San Diego’s Comic-Con International is the biggest event in the world devoted to genre pop culture. While the big Hollywood movies get the most mainstream press, there’s also a large, lesser known and promoted Independent Film Festival devoted to genre short films tucked away within the overall convention.

The CCI-IFF, as it’s acronymed, runs completely concurrently with the convention with programming running from morning to night that includes films devoted to comic book-inspired movies, horror movies, sci-fi flicks, comedies and documentaries. There are also several panels on filmmaking sandwiched in between the on-screen entertainment.

The fest also gives out awards. This year’s juror panel includes filmmakers Steven-Charles Jaffee and Kyle Newman, plus entertainment journalist Borys Kit.

Programming blocks are broken up by genre and the full film lineup below gives the exact starting time of each short film. There’s also one feature film screening this year, the documentary GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, directed by Brett Whitcomb. The filmmaker and several female wrestlers will be in attendance for a Q&A.

So, take a time out from the main hall and catch a few films by some rising stars in the fabulous screening room at the Marriott Marquis and Marina, right next door to the main convention floor. The fest is free for all convention attendees.

The full lineup is below, but please check the CCI-IFF website for more info.

July 12

10:00 a.m.: “Comic-Con Film School 101: Preproduction and Screenwriting”
Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril – Midnight Whistle), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer/star, GothGirl), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).

Action/Adventure Category

11:05 a.m.: Bridges – A Living Graphic Novel, dir. Miguel Angelo Pate

11:50 a.m.: Europa, dir. David Gidali

12:25 p.m.: Dead Grass Dry Roots, dir. Gabe Hohreiter

1:05 p.m.: GoldenBox, dir. Matt MacDonald

Animation Category

1:40 p.m.: Wolf Dog Tales, dir. Bernadine Santistevan

2:00 p.m.: Don’t Be Nervous, dir. Peter Gulsvig

2:20 p.m.: Dziad I Baba, dir. Basia Goszczynska

2:45 p.m.: Red Princess Blues: Genesis, dir. Alex Ferrari

Panel Discussion

3:15 p.m.: “Big Genre, Low Budget: Making it Fun”
Panelists include writer/director Eric Forsberg (Syfy, The Asylum, Active Entertainment), Micho Rutare (development executive, The Asylum), actress Gabriel Womack (Triassic Attack, Copperhead), Mark Beltzman (Re-Animator, the Musical), Karen Goodman Forsberg (producer and co-founder, Big Bear Horror Film Festival), and Bill Lundy (writer, Silent Warning, Alien Siege on Syfy; head of Scriptwriters Network).

Horror / Suspense Category

4:20 p.m.: Doll Parts, dir. Karen Lam

4:30 p.m.: The Killing Game, dir. Satnam Purewal

4:40 p.m.: Cabine of the Dead, dir. Vincent Templement

5:05 p.m.: My Mom & Other Monsters, dir. Kate Tsang

5:15 p.m.: Sanguijuelas, dir. Abraham Sanchez

6:00 p.m.: The Absence, dir. Alex DeMille

Special Event

7:00 p.m.: “CCI-IFF Meet & Greet”

Horror / Suspense Category

8:15 p.m.: The Small Assassin, dir. Chris Charles

8:45 p.m.: Spoiler, dir. Daniel Thron

July 13

10:00 a.m.: “Comic-Con Film School 102: Production”
Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril – Midnight Whistle), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer/star, GothGirl), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).

Comics-Oriented Category

11:05 a.m.: Paula Peril: Midnight Whistle, dir. Jason Winn

11:50 a.m.: Super to the Heroes, dir. Trish Sgro

12:00 p.m.: Lost Rites, dir. James Moran

12:25 p.m.: Prelude to Bedlam, dir. Tychicus Vasquez

Panel Discussion

1:15 p.m.: “From Fanboy to Filmmaker: A Case Study on How to Make a Successful Animated Film”
Featuring writer/director Jonah D. Ansell, composer Chris Thomas, art director Eric Vennemeyer, lead animator Abe Dieckman, and a screening of the animated film Cadaver.

Humor Category

2:20 p.m.: Straight Talk, dir. Sean Becker

2:45 p.m.: The Kirkie, dir. Jim Krieg

3:15 p.m.: Rooney’s World, dir. Jordan Noel

3:50 p.m.: Summer of the Zombies, dir. Eddie Beasley and Ashleigh Nichols

4:15 p.m.: Karl Mulberry, dir. Lorne Hiltser

4:45 p.m.: Off Season: The Lex Morrison Story, dir. (name not available)

6:15 p.m.: Rigamortis: A Zombie Love Story, dir. Ted Campbell, Dave Dewes

7:05 p.m.: Natural 20, dir. Brusta Brown

7:50 p.m.: The Comic Book Company, dir. Nicolas Lorca

9:30 p.m.: Electric Man, dir. David Barras

July 14

10:00 a.m.: “Comic-Con Film School 103: Working with Actors and a Crew”
Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril – Midnight Whistle), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer/star, GothGirl), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica)., and actors Susan Smythe, Brian Stevenson, Kat Steel, and Brad Upton.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Category

11:05 a.m.: Technical Support, dir. Jeffrey Ashkin

11:40 a.m.: Giant Monster Playset, dir. Greg Pope

11:55 a.m.: El Cabro En La Lavadora (Goat in the Washer), dir. Blake Nelson

12:25 p.m.: Oliver Bump’s Birthday, dir. Jordan Canning

12:40 p.m.: The Batting Cage, dir. Donte Murry

1:10 p.m.: Laura Keller, NB, dir. Mo Perkins

1:40 p.m.: Advantageous, dir. Jennifer Phang

2:15 p.m.: L5 – Episode One, dir. Stanley Von Medvey

Panel Discussions

3:15 p.m.: “Creating Unforgettable Villains”
Featuring Chris Huntley (story development expert, creator of the Dramatica Story Theory).

Science Fiction and Fantasy Category

4:20 p.m.: Hop the Twig, dir. Kyle Rideout

4:45 p.m.: ID, dir. Ted Chung

5:10 p.m.: Schrödingerskatze, dir. Jupiter De La Bâtardise

5:45 p.m.: Bunker 731, dir. Jacob Scarpaci, Kerrie Scher

6:20 p.m.: Wait for Rain, dir. Kyle Rideout

6:50 p.m.: Anna-May Got Lost, dir. Katie Yu

7:15 p.m.: Overture, dir. Dan Sachar

Documentary Category

7:50 p.m.: Folktales and Airships, dir. Peter Salomone

8:00 p.m.: GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, dir. Brett Whitcomb. This documentary covers the history of the first ever all-female wrestling show and includes interviews with those very gorgeous ladies who made it all happen.

July 15

10:00 a.m.: “Comic-Con Film School 104: Postproduction”
Panelists include Valerie Perez (producer/star, Paula Peril – Midnight Whistle), Nick Murphy (writer/director, Pizza and Bullets), Jack Conway (writer/producer, Fear News), Vera Vanguard (producer/star, GothGirl), and Sean Rourke (writer of Ballistica).

11:00 a.m.: “Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival Awards”
Jurors: Steven-Charles Jaffee (winner of last year’s CCI:IFF best documentary award for Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird), journalist Borys Kit (The Hollywood Reporter), and filmmaker Kyle Newman (Fanboys).

12:00 p.m.: “Award-Winner Showcase”
Watch all the award-winning films.