Early days (1994 – 1999): Philip Ilson founded The Halloween Society in April 1994 with colleague Tim Harding, as a regular showcase for short film. Originally housed at Notre Dame Hall, these short film events have continued, from London Film Festival events at the Embassy Rooms and the ICA, to short film screenings at the Vibe Bar and the Rhythm Factory in East London, to Form in Soho, to The Lock Tavern in Camden and the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, before settling at the ICA Cinema in mid 2002. Philip during these early years also provided guest shorts programming in Vienna, Oberhausen, and Paris, as well as the Norwich FAN Festival, Glasgow CCA, Llandudno Oriel Mostyn Gallery, and Croydon Clocktower arts centre in the UK.

Halloween were also the co-founders of the Kentra multi-media club event in early 1998 and the Volcano Independent Film Festival in 1996. Halloween has also been invited to international film festivals in Perth, Australia, Halifax and Ottawa, Canada, and Helsinki, Finland to present short film and live events.

The new millennium (2000 – 2002): Philip Ilson co-programmed and co-ordinated the British Council's Sensurround multi-media club extravaganza which toured Europe (Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, Thessaloniki), Israel (Tel Aviv) and South America (Bogota, Caracas) throughout 2000 and 2001. From 2000, he has worked closely with the Mean Fiddler on a late night film and music marquee at Leeds music festival, and similar at Glastonbury Festival.

In early 2001 Philip created a regular monthly event at London's ICA; called Full Length, it saw live performance soundtracks by 'name' bands (Ladytron, Bis, British Sea Power, Simian, Queen Adreena, J-Walk etc) to cult feature films (Tron, Quadrophenia, Baraka, Microcosmos, Crash, La Planete Sauvage). This also toured to the Lausanne Film Festival in Switzerland and the Big Chill music festival.

From 2004 Philip programmed for the ICA, Leeds Fuse04 festival, Sheffield’s Showcommotion festival (where Halloween also conducted Skate Video workshops), and the British Council in Prague, and is an advisor for the Co-op Young Filmmakers Festival. Halloween also manages and programmes multi-media spaces at the Leeds and Big Chill music festivals. Philip has lectured on programming at the Independent Cinema Office Programming Course and also taught practical filmmaking skills at the London Film and Video workshop.

Halloween / London Short Film Festival (2003 – present day): In mid 2003 Philip llson and Kate Taylor organised the first Halloween Short Film Festival to take place at the ICA in January 2004. The first Festival was a successful mix of 11 new short film programmes, retrospective screenings of Halloween favorites from the last 10 years, and a strong programme of live music events in the ICA theatre & bar areas. A second similar Festival took place in January 2005, and the third Festival took place in January 2006, adding the Curzon Soho as a Festival venue. In 2007, the Festival expanded to a third venue, the Roxy Bar & Screen and spread across 10 days, and in 2008 the Festival changed its name to the London Short Film Festival.

Up to date (2005 – present day): Philip worked as full-time Short Film Programmer at the Curzon Soho throughout most of 2005; his work there included co-organising the first Short Film Summer School and co-programming the Uncontainable music documentary film festival. Philip continues to work on Curzon projects. In late 2005, Philip joined animate! as Project Co-ordinator, to initiate touring programmes and events and to oversee animate!’s 2006 ‘call for submissions’. Sadly, animate! founder Dick Arnell died in early 2007, and the project underwent major changes. In January 2008, Philip joined the team at the East End Film Festival to programme shorts, features and events, and on the Festival completion moved to a similar programming role at the Jersey Branchage International Film Festival planned for September 2008. Philip continues to work freelance on programming at the summer music festivals, such as the Big Chill, Leeds, and since 2006 the Latitude Festival, where he works with on-going multi-media music & film projects, and also since 2006 he has been Short Film Programmer at the BFI London Film Festival.

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