FILM FESTIVALS
The Grand Rapids Comic-Con Film Festival exists to support independent filmmakers, particularly those who have made short films for audiences who love science fiction, fantasy, action, comedy, animation, superheroes, and other nerd-oriented genres.
Live Action Short
Grindhouse Short
This is our more adult-oriented category. Films may contain content equivalent to an R rating. Relevant genres for this category include horror, thriller, science fiction, action, and R-rated animation.
Nobody will be allowed to enter this film festival that is under the age of 17 unless they are accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
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“Grindhouse” refers to a bygone era of movie theaters that mostly specialized in B-pictures of all kinds of “nerdy” genres and foreign films long before these genres were mainstream. These theaters starting popping up in the late 1920’s in mostly closed Vaudevillian theaters in more undesirable downtown neighborhoods. When mainstream movie theaters began moving out to the suburbs in the 1950’s the now-irrelevent downtown palace-style theaters gravitated toward more grindhouse-style cinema in an effort to stay open.
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July 14, 2023: Regular Deadline
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August 18, 2023: Late Deadline
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September 8, 2023: Extended Deadline
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October 1, 2023: Notification Date
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November 3 – 5, 2023: Event Date
Short films (narrative, documentary, and experimental) no longer than 25 minutes. Films in this category must be appropriate for a family audience (rating equivalent of G, PG, or PG-13).
Animated Short
Animated short films (minimum 90%animated) of any genre no longer than 25 minutes. Films in this category must be appropriate for a family audience (rating equivalent of G, PG, or PG-13).