The time has come, the 4th annual Skate or Die Film Festival is here! The schedule is below and please be sure to support our incredible sponsors: Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, High Voltage Barber Shop, Harmony Wealth Management, brookiellen designs, Leave a Pretty Corpse Athletic, Fun Dungeon, and Rockstar Roller Derby!
For additional details, check out the press announcement here. And, you can grab tickets here.
Friday, October 3rd
6:00PM RINK OPEN
Open skate sesssion with live music provided by Cash Hendrix, The Rectors, The Baconfruit, Italian Blood, and Shade Out.
Special dance performance from Impact Dance Company from Doylestown, PA.
As well as the following short films and music videos:
- How To Survive a Bean Man Attack, directed by Marceline Keedle
- ’71 Super Creep’s “Monsterlou” music video
- Mama Doom’s “Morning Son” music video
- Skatergirl, directed by Mélodie Cissou
- Greyshape’s “Blade” music video
- Fluffy Little Thing, directed by Camilo Cesar Diaz Pino
- Tramp’s “Junkie S.L.U.T” music video
- Harry Cloud’s “A Thin Layer of Slugs” music video
- The music video for faux 80s pop star Daisy York’s “Murder’s Not So Bad”
9:00PM FEATURE FILM
Horror Movie Night Podcast‘s Matt and Kyle host the neo-classic Canadian Punk Rock Horror Comedy Musical Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter.
Podcast host with the most, Matthew Kelly, and co-host/filmmaker/all around good guy Kyle Kuchta will host a special screening of this criminally underwatched Canadian gem. Special shoutout to the great director Lee Demarbre for lending us this great film for all to enjoy.
If you’ve ever wanted to see Christ as a superhero who fights vampires alongside a badass woman and a luchador, now is your chance!
Saturday, October 4th
10:00AM RINK OPEN
We kick off Saturday with an all ages open skate while we listen to spooky tunes from DJ Raven and watch Gamera in 3D – courtesy of local 3D restoration company, SpaceBrains3D – and Night of the Living Dead.
1:00PM AFTERNOON MATINEE
This incredible and unique anthology film is a genre mashup with comedy, drama, thrills, chills, and more! Skate or Die Film Fest is honored to be able to share Autistic Mode, here in Pottstown, PA.
2:30PM PRIDE OR DIE
Hosted once again by our favorite drag queen, Roigy Bev, our second annual PRIDE or Die block is jam packed with a ton of fun, introspection, scares, and warmth. All celebrating LGBTQ+ filmmakers and films!
djuna + lilith
Directed by Grace Hyssen Owen
Djuna’s roommate Lilith likes to eat pretty boys, but Djuna wants to invite her new lover Ulisses over to their apartment. Lilith has promised to keep her hands off – if and only if Ulisses is on his best behavior.
Gracious Boy
Directed by naomi. video
When Thanksgiving turns tumultuous, a homicidal autistic mastermind plots his father’s death.
Johnny Be Good
Directed by Chase Ramsey and Johnny Hebda
Gay relationships are messy. Let’s be real—between the swipe-left culture, hookup apps on every corner, and the glorification of open relationships, monogamy gets treated like some dusty relic from the past. But why should queer couples chain themselves to “traditional” rules that weren’t even made for us? Who actually wants to settle for a relationship that feels like a straight, invented by straights, cookie-cutter cage dressed up as commitment?
Drama Queen
Directed by David E. Teixeira
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young woman, who was eager to find love.
Alyssum
Directed by Alex King
Alyssum follows Alyson, a young woman who’s struggling with perfectionism as she attempts to craft the perfect bouquet for her wife, Lilith. Overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt, she battles her inner critic, represented by corrupting vines. As she spirals deeper into self-doubt, she must decide: will she push forward and embrace imperfection, or will her fears consume her?
Long Away
Directed by Tilly Bridges and Susan Bridges
Victoria travels 25 years into her own past to meet a man she barely remembers – her father – and hopes he will love her for who she is… Written and directed by Tilly and Susan Bridges, this trans grounded sci-fi film is based on a comic they wrote about memory and love.
Follycle
Directed by Deanna Dewey
A quirky tale of vanity and love.
Fifty came and went for Devlin, an insecure gay man with thinning hair. Devlin decides that if one Follycle hair replacement pill is helpful, six will be even better. Ignoring the warning about Follycle and alcohol, Devlin gets in the party spirit and whiskeys down the magic pills before they head out for a night of debauchery.
In the morning, Mazzie awakens to a hirsute, coiffed and delightfully scented Yeti that is a huge turn-on for Mazzie. Devlin enjoys this renewed attention but is horrified at this change in his appearance, and the choice he has to make to keep his husband satisfied.
anniversary_6
Directed by Carmen Perez
A dysfunctional anniversary date leads a man to an extreme method to try to win his boyfriend’s heart back.
Stori Strong Episode 3
Directed by Laura Zaylea
Nine-year-old Stori Strong and her best friend Zee want to buy rollerblades. How will they raise money? Stori’s moms suggest a bake sale… Sweet!
Stori Strong is a kid-focused web series about an imaginative, donor-conceived girl who loves telling everyone about her 2- mom family.
This video is a “mini” version of episode 3 – The Bake Sale – that was edited specifically for film festivals and events.
4:00PM WRESTLING WITH ALS
Throughout the entire event, we will be accepting donations for the family of indie wrestler and festival friend Jeff Cannonball, who was diagnosed with ALS this year. We’ll be showing short film and Skate or Die award winner, BRONKO, with the director in attendance – a short horror film that features Jeff as a killer clown.
BRONKO will accompany Luke Robert’s wrestling film Kill City Cup, which features several wrestlers you may know from WWE, AEW, and TNA.
Anyone who donates to Jeff’s family at the festival will be entered to win swag from Kill City Cup and other surprises!
5:30 POTTSTOWN AND BEYOND: LOCAL BLOCK
Hosted by Weird PA’s Matt Lake, our most popular block returns for the 4th year! Our local block features films from filmmakers in a roughly 90 mile radius from our home here in Pottstown, PA.
And of course, it includes another Repko premiere, Chad and Tristan return to our festival with the premiere of the final installment of the Lil Detectives saga!
Are You Still Here
Directed by Abby Metcalf (Brooklyn NYC)
A dinner party in three parts reveals a triangle of messy history between three college students.
Inkwell Hell
Directed by Mario Brown (Philly)
A wannabe animator at the dawn of the medium in the early 1900s has failed to find any success with his “trick films.” Just as it looks like his dreams are about to be snuffed out, he comes across a sentient drawing that offers to animate itself for him, for a price. The more he feeds the drawing’s macabre hunger, the more success he finds. But when he begins catering to its taste for human fare, he might just find more than he bargained for.
Emanating
Directed by Darien R Reimold and Braeden K Ness (York, PA)
A man falls under the hypnotic force of a dark blue demon, Aamon, ready to follow his new god.
It Drops at Midnight
Directed by Raymond Ceres (Poconos, PA)
A young maid trapped in servitude discovers a bizarro path to freedom.
Watch Him Beg
Directed by Ryan Schuler (Harrisburg, PA)
A young woman, Rachel, discovers a memorial on the side of the road after a heated exchange with her boyfriend. Rachel confesses to the memorial and immediately regrets sharing her problems.
A Grave Burden
Directed by Nate Dreschel (Philly)
A lonesome Death searches for someone he can relate to…
Super Duper
Directed by Steven Hoehl (NY)
Social outcast Donny Duper tries his best to be a campus superhero.
The Killer Afterparty Trailer
Directed by Jacob Christopher Mehan (Coatesville, PA)
A legendary Killer crashes a house party after someone “breaks the one rule”. After dealing with the unruly bunch, he calls upon his fellows killers to help clean up the mess, the killers only having one thing in mind upon arrival… throwing a “Killer Afterparty”.
Anchors Astray
Directed by Marley Yambor (Boyertown, PA)
A young sailor and his companion become stranded on an island and must work together to escape.
Done Deal
Directed by Evan Hogarth (Philly area)
A sleazy watch salesman down on his luck sells his soul in order to make a quick buck.
Edward de Vere Goes to Mars!
Directed by Blair Murphy (Western PA)
Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, who some claim to be the real writer behind the Shakespeare pen name, has been living in solitude on the planet Mars for 400 years. One fine day Ovid the Greek poet shows up! Then John the Baptist! Shenanigans ensue…
Demons Against Death Club
Directed by Sarah Scarborough (Swarthmore, PA)
Sick of killing humans, a team of demons meet to discuss ways they can rebel against the demon world to disrupt the balance of good and evil. One demon, Sandra, comes up with a way to fake the death of her two victims— siblings, Violet Parker and Ben Parker. The only problem is, will the demon boss believe they are actually dead and will she complete it in time before his arrival?
In the Flesh
Directer Fern Poppy (Philly)
Director of a fest favorite of previous years entitled The Herp, Poppy returns. But it’s best you go in blind.
Brain Buffet
Directed by Bone Jawnson (Hatfield, PA)
In Brain Buffet, a man’s dark obsession takes a grisly turn when he lures his friend to a hotel room, only to reveal his chilling hunger for human flesh in a shocking betrayal.
Breathing
Directed by Josh Winrow (Philly)
When Kate’s daughter, Mia, begins to hear a raspy breathing in her bedroom at night, Kate and her husband, Charlie, begin to investigate the cause – and have a hard time agreeing whether the threat is real or perceived. Will Kate be able to act in time to save her family from something unseen, or will Charlie’s doubts and search for tangible answers bring them all back together?
8:30PM THE RETURN OF THE WTF BLOCK
Like the local block, the WTF block returns for the 4th year. From serious drama to insane undefinable shorts to every little thing in between… this is a block that’ll give you whiplash, but in a good way!
Spank Patrol
Directed by Kevin Ralston
An evil agent has stolen a valuable piece of gold from it’s rightful owner with no telling of what they’ll do with it. The Spank Patrol is called in to retrieve the gold and serve out some justice… justice in the form of numerous spanks to the butt.
The Intergalactic Postal Service
Directed by Lyndsey Esperance
After throwing a cursed box at a recipient, intergalactic mailman and slacker Spike Collens is met with an ultimatum from his boss: deliver a mysterious package by the end of the day, or GET FIRED! Unfortunately for Spike, he runs into some trouble mid-delivery…
Country Roads
Directed by Aaron Turner
Two friends take a wrong turn deep in the West Virginia backwoods, stumbling into a nightmare of steel, blood, and screams. Shot entirely on an iPhone with a zero-dollar budget and a cast of family members, this gritty short is a love letter to classic backwoods horror.
The Scenic Route
Directed by Katie Sweitzer
An adventurous teenager and her anxious friend take it upon themselves to investigate the multiple disappearances that have been happening along the Scenic Route trail. Will they find out what truly happened to the missing hikers? More importantly, will they survive?
How We Hamsters Die
Directed by Phoebe Burdick and Mio Gribskov
A comedic 2D animated short film that tells the absurdly tragic stories of hamsters from the after-life. Built upon interviews & true stories, the film aims to entertain while promoting responsible pet ownership and proper treatment of hamsters. Prepare to laugh, cry, and gasp in shock as this mixed-media, documentary-style film takes a look into how and why this colorful cast of pet hamsters died.
2025: Steel City Warriors
Directed by Luke Meneok
A slice-of-life anthology focusing on the inhabitants of Steel City, a wasteland cesspool in the year 2025: stoner-punk Musty Draco ventures into the unknown in pursuit of outrageous fortune and a better life; lawman Trapper Steve hunts the violent fugitive, Hatchet MacReady.
The World of James Gagmy
Directed by Lon Takiguchi
The film examines the short lived career of 1970’s porn legend JAMES GAGMY as he navigates the film business while avoiding jealous co-stars and greedy producers.
Pants Labyrinth
Directed by Simon Jones and Kaylee Nicholas
Pants Labyrinth is a surreal short comedy that follows Olivia as she attempts to escape a disastrous date with Andrew. When a moment of respite in the bathroom takes an unexpected turn, Olivia finds herself navigating a bizarre labyrinth made entirely of underpants. Chased through the maze by a monstrous version of Andrew, Olivia is transformed by the strange experience. This short film, written and directed by Simon Jones and Kaylee Nicholas, blends absurd humour with a visually inventive narrative.
Dolores
Directed by Carmen Perez
In a thematic retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” a man is forced to bring his elderly mother home from her nursing home after she is evicted on grounds of non-payment. She has severe dementia that gets worse the longer he attempts to care for her, and eventually he begins to wonder if she would simply be better off dead.
The Creature of Blood Lake
Directed by Dylan A. Young
A group of friends go to investigate, Blood Lake, a property where multiple murders took place. Little do they know, a lake creature still stalks the grounds. They’ll have to fight back against the creature to survive the night. Will they have what it takes to make it to sunrise?