 Scaring the general public with horrific films and horrific filmmaking | |
| Location | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founded by | May Berenbaum |
| Hosted by | Entomology Graduate Students Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Website | Official Festival Website Annual event-themed T-shirts |
The Insect Fear Film Festival or IFFF is an annual free event held every spring since 1984, and is the first university-sponsored event of its kind in the U.S., typically taking place on a Saturday in February.[1] Organized by the Entomology Graduate Students Association at UIUC, the festival blends education with entertainment. It showcases films, shorts, and TV episodes that highlight insect biology and celebrate the role of insects in popular culture.[2]
Although its slogan said: "scaring the general public with horrific films and horrific filmmaking," the purpose of this event is aimed to dispel fears of insects of the general public by providing relative insect knowledge. Before the films begin, May Berenbaum, the festival organizer, the UI Entomology department head and professor, typically introduces each film, providing scientific context, debunking inaccuracies, and exploring why we fear insects.[2] She also points out "biological improbabilities" and filmmaking flaws, often noting that some films are "so bad they’re actually entertaining."[3] (However, the organisers often have to watch the films several times in order to identify a theme and select the best films. "It’s really excruciating sometimes," Berenbaum said.)[3]
The festival typically includes several animated shorts and two or three feature-length films.[4] The evening usually starts with a family-friendly film, as parents and children make up a large portion of the audience. By the second movie, however, "all bets are off."[3] In addition to the screenings, this event is held alongside an insect petting zoo, exotic insect displays, an insect art contest, insect face painting, balloon insect folding, the Bugscope, a raffle with arthropod-themed prizes and other activities.[3]
The festival is typically organized around a different theme each year, with past themes including insect invasions (e.g., The Naked Jungle and The Swarm), metamorphosis, cockroaches, mosquitos, and entomologists themselves.[5] The theme influences not only the film selections but also pre-show activities and the design of the festival T-shirts, created by graduate students. These festival T-shirts, featuring the year’s theme, are sold during the event to support insect-related outreach programs. The tradition of festival T-shirts began with the second festival.[6][7]
The festival is usually held at Foellinger Auditorium. Due to the pandemic, the 38th IFFF in 2021 was held online, marking the first of two consecutive years the event took place virtually.[8][9] In 2023, the festival returned to Foellinger Auditorium at UIUC.[10]
The festival had showcased over 100 insect-related films, videos, and shorts by 2010.[3] By 2024, it is estimated to have featured between 175 and 200 films, videos, and shorts. The most popular offering at the festival, according to the National Wildlife Federation's magazine in 1995, has been Beginning of the End (1957), which features giant grasshoppers invading the city of Chicago after consuming radiation-treated vegetables.[5]
Recognized as the first university-sponsored public outreach event of its kind in the U.S., the festival is described by Adam Langer in The Film Festival Guide for Filmmakers, Film Buffs, and Industry Professionals (2000) as "specialized" and hosted at a "great university."[11] It has garnered media coverage from outlets such as National Geographic Magazine, Canadian Broadcasting Company, National Public Radio, the Washington Post, and The New York Times.[5][12][13]
- ^ "Professor's 'insect fear film fest' to focus on beetles, real and imagined". University of Illinois. Retrieved December 11, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ a b Peterson, Doug (2016-01-06). "University of Illinois Alumni". University of Illinois Alumni. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
- ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference
:28was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Insect Fear Film Festival Update..." University of Illinois. December 9, 1999. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ a b c Kuznik, Frank (1995). "Revenge of the bugs 101 - University of Illinois's Insect Fear Film Festival". National Wildlife Federation through Bnet. Archived from the original on March 23, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:35was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Berenbaum, May (1996). "The INSECT FEAR FILM FESTIVAL: A Brief History". www.life.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
LESKOSKYwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Langer, Adam (2000). The Film Festival Guide: For Filmmakers, Film Buffs, and Industry Professionals. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-415-8.
- ^ Angier, Natalie (February 18, 1991). "What's Creepy, Crawly and Big in Movies? Bugs". The New York Times. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ^ Newman, Cathy (February 22, 2013). "Insect Fear Film Festival: Just Like Cannes, Only With Spiders and Scorpions Instead of Jennifer Lawrence and Brad Pitt". National Geographic Magazine, Pop Omnivore. Retrieved 2024-12-21.