The PollyGrind Film Festival, also known as simply Pollygrind and the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival, was an annual event held in Las Vegas, Nevada that specialized "in all things alternative, with a wide variety of films not shown elsewhere."[1] Spotlighting short films, feature-length films, music videos and trailers of all genres, PollyGrind was founded by filmmaker and promoter Chad Clinton Freeman. The event prided itself on focusing on individuality, diversity, creativity and empowerment. Vegas Seven has said PollyGrind is a "celebration of all things, dark, bloody, underground and arthouse."[2]
History
The event gave a slew of awards that are quite different than most festivals. Those include The Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind, Best Use of Nudity/Sexuality, Best Use of Violence/Gore, Most Outrageous, and Most Creative. There is also a Bad Girl Award and an Ultimate Badass Award.
Started in 2010,[3] PollyGrind's first year was a five-night event "with over a dozen features, plus tons of short films, trailers and music videos; the quality ranged from borderline incompetent to undiscovered genius, virtually all within the confines of horror and sci-fi."[4] Arrowinthehead.com declared the event a "B-movie jamboree of awesomeness" that "only Vegas has the balls to host." [5]
The second installment of the festival included more than 100 films over a span of 10 days.[6] Programming ranged from campy horror B-movies to extreme, underground and avant-garde films [7] and according to Robin Leach featured "every night creature from hookers to zombies." [8]
DreadCentral.com noted that "PollyGrind has quickly made a name for itself as one of the up-and-coming premiere genre fests out there due to the success of each year of programming." [9] Filmmaker Adam Rehmeier, whose film The Bunny Game was banned by the British Board of Film Classification right after playing the event,[10] called the festival a display of cinema's "bastards and red-headed step children."[9]
MovieMaker magazine named PollyGrind to its 2014 list of "50 festivals worth the entry fee"[11] and its 2012 list of "25 festivals worth the entry fee."[12] The festival was also named to MovieMaker's 2013 "Top 5 Coolest Experiemntal/Underground Film Festivals."[13]
As of 2013, PollyGrind is a member of Film Exchange,[14] a multi-market screening network composed of regional U.S. and International film festivals. Select winners at PollyGrind advance to screen at the RxSM Self-Medicated Film Expo (RxSM), which takes place in Austin, Texas each year alongside South by Southwest.
Starting in 2014, feature film official selections at the festival will also be looked at for distribution through its new label PollyGrind Presents,[15] while short films will be considered for special features and compilation releases through a number of outlets.
In regards to successes of the festival, filmmaker Eric Stanze noted in his 2014 Fearnet column that Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska of American Mary fame and Calvin Reeder of The Rambler and V/H/S received "major boosts in their careers when their early works won key awards at the fest." He also noted "Randy Moore’s 2013 Sundance Official Selection Escape from Tomorrow was first an Official Selection of PollyGrind in 2012."[16]
2014 marked the final year of the festival. While it may be resurrected in the future, as of summer 2015, it was no longer in operation.[17][18]
Award winners
2014
THE BIG THREE
Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind (Grand Jury Prize) – The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper dir. by Albert Pyun
(First Runner Up)
Best Dark Comedy
Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla dir. by Stuart Simpson
(Second Runner Up)
Best Documentary
Rebel Scum dir. by Video Rahim
AUDIENCE CHOICE
Favorite Film – Heidi dir. by Daniel Ray
(First Runner Up)
Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla dir. by Stuart Simpson
(Second Runner Up)
Rebel Scum dir. by Video Rahim
BEST OF THE REST
Best Action Film – Teddy Bomb dir. by Justin Decloux
Best Arthouse Film – Memory Lane dir. by Shawn Holmes
Best Crime Film – The Black Tape dir. by Ramone Menon
Best Thriller – The Badger Game dir. by Joshua Wagner and Thomas Zambeck
Best Horror Film – Charlie’s Farm dir. by Christopher Sun
Best Fantasy Film – Army of Frankensteins dir. by Ryan Bellgardt
Best Foreign Language Film – Tombville dir. by Nikolas ListBest of Zombiepalooza
FPS - First Person Shooter dir. by Andreas Luetzelschwab
Best Super Hero Film – Um Conto De Batman: Na Psicose Do Ventríloquo dir. by Elvis DelBagno
Best Drama – See You Next Tuesday dir. by Drew Tobia
Best Nevada Film – Heidi dir. by Daniel Ray
DIRECTING
Best Director – Albert Pyun, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Woman Director – Erin Davies, Fagbug Nation
Director on the Rise – Stuart Simpson, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
ACTING
Best Overall Individual Performance – Glenn Maynard, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
Best Overall Cast – Charlie’s Farm
Tara Reid, Nathan Jones, Bill Moseley, Kane Hodder, Allira Jaques, Genna Chanelle Hayes, Dean Kirkright, Madeleine Kennedy, David Beamish, Cameron Caulfield, Darrell Plumridge, Sam Coward, Lindsay Edgecomb, Brad Bromfield, Robert J. Mussett, Justin Gerardin, Trudi Ross, Colin Dixon, Mark E Darin, and Brad Avcin
Best Actor – Shane Ryan, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Actress – Tommie Vegas, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Supporting Actor – Tomer Shechori, Scrambled
Best Supporting Actress – Jillian Leigh, The Badger Game
Supporting Actress - Newcomer Award – Brittany Bochart, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Actress on the Rise – Joei Fulco, Heidi
Best Cameo Appearance – Kane Hodder, Charlie’s Farm
BEST OF CATEGORIES
Best Screenplay – Cynthia Curnan, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Cinematography –Michael Su, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Visual Effects – Charlie’s Farm
Best Song – Rebel Scum
Best Film Score – Tony Riparetti, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Editing – Daniel Ray, Heidi
Best Sound Design – Tony Riparetti, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Production Design – Michael Tushaus and Kelly Schwarze, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Makeup – Amanda Martinez, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
Best Poster – Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
Best Key Art – Glenn Cochrane, The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper
BEST USE OF
Best Use of Nudity/Sexuality – Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
Best Use of Violence/Gore – Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
Best Use of Music – The Beauty Strip
Most Outrageous – Rebel Scum
Most Creative – Memory Lane
Most Heart – Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla
Most Thought-Provoking Film – Love Child
Most Cool – The Badger Game
SPECIAL POLLYGRIND AWARDS
Bad Girl Award – Tara Reid, Charlie’s Farm
Ultimate Badass Award – Nathan Jones, Charlie’s Farm
It Came From the 90s Award – Hi-8: Horror Independent 8
Best Title Award – Lust of the Vampire Girls
Best Use of Inanimate Objects – Teddy Bomb
Heidi
The Willy B – Heidi
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Filmmaker of a Different Breed – Ted V. Mikels
Glen Coburn
Distributor of a Different Breed – Wild Eye Releasing
Advocate of a Different Breed – theatre7
Weng’s Chop
Hype Man of a Different Breed – Flavor Flav
2014 POLLYGRIND ROYALTY
Queen – Tommie Vegas
King – Doug Farra
Prince – David Rosen
Princess – Joei Fulco
MEDIUM FILMS, SHORTS, TRAILERS AND PROMOS
Best Medium Film – The Beauty Strip dir. by G. Correli
Best Transgression Medium Film – The Sex Doll She-Bitch dir. by Jaison H. Costley
Best Short – Cassandra dir. by Guy-Roger Duvert
Best Shortest Short (Under 5 Minutes) – The Small Stuff dir. by Andrea Capere
Best Foreign Language Short – O Corpo dir. by Rodrigo Lopes de Barros
Best Horror Short – The Last Halloween dir. by Marc Roussel
Best Drama Short – (tie) Forgive Me dir by. Nicholas Lamoreux
(tie) Go North dir. by Vanita Shastry
Best Experimental Short – The Return dir. by Ada Athorp and Adrian Frost
Best Dark Comedy Short – Cask of Amontillado dir. by Jeff Freeman
Best Fantasy Short – Freak dir. by Joshua Cockfield
Best Crime Short – Penance dir. Joe Lujan
Best Animated Short – Theres an Octopus in Your Head dir. by Ari Grabb
Best of Zombiepalooza – Naked Zombie Girl dir. Rickey Bird Jr.
Best Science Fiction Short – Quintipus dir. by Victoria Angell
Best Arthouse Short – Nayan and the Evil Eye dir. by Shaleen Sangha
Best Exploitation Short – 32 dir. by Daren McCoy
Best Transgression Short – No Pets Allowed dir. Nadine L'Esperance
Best Thriller Short – Black Mask dir. by Alex Colonna
Best Action Short – Aakra-Man dir. by Mihir Desai
Best Film Noir Short – Pity dir. John Pata
Best Timed Competition Film Project – Never Have I Ever dir. by Jonathan Robbins
Best Nevada Short – The Gradations of Purgatory dir. by Douglas Farra
Best Super Hero Short – Supergirl: Strange in A Strange Land dir. by Walter Jones
Best of World of Death – (tie) Manscapping dir. by Mike Lenzini
(tie) Milk dir. James Chappell & Patrick Irving
Best Documentary Short – Alternative Model dir. by Brian Lally
Best Actor – Stephen Manley, Black Mask / The Gradations of Purgatory
Best Actress – Sheetal Sheth, Go North
Best Supporting Actor – William Grefe, Cask of Amontillado
Best Supporting Actress – Hannah Waterbury, 32
Best Director – Marc Roussel, The Last Halloween
Best Woman Director – Vanita Shastry, Go North
Best Director Under 21 – Nicholas Lamoreux, Forgive Me
Best Screenplay – Daren McCoy, 32
Best Music Video – If Only Tonight I Could Sleep by David Rosen dir. by Douglas Farra
Best International Music Video – Violence Done Well dir. by Maida Hals
Best Music Video Song – Shoot 4 The Sky by Doms Gauge
Best Experimental Music Video – Gimme the Sweet and Lowdown dir. by Vira Ishchuk and Olga Ishchuk
Music Video Honorable Mentions – Pretty In The Dark dir. by Herman Wang
Artful Dodger dir. by Felipe P. Soares
Best Fake Trailer – Poultrygeist dir. by Lisa Jay
Best Real Trailer – Atelophobia dir. by Joe Lujan
Best Promo – Art Free World dir. by Sarah Lew
Best Television Episode or Webisode – Bad Guys, Episode 2: 9:47AM dir. by Vincent McLean
Best Television or Web Series – The Haunted World of Claire Wilmenson dir. by Dustin Austen, Emmy Johnson, Nicole Duff, and Savannah Salmons
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Best Screenplay – Cop's Wife by Deirdre Patterson
Best Screenplay Short – The Terrorist by Charlotte Lyons
Best Television or Webseries Screenplay – Super Brains by Joseph Hedley Wilson and Ted Janet
2013
Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind — Desolate (Rob Grant)
Best Nontraditional Film Experience — JONAS (Adam Rehmeier)
Best Drama — Boys Cry (Mitchel A. Jones)
Audience's Favorite Feature — Truth or Dare (Jessica Cameron)
Best Woman Director — Lindsay Denniberg (Video Diary of a Lost Girl)
Best Female Short Film Director — Jennifer Campbell (Hike)
Director on the Rise — Henry Weintraub (Killing Me)
Director Showcase Award — Richard Griffin (The Disco Exorcist / Exhumed)
Best Overall Individual Performance — Michael Thomson as Derek in Daddy's Little Girl
Best Overall Cast — Debbie Rochon as Governess, Michael Reed as Chris, Evalena Marie as Rocki, Sarah Nicklin as Laura, Jocelyn Padilla as Cute College Girl, Nathaniel Sylva as Matthew. Jonathan Thomson as Nate, Rich Tretheway as Lance, & Michael Thurber as Butler in Exhumed
The Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind — The Bunny Game (Adam Rehmeier)
Best Horror Film — The Super (Evan Makrogiannis / Brian Weaver)
Best Exploitation Film — Dear God No! (James Bickert)
Best Experimental Film — Zooey & Adam (Sean Garrity)
Best Action Film — 25K (Billy Chase Goforth)
Best Crime Film — Ratline (Eric Stanze)
Best Dark Comedy — The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol (Aramis Sartorio)
Best Documentary — Run Run It's Him (Matthew Pollack)
Best of Zombiepalooza — Ashes (Elias Matar)
Best Sound Design — The Bunny Game (Adam Rehmeier)
Best Director — The Super (Evan Makrogiannis / Brian Weaver)
Best Screenplay — Butterfly (Edward E. Romero)
Best Cinematography — The Bunny Game (Adam Rehmeier)
Best Editing — The Bunny Game (Adam Rehmeier)
Best Overall Individual Performance in a Film — Rodleen Getsic as Bunny in The Bunny Game
Best Overall Cast — Demetri Kallas as George Rossi, Lynn Lowry as Maureen Rossi, Ron Braunstein as Det. Sardusky, Manoush as Olga, Ruby Larocca as Karen, Edgar Moye as Andre, Brandon Slagle as Franny the Tranny, with David Francis Calderazzo, Bill McLaughlin, Raine Brown and Kathryn Zawiski in The Super
Best Actor — Aramis Sartorio as Tommy Pistol in The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol
Best Actress — Mandi Kreisher as Laney Darrow, Butterfly
Best Supporting Actor — Brett Hundley as Tommy Spioch in Frankie in Blunderland
Best Supporting Actress — Manoush as Olga in The Super
Best Cameo Appearance — Evan Stone as The Butterfly in Frankie in Blunderland
Best Use of Nudity/Sexuality — Planet of the Vampire Women (Darin Wood)