BEACONS

CLEARWATER — The 10^th annual Tampa Bay Screams & Sci-Fi Convention will take place on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, at the Holiday Inn St. Petersburg N./Clearwater, 3535 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater.

Hours will be Friday, 3 to 10 p.m.; and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Online advance tickets are $30 for one day or $50 for a two-day weekend pass. To purchase tickets, visit tampabayscreams.com/get-tickets-1. Parking is free.

The event is designed to appeal to fans, collectors, and cosplay artists. A celebration of horror, sci-fi, and pop culture, the convention will feature a “Dealers’ Dungeon” vendor expo area, panels, film festival, costume contest, and much more. Tampa Bay Screams will also present an exciting lineup of guests, including cult horror movie celebrities as well as Tampa Bay area original talent. Among this year’s featured guests are Rhonda Shear, Bin Furuya, Linda Miller, and Jack O’Halloran.

Rhonda Shear hosted USA Network’s “USA Up All Night” in the 1990s. She launched a revival of the show in 2025. Shear also appeared in many genre films, including “J.D.’s Revenge,” “Galaxina,” “Spaceballs,” and “Return to Frogtown,” the 1993 sequel to “Hell Comes to Frogtown.”

Japanese actor Bin Furuya is best known for his portrayal of the titular character in the 1966 series “Ultraman,” and as Amagi in the sequel series “Ultraseven.” According to event organizers, this will be the first convention appearance with Furuya celebrating the 60^th anniversary of “Ultraman.” In addition to his connection to “Ultraman,” Furuya also appeared in dozens of films, including “Mothra” (1961), “Gorath” (1962), “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” (1964), “Frankenstein Conquers the World” (1965), and “The War of the Gargantuas” (1966).

As a teenager, Linda Miller, an American living in Japan in the 1960s, starred in the films “King Kong Escapes” and “The Green Slime.” After her family returned to the United States, she briefly continued her acting career, performing under the name Leslie Michaels. She had a guest spot in the television show “My Three Sons.”

Fans of 1980’s “Superman II” will recognize actor Jack O’Halloran for his portrayal of Kryptonian supervillain Non. O’Halloran also had supporting roles in films such as “Farewell, My Lovely,” “March or Die,” “Dragnet,” and “Hero and the Terror,” as well as the 1976 version of “King Kong,” which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year.

Other celebrity guests include Jeff Lieberman, director of the cult classic “Squirm” (1976); actress Lynn Lowry, who appeared in films such as “The Crazies” (1973) and “Cat People” (1982); giallo actress Barbara Magnolfi, who appeared in Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” (1977); and Denice Duff, best known for her role in Full Moon Features’ “Subspecies” films. The Tampa area’s own “King of the B-Movies” Joel D. Wynkoop will be on hand, as will Dr. Paul Bearer, currently portrayed by Richard Koon. Scream queens such as April Hunter, Krista Grotte Saxon and M. Catherine Wynkoop will make appearances. Other horror and sci-fi personalities scheduled to be part of the convention include T. Brooklyn Bellissimo, Hiroshi Kanatani, Sean Donohue, Josh Reed, Chris Leto & Dustin Hubbard, Xzanthia, Angelina Phoenix, Sarah Brunner, and Adam-Bomb.

“Fans love this convention because of the quality celebrity guests and vendors,” said Joel D. Wynkoop. “These are real horror and sci-fi movie stars that fans can meet without long lines — a real value! Plus, Tampa Bay Screams supports indie filmmakers, authors, and artists and gives them the opportunity to reach new audiences and fans as vendors and in our film festival.”

Attendees return year-after-year for the fun and fellowship as Tampa Bay Screams brings together the fans, celebrities, and artists for an experience that will last a lifetime.

For information, including a panel schedule and film festival schedule, visit tampabayscreams.com.