Item#: 5911

Containment Class: euclid

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: vlam

Risk Class: warning

SCP-5911 during a dormant period.

Special Containment Procedures: A 1 kilometer perimeter must be maintained around SCP-5911 at all times. Outpost-237 has been established in the rural entertainment plaza in which SCP-5911 is located and is tasked with monitoring for potential trespassers.

Any civilians attempting to enter SCP-5911 are to be detained and assessed for possible exposure to SCP-5911-1. Cleared subjects may be released at the discretion of the Outpost Coordinator.

Automated web crawlers have been deployed to identify and censor any online references to SCP-5911-1. Any web domains claiming to represent SCP-5911-1 are to be seized and shut down indefinitely. Foundation assets in the United States Postal Service have been tasked with identifying and destroying any material referencing SCP-5911-1.

If an instance of SCP-5911-1 is identified, Outpost-237 is to be alerted and prepped for an increase in potential trespassers. Any Foundation personnel exposed to SCP-5911-1 are not permitted within 10 kilometers of SCP-5911.

As of this writing, no instances of SCP-5911-2 have been observed exiting SCP-5911. Outpost-237 has been outfitted with humanoid containment cells in the event that an instance of SCP-5911-2 does exit SCP-5911.

Testing is currently suspended pending Ethics Committee review.

Description: SCP-5911 is an abandoned movie theater, originally branded as a Carmike Cinemas, located approximately 65 kilometers north of Jacksonville, Florida. When dormant, the structure contains ten screening rooms as well as a concession stand and reception area near the front entrance.

During dormant periods, SCP-5911 displays no anomalous properties. It is only upon the manifestation of an instance of SCP-5911-1 that the structure’s anomalous properties activate.

SCP-5911-1 is the designation for an anomalous event known as the North Florida Independent Film Festival. SCP-5911-1 manifests seemingly at random, with dormant periods lasting anywhere from 8 weeks to 24 months. All instances of SCP-5911-1 naturally end approximately 14 days after manifestation.

During an active period, SCP-5911-1 will attempt to contact civilians within a 600 kilometer radius of SCP-5911. SCP-5911-1 exclusively targets subjects that express a passion for cinema in some capacity, with filmmakers being especially vulnerable to its negative effects. Communication attempts typically take the form of physical mailers as well as targeted advertisements on social media. A physical source for these materials has not been identified.

These materials invariably attempt to persuade readers to submit an original film of their making to SCP-5911-1. Below is a typical example of these materials:

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS, WE NEED YOU! SUBMISSIONS OPEN NOW!

The North Florida Independent Film Festival is back for our 10th consecutive year at the beautiful Carmike 10, and you're invited to join the festivities! Here at the NFIFF, we’re excited to announce our annual opportunity1 for local filmmakers to submit their original films for a chance to screen at this year’s festival.

Qualifying films will be screened in full at the festival, with free admission and drink tokens for the entire cast and crew! It doesn’t matter if it’s a home video or a Hollywood production, we’re dedicated to showcasing the true spirit of independent filmmaking.

Featuring over 150+ films over three weekends, the NFIFF is the largest and only Oscar-accredited film festival on the First Coast. Come mingle with acclaimed filmmakers, award-winning celebrities, and other movie fanatics just like you!

You can submit your original film online at [DATA EXPUNGED] or you can mail in a physical copy to [DATA EXPUNGED].

Any person or persons (hereby referred to as “subjects”) who submits an original film to SCP-5911-1 will receive an invitation to a festival screening within two days. Invitations will direct subjects to SCP-5911 and inform them of the time and date of their screening, typically within one week of submission.

If a subject enters SCP-5911 on the date provided, they will be instantly transported to an isolated pocket dimension cosmetically resembling the non-anomalous interior of the structure.2 The reception area has been slightly modified to accommodate a film festival, with a guest check-in station and full bar near the concession stand. Various decorations mentioning SCP-5911-1 by name can also be found in this area.

Once inside the theater, subjects will be unable to exit the structure by any means.

+ Addendum: SCP-5911-1 Film Log

- Addendum: SCP-5911-1 Film Log

As part of an exploratory mission into SCP-5911, MTF Omega-11 (“Ocean’s Eleven”) placed a recording device in one of the projection rooms inside the structure. This is a brief selection of films captured by that device.

Title: Bubble

Duration: 0:09:13

Description: A red bubble floats through a pastoral landscape. The camera follows the bubble for six minutes before it pops. The camera remains static on an open field for the remainder of the runtime.

Title: The Wind Tells All

Duration: 0:19:04

Description: A poacher hunts for rare and exotic birds in the bamboo forests of Southeast Asia. The majority of the film focuses on the poacher in a prone position as he listens to various bird calls. At 0:17:19, a South China tiger (Panthera tigris) suddenly mauls the poacher. The tiger drags the screaming man off screen, at which point the film ends.

Title: Home, or So They Call It

Duration: 1:38:20

Description: Set in the 1950s, Chloë Sevigny stars as Mary Lloyd, a bored and self-destructive housewife living a double-life as a street prostitute. The film consists largely of Mary’s sexual encounters with various men, with each encounter being increasingly disturbing in nature. Eventually, Mary’s husband (played by Gregory Peck)3 discovers her in the act. A scuffle ensues, and Mary stabs him to death. She then drives home and suffocates her teenage son in his bed before stripping naked and walking outside. The film ends as Mary walks nude down a suburban road.

Title: Whiplash'd

Duration: 0:59:58

Description: Documentary featurette featuring two unknown film critics discussing the 2014 film Whiplash. Analysis overlooks key plot elements and overemphasizes the role of the "Madonna/Whore" dichotomy, which is largely absent from the source material. At the 0:38:12 mark, both critics begin repeating the phrase "Are you rushing or are you dragging?" to each other for the remainder of the film's runtime.

Title: Millie

Duration: 2:05:12

Description: Documentary feature about the life of child star Millie Bobby Brown. The film documents the period between her rise to stardom until to her untimely death by overdose at age 27.4

Title: 1898

Duration: 2:45:51

Description: Set in the Spanish-American war, the film stars Timothée Chalamet as Private Clarke Jones, an American soldier stationed in the Philippines. After falling in love with a Filipino prisoner of war, Jones plots to break the man out of prison. The two are eventually captured and executed by the United States Army.

Title: Pixar’s Up

Duration: 1:36:04

Description: Live-action remake of the Pixar film Up. All human actors retain their character’s stylized proportions, resulting in grotesque bodily abnormalities. No other diversions from the original film have been noted.

Title: Lily's Pet

Duration: 1:49:13

Description: The film stars actor Shia Lebouf as Jason, a homeless man who derives pleasure from harming animals. Jason eventually falls in love with Lily, a young social worker with a love for dogs. The two develop a romantic relationship, but Jason is plagued with fantasies of killing her 6-month old Boston terrier.

Title: The Hidden Secrets of the SCP Foundation

Duration: 9:45:09

Description: [DATA EXPUNGED]

+ Addendum: Discovery Report

- Addendum: Discovery Report

The Foundation was first alerted to the existence of SCP-5911 after the 2016 disappearance of an independent film crew from Savannah, Georgia. Foundation assets in local law enforcement were able to use cellular data to trace the subjects’ last known location to SCP-5911.

Initial expeditions reported no signs of anomalous activity in or around SCP-5911, but leaflets with references to SCP-5911-1 were recovered from the scene. Surveillance footage taken from the area revealed that the subjects had vanished upon stepping inside SCP-5911. Initial attempts to recreate this effect failed.

At the urging of Dr. Candace Sydney, Director of Scientific Arts at Site-426, the Foundation authorized the production of a short film to be submitted to SCP-5911-1 in an attempt to activate SCP-5911’s anomalous properties.

After several revisions, a screenplay written by Dr. Sydney was approved and a modest budget was allocated to the project. Dr. Sydney would serve as the film’s director, and additional cast and crew members were sourced from Mobile Task Force Omega-11 (Ocean’s Eleven).

Below is an excerpt from the approved final script.

INT. STAFF QUARTERS - EVENING

DR. HARMON LUNN is sitting in the dark, all alone except for the stiff drink in his hand.

He scribbles at his note pad with a serious expression. These incident reports don't write themselves.

A KNOCK at the door breaks his concentration.

DR. LUNN

It’s open.

A beep, and the door slides open.

The silhouette of RESEARCHER JILLIAN GRAVES brings warmth to Dr. Lunn's heart.

JILLIAN

Am I interrupting anything?

DR. LUNN

Just finishing up some notes.

JILLIAN

Your notes are always so thorough.

DR. LUNN

I take my responsibilities at the Foundation very seriously.

JILLIAN

I can tell, your office is immaculate.

DR. LUNN

Of course, I clean it twice a week in compliance with official guidelines.

JILLIAN

I love a man who sticks to standard operating procedures.

She smiles.

CUT TO:

Upon completion of post-production, Dr. Sydney was approved to submit the film to SCP-5911-1. She and the entirety of MTF Omega-11 received invitations to SCP-5911-1 the following day.

+ RESTRICTED: Level 4 Clearance

- Clearance Granted: SCP-5911 Exploration Log

Note: On January 12, 2019, MTF Omega-11 was tasked with infiltrating and exploring SCP-5911 during an active period. Outpost-237 was established near SCP-5911 to facilitate communications and logistics, and Dr. Sydney was assigned the position of Outpost Coordinator.

SECURE DOCUMENT

Audio/Visual Transcript

Outpost Coordinator - Dr. Candace Sydney

O11-1 (Hitchcock, Team Leader)

O11-2 (Tarantino, Weapons and Security)

O11-3 (Nolan, Weapons and Security)

O11-4 (Kubrick, Communications and Surveillance)

[BEGIN LOG]

MTF Omega-11 activates their body cameras.

Hitchcock: Testing. Outpost, do you read?

Dr. Sydney: Affirmative, you’re coming through loud and clear.

Hitchcock: Copy. We’re set to approach the structure now.

The team approaches the entrance to SCP-5911. MTF-Hitchcock enters first, followed by MTF-Nolan, MTF-Kubrick, and MTF-Tarantino. Outpost records a loss of direct visual contact with MTF O-11.

Dr. Sydney: Confirming loss of visuals. We’re still picking up your feeds, though.

Hitchcock: Copy that.

The team enters the reception area. Banners, balloons, and streamers are now present in the lobby. Velvet ropes separate the reception area from the concession booth and the individual theater entrances. A banner overhanging the lobby reads “Welcome to the North Florida Independent Film Festival!”

Nolan: What’s that?

Hitchcock: Contact, unknown entity.

The team aims their rifles at an instance of SCP-5911-2 standing by the ticket stand. The humanoid entity is wearing a classic red and gold usher’s uniform, complete with hat and white gloves. The entity is of caucasian complexion and lacks any discernible facial features. The entity extends its right palm forward.

Hitchcock: It’s not attacking. Orders?

Dr. Sydney: Please present your tickets to the SCP-5911-2 instance.

Hitchcock: Copy. Kube, tickets.

Kubrick hands four tickets to the entity. It tears the tickets, returns the stubs, then discards the remnants into an ornate box.

Nolan: Anyone else smell fresh popcorn?

Tarantino: Affirmative. Smells pretty damn good.

Three instances of SCP-5911-2 are working behind the concessions counter.

One of the instances lifts an empty popcorn bag to its head. A small hole appears in the center of the entity’s face and rapidly expands, covering nearly the entirety of the instance’s face. The entity regurgitates a stream of hot popcorn into the bag. When full, the hole in the entity’s face closes once again.

Tarantino: Okay, I take back what I said about the popcorn.

Hitchcock: Outpost, can you run a playback and see if those things were here when we arrived?

Dr. Sydney: Yes, one second.

The researchers at Outpost 267 review the footage and conclude that the instances were not present upon the team’s entry.

Dr. Sydney: Looks like they manifested some time after you came in. It’s possible that SCP-5911 can manifest these entities at will. (To Junior Researcher Holland) Make a note of that.

Hitchcock: Copy that, I want everyone on high alert. Just because these things haven’t tried to kill us yet doesn’t mean they won’t try it eventually.

MTF Omega-11 approaches the concession stand. There are two hallways to either side, each lined with theater entrances and extending out of sight.

Hitchcock: Let’s stick together, we’ll clear the left hallway before moving onto the right.

Dr. Sydney: Reminder, documenting the premiere of [REDACTED] is mission priority.

Hitchcock: Copy that. Nolan, watch the clock for us and make sure we don't miss our big premiere.

MTF-Nolan sets an alarm on his wristwatch before following MTF-Hitchcock into the leftmost hallway. MTF Omega-11 proceeds down the hallway until they reach the first theater entrance, marked “Theater #1”. The team enters the theater and emerges into a darkened corridor. Orchestral music can be heard coming from the end of the hall.

Kubrick: The floor is sticky.

Hitchcock:: Outpost, you want us to grab any samples?

Dr. Sydney: Negative, the films are what matter.

Hitchcock: Copy that. Let’s get a surveillance camera running in the screening room and move onto the next theater.

MTF Omega-11 files down the corridor and emerges into the screening room. A film is being screened, and dozens of instances of SCP-5911-2 fill the seats.

Tarantino: Holy shit.

An instance in the back row turns around to face MTF-Tarantino. It puts a finger up to where it’s mouth should be, and an audible “shh” sound is heard.5

Hitchcock: (Whispering) How’s that camera coming along?

Kubrick: Almost got it, just one more second.

Kubrick affixes a surveillance camera to a tripod and positions it toward the screen.

Multiple instances of SCP-5911-2 turn to face MTF Omega-11. Each lifts their finger to their face.

Nolan: Alright, stream is live.

Hitchcock: Copy that. Outpost, please confirm.

Dr. Sydney: Looks good on our end.

Hitchcock: Alright, let’s get the hell out of here.

MTF Omega-11 exits the screening room.

Tarantino: Should we feel bad about bootlegging anomalous films?

Hitchcock: Cut the chatter.

Tarantino: I mean, you wouldn’t steal a car—

MTF Omega-11 exits the Theater #1 hall. The reception area is no longer visible. Instead, the hallway appears to extend indefinitely in either direction.

Dr. Sydney: Omega-11, we just lost your transponder signals. We're trying to pin down your coordinates now.

Hitchcock: Copy that, looks like we're encountering some kind of spatial anomaly.

Dr. Sydney: Do you think this will interfere with your ability to document the premiere?

Hitchcock: I don't know. I'm a little more worried about my team right now than the movie, Outpost.

Dr. Sydney: We need to document the premiere at all costs. Proceed down the hall until you find the correct theater.

Hitchcock: With all do respect ma'am, I think we need to prioritize finding a way out of here.

Outpost-237 does not immediately respond.

Hitchcock: Outpost Coordinator, do you copy?

MTF O-11’s radios produce nothing but static.

Hitchcock: Weapons up, team. Kube, see what you can do about our radios.

A sharp surge of static breaks the silence.

Jr. Researcher Holland: MTF Omega-11, do you copy?

Hitchcock: Yeah, we’re reading you. What’s going on?

Jr. Researcher Holland: Dr. Sydney is gone.

Hitchcock: Gone? Gone where?

Jr. Researcher Holland: I'm not sure.

Tarantino: Hey dipshit, tell us what the fuck is happening!

Jr. Researcher Holland: Wait, we just picked her up on the security feed. She’s approaching SCP-5911.

Hitchcock: Alert security personnel, do not let her enter the building under any circumstances!

Jr. Researcher Holland: Security is on the way, but she’s almost at the door. Can your team rendezvous with her in the lobby?

Hitchcock: Negative, do not let her enter the building!

At this moment, MTF-Nolan's wristwatch begins to beep. He spots an entity in the hallway before he can deactivate the alarm.

Nolan: Contact!

The team turns and aims their weapons at an instance of SCP-5911-2. The instance gestures toward a theater entrance on its left. The marquee reads [REDACTED].

Tarantino: Hey, that’s our movie.

Suddenly, four instances of SCP-5911-2 materialize behind MTF Omega-11. The instances work in synchrony to grab each team member from behind at once.

Hitchcock: Weapons free!

The SCP-5911-2 instances manage to immediately disarm agents Hitchcock and Kubrick. MTF-Nolan fires a three-round burst, but misses the entities. He is then disarmed.

MTF-Tarantino wrests away from the instance closest to him and fires seven rounds into the entity’s chest. The SCP-5911-2 is largely unaffected, and works in tandem with another instance to bring MTF-Tarantino to the ground.

Tarantino: Get your motherfucking hands off me!

The instances apply pressure to MTF-Tarantino’s arms, and an audible snap is heard. He screams.

MTF Omega-11 is forced into the theater by the SCP-5911-2 instances.

The theater is filled with instances of SCP-5911-2. MTF Omega-11’s entrance is greeted with applause.

The team is led to the front row of the theater, where they are forced into four empty seats in the middle of the aisle. The SCP-5911-2 instances begin excreting an unknown gelatinous substance from their oral cavities, using it to affix the team into their seats. Excretions are also applied to the team’s mouths, making them unable to speak beyond muffled grunts.

The team’s cameras are faced toward the blank screen. Audio recording devices detect a spike in applause shortly before Dr. Sydney walks into frame. She is holding a wireless microphone and waves toward the crowd.

Dr. Sydney: Thank you all for coming out to support my little film!

She pauses for applause to dwindle.

Dr. Sydney: As many of you know, filmmaking has always been something deeply personal for me. I always dreamt of being up here one day, making the corny speech before the lights dim and the real movie magic begins. I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the support of my loving parents, the love of my husband Greg and, of course, the SCP Foundation for financing this project. Without them, none of us would be in this room today. Let’s give a round of applause to the SCP Foundation, everyone!

The audience cheers and claps. MTF-Hitchcock's camera briefly turns to face the rest of MTF Omega-11. The unknown substance covering their mouths slowly spreads outward in all directions.

Dr. Sydney: And let’s keep it going for the North Florida Independent Film Festival! Such an amazing organization that’s doing incredible work in keeping the spirit of indie filmmaking alive and thriving! I am so grateful for this opportunity and I'm looking forward to joining your permanent roster of in-house filmmakers. It is truly an honor, and I know my cast and crew feels the same way.

As the applause subsides, Dr. Sydney gestures to MTF Omega-11. The substance has successfully spread across the entirety of the agents' faces. MTF Omega-11 begin to thrash in their seats.

Dr. Sydney: I want to thank these four amazingly talented men for helping bring my creative vision to life. It was their hard work and sacrifice that made this movie possible. Together, we will continue to make original films for years to come. I can't thank you enough, you guys rock!

Distorted laughter from the audience. The unknown substance begins sloughing off the agents in chunks, revealing blank faces with no discernible features.

Dr. Sydney: They say the actor's job is to remove themselves from the material, so that the soul of the character can truly inhabit their bodies. If there is one thing that I've learned as a director, it's that the best actors are blank canvases.

The substances affixing MTF Omega-11 to their seats completely dissolves, and the team rises. They join Dr. Sydney on stage.

Dr. Sydney: So without further ado, I’d like to welcome you all to the world premiere of my film, [REDACTED]. I hope you all enjoy watching the movie as much as we enjoyed making it. Be sure to stick around after the screening for a Q&A with the director - moi - as well as the surviving members of the cast and crew! Enjoy!

The theater goes dark as the projector activates.

At this time, all monitors in Outpost 237 go black. Surveillance team loses MTF visuals.

After a moment, the monitors reboot. All monitors now display the opening credits of "[REDACTED], a film by Dr. Candace Sydney".

[END LOG]

Note: After the loss of MTF Omega-11 and Dr. Sydney, testing was done to determine whether or not Dr. Sydney had been afflicted by a previously unknown cognitohazard related to SCP-5911-1. Results were inconclusive. Containment procedures have been updated to reflect these findings.

All testing has been suspended, and priorities shifted to containment of SCP-5911.

Footnotes

1. There is no evidence that SCP-5911-1 follows an annual schedule.

2. Testing has indicated that individuals who have not submitted a film to SCP-5911-1 will not experience this effect, and will simply walk into the theater with no negative consequences.

3. This is the first recorded instance of non-contemporaneous actors appearing in the same film.

4. The Foundation is currently monitoring Ms. Brown in connection with SCP-5911. As of this writing, approximately 70% of future events described in Millie have transpired in reality.

5. Observations suggest that SCP-5911-2 instances have a limited capacity for vocalization, although the mechanism behind these vocalizations has not been identified at this time.