Last Sunday, the Housecore™ Horror Film Festival unveiled the 1st Rot-Scars nominees and winners inside Emo’s in front of nearly 1,500 excited fest-goers. Festival co-founder Corey Mitchell declared of the unique setting: “These filmmakers deserve a chance to be treated like rock stars, so what better place to reward them than on stage with the likes of Eyehategod, Philip Anselmo, and Goblin?”
The Rot-Scars, whose unique design are the brainchild of sculptor Johnny Edwards (pictured above with HHFF co-founder Philip Anselmo), were handed out to several winners by awards show hosts Chuck Loesch of Austin’s 101X’s “No Control” radio program and Judas Priestess vocalist Militia Vox. The rowdy duo took over between each act that graced the big stage during the final night of HHFF. They were accompanied by the frightening strains of death metal piano performed by San Antonio’s Goatcraft.
After each winner was announced, those who were present were summoned to the stage in front of an incredible lectern/podium designed specifically for HHFF and the Rot-Scars by Michigan’s Ryanne Clifton and Jerry Dennis. The skeletal-film-reels-encased-in-barbed-wire-and-steel-podium was the perfect emblem for the entire HHFF. Winners were asked to down a shot of a Black Tooth Grin, a creation of the late Dimebag Darrell, and to sing one line from a heavy metal song, oftentimes with hilarious results.
The first annual (?) Rot-Scars were a huge hit as it kept the crowd from getting bored during band set changeovers, gave the audience something exciting to cheer for, and rewarded some amazing new talented filmmakers. The future of horror is in excellent hands and those hands left Texas clutching well-deserved Rot-Scars for their efforts.
Here are the nominees and winners of the 2013 Housecore™ Horror Film Festival Rot-Scars:
WORST BAD GUY (chosen by Bill Moseley of House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects)
Jeffrey Combs – Motivational Growth
Albert DeSalvo – Stranglehold
Randall Godwin – Cut/Print
Kane Hodder – Exit To Hell
Ethan Philbeck – Found.
WINNER – Kane Hodder – Exit To Hell
HEAVY METAL HYSTERIA (chosen and presented by Chuck Loesch)
Becyk
Black Metal
Cooking With Phil Anselmo
Necronomica
WINNER – Black Metal
BEST TRAILER (chosen by Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse)
Alex
Hell No
Mister Fister
WINNER – Alex (directed by Florian Frerichs)
BEST SCORE/SOUNDTRACK (chosen by Joe Bishara – Composer of INSIDIOUS, INSIDIOUS: SECOND CHAPTER, THE CONJURING)
Jason Farmer – Someday
Martin Gauthier – Ethereal Chrysalis
Stuart Rau/Jack Lenz – Zombex
WINNER – Jason Farmer – Someday
BEST HERO
Gavin Brown – Found.
Ana Fernandez – Horizonte
Jessi Gotta – They Will Outlive Us All
Annika Ryberg Whittenbury – Evaded
WINNER – Gavin Brown – Found.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO (chosen by Scott Ian of Anthrax)
The Atlas Moth – “Your Calm Waters”
Job For A Cowboy – “Tarnished Gluttony”
Mississippi Witch – “Bite Horse”
Rwake – “It Was Beautiful, But Now It’s Sour”
WINNER – Mississippi Witch – “Bite Horse”
SCARIEST MOVIE (chosen by Bill Moseley of House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects)
Don’t Move
Found.
Grandpa
Moderngrumble
WINNER – Found.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat
Birth Of The Living Dead
Escape From Hellview
The Poor Man
WINNER – Abyssus Abyssum Invocat (directed by Wes Simpkins)
MOST REPULSIVE FLICK (chosen and presented by Scott Carlson and Matt Olivo of Repulsion)
Cut/Print
Exit To Hell
Thanatomorphose
The Whore Church, Vol. 1
WINNER – Thanatomorphose (directed by Éric Falardeau)
BEST DOCUMENTARY (chosen by John Borowski, director of ALBERT FISH and CARL PANZRAM)
Art/Crime
Birth Of The Living Dead
Death Metal Angola
Fantasm
WINNER – Art/Crime (directed by Frédérick Maheux)
BEST SHORT (chosen by Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites co-directors of Until The Light Takes Us)
Don’t Move
Grandpa
Hennes Svarta Vingar
Melon Head
Thoughts About Dying
WINNER – Thoughts About Dying (directed by Jani Ilokämi)
BEST SCREENWRITER (selected and presented by Mike IX Williams of Eyehategod)
Jason Farmer – Someday
Nathaniel Nose & Vince Orlando – Cut/Print
Todd Rigney & Scott Schirmer – Found.
Don Thacker – Motivational Growth
WINNER – Don Thacker – Motivational Growth
BEST DIRECTOR
Martin Ahlin – Hennes Sverta Vingar
Éric Falaradeau – Thanatomorphose
Andy Fortenbacher – Melon Head
Don Thacker – Motivational Growth
Scott Schirmer – Found.
WINNER – Éric Falaradeau – Thanatomorphose
BEST ACTRESS
Ana Fernandez – Horizonte
Jessi Gotta – They Will Outlive Us All
Emily Kaye – Zombex
Kayden Rose – Thanatomorphose
Annika Ryberg Whittenbury – Evaded
WINNER – Kayden Rose – Thanatomorphose
BEST ACTOR
Tim Abell – Burn
Adrian DiGiovanni – Motivational Growth
Ethan Philbeck – Found.
Jonathan Spencer – Melon Head
Lew Temple – Zombex
WINNER – Adrian DiGiovanni – Motivational Growth
BEST MAKE-UP (chosen and presented by Matt Valentine and Michael Faust of Face/Off)
Susan A. Benson et. al. – Zombex
Rickard Bristle and Isabel Löfgren Roberts – Hennes Svarta Vingar
Midian Crosby – Motivational Growth
David Scherer – Thanatomorphose
Maria Solans – Horizonte
WINNER – Susan A. Benson et. al. – Zombex
BEST SFX (chosen and presented by Matt Valentine and Michael Faust of Face/Off)
Remy Couture et al – Ethereal Chrysalis
Pascual Gaubertier – Red Road
David Monzingo – Caterwaul
David Scherer et al. – Thanatomorphose
Steve Tolin – Motivational Growth
WINNER – Steve Tolin – Motivational Growth
BEST FEATURE
Cut/Print
Found.
Motivational Growth
Thanatomorphose
Zombex
WINNER – Thanatomorphose (directed by Éric Falardeau)