Salty Horror International Film Festival (SHIFF) 2015 went in a new direction for 2015 since its first year in 2015. The all horror film festival, Utah’s only horror film fest, has been scaring Utahns since 2010 and this year marked the first year horror films met horror art.
2015 saw the merging of horror/dark art with horror short films as on Oct. 7 Salty Horror and the Urban Arts Gallery (UAG) merged forces to unveil an art exhibit featuring Utah artists and their darker edged art. Utah artists such as Vanessa Colunga, Armando Mata, Mary Ann Hess, Taylor Maguire and many more artists filled the UAG inside Gateway mall with horror photography, paintings, 3D art and multiple formatted art for this dark arts show running through Nov. 1 at the UAG.
The Urban Arts Gallery told Utah Geek Magazine that Salty Horror wanting to fuse horror short films and art made sense and wanted to support horror filmmakers and horror art at the same time. Oct. 7 was the first time horror films and art were merged at the Downtown Salt Lake gallery that changes themed shows almost monthly and saw an opportunity to try something new.
Salty Horror creator and festival director Mario DeAngelis said, “This year, it was time for something new. We have always wanted to highlight dark art and horror films and this year the Urban Arts Gallery was very receptive to the idea.”
From 13 countries, a total of 27 short horror films were selected into the 2015 slate of films. Most films screened on Oct. 7 and the best of films will show later in October including award winning short films such as The Peripheral and Lapsus. Other award-winning short films as a part of the special screening and the list of winners can be seen on the Salty Horror Facebook page.
Bringing together short films and art is a new direction for Salty Horror. Since 2010 the festival has seen changes in the length of the festival, venue and last year the festival was even merged with a convention atmosphere. “These ideas were tried and saw a fair amount of success but this year we felt going back to the basics and doing a one-night event would be best as the organization looks at the future,” DeAngelis said. The idea is to partner with the UAG once again next year as SHIFF possibly rebrands its image.
2016 may see more changes for SHIFF but next year will absolutely see the film festival aiding in World Horror Con when that convention invades Provo late April 2016. DeAngelis has been asked to be director of the film festival attached to the horror convention which moves cities every year. Next year the town that will host WHC is Provo. This will be yet another way SHIFF has attempted to participate and support other film festivals and conventions. Since 2010 SHIFF has partnered and/or help to sponsor Park City Film Music Festival, Salt Lake Film Festival, An October Evening and several other Utah film festivals.