Are you a fan of films so bad they’re actually kind of good? There’s an event for that: the Worst Film Fest, now in its second year, celebrating the kind of “disasterpieces” that make audiences cringe and laugh at the same time.
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Technical ineptitude, wooden dialog, concepts that never should’ve made it beyond paper – it’s all celebrated at this quirky festival of clips and short films, taking place at a sound studio in downtown Oakland. “Did your budget run out? Did your actor get sick?” reads the fest’s pitch line. “Did your high concept fall flat?… Submit any project that highlights work gone wrong. All failures welcome.”
Last year’s entries included a pained version of “The Boss Baby” whose pint-sized protagonist dreams of fixing cars, a flick about an unsuccessful writer who abuses his loved ones to inspire stories for a book and something titled “Storme the Toad Crusher.” The winners walked away with toilet-shaped Absolute Worst Trophies, as awarded by the audience and guest judge Boots Riley.
It’s yet to be seen who’ll win for awfulness this year, but one thing’s certain: They’ll fail naturally. As the fest organizers decree: “No AI generated work (human-made cringe only).”
Details: Event takes place 6 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. at Mama Dog Studios, 700 26th St., Oakland; $15-$20, theworstfilmfest.com