By Lyric Burt, Silver State Storytellers The excitement was palpable as Carson Creepy 2024 crept into the Brewery Arts Center's Performance Hall on Saturday, showcasing the immense talent and creativity of Northern Nevada's local filmmakers. With a record-breaking 52 teams entering the competition, we were thrilled to see 40 films make it to the finish line. The event unfolded in two chilling screenings, with the first at 3 p.m. featuring the initial 20 films, followed by a second screening at 7 p.m. that showcased the remaining entries. The performance hall was packed to capacity, with hardly a seat left to spare. We have never experienced such an incredible turnout for our events, and we are truly overwhelmed with excitement by the enthusiasm for storytelling within our community. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Brewery Arts Center and their incredible team of staff and volunteers for providing a welcoming home for our Carson City Shorts program in their fabulous performance hall. Their support is invaluable in making this event a success. A special thanks to our awards sponsor, Galaxy Theaters Carson City, for providing our winning teams with fantastic movie prizes. Your generosity helps us celebrate the achievements of our filmmakers. This year, the horror genre truly shone, as the audience was treated to an array of spine-tingling stories that celebrate the rich diversity of Northern Nevada's landscape and cultures. We are proud to highlight the creativity of our community members through storytelling that resonates with all. As we concluded this year’s competition, we reflected on Carson Creepy as the last in our trilogy of annual film competitions within the Carson City Shorts program. Each year, we kick off with Love Notes in February, celebrating romance films, followed by Moon Rocks Sci-Fi in the summer, and concluding with the thrills of Carson Creepy. We are honored to carry on the legacy of these competitions, which began in 2014 by a group of ragtag filmmakers and film enthusiasts called Wired Wednesdays. As the founders have moved out of the area, we are proud to see the event growing faster than we ever anticipated. It is a true delight to cultivate creativity here in Northern Nevada and provide a platform for Nevada storytellers to share their original narratives with our community. Congratulations to all the winning films: Best Film Judge’s Choice: “Zombnb” Best Director: “Run” Best Special Effects: “Run” Best Lead Actor: Maxwell Golden, “Old News” Best Supporting Actor: Hagan Manfredi, “Zombnb” Best Ensemble: “Yes, And…” Best Use of Prompts: “Yes, And…” Best Bad Guy: Quinten Powers, “Run” Best Score (Music): “Voices in the Dark” Best Use of Extra Credit: “W.E.A.” Best Film Audience Choice: “Duplex” Special Awards from the Board of Directors: Out of This World Achievement Award: “Just Don’t Tell” Spectacular Suspense Award: “His Final Victim” Best Twist: “Donner Pass Cannibals” Blake Snyder “Save the Cat” Award for Storytelling: “Devious Darling” Excitingly, there will be more chances to catch the Judge's Choice film, as it will be screened at the Cordillera International Film Festival's Fright Night event this Thursday, October 24th, at Take 2 Performers Studio in Reno. Additionally, we will be screening a selection of the winning films at The Polo Lounge's Dirty Birdie Halloween Bingo Bash on Tuesday, Oct. 29. All 40 films will be released on our Carson City Shorts YouTube channel on Halloween, so be sure to subscribe for a thrilling treat. As we wrap up Carson Creepy 2024, we are filled with excitement for what lies ahead. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported us. We can’t wait to see what next year brings!