James Felix McKenney's EIGHTEEN REINDEER

 

James Felix McKenney's low-fi experimental short holiday film EIGHTEEN REINDEER premieres today as part of the 2018 Creepy Christmas online film festival.

Watch all the films at creepychristmasfest.com!

You can also watch McKenney's 2008 short, DECEMBER 23rd, from the last Creepy Christmas festival here.

The Return of the Creepy Christmas Film Festival!

 

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first one, the 2018 Creepy Christmas Film Festival debuts online December 1st with the first short in the series, followed by a new film appearing every day until the titular holiday.

Featuring films by Larry Fessenden (HABIT), Jenn Wexler (THE RANGER), Glenn McQuaid (I SELL THE DEAD), Graham Reznick (DEADWAX), Mickey Keating (PSYCHOPATHS), Joe Maggio (BITTER FEAST), JT Petty (HELLBENDERS), James Felix McKenney (SATAN HATES YOU), and festival founder and curator, Beck Underwood, this is a horrific cinematic advent calendar that’s not to be missed!

The festive fun starts on December 1st at:
creepychristmasfest.com

Read more about it at Rue Morgue!

First Annual Great Western Catskills International Film Festival Film Schedule and Details Announced

 

The Great Western Catskills International Film Festival, co-founded by James Felix McKenney and Lisa Wisely, will make its debut in the town of Andes, New York in Delaware County, New York on Friday, October 19th through Sunday, October 21st. Screenings and events, including a spotlight on local filmmakers with appearances from those creators, will be hosted throughout the hamlet of Andes through the three days with the three primary locations slated to be Wayside Cider Tap Room at 55 Redden Lane, The Andes Hotel at 110 Main Street and Streamside Studio at 506 Main Street, all in Andes.

“We are thrilled to be showcasing almost 90 films in all genres over the three-day festival” notes Festival Director Lisa Wisely. “We are also super excited to welcome at least fifty different filmmakers and their guests to Delaware County for what we hope to be a beautiful fall weekend.”
Highlights of the festival include The Ranger (Friday, October 19th at 7pm at Wayside Cider), a punk rock slasher film starring Chloe Levine and Jeremy Holm and shot in part in the Catskills. In the spirit of the Halloween season, the festival is excited to showcase “Thrilling and Chilling Shorts” (Sunday, October 21st at 1pm at Wayside Cider) and the films of horror auteur and Catskills resident Larry Fessenden when the festival screens several of Fessenden’s films including Wendigo starring Patrick Clarkson, Jake Weber and Erik Per Sullivan as well as The Last Winter featuring Ron Perlman, Connie Britton and James Le Gros.

The festival also has a variety of showcases featuring local talent including “Raining Hell” by Bovina filmmaker Chris Ingvordsen (Friday, October 19th at 8:30 at Streamside Yoga) and a series called “Start Your Engines!” which features a number films related cars, travel, trucks and racing, also by Bovinian filmmakers Mark Foster and John Finn. Other films with local connections include “Animals” by Jason Moore (Friday, October 19th at 5pm at Wayside Cider), a dark comedy shot exclusively in Walton and “Summers with Helen” (Saturday, October 20th at 3pm at the Andes Hotel) by Elaine Miles, a  conceptual documentary about two older women on summer vacations in the Catskills.

“We were really excited about the number of film submissions we received that included stories of service and the military,” says Festival Programmer, James Felix McKenney. This includes the film Surviving Home by Jillian Moul and Matthew Moul (Saturday, October 20th at 7pm at The Andes Hotel) which explores an incredible eight-year journey of U.S. military veterans from four generations as they discover unique ways to overcome post-war challenges, transforming their lives and continuing their service to others, as well as, A Soldier’s Dream, by Eduardo Montes-Bradley. This film is an intimate portrait of POW captured at The Battle of The Bulge who stood proud as an American Jew in the face of his Nazi captors.

The festival is made possible in part by a grant program administered through the Delaware County Occupancy Tax fund that provides various grants to selected projects that increase tourism and enhance arts and culture in the county. It’s is also made possible by the generous contribution of the festival sponsor Hazen Reed and Susan Muther, the Catskill Country Living Team at Keller Williams.
The full listing of all 90 films can be found at the official festival website at gwciff.com.

AuthorCon / ParaHorror Festival

James Felix McKenney will be appearing at Author Con / Para Horror Festival in Oneonta, NY on October 12 & 13.

A screening of three of our films, The Off Season, Satan Hates You and Automatons will take place starting at 3:00pm on Friday. On Saturday, McKenney will host a filmmaking panel at 5pm.

Tickets are available at the festival website.

Indie Science Fiction Cinema

 

Check out this wonderful book by Kathleen Fernandez-Vander Kaay and Chris Vander Kaay covering a wide range of recent SF films that includes a section on our film AUTOMATONS with an interview with James Felix McKenney, as well as discussions with other filmmakers about their modern SF movies.

Pick up Indie Science Fiction Cinema Today: Conversations with 21st Century Filmmakers today!

Coming to Oneonta, NY this October!

Three of our films, The Off Season, Automatons and Satan Hates You will be screening back-to-back this October in Oneonta, NY!

Writer-Director James Felix McKenney will be at the screenings to introduce the movie and for a Q&A.

It's all part of the Authorcon-Screamfest weekend where James will also be appearing.

Info and tickets available at: Authorcon-Screamfest.com

Before Geeks Were Cool Episode 73: Micro Memories

 

The World’s Worst Podcast returns with another rambling tangent-filled episode as Laree and Jim take a trip to inner space to reminisce about their favorite childhood toy line, the Micronauts!

Collect them all on iTunes!

Announcing the Geeks Away Travel Guide!

Search for nerdy fun by city, state or zip code on Geeks Away
March 27, 2018

The Geek’s Away Travel Guide is every science fiction, comic book, anime, fantasy, gaming and horror fan’s tour guide to the nerdiest attractions in America (and eventually, other places in the world!). Search by state, city or zip code for listings of geek-approved shops, exhibits, film locations and other destinations that no self-respecting pop culture fan should miss.

Created by filmmaker, writer, artist and lifelong geek James Felix McKenney, the guide currently lives on the web at geeksaway.com with an Android app currently available and an app for iPhone and iPad coming within the next few weeks.

“The idea came to me when my friend and co-host of my podcast, Before Geeks Were Cool, was coming from Los Angeles to visit me in New York,” says McKenney. “We were planning on spending some time going to comic shops, toy stores and other geeky attractions in NYC before heading to Pennsylvania to visit the Frank Frazetta Museum, so I started looking for guides to other nerdy stuff we could do on the trip in between. I was really surprised to find that such a geek guide didn’t exist, so I set out to remedy that.”

McKenney stresses that the online guide is a work in progress with hundreds of listings currently featured with more being added every day. “There are already sites online to locate comic book shops or that list convention schedules, so we’re really focused on geeky art galleries, arcade bars, gaming stores with unique events, nerdy roadside attractions, theme restaurants and filming locations from genre movies, as well as a few ‘destination’ comic shops and other places of interest.” Visitors are also welcome to contact Geeks Away via the website to suggest listings.

So whether you’re traveling to a new state or just wondering what you may be missing in your own neighborhood, Geeks Away is here to make sure you don’t miss out on any fun!

geeksaway.com

instagram.com/geeksaway
facebook.com/GeeksAway
twitter.com/GeeksAway

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.geeksaway

Submit Your Film to the Great Western Catskills International Film Festival

Calling all filmmakers!

The first ever Great Western Catskills International Film Festival will be held in town of Andes, New York for one weekend this fall. Come experience the best in independent film from all over the world. Screening times will be announced as the films are chosen for the festival.

We are now accepting submissions! Great Western Catskills International Film Festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway.com. FilmFreeway offers free HD online screeners, unlimited video storage, digital press kits, and more.

As we are a new festival, we are currently not in a position to offer entry fee waivers.

Submit your film now on FilmFreeway!

Before Geeks Were Cool Podcast Movie Club: Escape from New York!

 

Laree and Jim talk about John Carpenter's action classic. Get it on iTunes!

Candyland in the Catskills!

Our short film, Candyland, will screen as part of The Roxbury Arts Group’s Frame of Mind Film Series which features films from local filmmakers that are timely to our community and national conversations. Q&As with producers, directors and cast members follow each screening.

Candyland will screen in March 24 at 4:00pm followed by a Q&A with Lisa Wisely, Screenwriter and James Felix McKenney, Director.

The Roxbury Arts Group in located 5025 Vega Mountain Road in Roxbury, NY 12474. Tickets are available at the RAG website.

Before Geeks Were Cool Podcast - Episode 71: Return of the Wonder Twins!

 

The World’s Worst Podcast is back to talk about Laree and Jim’s favorite Hanna Barbara cartoons. Tune in on iTunes!

Further Exhumed!

A big thank you to Dustin McNeill for the mention, as well as the recommendation, of our film Satan Hates You in his new book Further Exhumed, the follow up to his wonderful Phantasm Exhumed. Both books are available on Amazon!

Two Dark Birds Music Video Makes its Debut on Culture Collide!

Directed by James Felix McKenney, the music video for song “Who Will Call you Home for the Night?” by Two Dark Birds has just made its debut on Culture Collide. Watch it now and be sure to share it with your friends!

Adventure Dice Candy Returns!

 

Back by popular demand for Valentine’s Day! For a limited time only, Adventure Dice Candy is available once again on Etsy! Get yours now before they’re gone!

etsy.com/shop/monsterpantz

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