FESTIVAL Team

DEAN BERTRAM (Founder, FESTIVAL DIRECTOR)

Dean has a PhD in weird (well, in the history of UFO belief, but same, same). He is a filmmaker, writer, and host of Talking Weird. Dean has programmed for several film festivals, and has been running them since he launched A NIght of Horror International Film Festival in 2006.

Lisa DeviTA (SCREENPLAY COMPETITION HEAD)

Lisa DeVita is known for her work as a writer, producer and armorer on PEELERS (2016), SKEW (2011) and VANITY INSANITY (2007). A published writer and a film history enthusiast, Lisa decided to pursue work as an armorer learning about the various weaponry used from different time periods. This helped enhance her on-set experience as well as her screenwriting, as it provided a unique perspective into the cinematic world. Lisa is currently writing a comedy feature, a sci-fi novel trilogy, and continues to work as an armorer on several independent projects.

STEVEN WALLACE (PROGRAMMING CONSULTANT)

Steven is a film producer and an artist. He's had films shown at int'l film festivals including SXSW, and juried gallery exhibitions of his art shown in the United States and Europe. He's contributed to half a dozen film festivals in one way or another over the last decade. And lastly, he has the notable distinction of being the person who came up with our wonderful name "MidWest WeirdFest".

SEVE SCHELENZ (SCREENPLAY READER, CONSULTANT)

Sevé has worked in the film industry for over 25 years. He has written, directed, edited and produced two independent feature horror films (SKEW, PEELERS). Sevé has also produced two television series (Great Scott!! …television that bothers you and Stand Up On Whistler Mountain). He has worked as an editor and colorist on over 75 productions and has been a judge for several film festivals. Sevé continues to write and develop projects as you read this. Some have suggested he may be a bit ambitious.

JOSEPH PERRY (PROGRAMMING CONSULTANT)

Joseph fell in love with horror films as a preschooler when he first saw "The Creature from The Black Lagoon" and "Godzilla Vs. the Thing.” His education in fright fare and the weird continued with TV series such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits," along with legendary northern California horror host Bob Wilkins’ "Creature Features" and silver- and golden-age horror comics. He is a contributing writer for Gruesome Magazine, Diabolique Magazine, Ghastly Grinning, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, When It Was Cool, and the Drive-In Asylum zine. He is a co-host of the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and Uphill Both Ways podcasts. Joseph is also a selection and awards judge for FilmQuest, Portland Horror Film Festival, the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and Wreak Havoc Film Fes