleedingham aren’t just trying to terrify the Whatcom Community. They’re also holding a food drive, dubbed Feedingham, in the hopes of raising 200 pounds of food for those in need. Such an event was started because this is, in fact, the fifth anniversary of the Bleedingham film festival. What better way to commemorate the guts spilled than to fill some as well?
Washington said that his favorite movie is Alien. He said of his group of organizers, “We love horror movies because they scare you into the arms of your loved ones.” Those interested in being spooked into the arms of their community should check out Bleedingham and the Festival of the Macabre, on October 21 and 22. Tickets sell out fast, so be sure to snatch them up before they go!
