Aphrodite Cinefest International 2011

Gothic Films, Huntsville’s own independent film studio, will present Aphrodite Cinfest International, a two-day film festival dedicated to independent romance films, Friday and Saturday at the Smither Warehouse at 1405 University Avenue.

The festival will feature seven feature films, 14 short films, six music videos and three movie trailers by filmmakers from around the world, including Austin, Los Angeles, Toronto, Kansas City and Portugal. 

Screenings will be held from 3-10:30 p.m. Friday and from 12-10 p.m. on Saturday, with an awards ceremony following the final screening to honor films and filmmakers in more than 40 categories.

The festival marks a departure for Gothic Films, a company that has spent the past several years making a mark in the independent horror genre with films like Long Pig and Naked Horror. The festival is the second Gothic Films has hosted in less than a year, following up the City of Death International Film Festival in October, 2010. According to Gothic Films director and festival organizer Carlo Rodriguez, Aphrodite Cinefest grew out of a desire to bring a broader range of independent film to Huntsville

“We had met so many different filmmakers on the film festival circuit, and we had decided to try to host some micro-festivals, each one with a different genre, since so many independent filmmakers were hungry to have screenings, so we wanted to keep fostering those independent roots in Huntsville,” Rodriguez said.

The centerpiece of Aphrodite Cinefest is Snatch ‘N’ Grab, a romantic comedy by Austin filmmakers Twitchy Dolphin Flix that will have its world premiere at the festival at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s basically a female version of all those male-driven comedies like The Hangover and Superbad,” Rodriguez said. “It’s as if Sex and the City met The Hangover. It’s about four women who decide to play life by so-called ‘men’s rules,’ but the bottom line is they still end up falling in love. It’s sort of a gender bender in terms of romantic comedies.”

Rodriguez said he and Gothic Films founder and producer George Russell are planning a number of additional “micro-festivals” for the future if the events have continued success.

“We hope to do one that’s maybe fantasy/horror, one that’s sci-fi, one that’s action adventure and one that’s maybe inspirational documentary,” Rodriguez said. “Most of the festivals are weeklong huge events that span different genres, but we want to just capture the niche area. We meet so many people that think it’s a great idea so we try to accommodate.”

Admission to Aphrodite Cinefest is $6 for a day pass and $10 for a pass to the entire festival, including VIP areas and the closing awards ceremony. Some films include sexual content and may not be suitable for people under the age of 18. For a complete listing of films and events schedule, visit www.aphroditecinefest.com.