Pontiac’s Creepy Cheapy Halloween party debuts ‘bite-sized’ film festival

Organizers of this weekend’s Creepy Cheapy XVII Halloween event at Pontiac’s Crofoot venue have announced the finalists for its first-ever horror film festival.

The Creepy Cheapy Film Festival will showcase 10 short films during both nights of the event, set for this Friday and Saturday at the Crofoot. And they really do mean short — the only requirement was for the films to be 90 seconds long or less.

According to organizers, the entries could be “shot on anything from smartphones to professional cameras — that packs maximum scare into minimum time.”

They add, “Creativity and impact count above all else.”

The 10 best “bite-sized” horror films will then compete for a $5,000 cash prize and the first-ever CCFF award. The deadline to submit entries was Oct. 10, and the finalists were announced last week. The finalists will be screened during the event, which features more than 30 costumed tribute bands cover acts like Ozzy Osbourne (R.I.P.) and Black Sabbath, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wu-Tang Clan, Charli XCX, the Strokes, and Slipknot, among others.

Other festivities include prizes for best costumes, “The Candy Eating Contest of Doom,” a retro video game arcade, and free treats.

While the event is sold out for Saturday, organizers say a limited number of tickets remain for Friday and are available to purchase at creepycheapy.com starting at $15.