Delco Horror Haven Invasion brings horror shorts and more to Media

Legacy of scares

“I think part of it is the history,” Pietras told BSR. “There’s so much history in the area, and along with that comes ghost stories. And when we go to conventions, we meet a lot of people who are from the area. There’s a lot of filmmakers in the area, and we have Sun Center Studios [in Aston].” Horror fans, she added, often have to travel. “So we wanted to bring something here.”

“We’re all kind of embedded in the horror community, so we have people that we know, whether they’re vendors or filmmakers,” Karen Chiarini, another cofounder and cochair, said. The third cofounder is Tamme McClelland, who serves as program director.

Delco Horror Haven is a successor to Media Fright Fest. This horror festival existed for many years under the auspices of the Media Arts Council (MAC), which is behind the Media Film Festival. When MAC decided to drop horror programming, the three founders launched Delco Horror Haven.

“That program closed in December, and so we had to decide what we wanted to do,” Chiarini said. “Tamme, myself, and Lisa all decided we wanted to continue this, and that’s how we started Delco Horror Haven.”

“We’re too active not to continue, and this way, we have full rein of what we want to do,” she added. “It’s actually been really cool because we can do whatever we want to do.”

The organization has held events throughout the year, including Evolution of Cosmic Horror, a January event at Widener University, a silent horror book club, a book fair, and one-off screenings.

Not just seasonal

This weekend comes Delco Horror Haven Invasion, a major two-day event at a pair of venues in Media. It’s part of the annual Delco Arts Week, which runs through Sunday, September 29.

On Saturday, September 28, at the Media Community Center, the festival will feature 30 vendors, raffles, a DIY craft corner, a food truck, and a special ice cream flavor. Cosplay is encouraged. Guests at the event on Saturday will include FX artist Brian Spears and Terrifier 2 producer Steve Barton. Tickets for the Saturday program are $7.

On Sunday at noon, the Delco Horror Haven Film Festival will feature more than 30 short films in three blocks throughout the day, all at Media’s Towne House. Titles include The Feather’s Yell, Caan Artist, The Boog, Deathbrella, Poacher Poacher, and You Should Smile More. Tickets cost $15 for one block, $25 for two, and $40 for all three.

A big goal for the organization, Chiarini said, is to hold events all year round. “People that like horror and like the whole gothic culture and community, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not just seasonal,” she said. “We’re trying to hit all of the arts, with authors and lectures, instead of just film,” Pietras said.