The 9th Annual Portland Horror Film Festival took place June 5th-9th at the Hollywood Theater and Clinton Street Theater in Portland, OR. The festival is known for their mission of having a diverse program lineup of indie horror films and this year, they delivered yet again.
With 70 short films and features on their program this year, almost half of them were directed by women and include films from Queer, Black, Asian, Latinx, and Indian filmmakers.
Although the in person event is over, you can still purchase streaming passes to view films until June 13th, 2024. [Due to streaming rights and agreements with filmmakers, some films that were shown in the theater are not available for streaming.]
Here are some of what we experienced by this diverse lineup:
Ghost Game directed by Jill Gevargizian
Synopsis: Participating in an internet challenge that requires breaking into homes and living undetected alongside the residents, a thrill-seeking couple target an infamous haunted house and endure a series of chilling incidents as they witness a family descending into madness.
Lady Parts directed by Ariel McCleese
Synopsis: Iris learned about wet dreams in health class, but when she dreams about Ellie she gets really, really wet. When her first hookup takes a deadly turn, she learns the truth: she’s dangerous. Now Iris must confront the unique contours of her sexuality before she drowns the girl of her dreams.
Thirsty Thursday directed by Jeff Oliver
Synopsis: When a sacred ritual is interrupted by a clueless frat boy, a coven of Black witches are forced to teach a deadly lesson.
DID I? directed by Sarah Tice (Full Review)
Synopsis: Genevieve attempts to navigate her life with Dissociative Identity Disorder, but begins to see flashbacks of memories she had no part in creating. Nervous of how dangerous she and her alter “Stevie” may be, she descends into hallucinations as she gets closer to the origin of her trauma.
Eat Me directed by Vu Mai
Synopsis: Veruca has an insatiable hunger for…love. She satisfies her appetite by serial dating…one killer mate at a time.
Carnívora directed by Felipe Vargas (which we reviewed for Seattle International Film Festival as well!)
Synopsis: When their mother vanishes, two estranged sisters are forced to caretake for their catatonic grandma… Only to realize that grandma isn’t grandma at all.
Dark Mommy directed by Courtney Eck (another SIFF review)
Synopsis: Ben is the only night shift 911 operator in a small town. His bubble of self-isolation is only ever punctured by drunks or prank calling kids, but tonight Dark Mommy has her own intentions for Ben…and the rest of the town.
My Scary Indian Wedding directed by Ramone Menon
Synopsis: A cursed Bridesmaid is forced to track down and marry her soulmate to escape the wrath of a malevolent demon called The Manglik.
Carnage for Christmas directed by Alice Maio Mackay
Synopsis: When true-crime podcaster & sleuth Lola visits her hometown at Christmas for the first time since running away and transitioning, the vengeful ghost of a historical murderer and urban legend seemingly arises to kill again. She’s up against not only a psychotic killer, but a town haunted by secrets.
Head over to the PHFF website for a full list of films and their streaming programming.
Be sure to come back for a recap and review of what we watched during the event!