LAYTON -- Silliness was the name of the game last Friday night at the Seventh Annual Gangrene Film Festival held at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater. The festival draws local amateur filmmakers who produce short length comedies that fall somewhere between the "hilarious and absurd" category to the "They've completely lost their minds" category. The Gangrene Film Festival is not for the high-minded with expectations of complex plots and storylines. It is all about suspending expectations and having a good time.

This year the festival opened with a slightly eccentric Mexican Mariachi Band playing some familiar favorites such as "La Bamba" and "La Cucaracha." The band set the mood for the evening as they taught the audience to hoot and holler Mexican style.

After the band got the audience warmed up two wrestlers, complete with funky headwear, went the rounds in a makeshift wrestling ring. The pair put on a funny but extremely amateur wrestling match.

Then it was time to play the films, beginning with "The Help Desk," by Larry Nybo. It was probably the best film in the first of the two sessions of the festival. It was a brilliant little movie about a quintessential know-it-all employed to answer phone calls about everything from how to make an egg white meringue to how to land a plane with failed engines.

Other movies in the first session included "Rehash of the Chlorians" by Murray Triplett, "Art Film Confessions" by Patrick Murphy, "Curse of the Annoying Fly" by Nate Peck, "Weird Ribs Are Swell" by Andy Bailey, "Great White Hunter" by Craig Nybo and "The Comedian Next Door" by Ryan Nybo.

The late session included "Hose" by Debbie Nybo, "Blood-o-ween" by Nate Fackrell, "Devon's Journal" by Mike Terrell and "Cowboy Johnny Yamada" by Yohei Kawamata.

After each film was played, its director came out on stage and hit a pinata filled with candy for the audience. The directors talked about the making of the movie and answered a few questions their film.

The Gangrene Film Festival was founded by Nybo seven years ago as entertainment for a backyard party and it grew from there.

Nybo and his brother Craig, along with their childhood friends Mike Terrell and Nate Peck, now run the show together. They also work together during the day at "Mediariff" where they do computer programming and multimedia productions.

The four began making films as 12-year-olds and the film festival is just a continuation of their childhood fun. Nybo shared the group's philosophy for what they do at the festival.

"We try very hard not to be high minded," said Nybo. "We do it because we love making people laugh." He believes that a filmmaker can never say a film is good until there is validation from the audience. If the audience doesn't like it, it isn't good in his eyes.

Nybo plans to carry on that philosophy into next year's Eighth Annual Gangrene Festival, which will have a pirate theme.