I’ve just learned that I’ve been accepted as a “guest” at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival this May 3-5 here in Portland, Oregon.

I’ve very much enjoyed the HPLFF on the two occasions I attended previously, both times with my wife Lena. We planned to attend again this year, especially after we heard our friend Joe Pulver was going to attend.

The good people who are organizing the festival, Gwen and Brian Callahan, held a Kickstarter to help fund and support this year’s event. The last stretch goal, reached with two days to spare, helped pay to fly Joe over from Berlin, as well as to bring in Mike Davis of Lovecraft eZeine from Texas. We’re putting Joe up at our place while he’s in Portland, in fact, Mike Davis is staying with us for a night too. The Griffin residence will be the coolest place in Southeast Portland!

Here’s a partial list of guests, straight from the Kickstarter page:

CONFIRMED! Sandy Petersen, the creator of The Call of Cthulhu® RPG, is our guest of honor!

CONFIRMED! Clive Barker’s Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut will make it’s Pacific Northwest premiere (and only scheduled showing in this part of the country) at our festival, introduced and with Q&A by restoration director Russell Cherrington.

CONFIRMED! Robert M. Price, Editor and Lovecraft scholar will be a guest at the festival and officiating alongside Cody Goodfellow, author, at the Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast.

CONFIRMED! Joe S. Pulver, author of Sin & Ashes, and Mike Davis, creator of the Lovecraft Ezine are coming to the fest, thanks to our Kickstarter backers!

CONFIRMED GUESTS! Even more guests will be here to entertain, amuse, and horrify you. So far, you could meet Nick Mamatas, Orrin Grey, Ross Lockhart, Wilum Pugmire, Mike Dubisch, Jeff Burk, Edward Morris, Keith Baker, Lee Moyer, Nick Gucker, Molly Tanzer, Richard Lupoff, Sean Branney, Thomas Phinney, and many more!

What a great list of eminent cool Lovecraftians! And me, of course.

Joe nudged me to fill out a guest application for the event. See, the festival runners choose potential guests among the many Lovecraftian filmmakers, authors, editors, publishers, scholars and assorted other talented and interesting types. Though I may lack both reputation and eloquence as compared to these other excellent folk, I’ll try to hold my own, and will compensate by wearing my red pants at least once.

Luckly I’m not at all afraid of getting up in front of a crowd. More the opposite, really – eager to jump around and spout nonsense.

More seriously, I’m not sure if this “guest” thing will involve being on one or more panels, or participating in a group reading, or what. Really looking forward to this, not just the guesting, but the chance to see many great friends, including some never before seen in the flesh!