On October 22nd, the second annual Northern Frights Festival was held at the Sudbury Theater Center. I had the privilege of being one of the judges, along with Pierre Dubuc, founder of Graphic-Con Sudbury. The lineup consisted of short films ranging from one-minute horrors to others approaching the twenty minute mark. They were all incredibly eclectic; a real melding pot of unique voices and visions.

As far as I know some of them can be found online. The lineup and winners are listed on the event’s website. If you’re into horror I recommend checking them out. You’re in for a few hours of entertainment.

I’m eager to see where this festival goes in the future. The attendance is growing every year, and submissions have been pouring in from around the globe. Genre entertainment doesn’t get the attention it deserves here in Sudbury, but the festival’s founder, filmmaker David Briggs, is starting to mend that gap. Hopefully we can make this city a little scarier, but in a good way. I’m not talking about how shitty the roads are, or the fact that people here make noise complaints if someone farts too loudly after eleven o’clock. I’m talking the FUN kind of horror.

Sudbury has a decayed majesty perfectly suited for the production and dissemination of horror films, so let’s welcome events like Northern Frights with open arms. They’re the perfect deterrent for the impending insanity that comes with living in Northern Ontario.