Sometimes I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world. As part of my “job,” I get to travel to film festivals all over the globe, see movies far in advance of their release and even watch flicks that may never see the light of day. And, to top it off, these fests usually have an open bar.

So don’t feel sorry for me when I say that it can get a little boring. I’m not talking about the travel, it’s the films – there’s a “sameness” about them. For the most part, independent film festivals screen pretty much the same movies. It makes a lot of sense as the programmers select their films from the same pool of movies that premiered at Sundance or Cannes or Toronto. So after a while, the subject matter begins to blend. There’s the indie “road” movie in which oddball characters go on a journey of discovery. There’s the “self-discovery-coming-of-age” movie in which the character must reveal his hidden crush on the high school football captain. There’s the “coming-home-after-a-long-absence-to-reconnect-with-family” in which a tragic event must be reconciled with a load of drama. And then there is the film I call “one-million-dollars-down-the-toilet-starring-fill-in-the-blank.” These are small indie films that will have no life outside the festival circuit and usually feature one “star.” And the “name” actor featured in said movie might be someone like Dean Cain or Maria Bello or Bill Macy or Scott Baio or Ed Burns or Parker Posey or Aaron Eckhart or y’know, fill-in-the-blank. It’s very odd to see these cliché independents screened in front of packed crowds, yet if you were flipping past them on cable TV, you would be reaching for the remote after five minutes.

So, whenever I discover a festival that breaks the mold and takes a unique direction by championing a type of movie worthy of more attention, I leap for joy! And, if I’m really inspired, I’ll jump in my car, fill the gas tank and head off on a road trip to one of these fests to see movies I know I won’t see anywhere else. Well, unless they’re out of the country, and that’s when I use my miles. Here's a round-up of fests worth the travel and expense:

CineVegas Film Festival
CineVegas takes place, where else, in Las Vegas and has been described as the “world’s most dangerous film festival.” Their offerings include plenty of violent and edgy films and docs rarely seen at other fests. Recently they hosted the world premiere of Artie Lang’s Beer League in which the entire cast attended.

Artie Lang's Beer League

Comedia Ha Ha
In addition to featuring some of the best comedians, this festival in Montreal, Canada screens a slew of comedies from around the world.

Cinema Sitges
Sitges, Spain is the place to be for this celebration of all things horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Fans and filmmakers come from everywhere to one of Spain's most beautiful vacation destinations. This is the place where bikinis are optional and attendees would rather sit indoors and watch movies -- that's just how good the films are.

Hollywood Horror Film Festival
This sidebar to the Hollywood Film Festival takes place in the heart of Hollywood at the Arclight Cinemas and is programmed by myself and Eric Campos of Film Threat. But I have to include this because the films are the kind of horror movies that are too extreme for theaters. This year the fest will premiere Dark Ride, which is just like the kind of 1970s blood n’ guts flick you used to hide your eyes from as a kid. In addition, the fest will premiere American Scary, a documentary about horror hosts like Elvira.

American Scary

Fantasia Fest
Now in its 10th year, Fantasia Fest in Montreal has a reputation for screening everything from Asian horror to extreme sci-fi indies that will never be seen on a movie screen anywhere. Fly, drive or take the train and spend a week seeing movies that will change your life forever.

Tokyo 1-minute Animation Festival
Okay, traveling to this festival to see one-minute animated movies may be a stretch, but this groundbreaking animation fest will make your jaw drop. And there’s a lot to do in Tokyo when you’re not watching films.

CineKink NYC
This New York event includes a variety of cutting edge erotica and it takes place very soon, October 17th-22nd to be exact. Here’s a short round-up of films on their schedule for this year:
"Vice and Consent," a documentary about the BDSM community, "Orgasmic Women: 13 Self-Loving Divas" share their intimate insights, "Webcam Girls," a visit with four pioneers of the girlcam frontier and "Other Peoples Mirrors," a dark, pseudo sci-fi centered around one woman's belief that by following the taboo-breaking directives of alien beings she will escape to her own nirvana. Even if the movie makes no sense, at least you can count on nudity. Get the full schedule on the site and you can thank me later.


Nihilist Film Festival
And when you’re completely burned out and depressed, you might actually find the films at this festival in Santa Monica, California kind of uplifting. Seriously.

Gore gone!

Chris_Gore is an author, a filmmaker, the creator of Film Threat, and will be seated at the bar at the Arclight during the Hollywood Horror Film Festival on October 20th through 22nd. Beer and film is always a good combination, so join in.