Film festival returns to Richmond for spooky season

KARYN COOK Contributing Writer

The Magic of Horror Film Festival will be returning to Richmond for its annual festival on Nov. 5-6 at the Firehouse Theatre.

The festival grew to become a celebration of the horror genre itself, with the first live festival being in 2019 as an online screenwriting competition.

chance to have their work shown, while also praising the horror field. A variety of mediums are allowed, such as movie trailers and art, according to the website FilmFreeway, where all submissions are received.

Fawley is a film and theatre producer. As an actress, she also leads ghost tours around Richmond. Fawley said she met her business partner Shiva Rodriguez at a film audition years ago.

“I auditioned for a feature film that she was directing in Florida. I had been working in theatre up until that point but wanted to try my hand at film,” Fawley said.

“We wanted to provide not just an opportunity for filmmakers to screen their films and win awards, but also a chance for them to get valuable feedback. Our panel of judges gives detailed feedback along with the scores they submit on each film, and this feedback is shared with the filmmakers regardless of if they are accepted into the festival or not.”

The festival began as an online-only event in 2018, according to Lowrie Fawley, the co-creator of the festival. The festival aims to give screenwriters and producers recognition and the

Fawley said the only background she had in horror was working at a haunted house based in New York from 2005-2007.

“Horror had always been one of my favorite genres, and I worked in live haunts in several places, most notable Blood Manor in NYC for three years,” Fawley said.

After seeing their chemistry, the pair decided to start their own company and then a festival, according to Fawley.

“We ended up working well together, forming our own horror film company Rogue Chimera Film, LLC,” Fawley said. “As an offshoot of that, having screened a number of our films in other festivals, we decided we wanted to start our own festival.”

The festival has a variety of benefits for participants, other than just having their film shown, according to Fawley.

“We wanted to provide not just an opportunity for filmmakers to screen their films and win awards, but also a chance for them to get valuable feedback,” Fawley said.

“Our panel of judges gives detailed feedback along with the scores they submit on each film, and this feedback is shared with the filmmakers regardless of if they are accepted into the festival or not.”

Rodriguez is a director, practical effects artist and screenwriter. The best part of the experience for Rodriguez is the opportunity to help and promote filmmakers, she said.

“I really enjoy helping these independent films get some attention, especially since many do not have the ability to do a lot of promoting themselves,” Rodriguez said.

Hundreds of film submissions are sent each year, with only 40 films being accepted to screen at the festival, according to Fawley. Tickets range from $10 for a one-day pass to $15 for a weekend pass, with a variety of sessions included such as a mix and mingle event, and a red-carpet photo session.

Judges consist of a variety of individuals with film experience, however they remain anonymous to the competitors so no hard feelings come up in the future, according to Fawley. She said winners of the festival receive a trophy in the form of a skeleton and promotion on the festival’s social media.

“Horror is often considered to be an ‘easy’ genre for filmmakers, which I honestly do not agree with,” Rodriquez said. “I love seeing unusual stories they come up with and have a great appreciation for how creative they have to be in order to produce their films on extremely low budgets.”

Filmmaker Jordan Selander said horror is his favorite genre, with its rollercoaster-like aspects. His film “No Grave for the Dead” is premiering at the festival on Saturday. The film was initially a music video and doesn’t contain any dialogue — instead it features a ghost ballet dancing, according to Selander.

Selander said he had ideas, but all of them were shot down, so the production was put on halt.

“For the idea, all I saw was a ghost in ballet pointe shoes dancing in a graveyard. I pitched this idea to nearly every local band I ever spoke to, and they all kindly said the story wasn’t a fit for their band,” Selander said. “So we had the idea for nearly 10 years.”

The idea came to fruition in 2021 when he decided to gather a group and make a short film for fun, according to Selander. He said he submitted it on FilmFreeway, and it received great feedback.

He submitted it to Magic of Horror, and it is scheduled to run this weekend, according to Selander. He said he is looking forward to the festival, with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

“Ultimately, you need to enjoy the moment after all the hard work the crew put into it. If I had to pick one, I’d say I’m more excited right now, but that might change the day of the screening,” Selander said.

Quote of the week

“Don’t look away. Look straight at everything. Look it all in the eye, good and bad.”

ISHAAN NANDWANI Opinions Editor

The 1983 film “El Norte” is one of suffering. It follows the journey of two indigenous siblings from Guatemala, Enrique and Rosa, as they head north to flee the harrowing conditions of their home country. Like so many other immigrants who seek asylum in the United States, their hardships only seem to multiply after they leave Guatemala — from crossing the border illegally and the looming possibility of deportation to working in exploitative conditions once they finally reach the states.

The film does not shy away from showcasing the horrors of the migration experience. There were countless moments watching that I felt myself holding my breath, afraid of the next obstacle that Enrique and Rosa would face. “El Norte” may not be a comfort movie, but nevertheless warrants deep exploration and understanding.

Whether through film, literature, or media, we’re constantly exposed to distressing stories and headlines from across the world, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran. While it’s easy to ignore these issues and the discomfort they cause, we can no longer do this — for the sake of all those who suffer.

There is one particular scene from “El Norte” that affected me deeply. To cross the U.S.-Mexico border undetected, Enrique and Rosa crawl through rat-infested sewers, with nothing but darkness and a putrid stench for miles on end. The tunnels are small and constricting — a nightmare for a claustrophobic like myself. Listening to Rosa’s deafening screams as a swarm of rats attacked her and Enrique in the dark sewers for what seemed like an eternity, I wanted to close my eyes and shut out her pain. I wanted to look away and pretend that it wasn’t real — that it was just a movie, and that the characters would find their happy ending.

For a moment, I did just that. Enrique and Rosa never find their happy ending. Rosa eventually dies from an infection caused by the rat bites, and it is implied that Enrique commits suicide. They die searching for a place they can call home, but the only solace they find is in death.

I felt ashamed for looking away, because the truth is that “El Norte” is not just a fictional story: It represents a reality for so many immigrants crossing the southern border, even 39 years after the film’s release. It might be easier to pretend that reality doesn’t exist, but it does.

Many of us have experienced moments of wanting to escape the discomfort of disconcerting issues, as we live in relative privilege. We can turn the page when we come across these issues — after all, they’re not our lived reality. We sympathize with the plight of those refugees in Ukraine or protestors in Iran, but can never truly understand their experiences — but at the very least, we should try to. Ideally, when it’s possible, we should go beyond exposing ourselves to uncomfortable content, fully immersing ourselves in the fight on issues that matter to us, whether through service or organizing. I believe that those with privilege should maintain a greater social responsibility to positively impact the most vulnerable members of society.

While “El Norte” may have been a difficult film for me to get through, it’s one that I have since revisited multiple times. Migration and conditions affecting immigrants in the U.S. are issues that I have directly worked on, volunteering for migrants in Richmond as a medical interpreter and English as a second language instructor and on the southern border at a migration center.

To truly make a difference in the lives of these individuals, it was essential for me to let go of how what I saw personally affected me, taking that critical step towards understanding.

NICHOLAS BARAHONA Staff Writer

ELCOME TO NICK’S PICKS

Join me, Nick Barahona, on our journey through the city of Richmond where I review and showcase the different cuisines and restaurants in close proximity to campus, from the lens of a VCU student. I welcome you to an exciting time ahead filled with great deals and good eats.

Searching for good late night eats brings us to a restaurant with the self-proclaimed title “Famous Quesadillas.” Today we check out Bodillaz, a departure from usual late night spots like McDonald’s or Cookout.

Bodillaz is located at 916 W. Broad St., right next to the VCU School of the Arts building — a short, five-minute walk from Monroe Park.

Bodillaz offers a wide variety of allstar fast food options such as quesadillas, wraps, burgers, sandwiches, wings, fries, nachos, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders.

Their most loved and bestsellers are featured in the menu as “RVA Favorites,” which consists of three different selections: the “No Way José Quesadilla” with breaded chicken, onion rings, fries, bacon, ranch, barbecue and the restaurant’s bo sauce; the “Shrimp Quesadilla” with onion, green peppers, buffalo and cajun spice; and the “620 Wrap,” with fried chicken, bacon, onion rings, fries, lettuce, cheese, ranch, barbecue and bo sauce.

The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., but what separates Bodillaz from other restaurants in its proximity is that it is one of the latest ones open on Friday and Saturday night. Friday hours are 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. and Saturday hours are noon to 3 a.m., making it a hotspot for college students and locals to enjoy a bite after dark.

As you enter Bodillaz, you are immediately faced with the kitchen, which makes up almost half of the space and resembles a bodega setup. There are a few tables and seats for dine-in, though the restaurant is more suited for takeout. Just like the colors on the Bodillaz logo, the restaurant is filled with red, green and yellow.

I ordered six wings and the “No Way José” quesadilla. The wings come in four different sauces: buffalo, spicy barbecue, honey barbecue and a combination of all three sauces to make the “TRIPPS” sauce.

The wings were about $7, which is reasonable for a half dozen order. The value you get for the price is great, as the size is large and there is plenty of meat and sauce on the wings. The quesadilla cost me about $12, which is relatively high, but its size was significant. Filled to the max with chicken, onion rings, fries, bacon and sauce, this is a meal you will have a tough time finishing in one sitting.

I was equally happy with the combined taste of the chicken and sauce. There was no dryness to the protein and definitely no hold on the sauce. The addition of ranch was the finishing touch needed to make these wings some of the best I have had in Richmond.

The quesadilla comes in four servings. It had a lot going on inside of it in terms of filling and taste, so it was a tad bit overwhelming for me. However, the sauces added a delightful fla vor to the mix.

You can’t ask for much more from a restaurant like Bodillaz considering that its ser vice goes through the late nights on Fridays and Satur days. Even during its regular hours, there is something for everyone.

If you are tired of the same old fast food options around campus, I suggest that you give this place a try. Though you may not find in credibly cheap prices, for the val ue and location you are still getting one heck of a deal.

Bodillaz is a Richmond staple that is an easy thumbs up and a 4.5 out 5 stars overall.

AS ALWAYS, EAT UP!

For all things food, feel free to check out @nxreview on Instagram and TikTok for

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