News

John Carpenter'S Tales For A Halloweenight: "John Carpenter's Tales For A Halloweenight, Volume 10, brings together true comics legends — 13 writers and 20 artists — for 12 new stories in this tenth anniversary collection. John Carpenter's own "Sos" leads the pack of tales.

John Carpenter's Tales For A Halloweenight, Volume 10 is available today (September 25) at comic shops and at www.StormKingComics.com, and October 8 from book retailers."

---

24Th Annual Screamfest® Horror Film Festival Announces Opening And Closing Nights And Additional Features For The 2024 Lineup: "Screamfest® Horror Film Festival, the largest and longest-running horror film festival in the United States, is excited to announce its opening and closing night events as well as additional features. Taking place from October 8 to 17, 2024, at the Tcl Chinese Theater, Screamfest® will kick off the festival with award-winning filmmaker Joseph Kahn's (Bodied), sci-fi/horror satire Ick, which will have its West Coast premiere with a red-carpet gala screening on Tuesday,...

Exclusive: The L.A.-based Screamfest Horror Film Festival has unveiled the first wave lineup for its 24th edition, taking place at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood from October 8-17.

Among the films to look out for at this year’s festival are two produced for Hulu by WorthenBrooks (formerly 20th Digital Studio), on which we were first to report: Screamfest alum Brandon Espy’s Mr. Crocket and Justin Harding’s Carved, both of which will premiere on Hulu later this year.

A supernatural horror film starring Jerrika Hinton and Elvis Nolasco, Mr. Crocket follows Summer Beverly (Hinton) as she embarks on a chilling journey to rescue her son from a sinister children’s show host with otherworldly powers. Starring Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carved is a fun romp centered on a group of survivors trapped in a Halloween village battle with a sentient, vengeful pumpkin.

In addition to Carved,...

Screamfest Horror Film Festival today announced its first-wave lineup of competitive features and shorts for its 23rd edition.

Running October 10-19 at the Tcl Chinese Theater, Screamfest welcomes horror cinephiles to experience twisted tales and frightening films together on the big screen. Tickets will be on sale soon and can be purchased via the festival website.

Before we dig into the line-up, Bloody Disgusting is excited that Screamfest will be hosting a very special advance screening of Screambox’s upcoming 80s-inspired horror comedy Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls ahead of the film’s theatrical release. Director and star Andrew Bowser, among others, will be in attendance!

‘Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls’ – Screambox Gets Silly With 80s-Inspired Horror-Comedy!

From the press release:

Considered the “Sundance of Horror,” Screamfest is proud to showcase new work from independent filmmakers from across the globe. This past year the festival screened the following films,...

Exclusive: Screamfest Horror Film Festival has unveiled the first-wave lineup for its 23rd edition, taking place at the Tcl Chinese Theatre from October 10-19, announcing that it will kick off with a screening of Eddie Alcazar’s much-discussed Sundance 2023 mind-bender Divinity.

Tickets to the fest go on sale soon.

Set in an otherworldly human existence, Divinity follows scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula), who has dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, as he slowly creates the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named Divinity. Jaxxon Pierce (Stephen Dorff), his son, then comes to control and manufacture his father’s once-benevolent dream. When two mysterious brothers (Moises Arias and Jason Genao) arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, with the help of a seductive woman named Nikita (Karrueche Tran), they will be set on a path hurtling toward true immortality. Also starring Bella Thorne, Michael O’Hearn and Emily Willis,...

The 22nd Screamfest Horror Film Festival’s just released its first wave of feature films screening this year. The 2022 festival will take place October 11-20 and will be held at the Tcl Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

“We are excited to return to the Tcl Chinese Theaters since the theatrical experience is unlike anything else,” stated festival founder Rachel Belofsky. “We look forward to seeing the LA horror community in person this year and can’t wait to see these premieres on the big screen where they belong.”

The festival’s set Prime Video and Blumhouse’s Run Sweetheart Run with Shohreh Aghdashloo and Pilou Asbæk as its closing night film. Screamfest will also host the West Coast premiere of Living with Chucky, a documentary about the creepy serial killer doll written and directed by Kyra Gardner. Slayers starring Thomas Jane, Abigail Breslin, and Malin Akerman will have its world premiere...

A lot has happened in the world since Screamfest Horror Film Festival first started back in 2001, but even after two unpredictable decades, no one could have anticipated how different things would be for the festival in its 20th year. Switching from Hollywood's Tcl Chinese 6 Theaters to the drive-in format at Regency Theatres in Van Nuys due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Screamfest is once again serving as a launchpad for new filmmakers while showcasing the horror genre's hallowed past with their eclectic 2020 lineup of features and short films.

Taking place October 6th–15th, Screamfest's 20th year kicks off with an outdoor screening of Books of Blood, and for further insights into this year's lineup, we spoke with Festival Director Rachel Belofsky to discuss what it's like putting together a drive-in film festival in the era of Covid-19, the importance of highlighting foreign films, and what she's most proud of when she...

Screamfest is celebrating its 20th anniversary of screening the latest and greatest genre cinema and they've announced their lineup of features and shorts for this year's fest. The drive-in-based edition of the festival will take place from October 6th through October 15th and will open with Books of Blood!

"The 20th annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival today announced their lineup of features and shorts, kicking off with a drive-in screening of Hulu’s Books of Blood. The festival, which will run from October 6-15, 2020, is the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States. This year the festival will move entirely to drive-in screenings with a lineup of ten back-to-back nights of fright, each showcasing a feature film paired with a number of shorts. Tickets can be purchased here: https://screamfestla.com/

Screamfest LA will kick off on October 6 with the Opening Night screening of Books of Blood,...

The Screamfest Horror Film Festival has unveiled the lineup of films that will be featured at the 20th annual drive-in edition. Kicking off the fest, which runs from October 6-15, is Books of Blood, the Hulu original film based on Clive Barker’s horror anthology.

From director Brannon Braga and executive producer Seth MacFarlane, Books of Blood is slated to premiere on the streamer on October 7. Starring Britt Robertson, Anna Friel, Rafi Gavron, and Yul Vazquez, the pic takes a journey into uncharted and forbidden territory through three tales tangled in space and time.

Also among the list of screenings are Thirst, the first-ever Icelandic gay splatter vampire flick, psychological horror Sweet River (making its North American debut), and social media teen slasher Initiation from Screamfest alum John Berardo, which was recently acquired by Saban Films

“2020 has been challenging for everyone and certainly not how we planned on celebrating Screamfest’s 20th edition,...

For nearly two decades, festival director Rachel Belofsky and her tireless creative team have nurtured the growth and development of Screamfest Horror Film Festival, providing a platform to celebrate up-and-coming filmmakers while still honoring the genre’s past with vital anniversary screenings and Q&As. Although it may be hard to believe, Screamfest is officially an adult now, as the festival turns the big 18 this year, and when the festival kicks off tonight at Tcl Chinese 6 Theaters on Hollywood Boulevard, guests are in for one hell of a cinematic party.

Daily Dead recently spoke with Belofsky about everything attendees can look forward to at this year’s Screamfest, and as per usual, this year is akin to a plastic pumpkin bowl on Halloween night, one that's brimming with horror-themed treats for all to enjoy.

It wouldn’t be Screamfest without an exciting lineup of world premiere screenings, and this year...

I didn’t know anything about Dance of the Dead when I first saw it sitting on the "new releases" shelf at the local Blockbuster in the fall of 2008. But its title intrigued me: zombies and a high school prom in one movie? You didn’t have to twist my arm (or rip it off), I knew right then that I had to watch it (and I hadn't even seen the devil bong yet).

After watching empathetic high school cliques unite to slay zombies at the prom, I would go on to recommend director Gregg Bishop and writer Joe Ballarini’s Dance of the Dead to anyone who would listen. Little did I know that stars were aligning, and years later I would connect with Ballarini and Bishop and get the chance to do what my 17-year-old self never thought was possible: host 10th anniversary screenings of Dance of the Dead.

This past Saturday, in conjunction with festival founder Rachel Belofsky and Tom Holland’s Terror Time, Dread Central presented the seminal 1987 film Child’s Play at Screamfest Film Festival, with a following Q&A with filmmaker Tom Holland co-moderated by yours truly… Continue Reading →

The post Video and Photos: Child’s Play Q&A with Filmmaker Tom Holland at Screamfest appeared first on Dread Central.

Since it started in 2001, Screamfest has served as both a launching pad for new filmmakers and a celebration of the horror genre's past, and this year is certainly no exception. Kicking off October 10th and running through the 19th at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Screamfest 2017 features an eclectic lineup of new horror films as well as celebratory screenings of Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse and Tom Holland's Child's Play.

To celebrate the 17th year of Screamfest, Daily Dead recently had the pleasure of speaking with the festival's founder, Rachel Belofsky, to talk about this year's diverse lineup, honoring the horror genre's history, her reaction to seeing Paranormal Activity for the first time after it was submitted to Screamfest, and much more.

Congratulations on 17 years of Screamfest. That's a really awesome achievement.

Rachel Belofsky: I know. It's unbelievable. Thank you.

When you co-founded the festival back in...

Rachel Belofsky, the busy lady behind the Los Angeles Screamfest Horror Film Festival, paused to answer a few questions about what fans can expect this year as the shebang kicks off on October 10 and runs through the 19th. Now… Continue Reading →

The post Rachel Belofsky Talks Screamfest 2017 appeared first on Dread Central.

Every October, horror fans in Los Angeles celebrate the Halloween season with diverse scares on the big screen at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival, and this year, in addition to a slate of exciting new films, the festival will honor the late, great Tobe Hooper with a special screening of The Funhouse, and Child's Play fans can also look forward to a screening of the first Chucky movie followed by a Q&A with director Tom Holland.

Press Release: Hollywood, Calif. – September 26, 2017 – Screamfest Horror Film Festival, America’s largest, and longest running horror movie festival, announces its 2017 official schedule and the second wave of its festival line up. The fest will run from Oct. 10 - 19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. Over its seventeen-year run, the female-run festival has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences.

Seth Metoyer,

MoreHorror.com

The first wave of the 2017 Screamfest Horror Film Festival lineup and the festival ambassador have been announcement.

The festival will run from October 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. Film festival badges are currently on sale to the general public at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets will be available soon. Actor and producer Dominic Monaghan will serve as ambassador for the festival.

Some really intriguing offerings in this list. Find official line up details below.

From the Press Release

America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences.

Halloween scares are nearly here.

With Hollywood studios and SoCal theme parks shifting towards horror and scares for Halloween, America’s largest horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, just announced its first wave of films to be showcased from October 10-19 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood.

Additionally, Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) was named as this year’s festival ambassador.

“I am extremely honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador,” said Monaghan in a press release. “I applaud Screamfest and its founder and festival director Rachel Belofsky for embracing the work of filmmakers and actors in the horror genre. I’m a big fan of this space, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a fest that truly acknowledges unique and creative work.”

The festival has made showcased multiple known horror films and launched the careers for many actors.

America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers – providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. Actor and producer Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, TV’s “Lost”) will serve as this year’s festival ambassador.

“I am extremely honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador,” said Monaghan. “I applaud Screamfest and its Founder and Festival Director Rachel Belofsky for embracing the work of filmmakers and actors in the horror genre. I’m a big fan of this space, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of a fest that truly acknowledges unique and creative work.

Every October, horror fans in Los Angeles celebrate the Halloween season with diverse scares on the big screen at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. The first wave of films for the 17th annual event have been announced, and this year's lineup is already looking to be one to watch, with the buzzed-about Tragedy Girls, the origin story Leatherface, and the animated farewell Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End all slotted to screen at Screamfest:

Press Release: Hollywood, Calif. – August 29, 2017 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, is proud to announce the first wave of its official 2017 film line up. In its 17th year, the festival, which will run from Oct. 10-19, 2017 at the Tcl Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty." Whether you want to watch Buffy Summers and company battle supernatural beings for the first time or re-live all your favorite moments from the show, reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are playing now on Pop TV. Also: The Drawing short film starring Clarke Wolfe in its entirety, a trailer / acquisition news for Gehenna: Where Death Lives, an excerpt from Duncan Ralston's Woom, the lineup for Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival, and The Master Cleanse at Screamfest.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Pop TV: Reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are now playing on Pop TV.

To learn more, visit:

http://poptv.com/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/

---------

Watch Short Film The Drawing in its Entirety: Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA: The Drawing is coming! The Drawing is here! The Drawing is a modern monster horror short infused with 80s synth overtones.

Tricia Lee's Blood Hunters kicks off today's Horror Highlights with news that the film will have three screenings this month in North America, just in time for the most glorious of holidays, Halloween! Also: a recap / photos for Trash Fire's Screamfest screening in Los Angeles, a trailer / poster for The Terrible Two, and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival's list of awards.

Blood Hunters North American October Premiere: Press Release: "The trees are changing color and the weather is starting to cool, but Halloween is right around the corner. And Blood Hunters is having its North American premiere in the month of October. With three screenings scheduled this month, the film is fresh off a successful and well-received world premiere at Horror Channel Frightfest in London.

Directed by Tricia Lee and starring Lara Gilchrist, Benjamin Arthur, Torri Higginson, Julian Richings, Mark Taylor, and Peter Blankenstein, the film debuted in...

With Screamfest Horror Film Festival 2016 kicking off this week, Hollywood will be host to plenty of horror this Halloween season. While the festival highlights an impressive list of feature films, it will also include a special showing of an episode from 20th Century Fox Television's The Exorcist TV series, and we've been provided with five pairs of tickets to the screening to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

————

Prize Details: (5) Winners will receive (2) tickets to the Screamfest screening of one episode of The Exorcist TV series on Friday, October 21st at 7:00pm Pt at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood (6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California). Attendees of the screening can also join fellow fans at Sid's Bar in the theatre lobby for a cocktail party.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject "The Exorcist Screamfest Contest". Be sure to include your name,...

Oh, boy, Mick is gonna get it now! The Wolf Creek series is coming to Pop TV, Daily Deaders, and we have a clip from the first episode. Also: Trash Fire's at Screamfest 2016, the DVD release autograph signing for Clowntown, and Destination America's October programming.

Wolf Creek Series Clip: "About Wolf Creek: Pop’s limited series event--inspired by one of the "25 best horror movies since 2000" (Av Squad), one of the "100 Best Horror films" (Time Out) and one of the "25 Best Horror Movies Since The Shining" (Vulture)--is an intense psychological thriller premiering Friday, October 14, at 10/9c. It stars John Jarratt as killer Mick Taylor, wreaking havoc in the Australian Outback except, this time, things are different. The series turns an entire genre on its head when a 19-year-old American college student, played by rising star Lucy Fry, survives Taylor’s massacre of her family and sets out for revenge.

With the Halloween season around the corner, this year's Screamfest Horror Film Festival is almost upon us, and the first wave of films for the fest have now been announced, including Fear, Inc., Trash Fire, and The Master Cleanse (starring Johnny Galecki).

Press Release: "Hollywood – Sept. 7, 2016 – America’s largest and longest running horror film festival, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, announces the first wave of its official 2016 film line up. The festival, which will run from Oct. 18-27, 2016 at the TLC Chinese in Hollywood, has launched careers - providing a platform for filmmakers and actors to showcase their latest work to enthusiasts and general audiences. Actress Lydia Hearst (Condemned, #Horror) will serve as ambassador for the festival.

“We’re so thrilled to announce such a diverse group of films this year,” said Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Founder and Festival Director. “Even in our 16th year, filmmakers continue to push the envelope and...

By Jonathan Weichsel

MoreHorror.com

A Tricky Treat is directed by Patricia Chica and written by Kamal John Iskander. Die! Sitter! Die! : Rupert is written and directed by Lee Boxleitner and Sam Boxleitner. Harmful Sensations is written and directed by Jenson Rule Tierra. Meridians is directed by Blake Rice and written by Mark E. Davidson. Yummy Meat: A Halloween Carol is directed by John Fitzpatrick and written by Sean J. Decker.

I have already covered two great short films that played at Screamfest 2015, Night of the Slasher and Mirrored. Those two shorts got separate articles because they were paired with feature films with which they shared common themes, and it made sense to review them together with the features that they preceded. There were a number of outstanding shorts however that played in short blocks, or were paired with features that they didn't seem to share much in common with,...

When Paranormal Activity entered the psyche of audiences in 2009, it made people scared of being at home – especially during the middle of the night.

In his The Chicago Sun-Times review, Roger Ebert called it “an ingenious horror film. It’s so well made it’s truly scary.” Paramount Pictures’ hit thriller screened to sold out theaters in its initial opening in cities across the country.

The film was directed, written and edited by Oren Peli and was produced by Jason Blum and Oren Peli. Read our review Here.

With Halloween quickly approaching, Blum says Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension will answer fans questions about the ghost when the final chapter of the popular horror franchise hits theaters on October 23rd.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival, the largest and longest running horror film festival in the U.S., will honor Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli and production company Blumhouse at this year...

Put down your buckets of pig's blood kids, it will not end well for you. In this round-up, we have a Q&A with Emily Lopez from Carrie the Musical which opens on October 8th. Also: more details from Screamfest 2015, From Dusk Till Dawn season 2, and Shawn Scott's novel Apocalypse Swordsman.

Carrie the Musical Q&A: Press Release: "(Los Angeles, CA – August 19, 2015) Producers Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman and The Transfer Group have announced that Carrie The Musical will return to Los Angeles at the historic Los Angeles Theater, the first theatrical musical at that venue.

Tickets are available beginning Monday, August 24th at www.ExperienceCarrie.com. Carrie The Musical begins previews on October 1, 2015, and officially opens on October 8, 2015. Performances are on sale through November 22.

Directed by Brady Schwind and choreographed by Lee Martino, this immersive staging of Carrie takes the legendary musical off the stage and...

Paramount Pictures’ Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, the sixth film in the blockbuster horror franchise, will premiere in RealD 3D closing night of the Screamfest Horror Film Festival on Thursday, October 22nd at the Tcl Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

The screening marks the series’ return to the largest and longest running horror film festival in the U.S., where the first “Paranormal Activity” film made its debut in 2007.

“We are thrilled to have the ‘Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension’ premiere close this year’s festival,” said Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Founder and Festival Director. “We are so proud of Oren Peli and his success with the franchise. It’s great to have him back in the festival where it all began.”

“It’s incredibly exciting, and somewhat surreal, to premiere the final installment of the ‘Paranormal Activity’ series at Screamfest where the first film premiered eight years ago,” said producer Oren Peli,...

Many of Hollywood’s most promising filmmakers will be walking the black—not red—carpet later this month. The Screamfest Horror Film Festival, the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in the United States, will showcase new work from independent filmmakers Oct. 14–23 at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres in the Hollywood & Highland Center. “I love horror films,” said Rachel Belofsky, the festival’s founder and programming director. “For a genre that makes billions of dollars, it’s like we’re the bastard child of the industry. I can remember in Blockbuster video stores, the horror section was right before you get to the black curtain—you were like a step away from porn. Like, really? So many directors have cut their teeth on this industry.” Belofsky founded the festival in 2001 in part to promote an underrepresented genre and in part to provide burgeoning horror directors an opportunity to make connections and further their careers.

Horror filmmakers around the world can still submit their projects for the Screamfest Film Festival 2014 program, which is taking place in Los Angeles October 14-23. The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2014.

Screamfest is the largest and longest running horror film festival in the United States. It has been celebrating the genre for over a decade, and the festival has grown significantly since its 2001 debut. Executives from major film companies and distributors in Los Angeles regularly attend the festival looking for acquisitions.

“Screamfest draws the best and the brightest in the ever-growing horror genre market,” says Rachel Belofsky, Founder, Screamfest. “We’re so excited to screen this year’s submissions and are looking forward to discovering the next big hit in horror.”

The festival’s biggest success story is the discovery of Paranormal Activity. It premiered at Screamfest, was subsequently acquired by Paramount, and has since gone on to five sequels.

The 13th annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival has ended its ten-day run in Los Angeles, and the winners of the famed “Skully” Awards were announced at the closing night party held October 17th at the swanky Eclectic Wine Bar in North Hollywood.

Read on to see who took home the 10-pound prize and to have a look at our extensive photo gallery.

Hosted this year by yours truly and co-host Jonna Jackson, the evening found Ben Katai's feature flick Beneath to be the big winner, taking home six of the coveted Skully Awards (which were created by Academy Award-winning special effects wizard Stan Winston). See the rest of the winners of the Rachel Belofsky-founded festival, the largest and longest running horror fest in the United States, below.

Best Cinematography: Timothy A. Burton - Beneath

Best Student Short: Jeremy Robbins - Aftermath

Best Makeup: Gary Tunnicliffe - Beneath

Best Special...

With director Matt Eskandari’s The Gauntlet set for its Us premiere Thursday, October 10, at 7:30pm at the esteemed Screamfest La Film Festival, here's an exclusive chat with the filmmaker along with the trailer and some stills!

Produced by Wellington Sun, Jonathan Shih, Daniel Wei, Adam Lawson and Philippe Wee from a script by Adam Lawson, The Gauntlet stars Bai Ling (The Crow), Warren Kole, Dustin Nguyen and Jamie Ray Newman. The story revolves around an ensemble who find themselves in a sunken castle underneath the earth. They have no food. No memory. No water. And no way out. They don't know it yet, but in Hell only their sins can save them. They must organize and band together for the sinister adventure which awaits.

”I was attracted by the chance to tell an original survival, adventure story set in a devil's maze,” Eskandari stated of his interest in the material,...

We try to give the filmmakers amongst us every chance to get their work seen. One of the preeminent film fests, Los Angeles' Screamfest Horror Film Festival, has extended the deadline for its screenplay competition. Hop to it, writers. Chop, chop!

Aside from the elevated sense of pride the winner will undoubtedly feel in his or her bosom, the top script will also receive some cold, hard cash and a first look deal with Chiller among other goodies. Submit entries online here and visit the official Screamfest website for more information on the event.

From the Press Release

The 13th annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition announces a first look deal with Chiller, a division of NBCuniversal for the winner of this year's contest. "We are very excited to offer this great opportunity to this year's winning screenplay," founder/festival director Rachel Belofsky said.

Chiller's senior director or programming,...

With some of us still reeling from the frenzy that was October 2012, it’s hard to believe that we’re already prepping for 2013’s spooky, cinematic mayhem. La’s venerable horror film festival Screamfest is as well, and they’ve now begun accepting submissions.

“Screamfest is celebrating its 13th year this October,” festival founder and director Rachel Belofsky told us, “and it’s already starting off as a big year with [feature films] Thale and American Mary releasing on our Screamfest label via XLrator Media.”

While its October festival dates and location are yet to be released (we will have the skinny on that soon), Screamfest is now accepting submissions in the following film categories for the upcoming 2013 event:

Film Categories:

-Feature Films

-Short Films

-Student Films

-Animated Films

The early film submission deadline is June 15th, the regular deadline is July 15th, and the final deadline is August 1st. For more info on film submissions,...

IGN scored the second clip from American Mary (review), and we have it for you right here. As with the first, the clip is introduced by the ever-so-sexy Soska sisters. Check it out!

From the Press Release:

XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to the horror sensation American Mary, written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (Dead Hooker in a Trunk). The female-centric surgical horror-thriller will be released on XLrator Media’s newly announced Screamfest label in the fall of 2013.

“American Mary is one of the most original, thought-provoking and subversive horror films I’ve ever seen. It has riveted audiences at horror festivals and marks the emergence of the ‘Twisted Twins’ as the most exciting genre directors to come along in years,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

American Mary played to highly enthusiastic audiences at La’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival in October, where it won five awards,...

Total Film scored an exclusive clip from American Mary (review), and through the Internet voodoo known as the embed code, we have it for you right here. The clip is introduced by the ever-so-sexy Soska sisters along with one of their stars, Tristan Risk. That's a lot of eye candy!

From the Press Release:

XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to the horror sensation American Mary, written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (Dead Hooker in a Trunk). The female-centric surgical horror-thriller will be released on XLrator Media’s newly announced Screamfest label in the fall of 2013.

“American Mary is one of the most original, thought-provoking and subversive horror films I’ve ever seen. It has riveted audiences at horror festivals and marks the emergence of the ‘Twisted Twins’ as the most exciting genre directors to come along in years,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

American Mary...

XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to the horror sensation, American Mary, written and directed by Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska (Dead Hooker in a Trunk). The female-centric surgical horror-thriller will be released on XLrator Media's newly announced Screamfest label in Fall 2013.

XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon stated.

" American Mary is one of the most original, thought-provoking and subversive horror films I've ever seen. It has riveted audiences at horror festivals and marks the emergence of the 'Twisted Twins' as the most exciting genre directors to come along in years.

American Mary played to highly enthusiastic audiences at La's Screamfest Horror Film Festival in October where it won five awards including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Makeup.

Screamfest co-founder and festival director Rachel Belofsky stated.

"Based on the extraordinary audience response at this year's festival, we knew we had to have this...

American Mary, the superb new thriller from Jen and Sylvia Soska, has finally gotten a U.S. distribution deal. And all I can say is, it's about time.

XLrator Media has acquired the U.S. rights to the Twisted Twins' sophomore feature, which will be released on XLrator Media’s new Screamfest label in fall 2013.

When announcing the news, XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon said, "American Mary is one of the most original, thought-provoking and subversive horror films I’ve ever seen. It has riveted audiences at horror festivals and marks the emergence of the Twisted Twins as the most exciting genre directors to come along in years."

Screamfest co-founder and festival director Rachel Belofsky agreed, saying, "Based on the extraordinary audience response at this year's festival, we knew we had to have this film on our Screamfest imprint with XLrator. Jen and Sylvia Soska are incredibly talented directors. We...

You would think that a movie called American Mary (review) would have found distro in America a lot sooner, but no. Well! That wrong has been righted.

From the Press Release:

XLrator Media has acquired all U.S. rights to the horror sensation American Mary, written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (Dead Hooker in a Trunk). The female-centric surgical horror-thriller will be released on XLrator Media’s newly announced Screamfest label in the fall of 2013.

“American Mary is one of the most original, thought-provoking and subversive horror films I’ve ever seen. It has riveted audiences at horror festivals and marks the emergence of the ‘Twisted Twins’ as the most exciting genre directors to come along in years,” said XLrator Media CEO Barry Gordon.

American Mary played to highly enthusiastic audiences at La’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival in October, where it won five awards, including Best Film,...

XLrator Media is quickly becoming one of the horror genre's new best friends, and to celebrate this fact, they've launched not one, but two genre-centric labels: Screamfest and Macabre. Even better? They've already nailed down some killer titles! Read on for details.

From the Press Release

XLrator Media, LLC, announces the launch of “Screamfest” and “Macabre” multi-platform releasing labels to bring the best in horror and genre films to North American audiences. The labels will showcase thrilling new horror visions from American and international filmmakers.

The first films set for release under the “Screamfest” banner will be zombie actioner Outpost: Black Sun and the Norwegian thriller Thale, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and recently screened at Screamfest Horror Film Festival. Based on actual accounts and events, the video conspiracy document Bigfoot: The Lost Coast Tapes and the sexy, stylish, bloody vampire tale The Thompsons will be the...

With the 12th annual Screamfest L.A. having kicked off this past Friday, October 12th (it runs through the 20th), we hit the carpet to bring you some eye candy and to chat with director Marcus Dunstan (among others) regarding his flick The Collection, which launched the festival.

Those walking the black carpet and in attendance for the sold-out premiere included (take a breath) the following: Screamfest founder Rachel Belofsky; the previously mentioned Dunstan; his The Collection co-writer Patrick Melton and stars Josh Stewart, Emma Fitzpatrick, Michael Nardelli and John Gulager; actresses Natalie Victoria (Deadheads), Jessica Cameron (Silent Night), Bobbi Sue Luther (Night of the Demons) and Diane Goldner (Feast); Under the Bed director Steven C. Miller; American Mary writers and directors Jen and Sylvia Soska; Anthony Diblasi (Dread); Mike Mendez (Gravedancers); Adam Geirasch and Jace Anderson (Night of the Demons); actor Clu Gulager; Shian Storm (Singularity); Brett Pierce (Deadheads); and many,...

With the Screamfest Horror Film Festival hosting the U.S. premiere of Steven C. Miller's latest feature, Under the Bed, on Tuesday, October 16th, at 7:30 Pm, we have a new still for you as well as word from Miller and producer Will Clevinger.

"This film will take you back to your childhood and then rip it apart limb by limb," director Miller, who previously helmed Automaton Transfusion, The Aggression Scale and the upcoming Silent Night, stated of Under The Bed.

“It’s a movie that has its roots in films like Gremlins, The Goonies, Poltergeist, Little Monsters, and Et,” he continued, “where kids are dealing with the unknown, just like those great 80's genre mash-ups that had you wondering if they were rated PG or R. Only this one was done on a micro-budget and with 100% practical [effects]. I’m excited to unleash our creature.” (You can see a...

On Saturday, October 22nd, 2011, the eleventh annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival Awards were held in Hollywood, California, to celebrate the ten days of original horror programming which had preceded it, most notably the China Brothers’ Crawl (which took home awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography). Today results were released for the fest’s Screenplay Competition, and we’ve got ‘em. Read on for the winners!

Screamfest, which is spearheaded by founder and director Rachel Belofsky, has built a reputation over the last decade as having its finger on the pulse of the horror genre. Recent films programmed at Screamfest that have garnered a lot of attention include Let the Right One In, Trick 'r Treat, Splinter, Martyrs, The Signal, and Paranormal Activity.

Best Screenplay

Blood Type:v

by Eric Maloney

Top 5 Screenplays

Blood Type:v

by Eric Maloney

Exit 49

by Lanny Grant

Someone Must Die

by Joe Henriques

The Sticks

by...

The 2011 edition of the Screamfest La Film Festival completed its run on Saturday, October 22nd, at Manns Chinese 6 in Hollywood, California, and Dread Central hit the carpet one last time to bring you further ocular candy and to give you the lowdown on which filmmakers took home the coveted ‘Skully’ Screamfest Awards. Read on for the full list of winners!

Held at BoHo at Hollywood & Highland, the award ceremony this year was hosted by Jonna Jackson and John Farrell, and those in attendance for the closing night included Eli Roth (Hostel), Mike Mendez (Gravedancers), Dave Parker (The Hills Run Red), Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination), Ti West (The Innkeepers), Paul and Benjamin China (Crawl), Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), and Aj Bowen (Rites of Spring) along with a bevy of the festival’s selected filmmakers and more.

Here’s the list of award recipients for Screamfest 2011.

Best Picture – Urban Explorer (review here)

Best Director – Paul China,...

The supernatural feature Stormhouse is set for its U.S. premiere at the Screamfest La Film Festival on Saturday, October 22nd, and in honor of the occasion we spoke with the film's writer Jason Arnopp and director Dan Turner.

Penned by Arnopp and produced by he and Dean Fisher with directorial duties handled by Turner, Stormhouse stars Katie Flynn (daughter of Jane Seymour), Grahame Fox, Patrick Flynn and Grant Masters. The film's synopsis is as follows: Six months before the invasion of Iraq, the British military caught and imprisoned a supernatural entity at a secret base in the English countryside. This film documents the days that followed, culminating in a battle that transcends their worst nightmares.

Filmed last year, director Turner told us of the Stormhouse production, “The whole turnaround from script to screen was very, very fast. We had the idea in May 2010, and by August 2010 we were shooting.

With the 11th annual Screamfest La Film Festival having kicked off October 14th (it runs through the 22nd at Manns Chinese 6 in Hollywood, CA at Hollywood and Highland), Dread Central hit the carpet that night to bring you some eye candy and to catch a screening of director Kim J-hoon’s Korean monster flick Sector 7 in 3D.

Check out our overflowing gallery below, and then get your tickets to the venerated event by clicking here.

Those walking the black carpet and in attendance for the packed opening included (take a breath) the following: Gravedancers director Mike Mendez, Abominable director Ryan Schifrin, actresses Chelsea Rendon and Jessica Cameron, Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli, Madison County director Eric England and actors Ace Marrero and Matt Mercer, The Tunnel director Carlo Ledesma with producers Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey and actors Steve Davis and Bel Delia, actor-producer Tom Malloy (The Alphabet Killer), filmmaker...

With the 11th annual and venerated Screamfest La Film Festival running this Friday, October 14th through Saturday, October 22nd at Manns Chinese 6 in Hollywood, CA, we chatted yesterday with the director of one of the fest's selections, the feature Rites of Spring, and got the skinny on the slasher/hybrid, which is set for its world premiere on Saturday, October 22nd, at 12:00 noon.

Produced by Wes Benton, Bobby Benton, John Norris and Eric Thompson and written and directed by Padraig Reynolds, Rites of Spring stars Aj Bowen (House of the Devil, Hatchet 2), Anessa Ramsey (Footloose, YellowBrickRoad), Sonny Marinelli (Rosewood Lane), Katherine Randolf (Jarhead), Hannah Bryan, Sarah Pachelli, and James Bartz and (according to the film’s synopsis) centers around ‘a group of kidnappers who abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school in the middle of the woods. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers,...

Screamfest La, the preeminent horror festival in the country, kicks off its 11th annual event in Los Angeles on October 14 and runs through October 23. Festival founder Rachel Belofsky announced the first wave of this year's entries, and if I were you, I'd do my best to be in La during those dates!

This year’s films include the world premiere of Victor Salva’s Rosewood Lane starring Rose McGowan and the La premiere of the French film Livide (Livid). The annual festival, honoring the best in horror and fantasy and those who bring it to life, takes place at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood & Highland Center (6801 Hollywood Blvd).

First Wave Screening Highlights at Screamfest 2011 (more titles to be added shortly):

• Rosewood Lane (Us) – Directed by Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Jeepers Creepers II), starring Rose McGowan (Scream, Grindhouse) and Lauren Velez (“Dexter”). A radio talk show psychiatrist (McGowan) returns to...

Fall is here! That means Screamfest, the preeminent horror festival in the country, and what the La Weekly calls .the best place to get a jump on tomorrow.s cult hits. kicks off its 11th annual event in Los Angeles on October 14 through October 23. This year.s films include the World Premiere of Victor Salva.s Rosewood Lane starring Rose McGowan and La premiere of the French film Livide; it was announced by festival founder Rachel Belofsky. The annual festival, honoring the best in horror and fantasy and those who bring it to life, takes place at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood & Highland Center (6801 Hollywood Blvd). First Wave Screening Highlights at Screamfest 2011 (more titles to be...

With Screamfest La celebrating its 11th anniversary this fall (the venerated Los Angeles film festival – which is spearheaded by Rachel Belofsky – runs this October 14-23 in Hollywood, CA), the fest hosted last Thursday night another of its monthly mixers, and we were there to snap a few photos and to chat with the filmmakers in attendance.

On hand for the event (which took place at Hollywood Boulevard’s tequila bar Te’Kila) was FX artist and reality TV star Frank Ippolito, who stated of the release status of his short film Night of the Little Dead (a flick we were able to see the subsequent night at the cast and crew screening, and a trailer to which you can see here), “It’s finished. We have a 5.1 Surround mix, it’s all HD and shit, and we are shopping it around to find what film festival we are going to premiere it at.

With Screamfest La celebrating its 11th anniversary this fall (the venerated Los Angeles film festival spearheaded by Rachel Belofsky runs October 14-23 in Hollywood, CA), the fest hosted another of its monthly mixers this past Thursday, March 12, and we were there to snap a few photos and chat with the filmmakers in attendance.

On hand for the event (which took place at Hollywood Boulevard’s tequila bar Te’Kila) were FX artist and reality TV star Frank Ippolito (who teased that his short flick ‘Night of the Little Dead’ is slated for a fest debut in the near future), Kiss Before the Slaughter director John Elfers, Hell’s Belles filmmaker Christian Ackerman, producer Drina Durazo and actor Luke Thompson.

Also in attendance were Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2 actress Allison Kyler and that flick’s producer Chang Tseng and director (and Almost Human Efx guru) Robert Hall, the latter of whom...