Like so many great things in the world, the Gangrene Film Festival started with humble beginnings. Originally, festival founder, Larry Nybo’s intention was to hold a filmstrip festival. The Gangrene Film Festival: Wonton was to feature a series of independent filmstrips, run on a jr. high school filmstrip projector. As it turned out, Larry was the only artist to turn in a filmstrip. His piece was called Things Mankind Has Made, Who Is He Trying To Kid. Though Larry’s filmstrip inspired a sequel, it was unfortunately lost. The Gangrene Film Festival: Wonton was held in a large back yard. A sheet was adapted into a screen. About 50 attendees, all friends and family, showed up. Everybody had a great time.

Spurred by the success of the event, Larry assembled a film festival board and they began to develop a strategy to expand the film festival. The goal of the Gangrene Film Festival has been the same from the beginning—to make as many people as possible, laugh as hard as possible and to leave wanting more. Even in the beginning, this goal was met.