With Scream It Off Screen at the Parkway Theater, Everyone’s a Critic

Do you or a loved one suffer from bottled-up rage? Has your body been replaced by a stiff, doomscrolling, anxiety-riddled wooden board? Are you feeling haunted by the thought of another day on this soulless plane and need somewhere to let it all out? The Parkway Theater has the event just for you. On the first Friday of the month, Scream It Off Screen wants you to leave the niceties at the door and strap in for a night like no other.

Scream It Off Screen hosted at the Parkway Theater. Ali Rydberg

Scream It Off Screen (SIOS) is a local short film competition where the audience is in charge. Each month, a handful of films are selected at random and given two to three minutes of playtime before the crowd is prompted to yell “Let it play!” or “Gong!” Determined by the sheer decibel level of excitement or distaste, the film will either finish in its entirety or be bid farewell by the gong (and an enchanting little audience sing-along). The films that are not gonged off-screen are eligible to win a cash prize at the end of the night, which is also determined by audience excitement.

I went into September’s event completely unsure what to expect. Luckily enough, the show I attended was Scream It Off Screen’s first-ever sleepover night, which included all the usual sleepover antics: a pajama contest, snacks, live music, and a midshow power nap. The evening was hosted by the event’s co-creator, Terry Sommer, and SIOS’s official mascot, Screamy, with live keyboard accompaniment by pianist King and offstage hosting by co-creator Natalie Koness. There was also an orange cat named Beans brought onstage to steal the show!

Screamy onstage on September 6, 2024. Ali Ryberg

The theater was packed with a mix of returning audience members and those, like me, who were experiencing the event for the first time. What felt special about the night was how the energy only seemed to rise as it went on. With the filmmakers in the audience, I was worried it would feel uncomfortable to “boo” their work, but what can I say? The power was freeing.

It was great to see local talent making and showing whatever they wanted to. The sillier the film, the better the response from the audience. The competition took the pressure off of being “good” and pushed to keep things creative and fun. And though the filmmakers hope to get their work seen, to be “gonged” seemed to be a bit of a badge of honor. When it was time to crown the winner, the filmgoers were brought to their feet in support of a captivating documentary about two housecats. I was surprised by my own deranged investment in needing to see the film win but comforted by the entire theater being just as impassioned as I was.

Scream It Off Screen feels like a church service in which the entire congregation is made up of that one screaming toddler—but we’re all adults, and it’s been a long time since someone said it was okay to act how we feel in public. I felt inspired and excited by the work I saw and surprised by how the desire for brutal honesty really brings a group together. An evening at Scream It Off Screen is sure to be like nothing you’ve ever experienced and might even fill a void you didn’t even know existed.

Catch Scream It Off Screen on the first Friday of each month at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis. Learn more about the event and submitting your own work for judgment at ScreamItOffScreen.com.