about

Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival is based in Hobart, Tasmania, founded by filmmakers Briony Kidd and Rebecca Thomson and programmed by Briony Kidd.

Deriving its name from the young adult novel by Lois Duncan, it explores the idea of ‘the horror within’ and promotes discussion around genre and gender, from ghost stories to gore, from art house to exploitation. SWMF has a particular focus on female directors working in the genre and aims to highlight bold new work by independent filmmakers.

Stranger with My Face is assisted by Screen Tasmania, with additional support from Events Tasmania, Salamanca Arts Centre and Wide Angle Tasmnaia.

Jennifer Lynch and Penny Vozniak on the red carpet in 2013. Image by Kristy Dowsing.

“This event fills a gap that has been largely ignored by other film festivals….” —Screen Hub

The inaugural festival was in February 2012 in Hobart, Tasmania, and was an official Women in Horror Month event. WIHM is an international movement about increasing the visibility of women in horror, a notably male-dominated sphere of an already male-dominated industry. In 2013, SWMF took place in February and March 2013 in Hobart and also aligned with International Women’s Day.

In addition to a program of outstanding short and feature films, SWMF features two content-generating components open to both male and female participants: a script competition, the Tasmanian Gothic Script Challenge, and a filmmaking competition, the 48-Hour ‘Tasploitation’ Challenge.

Another key component is the Mary Shelley Symposium, which includes talks and workshops by leading genre experts.

“Nothing short of magical. It was transformative for me. I think what is being done there, and celebrated there and made possible as a result, is the best I have seen at any fest… I want to be there every year.”—Jennifer Lynch, guest filmmaker

Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival returns from 21-24 August in Hobart, Tasmania. Sign up here to receive news and programming information. If you’d like to write about the festival, get involved as a volunteer or sponsor, or bring a filmmaker to our attention, please email us.

Voted in the Top 5 Coolest Women’s Film Festivals in the world by Movie Maker Magazine 2013.