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GuignolFest

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


GuignolFest
StatusActive
GenreHorror film festival, Filmmaking competition
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Clinton Street Theater, Portland, Oregon
CountryUnited States
Years active2008–present
Inaugurated2008
ParticipantsIndependent filmmakers
Organized byGuignolFest Productions (Dylan Hillerman and Julia Reodica)
Websiteguignolfest.com

GuignolFest (/ɡiːnˈjɔːlfɛst/) is an annual 72-hour horror film contest and festival held in Portland, Oregon, founded in 2008 by Dylan Hillerman.[1] The festival's name is derived from the Grand Guignol, a legendary Parisian theatre known for its graphic horror shows from 1897 to 1962.[2] GuignolFest is considered Portland's original timed horror filmmaking competition and has been hosted at the Clinton Street Theater since 2013.[3] The event challenges independent filmmakers to write, direct, shoot, and edit short horror films within 72 hours, with each team assigned a specific horror subgenre and required elements. The Portland Mercury has described GuignolFest as "a 72-hour filmmaking challenge that traditionally culminates in a raucous gore-splattered screening night."[4]

Etymology

The festival's name references the Grand Guignol (fr), the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in Pigalle, Paris, which operated from 1897 to 1962.[5] The Grand Guignol specialized in naturalistic horror performances featuring graphic violence, gore, and terror, employing a resident doctor to treat spectators who fainted during shows.[6] The term "grand guignol" has entered common usage to describe any display of sensational horror entertainment.[7]

The Grand Guignol's legacy influenced midnight movies of the 1970s and contemporary horror performance art, inspiring counter-culture movements that pushed societal boundaries regarding graphic content.[8] Like its namesake, GuignolFest showcases films featuring "gallon after gallon of blood-red cornstarch slurry on every available surface and Tom Savini-esque attempts to simulate intestines on a microbudget."[4]

History

GuignolFest was founded by Dylan Hillerman in 2008, beginning with screenings at a bar with a small number of film teams.[9] The festival moved to the Clinton Street Theater in 2013, where it established its permanent home.[9] Julia Reodica joined as co-producer and became integral to the festival's operations, including acting, directing, producing, and editing the festival's horror series, The Night Attacks.[9]

By 2020, the festival celebrated its 12th year, continuing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic with virtual screenings.[9] Willamette Week noted that "the Clinton's online options are almost all local, DIY productions, including titles from the recent quarantine edition of local horror film festival Guignolfest."[10] All entry fees paid by competing teams were donated to the Clinton Street Theater to support the venue during pandemic closures.[9]

As of 2022, GuignolFest celebrated its 14th annual edition,[11] and by 2024 had reached its 16th year.[12]

Format

Competition Structure

The festival operates as a 72-hour timed filmmaking challenge. Teams of filmmakers are given a horror subgenre assignment and required elements at a kick-off event, then have exactly three days to complete their films.[11] Each film must be 6 minutes and 66 seconds in length (6:66), a play on the Number of the Beast.[11]

The competition is divided into two categories:[11]

  • Ghoul Category – Teams competing for fewer than three years
  • Legacy Category – Teams competing for three or more years, or those who have previously placed in the top three in the Ghoul Category

Horror Subgenres

Teams may be assigned one of over 20 horror subgenres. Genre categories used in 2022 included:[11]

  • Vampire
  • Zombie
  • Ghost
  • Psychological horror
  • Grindhouse
  • Found footage
  • Musical horror
  • Occult
  • Apocalyptic/Quarantine
  • Home invasion
  • Sci-fi horror
  • Monster
  • Holiday horror
  • Weird West
  • Social media horror
  • Drug horror
  • Erotic horror
  • Environmental horror
  • Foreign horror
  • Corporate horror
  • Haunted object
  • Slasher

Additional secret genres are revealed at the kick-off event for competing teams.[11][13]

Venue and Screenings

Since 2013, GuignolFest has been hosted at the Clinton Street Theater in southeast Portland.[9] The venue, known for its Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings and independent film programming, provides a 222-seat theater for the festival's screenings and awards ceremonies. The Portland Mercury noted the screening atmosphere, stating audiences can expect "vaporwave VHS mayhem" and horror films with practical effects on limited budgets.[4]

Entry fees paid by competing teams are donated to support the Clinton Street Theater.[9] The festival's annual screening event is hosted by Uncle Eerie, who facilitates the movie lineup alongside Hillerman.[9] Separate screenings are held for the Ghoul and Legacy categories, with matinee screenings typically featuring newer teams and evening screenings showcasing veteran competitors.[14]

Production Company

GuignolFest Productions, LLC operates as an independent production company founded by Dylan Hillerman and Julia Reodica. Beyond the annual festival, the company produces horror content including The Night Attacks, a horror series, and various multimedia arts projects including interviews with artists, burlesque performances, and commissioned video work.[15]

Cultural Impact

GuignolFest has become an annual Halloween tradition in Portland's independent film community, bringing together actors, filmmakers, and crew members from the local horror scene.[9] The festival provides an opportunity for both beginner and experienced filmmakers to experiment with horror filmmaking techniques and subject matter within the constraints of the timed challenge.[11] As of 2021, the festival featured 33 competing filmmaking teams.[16]

The festival continues the spirit of transgressive horror performance pioneered by its namesake, the Grand Guignol, by providing a platform for edgy and experimental subject matter within contemporary independent filmmaking.[4] The Portland Mercury included GuignolFest in its guide to Portland's film festival scene, calling it one of the city's most distinctive annual film events.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "72 Hours: GuignolFest Celebrates 12 Years". The Southeast Examiner. August 2020. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  2. ↑ "Grand Guignol". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  3. ↑ "GuignolFest 2022: Legacy Category". Clinton Street Theater. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Ezra Ace Caraeff (September 6, 2023). "An Astrological Guide to Portland's Film Festival Scene". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  5. ↑ "Grand Guignol". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  6. ↑ "On the Incredible, Gruesome Legacy of Paris's Grand Guignol Theater". CrimeReads. December 14, 2020. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  7. ↑ Hand, Richard J.; Wilson, Michael (2002). Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror. University of Exeter Press. ISBN 978-0859896962. Search this book on
  8. ↑ "The Grand Guignol: Theatre of Horror". Screamfest. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 "72 Hours: GuignolFest Celebrates 12 Years". The Southeast Examiner. August 2020. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  10. ↑ "Many Portland Arts Venues Are Closed, but That Doesn't Mean That Nothing Is Happening. Here Are the 20 Best Things to Do, Watch and Livestream This Fall". Willamette Week. September 2, 2020. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 "GuignolFest 2022: Legacy Category". Clinton Street Theater. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  12. ↑ "GuignolFest Horror Movie Contest & Festival". Events.com. October 19, 2024. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  13. ↑ "The 13th Annual GuignolFest". EverOut Portland. October 24, 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  14. ↑ "Guignolfest". EverOut Portland. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  15. ↑ "Guignol Fest". Vimeo. Retrieved 2025-10-05.
  16. ↑ "The 13th Annual GuignolFest". EverOut Portland. October 24, 2021. Retrieved 2025-10-05.

External links

Media Coverage


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