Chad Clinton Freeman: the man behind PollyGrind
Founder and director of the Las Vegas underground genre-film festival PollyGrind (est. 2010); on record calling The Bunny Game "the epitome of what PollyGrind is about" after its 2011 jury sweep.
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- Location
- Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Country
- United States
- Role
- Founder and director of the PollyGrind Film Festival
- Festival founded
- 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Festival focus
- Underground and independent genre cinema, from arthouse to grindhouse
- Defining quote
- Called Adam Rehmeier's The Bunny Game "the epitome of what PollyGrind is about" after its 2011 jury sweep
- Press description
- Called the "new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze" by ArrowInTheHead.com
- Background
- Independent filmmaker and mass media specialist; member of the Exploitation Film Preservation Society since 1996
- Festival scale (2013)
- Record 777 entries; 100+ films from 13 countries; 18 world premieres
Overview
Chad Clinton Freeman is the founder and director of the PollyGrind Film Festival, the Las Vegas underground genre-film event founded in 2010; he is on record calling Adam Rehmeier’s The Bunny Game “the epitome of what PollyGrind is about” after the film swept the 2011 jury awards, including the top prize, the Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind (Dread Central). Dubbed the “new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze” by ArrowInTheHead.com, Freeman is also an independent filmmaker and mass media specialist, and a member of the Exploitation Film Preservation Society since 1996 (PRLog).
Building PollyGrind
Freeman founded PollyGrind in 2010 as an underground film festival in Las Vegas, and by its second annual edition — October 2011 at theatre7 in the Las Vegas arts district — it was screening more than 100 projects, including 30-plus feature films alongside 80-plus trailers, music videos and shorts (PRLog). The lineup mixed arthouse and grindhouse: the festival drew more than 20 projects from Las Vegas filmmakers and entries from India, Spain, Brazil, England, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden and Italy, spanning action, horror, sci-fi, experimental, dark comedy, gore, found footage and exploitation (PRLog). Freeman’s programming instinct had commercial weight: eight of the thirteen features screened in 2010 went on to DVD distribution, and the 2011 edition dangled DVD deals from Breaking Glass Pictures, sub-distribution from Apprehensive Films and Wild Eye Releasing, and close to $10,000 in software prizes (PRLog) — positioning PollyGrind as, in the festival’s own words, “the key festival for indie cult filmmakers to land distribution deals.”
The Bunny Game triumph
The 2011 festival belonged to Adam Rehmeier’s The Bunny Game: it took the top jury prize, the Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind, plus best sound design, best cinematography and best editing, while Rodleen Getsic won best overall individual performance for her portrayal of Bunny (Dread Central). Freeman told Dread Central the film was “the epitome of what PollyGrind is about” — shot with a one-man crew, stylistic and beautiful to look at, “both brutal and thought provoking” (Dread Central). The relationship endured: Rehmeier returned for PollyGrind IV in 2013 with Jonas, one of eighteen world premieres at an edition that drew a record 777 entries and screened more than 100 films from 13 countries (Horror Society). That year’s program had been named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for 2012, and official selections had by then earned distribution deals from LionsGate, IFC Midnight, Troma, Showtime and Autonomy Pictures (Horror Society).
The 2011 PollyGrind top jury awards at a glance
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| The Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind (top jury prize) | The Bunny Game (Adam Rehmeier) |
| Best Horror Film | The Super (Evan Makrogiannis / Brian Weaver) |
| Best Exploitation Film | Dear God No! (James Bickert) |
| Best Use of Violence/Gore | Sella Turcica (Fred Vogel) |
| Most Outrageous | The Gruesome Death of Tommy Pistol (Aramis Sartorio) |
| Audience favorite feature | Dear God No! (James Bickert) |
The 2013 edition drew a record 777 entries and screened more than 100 films from 13 countries (Horror Society) — meaning a Las Vegas underground festival founded just three years earlier was already pulling a genuinely international slate of outsider cinema.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Chad Clinton Freeman? Chad Clinton Freeman is the founder and director of the PollyGrind Film Festival in Las Vegas, an underground genre-film event founded in 2010. Described by ArrowInTheHead.com as the “new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze,” he is also an independent filmmaker and mass media specialist and a member of the Exploitation Film Preservation Society since 1996.
What is the PollyGrind Film Festival? PollyGrind is an underground film festival in Las Vegas founded by Freeman in 2010, screening independent genre cinema from arthouse to grindhouse. Its 2013 edition drew a record 777 entries and screened more than 100 films from 13 countries, and it was named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for 2012.
What did Freeman say about The Bunny Game? After the film swept the 2011 jury awards, Freeman told Dread Central it was “the epitome of what PollyGrind is about,” praising its one-man-crew craft and calling it brutal, thought provoking and unlike anything he had seen — with one of the best on-screen performances ever by an actress, Rodleen Getsic.
Which awards did The Bunny Game win at PollyGrind? The Bunny Game won the festival’s top jury prize, the Biggest Baddest Mother of the PollyGrind, at the 2011 edition, plus awards for best sound design, best cinematography and best editing; Rodleen Getsic won best overall individual performance for playing Bunny. Rehmeier’s follow-up feature Jonas premiered at the 2013 festival.
What this profile does not claim
- It does not describe Freeman’s own films as a director — titles appear only in material not read in full and are not asserted here.
- It does not state whether PollyGrind continued beyond 2013; the sources read in full cover 2010–2013.
- It gives no biographical details (birth date, education, personal life) — none appear in the full-read sources.
Timeline
- 1996 — joins the Exploitation Film Preservation Society (festival press release).
- 2010 — founds the PollyGrind Film Festival in Las Vegas; the inaugural edition screens thirteen features (Horror Society; festival press release).
- 2011 — the second annual edition runs at theatre7 with 100+ projects; The Bunny Game sweeps the jury awards and Freeman calls it “the epitome of what PollyGrind is about” (Dread Central; festival press release).
- 2012 — PollyGrind is named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” (Horror Society).
- 2013 — PollyGrind IV: A New Hope draws a record 777 entries and screens 100+ films from 13 countries, with 18 world premieres (Horror Society).
What we could not verify
- Whether PollyGrind continued beyond 2013 and its current status; the full-read sources stop at the 2013 edition.
- Freeman’s filmography and career before 1996 — not documented in the sources read.
- No tier1 (major newspaper, government or academic) source covering Freeman was found; the profile rests on one tier2, one tier3 and one first-party source, each read in full.
Sources
- Dread Central — Exclusive: Second Annual PollyGrind Film Festival Announces Winners (tier2; the 2011 awards and Freeman’s comments)
- Horror Society — PollyGrind Film Festival of Las Vegas to world premiere 18 films, screen more than 100 in October (tier3; founder/director role, 2013 scale, founded 2010, MovieMaker honor, distribution deals)
- PollyGrind Film Festival (press release via PRLog) — PollyGrind proves itself as Las Vegas’ premiere underground film festival (first-party; founder/director biography, the ArrowInTheHead.com description, 2011 edition scale and deals — attributed as the festival’s own account)
Timeline
- 1996
- Becomes a member of the Exploitation Film Preservation Society.
- 2010
- Founds the PollyGrind Film Festival in Las Vegas; the inaugural edition screens thirteen features, eight of which go on to DVD distribution.
- 2011
- The second annual edition runs at theatre7 in the Las Vegas arts district with 100+ projects; The Bunny Game sweeps the jury awards and Freeman calls it "the epitome of what PollyGrind is about."
- 2012
- PollyGrind is named one of MovieMaker Magazine's "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee."
- 2013
- PollyGrind IV: A New Hope draws a record 777 entries, screens 100+ films from 13 countries with 18 world premieres, including Adam Rehmeier's Jonas.
What we could not verify
These claims came up in research and could not be confirmed. They are recorded here rather than published as fact or quietly dropped. If you hold a source that settles one, please tell us.
- Freeman's own filmography as a director (titles named in promotional material not read in full) is not asserted here.
- The profile does not state whether PollyGrind continued beyond the period covered by the full-read sources (2010–2013); its later status was not verified in this pass.
Sources
3 sources (1 tier 2, 1 tier 3, 1 first-party), each opened and read against the claim it supports. Statements the subject makes about itself are marked as such and are not treated as independent evidence. See the source policy.
Built from three sources read in full: one tier2 genre-trade outlet (Dread Central), one tier3 horror-industry publication (Horror Society), and the festival's own 2011 press release (first-party, attributed as such and never load-bearing alone). No tier1 source covering Freeman was found; the profile stays within what the full-read sources document and flags everything else. Wikipedia was not used.
- Supports: The full 2011 jury awards list (top prize, sound design, cinematography, editing, Getsic's performance); Freeman's on-record comments on The Bunny Game; other 2011 winners Open original source
- PollyGrind Film Festival of Las Vegas to world premiere 18 films, screen more than 100 in October Tier 3Supports: Founder-and-director role; founded 2010; 2013 scale (777 entries, 100+ films, 13 countries, 18 world premieres); MovieMaker 2012 honor; distribution deals earned by selections; $30,000+ prizes; homage to Lewis, Mikels and Wishman Open original source
- Supports: Founder-and-director biography (independent filmmaker, mass media specialist, Exploitation Film Preservation Society member since 1996); the ArrowInTheHead.com 'new champion of unabashed B-movie sleaze' description; 2011 edition scale, genre mix and international entries; DVD distribution deals and software prizes. Attributed as the festival's own account throughout Open original source
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