The 14th Annual SF IndieFest starts Thursday, February 9th, bringing two weeks of film to the Roxy Theater. And also that other IndieFest tradition: wild theme parties all over town, like a subversive Superbowl party and a roller disco.

Festival founder Jeff Ross admits he never thought the event would last this long.

"The first year I was shocked that over 3,000 people came to see a dozen films they'd never heard of before. And we've grown every year since," he said.

This year's program includes 30 features, nine documentaries, five shorts programs and a host of special events. Ross explained his programming philosophy thusly: "I look for something different, something unique. I like when festival audiences get to discover things at the fest."

Certainly that would seem to be the case for the festival's opening night film "4:44 Last Day on Earth," a new film from infamous director Abel Ferrara, whose early career is marked by slashers like "Driller Killer" and "Ms.45". Staring Willem Dafoe, the movie tracks the life of Manhattanites living at (or near) the end of the world. Ferrra will be in attendance, which should be a show unto itself.

Here are some other films and special events that should not be missed:

"Bullhead," a thriller about a dairy farmer buying hormones for his cows on the black market that will compete for Best Foreign Laguage Film at the Academy Awards.

"Kill List," A legitimately creepy horror film that borrows liberally—and well—from the original"Wicker Man" film. (It borrows almost nothing from the recent Cage/bee remake.)

"Snowtown," Recognized by the Canned Film Festival Jury, this Australian film explores the dark realities surrounding a true-life string of murders in a depressed area. Be warned: the violence in it is very graphic.

Finally, how can I not recommend "DOGGIEWOGGIEZ! POOCHIEWOOCHIEZ!" a dog-themed found footage program from the mad geniuses at Everything Is Terrible, a collective that scours thrift shops and other repositories for VHS oddities. They claim it's a remake of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s psychdelic 1973 cult film "The Holy Mountain", which: of course it is.