Abstract

OWU’s First Asian Horror Film Festival

Student: Kaitie Welch
Mentor: Anne Sokolsky (OWU Department of Comparative Literature)

Under an apprenticeship with Dr. Sokolsky, I planned and hosted Ohio Wesleyan University’s first “Asian Horror Film Festival.” The project began after the realization that among OWU’s various film festivals, which celebrate diversity and differing cultures, there were no East Asian or Asian film festivals to speak of. Together, Dr. Sokolsky and I prepared a course of action and settled on the horror genre. I spent my winter break watching many Asian horror films via Kanopy and narrowed down films from four different Asian countries and territories through a rubric of criteria that I created. The films I selected were “The Ghost” from South Korea, “The Complex” from Japan, “Ghost of Mae Nak” from Thailand, and “The Tag-Along” from Taiwan. I worked to present my audience with films that were not only scary, but also thought-provoking and with deeper meanings to ensure spirited discussions. Per Dr. Sokolsky’s suggestion, I aimed to have students present discussion topics. The result was two student speakers, myself, and Dr. Sokolsky. Along with the films (and corresponding discussions) I gathered popular snacks from each film’s origin, as well as provided attendees with informational handouts on the various legends seen in the films. For the sake of publicity and marketing, I created posters, “hot cards,” a Facebook event page, submitted to the OWU Daily, contacted relevant faculty, and through word of mouth. There were roughly 6 students that attended each show, and the conversations afterword proved to be beneficial as many had not experienced Asian films and the philosophy portrayed.

More information about this project in Digital Commons @ OWU