Warped Dimension is an Online-Only festival presented Live on the Zoom platform. The next edition will run May 13th & 14th, 2023. It is presented by members of the team at Another Hole in the Head--San Francisco’s longest-running genre film festival (www.ahith.com). Not to be confused with our 19th Annual primary fest coming later in 2022 (www.filmfreeway.com/SanFranciscoAnotherHoleintheHead), this is an entirely separate event. And as the name suggests, this festival is dedicated to the Odd, the Eerie, and yes—the Warped!
The films will be streamed to a registered audience via the Zoom platform (www.zoom.us) at scheduled intervals (no VOD). Filmmakers are expected to join us on Zoom for their shows and participate in live post-screening Q&A sessions. These sessions will be moderated by our staff, who will ask some preliminary questions, and then pass along the questions submitted by the audience.
We’re looking for Short Films, Featurettes, and Features that fit one or more of the following categories:
• Science Fiction – Narratives involving speculative elements of technology and science (this includes chemistry, biology, etc.).
• Fantasy - Narratives of magic, myth, or wonder, in real or imaginary settings.
• Action/Adventure - Narratives of quest and discovery with possible elements of combat, violence, and/or pursuit.
• Horror - Frightening, shocking, or suspenseful narratives with supernatural or other fantastic elements.
• Western - In addition to stories of America's "Old West," narratives with similar themes set in other times and locations are included.
• Crime - Includes "Heist" or "Caper" films along with Police Procedurals, with an emphasis on professional/for-profit crime as opposed to crimes of passion (which fall into several of our other categories).
• Fan Films - Narratives or Supercuts/FanEdits which function as tributes to specific titles or franchises from Film/TV/Literature (including Comics).
• Slasher/Splatter - Narratives that involve multiple incidents of extreme violence and gore. Usually involves one or more perpetrators stalking multiple victims.
• Thriller/Suspense - Suspenseful narratives without any Fantasy or Science Fiction elements.
• Mystery/Noir - Detective stories and other narratives involving investigations into matters that are usually concealed from the audience as well as the characters.
• Animation - Includes cartoons, stop-motion, CGI, etc.
• Documentary – Non-fictional depictions of subject matter which must be closely related to the other festival categories.
• Art/Experimental - Narrative and non-narrative films with surreal, symbolic, or abstract elements, and/or films employing unconventional production techniques.
• Music Video - Short films showcasing a piece of music in the soundtrack, with narrative or non-narrative visual content which must be closely related to the other festival categories.
• Warped Musical - Films of any length which employ elements of singing and/or dancing to advance the narrative, the content of which must be closely related to the other festival categories, .
• Warped Comedy - Dark or Off-the-Wall humor, including Horror/Sci-Fi Comedies, spoofs of Action/Adventure films, or any comedic films that have dark, surreal, or oddball elements, especially as they relate to the other listed categories.
Our audience will use Zoom’s polling function to rate each film they view. The most highly-rated films will receive Audience Awards: one Feature, one Featurette, and one Short Film in each Regional (US, Foreign, Local) and Genre category, as well as an award for Best Student Film.*
In addition, four Staff Awards will be given: Favorite Feature, Favorite Featurette, Favorite Short, and Best Trailer (competition limited to trailers for officially selected films).
*If there aren't enough submissions to make for competition within a category, then a single Audience Award will be given, or the category will be suspended.
2022 Awards
Audience Awards
Top Feature
The Marshmallow Mystery Tour
Top Short Film (tied)
The Gray
Rest
Best US Feature Film
Zero Budget Heroes:
The Legend of Chris Seaver & Low Budget Pictures
Best US Short Film
Hysteric
Best Foreign Film
Whistle and I Will Come
Best Animated Film
Jason Pell’s Pinpricks
Best Art/Experimental Film
The Sword That Waits
Best Comedy Feature Film
Artists in Agony:
Hitmen at the Coda Teahouse
Best Comedy Short Film
Vampire Bud:
Night of the Living Bud
Best Fantasy Film
The Larvae
Best Horror Film
POSSESSIONS
Best Music Video
Lunatic Asylum Blues
Best Slasher/Splatter Film
Hellswine 2
2022 Staff Awards
Staff Favorite Film
An Introduction to the Theory of Eclipses
Best Trailer
Jason Pell’s Pinpricks