CategoryEvents
Horror events, screenings and experiences — premieres, festivals and one-night-only shows.
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EventsFilm FestivalsNews
North Bend, Washington, is the home of North Bend Film Festival, which features intriguing, offbeat cinematic offerings this year from August 4–7. Naturally, Horror Fuel readers are most drawn toward the more dark and diabolical films, and the fest comes through with some bold selections. Among the horror, thriller, and horror-adjacent features scheduled are director Clay Tatum’s terrific supernatural comedy The Civil Dead, of which I wrote in my review for the film’s Sundance run, “The Civil Dead packs some emotional wallops along with its unconventional humor, making for one of the most unusual cinematic offerings of the year so far.” Also on tap is LGBTQ chiller Swallowed, which I reviewed during its Overlook Film Festival screenings: “[Director Carter] Smith serves up body horror scenes not for the squeamish and plenty of suspense to keep viewers glued to the screen.” Writer/director Mali Elfman makes her feature directorial debut with Next Exit, which according to North Bend Film Festival’s official description,
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EventsFilm FestivalsNews
With 67 films on offer this year, horror and thriller fans can get stuck into the fantastic selection of films screening at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival. This exciting strand includes Sam Max’s CHAPERONE starring Zachary Quinto, Double OSCAR® Winner Paul J. Franklin’s FIREWORKS, Thomas Simon’s BOWLHEAD starring John Hursley (Dad), Brian Sepanzyk’s IN THE SHADOW OF GOD starring Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Alexandra Magistro’s LOVE YOU MAMA starring The Haunting of Hill House’s Samantha Soyan, Eli Powers’ SKIN AND BONE starring Amanda Seyfried, Evan Miller’s THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS starring Adrianne Palicki alongside Zachary Levi and more. The Oscar® Qualifying HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL returns for its much-anticipated 18th edition from August 11-20th, 2022, with an impressive 5,000 entries this year! Epic Dread sponsor this year’s scary strand. As previously, the winners of HollyShorts’ three top prizes will be eligible for nomination at the 2023 Oscars®. Six HollyShorts films were nominated for the 2022 Academy Awards® with two wins for
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Cult Hero Canadian horror comedy Cult Hero finds disgraced cult deprogrammer, reality television star, and self-described “cult buster” Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett of The Chamber of Terror) living off the grid a few years after an episode of his series featured him leading to the suicide of several cult members. It’s hard to tell whether his mannerisms are an affectation based on his favorite action heroes of yore or if he really lives his schtick. When high-strung, ill-mannered real estate agent Kallie (Liv Collins of Creep Nation) begins to suspect that the male retreat at which she dropped off her beta-male husband Brad (Justin Bott) may actually be a suicide cult, she contacts Domazar, who sees the paid gig as his potential comeback for a second series of his Cult Buster program. Director Jesse Thomas Cook, whose previous works include Monster Ball, The Hexecutioners, and The Hoard, delivers a fun, goofy feature that delivers plenty of laughs along with some
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Being stuck in an elevator is bad enough on its own, but imagine being stuck with a stranger who is secretly obsessed with you. That’s the premise of the horror thriller Stalker, starring “Outlander” actress Sophie Skelton. Directed by Steve Johnson (Convergence), this tense and atmospheric horror, centers on Rose Hepburn, a young actress, who returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator who is seemingly obsessed with her. Stalker also stars BAFTA winner Stuart Brennan (Risen) and WWE legend Bret Hart. Stalker debuts at FrightFest on August 28th followed by its arrival on DVD and Digital on October 10, 2022, from Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment. .
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EventsFilm FestivalsNews
Mere days after unleashing its fabulous, fright-filled first wave lineup on an unsuspecting world, Florida’s Popcorn Frights has raised the bar even further with its second wave announcement! Check out the terrific fare in store for both in-person attendees and those who can watch at home across the country! Following is the official press announcement/ It’s all been building up to this! Popcorn Frights’ second wave of programming presents its most ambitious lineup yet with 36 feature film premieres, embracing 20 countries, with industry sessions, rooftop parties, an under-the-stars movie night & Bruce Willis tribute, magic shows, horror trivia, live comedy, and more! Running August 11-21, this year’s cinematic mayhem is unleashed both online across the US and in-theater through South Florida. As the Southeast United States largest gathering of genre films and fans, Popcorn Frights is bringing the most electrifying and provocative genre cinema from around the globe to the Sunshine State. First up is the world premiere of
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
With Arrow Video FrightFest unleashing the fearsome hordes into London’s West End cinemas in late August, the search resumes for new writers in the horror genre through its New Blood initiative. New Blood reunites FrightFest with Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures in its mission to find emerging UK-based writers dedicated to the genre and nurture their projects from script to screen. Queensbury Pictures is ultimately interested in acquiring scripts ready for production rather than just an idea, and so, all successful final candidates, if selected, should be able to send even a rough draft of the first ten pages of their script through with their acceptance. The successful shortlisted applicants will workshop their ideas in a group setting under the guidance of top industry professionals and genre experts. This year’s panel will be announced shortly. Applications are open for 10 days from 19th July with potential participants asked to submit a 400 word proposal through the dedicated New Blood page
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
After presenting two fine virtual versions, Milwaukee’s Twisted Dreams Film Festival is back in the cinema this year for some big-screen and in-person fright-fare fun. Following is the official press announcement so that you can mark the dates in your calendars! Twisted Dreams will be returning to its roots for a star studded 7th annual Film Festival. Films and all live events will be at the historic Avalon Theater Friday October 14–16. Friday Night’s Launch party will include a burlesque performance by Grindhouse Tease Burlesque Troupe, and a once in a lifetime premiere of Shakespeare Shitstorm. Saturday events will include a meet and greet with the Legendary Troma creator Lloyd Kaufmann, and Horror Icon Brinke Stevens. On Sunday, Ratbatspider will be performing an original score live during a screening of Nosferatu. All other Q&A’s will be live and free from our social media pages. This year we are honoring Mark Krawczyk with the Backbone of Wisconsin Horror award. For over
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsMoviesNews
After announcing its stellar lineup for this year a few days ago, the U.K.’s Arrow Video FrightFest gives fear-fare fans even more to look forward to, as it has added horror comedy Mean Spirited to the petrifying proceedings! Following is the official press announcement. Director Jeff Ryan’s thoroughly entertaining found-footage horror comedy MEAN SPIRITED will receive its World premiere at this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest event. It will be screened on Sunday 28 August, 1.15pm at the Cineworld, Leicester Sq., Screen 1. Synopsis: When two estranged friends reconnect, things buried deep down are bound to surface. Wannabe famous vlogger Andrew Castellano, aka ‘The Amazing Andy’, sets off for a weekend with his former friend turned famous actor Bryce. After receiving the invitation to Bryce’s mountain cottage, Andy has decided to bury the hatchet. Unfortunately he isn’t quite himself anymore . . . It is exec produced by FrightFest stalwart Shaked Berenson of SLAXX, TURBO KID and TALES OF HALLOWEEN fame.
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Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesTrailers
Filmax has released the first teaser trailer for Raul Cerezo and Fernando Gonzalez Gomez’s horror The Elderly, ahead of its World Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival. In the Spanish film, “An octogenarian named Manuel (Zorion Eguileor) falls into a state of dementia after the sudden suicide of his wife, sparking a series of paranormal events that will put his family’s lives at risk.” “Starting as a grounded drama exploring the indignities of old age, The Elderly gradually snaps off one guardrail after another, building to a crescendo of sheer terror with imagery that can never be unseen,” Fantasia has stated. Gustavo Salmeron, Paula Gallego and Irene Anula co-star alongside Equileor.
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EventsFilm FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Chiaksan Mountain Writer/director Kim Sun-Ung’s science fiction/horror film Chiaksan Mountain leans heavily into the cabin in the woods scare-fare tropes — including a group of teenagers featuring an annoying girlfriend and an emotionally troubled main protagonist, being out of cell phone range, a local warning the disbelieving group members that they are destined to die, and so forth — but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in sheer gusto. A group of friends who are mountain biking enthusiasts go to the forest cottage of YeonJi’s (Kim YeWon) deceased father. Her cousin MinJoon (Yun KyunSang) is the group leader, and when floods of red light, ear-piercing noises, and strange entities in the woods begin terrifying the group, it’s just the beginning of horrifying things to come. The cast, which also features Bae GeuRin, Yoon JeWook, and Lee TeaHwan, does a solid job with performances, and the third act gets pretty bonkers. Director Kim builds the tension and mystery
Continue reading →
More from Events
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
North Bend, Washington, is the home of North Bend Film Festival, which features intriguing, offbeat cinematic offerings this year from August 4–7. Naturally, Horror Fuel readers are most drawn toward the more dark and diabolical films, and the fest comes through with some bold selections. Among the horror, thriller, and horror-adjacent features scheduled are director Clay Tatum’s terrific supernatural comedy The Civil Dead, of which I wrote in my review for the film’s Sundance run, “The Civil Dead packs some emotional wallops along with its unconventional humor, making for one of the most unusual cinematic offerings of the year so far.” Also on tap is LGBTQ chiller Swallowed, which I reviewed during its Overlook Film Festival screenings: “[Director Carter] Smith serves up body horror scenes not for the squeamish and plenty of suspense to keep viewers glued to the screen.” Writer/director Mali Elfman makes her feature directorial debut with Next Exit, which according to North Bend Film Festival’s official description,
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
With 67 films on offer this year, horror and thriller fans can get stuck into the fantastic selection of films screening at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival. This exciting strand includes Sam Max’s CHAPERONE starring Zachary Quinto, Double OSCAR® Winner Paul J. Franklin’s FIREWORKS, Thomas Simon’s BOWLHEAD starring John Hursley (Dad), Brian Sepanzyk’s IN THE SHADOW OF GOD starring Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries), Alexandra Magistro’s LOVE YOU MAMA starring The Haunting of Hill House’s Samantha Soyan, Eli Powers’ SKIN AND BONE starring Amanda Seyfried, Evan Miller’s THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS starring Adrianne Palicki alongside Zachary Levi and more. The Oscar® Qualifying HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL returns for its much-anticipated 18th edition from August 11-20th, 2022, with an impressive 5,000 entries this year! Epic Dread sponsor this year’s scary strand. As previously, the winners of HollyShorts’ three top prizes will be eligible for nomination at the 2023 Oscars®. Six HollyShorts films were nominated for the 2022 Academy Awards® with two wins for
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Cult Hero Canadian horror comedy Cult Hero finds disgraced cult deprogrammer, reality television star, and self-described “cult buster” Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett of The Chamber of Terror) living off the grid a few years after an episode of his series featured him leading to the suicide of several cult members. It’s hard to tell whether his mannerisms are an affectation based on his favorite action heroes of yore or if he really lives his schtick. When high-strung, ill-mannered real estate agent Kallie (Liv Collins of Creep Nation) begins to suspect that the male retreat at which she dropped off her beta-male husband Brad (Justin Bott) may actually be a suicide cult, she contacts Domazar, who sees the paid gig as his potential comeback for a second series of his Cult Buster program. Director Jesse Thomas Cook, whose previous works include Monster Ball, The Hexecutioners, and The Hoard, delivers a fun, goofy feature that delivers plenty of laughs along with some
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesNewsThrillerTrailers
Being stuck in an elevator is bad enough on its own, but imagine being stuck with a stranger who is secretly obsessed with you. That’s the premise of the horror thriller Stalker, starring “Outlander” actress Sophie Skelton. Directed by Steve Johnson (Convergence), this tense and atmospheric horror, centers on Rose Hepburn, a young actress, who returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator who is seemingly obsessed with her. Stalker also stars BAFTA winner Stuart Brennan (Risen) and WWE legend Bret Hart. Stalker debuts at FrightFest on August 28th followed by its arrival on DVD and Digital on October 10, 2022, from Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment. .
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
Mere days after unleashing its fabulous, fright-filled first wave lineup on an unsuspecting world, Florida’s Popcorn Frights has raised the bar even further with its second wave announcement! Check out the terrific fare in store for both in-person attendees and those who can watch at home across the country! Following is the official press announcement/ It’s all been building up to this! Popcorn Frights’ second wave of programming presents its most ambitious lineup yet with 36 feature film premieres, embracing 20 countries, with industry sessions, rooftop parties, an under-the-stars movie night & Bruce Willis tribute, magic shows, horror trivia, live comedy, and more! Running August 11-21, this year’s cinematic mayhem is unleashed both online across the US and in-theater through South Florida. As the Southeast United States largest gathering of genre films and fans, Popcorn Frights is bringing the most electrifying and provocative genre cinema from around the globe to the Sunshine State. First up is the world premiere of
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
With Arrow Video FrightFest unleashing the fearsome hordes into London’s West End cinemas in late August, the search resumes for new writers in the horror genre through its New Blood initiative. New Blood reunites FrightFest with Giles Edwards of Queensbury Pictures in its mission to find emerging UK-based writers dedicated to the genre and nurture their projects from script to screen. Queensbury Pictures is ultimately interested in acquiring scripts ready for production rather than just an idea, and so, all successful final candidates, if selected, should be able to send even a rough draft of the first ten pages of their script through with their acceptance. The successful shortlisted applicants will workshop their ideas in a group setting under the guidance of top industry professionals and genre experts. This year’s panel will be announced shortly. Applications are open for 10 days from 19th July with potential participants asked to submit a 400 word proposal through the dedicated New Blood page
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsNews
After presenting two fine virtual versions, Milwaukee’s Twisted Dreams Film Festival is back in the cinema this year for some big-screen and in-person fright-fare fun. Following is the official press announcement so that you can mark the dates in your calendars! Twisted Dreams will be returning to its roots for a star studded 7th annual Film Festival. Films and all live events will be at the historic Avalon Theater Friday October 14–16. Friday Night’s Launch party will include a burlesque performance by Grindhouse Tease Burlesque Troupe, and a once in a lifetime premiere of Shakespeare Shitstorm. Saturday events will include a meet and greet with the Legendary Troma creator Lloyd Kaufmann, and Horror Icon Brinke Stevens. On Sunday, Ratbatspider will be performing an original score live during a screening of Nosferatu. All other Q&A’s will be live and free from our social media pages. This year we are honoring Mark Krawczyk with the Backbone of Wisconsin Horror award. For over
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsMoviesNews
After announcing its stellar lineup for this year a few days ago, the U.K.’s Arrow Video FrightFest gives fear-fare fans even more to look forward to, as it has added horror comedy Mean Spirited to the petrifying proceedings! Following is the official press announcement. Director Jeff Ryan’s thoroughly entertaining found-footage horror comedy MEAN SPIRITED will receive its World premiere at this year’s Arrow Video FrightFest event. It will be screened on Sunday 28 August, 1.15pm at the Cineworld, Leicester Sq., Screen 1. Synopsis: When two estranged friends reconnect, things buried deep down are bound to surface. Wannabe famous vlogger Andrew Castellano, aka ‘The Amazing Andy’, sets off for a weekend with his former friend turned famous actor Bryce. After receiving the invitation to Bryce’s mountain cottage, Andy has decided to bury the hatchet. Unfortunately he isn’t quite himself anymore . . . It is exec produced by FrightFest stalwart Shaked Berenson of SLAXX, TURBO KID and TALES OF HALLOWEEN fame.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesTrailers
Filmax has released the first teaser trailer for Raul Cerezo and Fernando Gonzalez Gomez’s horror The Elderly, ahead of its World Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival. In the Spanish film, “An octogenarian named Manuel (Zorion Eguileor) falls into a state of dementia after the sudden suicide of his wife, sparking a series of paranormal events that will put his family’s lives at risk.” “Starting as a grounded drama exploring the indignities of old age, The Elderly gradually snaps off one guardrail after another, building to a crescendo of sheer terror with imagery that can never be unseen,” Fantasia has stated. Gustavo Salmeron, Paula Gallego and Irene Anula co-star alongside Equileor.
Continue reading →
EventsFilm FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Chiaksan Mountain Writer/director Kim Sun-Ung’s science fiction/horror film Chiaksan Mountain leans heavily into the cabin in the woods scare-fare tropes — including a group of teenagers featuring an annoying girlfriend and an emotionally troubled main protagonist, being out of cell phone range, a local warning the disbelieving group members that they are destined to die, and so forth — but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in sheer gusto. A group of friends who are mountain biking enthusiasts go to the forest cottage of YeonJi’s (Kim YeWon) deceased father. Her cousin MinJoon (Yun KyunSang) is the group leader, and when floods of red light, ear-piercing noises, and strange entities in the woods begin terrifying the group, it’s just the beginning of horrifying things to come. The cast, which also features Bae GeuRin, Yoon JeWook, and Lee TeaHwan, does a solid job with performances, and the third act gets pretty bonkers. Director Kim builds the tension and mystery
Continue reading →
