10/08/2026
Well.. now that we've had some time to decompress from the inaugural Illinois Horror Movie Festival, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the experience.. the good, the bad, and everything in between.
First and foremost.. this was a HUGE undertaking. Bringing together independent filmmakers, horror celebrities, vendors, musicians, and fans for an entire weekend here in rural Northwestern Illinois was an ambitious goal.. and we certainly learned some hard lessons along the way.
I'm not going to sugarcoat anything.. things were ROUGH. Technical difficulties, projection issues, scheduling complications, cancellations, disappointing attendance, and some pretty devastating financial losses made this a challenging experience. Some things were beyond our control.. others could've absolutely been handled better. And I'll take responsibility for that.
To our filmmakers.. I sincerely apologize. You trusted us with your work and expected a professional screening experience, and in several areas we fell short. As an independent filmmaker myself, I know what goes into these productions.. and you deserved better. Period.
That being said.. I don't want the shortcomings to overshadow the incredible people who DID show up! We met some amazing filmmakers, vendors, musicians, guests, and volunteers who went above and beyond. Your support meant more than you know!
To our AWARD WINNING FILMMAKERS.. everyone will be contacted by the end of this weekend with their official winning laurels! We'll also be collecting mailing addresses to get your physical awards and certificates sent out. Thank you for your patience!
NOW.. here's where things get exciting!
We would LOVE to showcase ALL of the short films submitted to the festival throughout the upcoming season of Midnight at Refinery! With your permission, we'd like to give your films another opportunity to reach an audience. We'd also love to stay connected with our filmmakers and potentially feature you through interviews, Zoom calls, and special segments highlighting your work!
Interested? Contact Miss Jenna at [email protected] and let's make something happen!
We're also making some BIG changes at Refinery Films! We've already expanded our studio space to accommodate the theatrical projector purchased for the festival, along with a projection screen and seating for a LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE during weekend recording sessions!
Our goal is to expand Midnight at Refinery into something that gives independent filmmakers a REAL opportunity to showcase their work in front of an audience, participate in interviews, and become part of the show itself. These changes are happening RIGHT NOW.. and I'm genuinely excited about the possibilities!
As for another Illinois Horror Movie Festival.. there are NO plans for another event at this time. There's a lot to evaluate before we'd consider doing this again, and if we do.. it certainly won't be on this scale. I'd much rather create something smaller, more manageable, and properly organized that delivers the experience our filmmakers deserve.
Do I regret trying to build something special for this community? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But good intentions and hard work don't always guarantee success. Sometimes you gotta get your ass kicked a little to learn what works and what doesn't.. and we certainly learned some expensive lessons.
To EVERYONE who attended, participated, volunteered, submitted a film, or simply believed in what we were trying to accomplish.. THANK YOU!
We tried something BIG.. stumbled pretty damn hard in places.. but made some incredible connections along the way.
The festival may be over.. but our commitment to independent filmmakers isn't going anywhere. We're taking what we've learned and putting that energy into expanding Midnight at Refinery and creating more opportunities for independent creators.
Big huge shout out to Ashland Thomas for always being the most coordinated person that you can ask to have on a team!!
At the end of the day.. it's still about CREATORS SUPPORTING CREATORS!
Much love and respect to every single one of you!
