Gator's Gore Horror Film Festival

Gator's Gore Horror Film Festival takes over Wave & See Creative Sanctuary on Friday, October 23, for a night of independent horror. It's billed as Tampa's official horror film festival, and it lives up to the name with 19 independent horror films on the program. The night is presented by Van Galex and is for ages 18 and over.

What sets this apart from your usual festival is the format. Instead of back-to-back screenings that leave you glued to your seat for hours, the films are spread across five blocks with a 15-minute intermission between them. That gap is there for a reason: it gives you time to grab a drink, browse the local art and vendors, and actually talk to the other horror fans and filmmakers in the room. It turns the whole thing into more of a social event than a marathon screening, so you can stretch your legs and reset before the next block kicks in.

Between the films, the venue will have local art on display and vendors set up, so there's plenty to do when you're not in the dark. The mix of independent horror, local art, and a crowd of people who are there for the same thing makes it feel like a community gathering rather than just a movie night. If you're into the strange and the spooky, it's a good place to spend a Friday night.

Wave & See Creative Sanctuary is at 2740 North Florida Avenue in Tampa Heights. The festival runs from 7 PM to 11:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM, so you've got a half hour to get settled before the first block starts.