Coming soon, just in time for the Halloween season, 502 Lumens will shine a light on independent filmmaking in Louisville.
The 502 Lumens Film Festival will host a one day celebration of local filmmakers with the perfect theme: horror. With Halloween and Samhain so close to the festival 502 Lumens is set to bring the weird and the spooky.
On Sunday, Oct. 20, join 502 Lumens at Portal (1535 Lytle St.) for the all-ages event. From 4 – 9 p.m., get a taste of horror folklore from a murderous scarecrow in the “Legend of Gourdface,” to “Anansi”’s African folk icon weaving a web into the mind of a local man, and finally, a witchy Slavic yarn in “Mind Body Spirit.”
A panel discussion will follow the screenings.
“Louisville has all the style of the Southern Gothic, a macabre sensibility just beneath the surface, like any other American city with a history full of ghosts,” says event producer Aria Baci in a release. “Louisville is also radiant with creativity, especially in storytelling arts like cinema. We are as excited as anyone else about our city becoming a film production hub, but what a lot of Louisvillians might not realize is that there is a kaleidoscopic array of film production in the region already. So rather than waiting for a long-standing film festival to choose Louisville as its new location, we are ecstatic to be able to produce 502 Lumens, which takes an inclusive and multidisciplinary approach to the traditional structure of a film festival.”
The festival is named for the area code of Louisville and the word “lumens” which is a measure of visible light from an illuminated source. There will be an event-exclusive beer from Awry Brewery.
Tickets for 502 Lumens are $15 and seating in first-come, first-served. Follow 502 Lumens on Facebook and Instagram for updates.
More about each film:
“The Legend of Gourdface”
Alyssa Couri and Hunter Hoskins are the co-writers and co-directors of The “Legend of Gourdface,” an homage to childhood favorites “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Goosebumps.” Film Production majors together at UofL, the two are also romantic partners. Their narrative is a love letter to their shared nostalgia for autumn. "Thematically, our project is based around the warm, affectionate, and sometimes foreboding energy that surrounded the fall months as a child — carving jack-o-lanterns, listening to spooky stories, and going trick-or-treating," the couple says. “The Legend of Gourdface” is unrated but is appropriate for all ages. “The Legend of Gourdface” on IMDB.
Anansi
Louisville native Edward Hardin incorporates African folklore into his short film “Anansi.” In this narrative, the folk character Anansi takes the form of a menacing trickster, a spider who weaves a web inside the tragic protagonist’s mindspace. Hardin — the writer, director, producer, and star — says “Anansi” is based on his own lived experience with mental unwellness, especially during the pandemic era. “I wanted to express both the isolating nature of a mental health crisis and the way in which invasive thoughts creep into your life. First you encounter them in passing, unsure if they’re even really there, and then they slowly become ever present.” “Anansi” is unrated, but includes intense themes. Viewer discretion is advised. “Anansi” on IMDB.
Mind Body Spirit
It would be too easy to describe Mind Body Spirit as Yoga With Adriene meets Hereditary, because writer and co-director (with Matthew Merenda) Alex Henes creates something truly unique. Taking an inventive approach to the found footage film, “Mind Body Spirit” makes resourceful use of a small cast to fill the frame with emotion — especially dread. This folkloric horror tale is set in the livestream era, and follows an aspiring yoga influencer as she stumbles from her yoga mat to the depths of arcane spellcraft. Mind Body Spirit is unrated, but features scenes of terror and gore. Viewer discretion is advised. “Mind Body Spirit” on IMDB.
