The 17th annual Moviate Underground Film Festival in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania celebrates this happy Memorial Day weekend on May 22-25 with great documentaries about artists, loads of filmmakers in attendance, mind-bending short films and one of the greatest horror films every made. It’s quite a mix! The fest takes place at the Civic Club of Harrisburg and at Midtown Cinema — and all screenings are completely FREE.

Things start with a real bang on May 22 when the great and powerful Guy Maddin rockets down from Winnipeg, Canada to appear live in person to present clips from his latest cinematic triumph, The Forbidden Room, as well as screen one of his classic early works on 16mm film.

Some other highlights of the weekend include Ellen Zweig’s Heart Beat Ear Drum, a documentary about musician Z’ev, who will be be in attendance at this screening on May 23 with Zweig. Then, later that night Z’ev and musician Bryan Lewis Saunders will provide a live soundtrack to the films of James Hollenbaugh.

On May 24, there will be a screening of Martijn Veldhoen’s unorthodox documentary portrait of his mother, Time and Place; as well as episodes from the oddball, underground sitcom “The Big Baby Show.”

And on May 25, the fest will conclude with Sarah Paulsen’s heartfelt stop-motion animation tribute to the late Connie Karr, Elegy to Connie.

Throughout the festival, there are tons of short films screening, including new work by fantastic experimental filmmakers Christine Lucy Latimer, Thorsten Fleisch and Neil Ira Needleman. And, on May 25, Brian Lonano‘s killer Crow Hand will screen before the restored version of Tobe Hooper’s classic Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The full festival lineup is below. For more information about the fest and about the great Moviate organization that does such great work all year round in Harrisburg, please visit their website.

May 22

8:00 p.m.: “Guy Maddin in Person”
Iconic Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin will screen clips from his latest film, The Forbidden Room, and a 16mm print of one of his earlier works.

May 23

11:00 a.m.: The Gospel According to Charlie, dir. David Bussan. A documentary profile of artist Charlie Van Ness, covering his life and career changes over the past eight years.

12:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
Still Feeling Blue About Color Separation, dir. Christine Lucy Latimer
TRANSFER, dir. Christopher Spencer-Lowe
Tadiama, dir. Robin Takao D’Oench

1:00 p.m.: “Observations and Statements”
Spectators, dir. Ann Deborah Levy
London Calling, dir. John Hillis
RRMXiii, dir. Grannell Knox
Resolve to Be Ready, dir. Eugene Park

2:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
Eye Spoke Chorus, dir. Timothy David Orme
Jones Falls, dir. Lorenzo Gattorna
Nationtime, dir. Christine Lucy Latimer
The Crow Furnace, dir. Dolissa Medina

3:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
AmericaAntiAmerica, dir. Neil Ira Needleman
Chaucer Revisited, dir. Gary Adelstein and Jerry Orr
Invincible City, dir. David Finkelstein
Story for Mindy, dir. Neil Ira Needleman
Will I Scatter Away, dir. Emma Eisner

4:00 p.m.: Heart Beat Ear Drum, dir. Ellen Zweig. A documentary portrait of the musician Z’ev.

8:00 p.m.: “The Art of Darkness and Self Portrait”
Portrait documentaries about artist Bryan Lewis Saunders.

10:00 p.m.: “The Films of James Hollenbaugh”
Screened with a live soundtrack by Bryan Lewis Saunders and Z’ev.

12:00 a.m.: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, dir. Tobe Hooper. A restored version of the classic 1974 horror film.
Screening With:
Crow Hand, dir. Brian Lonano
True Will, dir. Jim Hickcox

May 24

11:00 a.m.: Out of Focus, dir. Shahriar Siami Shal. A documentary portrait of disabled Iranian-British painter Afshin Naghouni.

12:00 p.m.: Time and Place, a talk with my mom, dir. Martijn Veldhoen. An unorthodox portrait of the filmmaker’s mother.
Screening With:
Bliss Point, dir. Michael Raines

1:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
Test, dir. Jay Lifton
Picture Particles, dir. Thorsten Fleisch
The Glass Record, dir. Daniel King
Betwixt, dir. Eva Lee
Branches, dir. Heath Hanlin

2:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
Surfacing, dir. Zachary Reese
The Red, dir. Benjamin Marlowe
Prick, dir. Elissa Nechamkin
The Meadow, dir. Fritz Aigner

3:00 p.m.: “Short Films”
Michael, dir. Avi Yagil
she, dir. Kyle Parsons
La Fin, dir. Francois Nolla, Les Deniers & Hugo Hubert

4:00 p.m.: “Animation Chunk! Curated by Dana Sink”
Wassup Snail?, dir. Mark Scheetz
Snowflake, dir. Natalia Chernysheva
Hogan, dir. Peter Millard
Goodbye Rabbit, Hop Hop, dir. Caleb Wood
Pig, dir. Steven Subotnick
Ball of Life, dir. Dana Sink
Happy Unhappy, dir. Peter Millard
Velocity, dir. Karolina Glusiec
Echo and Narcissus, dir. Killian Heilsberg
The Game Becomes More Civilized, dir. Guy Kozak

7:00 p.m.: “The Big Baby Show”
Episodes of the two and a half minute sitcom. Featuring the voices of Chad Mellendick, Jad and David Fair. Produced by Mellendick and David Fair.
Screening With:
“Kevin’s Sci-fi Special Effects Show” by creator Jay Johnson.

May 25

11:00 a.m.: War Prayer, dir. Richard Wiebe.
Imago Dei, dir. Nathan Skulstad.

12:00 p.m.: I Know You Well, dir. Ashkan Soltani. A documentary portrait of musician JANDEK, who has a large international cult following.

2:00 p.m.: Bob and the Sex Pistachios, dir. Yves Matthey & Tiziana Caminada. A musical tribute to all the kick-ass rockers out there in the world.
Screening With:
“Picture” by Tilbury, dir. Caleb Smith
“Floodgates” by Very Americans, dir. Caleb Smith

4:00 p.m.: Elegy to Connie, dir. Sarah Paulsen. A stop-motion animation tribute to slain Kirkwood City Council member Connie Karr.