Florida’s Popcorn Frights Film Festival has just announced its second wave, and it is chock full of jaw-dropping new scare fare cinema for both in person and virtual viewers! Special guests including a Masters of Horror panel and special events including a fog-shrouded screening of The Fog are also on tap. Check out the following press information for all the details.
The screams just got LOUDER! Building on the killer buzz of its initial lineup announcement, the 11th Annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival is back with a vengeance, dropping its second wave of programming—and it’s packed with an additional 25 film premieres, epic events, and special guests who are ready to raise unholy hell across South Florida from August 7–17!
Hot off the slab is Tina Romero, daughter of zombie godfather George A. Romero, making a hell-raising entrance with the Southeast US premiere of her undead drag spectacle QUEENS OF THE DEAD, a dazzling, blood-splattered celebration of identity, horror, and glamour. This night of the living glam will be paired with a fabulous live drag performance that’s guaranteed to slay and leave audiences gagging… for more brains! Tina will also present a special 40th Anniversary 4K Restoration of her father’s seminal zombie classic DAY OF THE DEAD, bringing the zombies back to Florida soil where it was originally shot.
But the undead aren’t the only icons rising—horror legend Dee Wallace is crashing the party for a howl-worthy triple-bill, appearing in-person to introduce three of her all-time cult classics hits: Stephen King’s CUJO, Wes Craven’s gritty nightmare THE HILLS HAVE EYES, and Joe Dante’s hair-raising masterpiece THE HOWLING, newly restored in 4K. She joins an already stacked horror pantheon that includes genre titans Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, and Linnea Quigley, making this year’s Popcorn Frights a bloodbath of horror royalty.
Speaking of legends, Popcorn Frights is summoning a thick layer of terror with a one-of-a-kind immersive experience of John Carpenter’s THE FOG in full-blown “Fog-O-Vision!” This 40th anniversary immersive event surrounds audiences in a thick veil of fog—yes, real fog!—as the restored 4K print rolls. When the fog rolls in… the terror begins.
Recently named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” Popcorn Frights continues to be a must-attend summer pilgrimage for genre fans. This year ups the ante with an epic “Masters of Horror” panel featuring Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, and Stephen Susco, moderated by FANGORIA’s Kimberly Leszak—a must-see scream summit!
Among the 25 newly announced in-theater premieres are some of the most daring, demented, and deliriously entertaining horror films on the festival circuit, including: the Sydney Sweeney-starring neo-western thriller AMERICANA; the animated fever dream DOG OF GOD; the pastel-slashed horror comedy FUCKTOYS; the haunted house pupper nightmare GOOD BOY; the razor-sharp thriller INFLUENCERS; the sinister style-fest THE MANNEQUIN; the jaw-dropping genre-bender SLANTED; and the sci-fi meta-horror thrill ride TEST SCREENING, among others guaranteed to rattle your soul.
And for those brave souls watching from home, the Popcorn Frights Virtual Program opens its crypts nationwide, offering a terrifying ticket to the full online lineup. Featuring films both ferocious and freaky, this virtual slate includes the genre-blasting space saga ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER; the eerie slow-burn CARRY THE DARKNESS; the mind-twisting nightmare CROSSWORD starring Harvey Guillén; the dark erotic thriller CUSTOM; the frightfest DON’T HANG UP; the slasher-from-hell KILLER RENTAL; the warped modern fairytale KING BABY; the gut-churning psychological ride THE ONLY ONES; the family-from-hell horror comedy THE MOTHER, THE MENACER, AND ME starring Lorraine Bracco and Leah Remini; the trippy terror tale TIE DIE, featuring cult icons Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Bob Briggs; and the genre-blurring UNIVERSE 25.
Rounding out the virtual mayhem is a chilling documentary spotlight under the Hot Docs, led by the North American premiere of THE DARK FANTASTIC, a sonically immersive deep dive into the mind and music of cult composer Simon Boswell. Other unmissable docs include the boundary-pushing EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA “S,” a history of Spain’s cinematic underground; the nostalgia-fueled MAKING MEGAFORCE featuring Barry Bostwick; the horrifying exposé PREDATORS; and the haunting portrait of blind devotion SHADOWLAND centered on the fall of Richard Stanley.
And don’t close your eyes just yet—a Third Wave of premieres and special events is still to come, promising even more carnage, chaos, and cinematic insanity!
The countdown is on. The dead are restless. The fog is rolling in. And Popcorn Frights is ready to raise hell.
Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience—hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood—are now available. Virtual All-Access Passes can also be purchased for streaming access to the full digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Access VIP Badge, click here, to order a Virtual All-Access Pass, click here.
Submissions for this year’s festival are still open via Film Freeway through the final deadline of July 18. Shorts, features, documentaries, animation, film, and video — all are welcome and can be submitted at the link: https://filmfreeway.com/popcornfrights
The eleventh edition of the Popcorn Frights Film Festival is made possible with the support of its generous sponsors, including AGFA, Blue Underground, Fangoria, Flick Direct, Kino Cult, MVD, Paramount Scares, Radiance Films, Troma, and its loyal fans. For more info about Popcorn Frights, visit PopcornFrights.com
IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Americana
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 110 Min. | Dir. Tony Tost
The lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine when a rare Lakota Ghost shirt falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town.
Dog of God
Florida Premiere
Latvia-United States | 2025 | 92 Min. | Dirs. Lauris Ābele & Raitis Ābele
A rotoscoped animation that depicts a 17th century witch trial in Livonia that uncovers a werewolf within a devout community.
Fucktoys
South Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 106 Min. | Dir. Annapurna Sriram
In a pre-millennium alternate universe, a cursed young woman must raise $1,000 for a group of psychics, scootering through the surreal, seedy underworld of Trashtown and encountering a cavalcade of bizarre characters along the way.
Good Boy
Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 72 Min. | Dir. Ben Leonberg
When a loyal pup moves to a remote farmhouse with his owner, he soon senses a sinister presence—and must confront terrifying supernatural forces to protect the boy he loves most.
Influencers
US Premiere
United States | 2025 | 110 Min. | Dir. Kurtis David Harder
*Director Kurtis David Harder expected in person
In the picturesque landscapes of southern France, a young woman’s chilling fascination with murder and identity theft sends her life into a whirlwind of chaos.
The Mannequin
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2025 | 105 Min. | Dir. John Berardo
*Director John Berardo expected in person
While investigating her sister’s death in a historic Los Angeles building, a stylist assistant uncovers the vengeful spirit of a long-dead serial killer—and must escape before she becomes his next victim.
Queens of the Dead
Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 99 Min. | Dir. Tina Romero
*Director Tina Romero expected in person
Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during a zombie outbreak at their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against the undead threat.
Slanted
Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 102 Min. | Dir. Amy Wang
An insecure Chinese-American teenager undergoes experimental surgery to appear white, hoping to secure the prom queen title and peer acceptance.
Test Screening
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2024 | 92 Min. | Dir. Clark Baker
*Producer/screenwriter Stephen Susco expected in person
Four teens find out that a test screening is coming to their little cinema, but the film is actually a mind-control experiment that has terrifying effects.
VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Astral Plane Drifter
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 89 Min. | Dir. Scott Slone
Sometime Before Yesterday. Or After Tomorrow. Somewhere Out In The Yonder. There Was This Guy.
Carry the Darkness
Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 98 Min. | Dir. Douglas Forrester
Inspired by the West Memphis Three, this chilling tale follows a misfit teen scapegoated for a series of brutal crimes as a sinister force emerges from the woods, feeding on the town’s fear and paranoia.
Crossword
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 96 Min. | Dir. Michael Vlamis
After the death of their daughter, a woman immerses herself in her beloved children’s book series while her husband seeks comfort in the daily crossword—only to spiral as the puzzle begins to take on a sinister life of its own.
Custom
Southeast US Premiere
UK | 2024 | 86 Min. | Dir. Tiago Teixeira
A couple producing custom erotic films is dragged into a nightmarish conspiracy when they start working for a mysterious client.
The Dark Fantastic
North American Premiere
UK | 2025 | 110 Min. | Dir. Lg White
A psychedelic dive into the mind and work of renowned film composer Simon Boswell.
Don’t Hang Up
North American Premiere
Norway | 2025 | 90 Min. | Dir. Alex Herron
While attending a wedding in Tulsa, a group of friends find themselves trapped in a haunted rental home, where vengeful spirits from the 1921 Tulsa Massacre rise to unleash a chilling fight for survival.
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”
Southeast US Premiere
Spain | 2024 | 122 Min. | Dir. Alberto Sedano
A deep dive into the dark heart of Spain’s cinematic underground—a world where censorship, repression, and Catholic morality once ruled with an iron fist.
Killer Rental
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2024 | 85 Min. | Dirs. Ben Hausdorff & Jonathan Kadin
A group of friends rent a vacation home in Joshua Tree, unaware of hidden cameras recording their every move.
King Baby
Florida Premiere
UK-France | 2024 | 89 Min. | Dirs. Kit Redstone & Arran Shearing
In a decaying kingdom inhabited only by a delusional King and his loyal Servant, the arrival of a mannequin Queen shatters their fragile reality, unleashing a twisted modern fairytale of isolation, madness, and murderous ambition.
Making Megaforce
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2025 | 98 Min. | Dir. Bob Lindenmayer
Superfan Bob Lindenmayer sets out to celebrate MEGAFORCE—one of the 1980s’ most infamous cinematic flops—by tracking down cast, crew, and star Barry Bostwick in a joyous tribute to cult cinema, fandom, and the power of loving what others left behind.
The Mother, the Menacer, and Me
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2024 | 91 Min. | Dir. Jon Salmon
Stuck in a dead-end job and forced to live with a disapproving mother-in-law, a struggling dreamer sets out to make it in Hollywood—pushed by his sinister imaginary companion, who’s determined to break free and become real.
The Only Ones
South Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 87 Min. | Dir. Jordan Miller
When a group of friends’ plans unravel into a spiral of misfortune and bloodshed, trust shatters and the survivors must face the terrifying truth that the deadliest threats often come from within.
Predators
Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 96 Min. | Dir. David Osit
Exploring the controversial NBC series that caught potential child predators in sting operations, leading to arrests, and its eventual cancellation.
Shadowland
East Coast Premiere
Finland | 2024 | 99 Min. | Dir. Otso Tiainen
Cult filmmaker Richard Stanley guides a secretive enclave in the French Pyrenees on a quest for spiritual transcendence, but as his influence deepens, resurfaced abuse allegations spark a haunting unraveling of faith, power, and manipulation
Tie Die
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 80 Min. | Dir. Morgan Miller
Park Ranger Lloyd Kaufman and Sheriff Joe Bob Briggs join forces to hunt a mysterious killer bear terrorizing campers, while a displaced group of hippies struggles to find their next camping spot.
Universe 25
Florida Premiere
UK | 2025 | 80 Min. | Dir. Richard Vartan Melkonian
An angel sent on a sacred mission through London and Bucharest encounters a chaotic world that derails his quest and forces him to confront his true identity.
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
Cujo
Howling Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1983 | 93 Min. | Dir. Lewis Teague
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person
Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.
Day of the Dead
40th Anniversary 4K Restoration
United States | 1985 | 101 Min. | Dir. George A. Romero
*Director Tina Romero expected in person
As the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.
The Fog
45th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Presented in “Fog-O-Vision”
United States | 1980 | 89 Min. | Dir. John Carpenter
Local legend tells of a ship lured on to the rocks of Antonio Bay being enveloped by a supernatural cloud as it sank; the myth says that when this mysterious fog returns, the victims will rise up from the depths seeking vengeance.
The Hills Have Eyes
Howling Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1977 | 90 Min. | Dir. Wes Craven
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person
On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack.
The Howling
Howling Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1981 | 91 Min. | Dir. Joe Dante
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person
After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.
