Florida has always been a haven for the weird, with things like “Florida Man,” Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, Tiger King, and natural springs with “live mermaids” to thank for that reputation. I moved to Florida 20 years ago, hoping to take advantage of its burgeoning film industry, which was #3 in the nation for production at the time. Unfortunately, in 2016, the conservative legislature revoked the tax credits that had previously attracted projects like the Oscar-winning “Moonlight,” the saucy “Magic Mike” and television shows like “Burn Notice”, “Bloodline” and “Ballers” (the former two chose to end their series once the tax credits were canceled, while the latter moved production out of state), putting hundreds of locals out of work. Many Florida film professionals were forced to relocate to Georgia, which wisely capitalized on Florida’s shortsightedness by incentivizing production companies and talent to make Georgia their home – indeed, Georgia reported a banner year for 2022, with productions spending a whopping 4.4 billion in the state.
All of this is to say that the Florida film community, what is left of us, is a hardy and scrappy bunch that hasn’t given up the fight to produce films in the state. Enter Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman, two South Florida-based movie buffs and horror film superfans who, in 2015 and with $500, decided to start a new film festival celebrating independent horror films and creators. Their goal was to support the horror filmmaking community, both in and outside of the state, while also being a beacon of inclusion. Horror creators and fans have often been societal rebels, accepting the freaks and geeks before it became popular to do so, and Igor and Marc wanted their film festival to reflect that history and embrace those values.
Just like that, Popcorn Frights Film Festival was born and, through Shteyrenberg’s and Ferman’s adept leadership, has grown to become one of the top genre festivals in the world and holds the title as the largest genre film event in the Southeastern United States. The festival has been a platform for the best in genre cinema, hosting world premieres like Haunt and Terrifier. It has also premiered acclaimed films including Smile, The Endless, The Night House, and international titles like One Cut of the Dead and Tigers are not Afraid — none of which would have played a Florida festival or on the big screen if not for Popcorn Frights’ support.
I met Marc and Igor when they moved Popcorn Frights from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and immediately became a fan. After attending my first Popcorn Frights screening, I offered up my horror theater troupe from Infinite Abyss Productions to create spooky “opening numbers” for their screenings. Marc and Igor said “let’s do it!” and a beautifully bloody partnership was born. I experienced the joy of Popcorn Frights Film Festival in 2018, where I was impressed by their commitment to feature horror films made by a diverse collection of voices and topics. Through careful curation, the festival prioritized inclusive programming and reflected the cultural tapestry of South Florida. Popcorn Frights emphasized stories from women filmmakers, Black and African American filmmakers, Latin filmmakers, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers. After attending the festival in 2018, it was clear to me that the Popcorn Frights team embraced weird, wild and marginalized voices, and being a female horror creator, that was incredibly inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that I decided to make my first feature horror film, The Gravedigger, the following year with the goal of screening it at Popcorn Frights. The Gravedigger world premiered at the 2019 Popcorn Frights Film Festival, the same year they premiered Bit, a vampire film starring trans actress Nicole Maines, as well as female-led horror films by Jennifer Reeder and Chelsea Stardust. I was in great company and knew I had made the right decision to world premiere The Gravedigger at Popcorn Frights.
Cue the ominous music now, because here enters Florida Man, Governor Ron DeSantis, who was re-elected by Floridians supporting his efforts to keep the state open after the world was rocked by COVID-19. Many DeSantis voters, however, didn’t expect the Governor to make the extreme decisions now plaguing our state and chasing away dollars from tourism, conventions and of course celebrations of creativity and art like Popcorn Frights Film Festival, who had worked hard pre and post pandemic to amplify marginalized voices like those in the LGBTQIA community. In 2022, I was in production with my newest film, Big Easy Queens, a campy glam horror romp shot in Florida and starring drag artists when DeSantis announced his war on the queer community with the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and SB 1438, which banned all public drag performances in the state. These bills were signed into law by DeSantis, strengthening our resolve to finish the film and have it seen by as many Floridians and Americans as possible – we wanted audiences to understand that these laws do not represent most Floridians, and certainly not the majority of us in the horror and film communities.
Upon hearing about Big Easy Queens, Popcorn Frights was the first film festival to reach out and invite us to world premiere our drag horror film at their 2023 festival. We happily agreed, knowing that we could not have found a better, more inclusive home for our movie. In usual Infinite Abyss fashion, I offered Popcorn Frights a live opening performance by the stars of our film, including drag artist Miss Bouvèé, and Igor and Marc accepted. When I asked if they were worried that the state might shut the festival down for allowing a public drag performance, their response was “they can go f*ck themselves. We are doing the performance.” Big Easy Queens premiered at the 2023 Popcorn Frights Film Festival to a raucous sold-out house and we walked away with the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. There was no better way to give DeSantis and the Florida legislature the middle finger than sharing our film with sold-out crowds in the same state that is trying to make our content and performers illegal, and I will always be thankful to Popcorn Frights for amplifying us at a time when it could have resulted in serious consequences for their event.
So why stay in Florida when the government seems determined to erase certain voices? The answer is because the state does not represent the majority of its citizens, and Popcorn Frights Film Festival’s success is proof of that. While being committed to amplifying marginalized horror artists, the festival has achieved consistent growth across its nine editions, culminating in the 2023 festival that drew over 10,000 attendees. This year’s program showcased an impressive 119 films, encompassing 51 features and 68 shorts representing 20 countries. In response to various disasters and government policies impacting Florida, the festival has actively organized fundraising campaigns, including a fundraiser screening of Hellraiser I and II for the Our Fund Foundation in 2022 in response to the Don’t Say Gay Bill, a fundraiser event to support victims of the Surfside building collapse in 2021 and leading a fundraiser to aid Hurricane Irma victims in 2017. So, while we wait for a more inclusive state government to be chosen in the next election, the scrappy, hardy horror kids of Florida, including the Popcorn Frights crew, will remain here to prove that kindness and acceptance reigns in our community.
