Rick Kelley of Westminster can only think of so many ways to kill someone.

This Friday, the 26-year-old writer and director of "Midnight Marquee" will premiere his 15-minute short about a serial killer wreaking havoc in Westminster.

The premiere is part of the Halloween Independent Horror Film Fest at the Carroll Arts Center.

"We've exhausted every single way to kill somebody," he said.

That's thanks to an earlier film Kelley and his friend, Charlie "Ruckus" Pittinger of Ruckus Productions, shot, in which a serial killer murders each of his victims in a different way.

With "Midnight Marquee," Kelley aimed to shy away from gore and slashing and focus on suspense, while not falling victim to clichés.

He said he hopes the experimental film will satisfy fright flick audiences.

The film fest starts at 8 p.m. Friday at the Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., and features three films in addition to "Marquee."

The trio of terror are "Blood Car," "Murder Party" and ""Deadlands: Trapped." The films are not rated by the Motion Picture Academy of America, but are considered to be "R."

Will Abbott, Carroll Arts Center coordinator, said the film festival evolved out of an effort to create a Halloween event for an audience that is "too old to be trick-or-treating and too young to have children to be trick-or-treating."

Other than showcasing spawn of the living dead, Abbott hopes that the film fest will help expose the community to the local film talent in Westminster and inspire others to make movies. He also hopes it will turn into an annual event.

"It's definitely something we feel can go on here in Westminster, depending on the success of this event," he said.

Pittinger and Kelley will do a horror trivia game before the movies, and the center will also have a costume contest.

The audience will also get to ask Pittinger, Kelley and "Deadlands" director Gary Ugarek questions during two question and answer sessions between the movies.

Moviegoers might find a lot of the places familiar in "Marquee," said Pittinger, 26, of Finksburg.

The duo shot much of the movie in locales such as the Westminster Fall Fest, Legends Café and Johansson's Down Under. A couple scenes were also shot in Littlestown, Pa., he said.

All of the films shown at the festival are ultra-low budget films, where casts are as small as the budgets. But the talent is by no means minor, Abbott said.

Ruckus Productions has had work shown on Chiller TV and BBC and is pitching a television pilot called "Uniontown."

"Marquee" was shot over four days and seven people made up the crew. Kelley doubled as an actor, Pittinger said.

"Blood Car" and "Murder Party" have won several awards at film festivals, and "Deadlands" will be another Westminster premiere. That film, directed and written by Ugarek of Germantown, follows what happens when a government chemical weapon is unleased on the people of Hagerstown and turns them into zombies.

Ugarek works in the biotech industry that develops and researches drugs, so he figured he might as well put that knowledge to some use on film. Ugarek, 37, shot the film mostly at the Hagerstown 10 Cinema near Leitersburg.

While he doesn't necessarily think Maryland has warmed up to supporting independent films shot around its towns, he is happy to work with fellow aspiring filmmakers and the community.

That includes making friends with local businesses, governments, police and the film commission.

Some feelings in Maryland about independent films might be due to people visiting Burkittsville in Frederick County in the wake of "The Blair Witch Project," filmed in the late '90s, he said. But the independent film movement can grow again, if there's a mutual respect, he said.

"There's also indie filmmakers who don't want to talk to people," he said. "That's not the attitude you want to have."

Ruckus Productions hopes to continue Abbott's efforts by putting on a festival of all of its work and getting more local people involved, Pittinger said. But no matter the film, Ugarek urges people to give it a chance. He does.

"I love cinema. Period," he said. "I don't care how good or bad it is. I can sit through some crappy movies, but there's usually that diamond in the rough, and they got it right."

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If you go

What: Halloween Independent Horror Film Fest

When: Friday, Oct. 31. Doors open at 7 p.m. First film shows at 8 p.m.

Where: Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster.

Cost: $10 for adults. $8 for students with ID and art council members. Concessions available. ID required for alcohol.

Details: Costume contest and trivia contest begin before the films. The festival also includes a Q&A with the filmmakers. Moviegoers are welcome to come and go at any time. Films are unrated by the MPAA, but are "R" equivalent. Goblins under 17 years old must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact: Call 410-848-7272.

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