Meet Felix Gilfedder, he’s an independent filmmaker from Glasgow, Scotland. Having fallen in love with filmmaking at the tender age of eight, he has since gone on to make ten independent short films and picked up a couple of awards along the way. He even managed to find time to study towards a Masters in History.
What really interests See Horror is his passion for horror films and the product of it – an app available on both Android and the iPhone entitled Popcorn Horror. The premise is a simple one, Popcorn Horror showcases horror shorts from around the world. Films range from two to six minutes long. This perfectly reflects the modern lifestyle and embraces mobile technology. Sure, we have the capacity to put Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom, in its entirety, on our smartphone – should we feel the need, but is that really going along with the spirit of things? Mobile distractions are perfect for commuting, or whilst waiting for a friend, but they’re rarely practical for tucking into feature-length films.
This is what Felix Gilfedder had to say about Popcorn Horror, “We didn’t want to try and do too much. The aim is simple – to connect horror/film fans with the very best and most exciting horror films from around the world, ‘on the move’.”
The motivations behind the idea are great, but what of the content and frequency of updates? Felix explains, “We provide a weekly horror kick. We have some really fantastic films coming up. I also wanted the app to be empowering for filmmakers (being one myself) that’s why we pay for content and promote our filmmakers.”
So far, so good and there are plans for growth. Felix, “We want to expand the app over the next six months, to include a free trailer system for independent horror films and we will be asking horror artists to send in their posters, we will then host them on our merchandise store, embed them in our poster page on the app and users will be able to buy the posters with the artists receiving money for their work – I have lots of exciting ideas.”
As passionate horror enthusiasts we were particularly attracted to the ethos of Popcorn Horror, so downloaded a couple of versions for both Android and iPhone. We have primarily tested the app on iPhone and have to say we’re incredibly impressed. Whilst each short won’t be to everybody’s liking there’s enough diversity from short-to-short that there will be something for everybody within the genre. Transit, Incubator and Son of a Dog are particular highlights. Not only is this a great way to pass the time, but it’s a perfect insight into a multitude of filmmakers’ mind. If you find a short you enjoy, then you’ll find you want to delve into the filmmakers’ back catalogue. This both provides the user with a great horror film experience and gives the filmmaker exposure. Indeed, if this were to have a wide enough audience, it would be entirely plausible to envisage bigger projects being commissioned off the strength of the shorts displayed here.
If you enjoy the app, consider becoming a premium member for extra content and to keep the project alive. This is a very impressive addition to the horror community, but the budget isn’t limitless and it won’t continue forever without our support.
So enough of our opinion, please find below one of the shorts from Popcorn Horror – O Risco (The Line) – and let us know in the comment section what you think to this innovative new app? We love it.
MICHAEL WILSON
For further information please visit Popcorn Horror Official website or Popcorn Horror on Facebook
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