The NIGHTSTREAM virtual horror film festival lineup is here (RUN premiere starring Sarah Paulson, a conversation with Candyman’s Nia DaCosta, and much more)

Virtual film festivals have become the norm this festival season given the continuing threat of COVID-19. It’s hard to replicate the buzz and thrill of in-person festivals, but on the upside, more people than ever now have the opportunity to “attend” festivals they may never have been able to visit in person. Just in time for Halloween, the organizers behind genre festivals Boston Underground, Brooklyn Horror, North Bend, Overlook, and Popcorn Frights have teamed up for the inaugural NIGHTSTREAM virtual film festival, running from October 8-11th (with select films available until the 14th).

The lineup features the world premiere of the Sarah Paulson thriller Run (directed by Searching’s Aneesh Chaganty), Quentin Dupieux’s Mandibles, Ryûhei Kitamura’s The Doorman starring Ruby Rose, conversations with Candyman director Nia DaCosta and American Psycho director Mary Harron, the Dinner With The Masters Of Horror event with guests including Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, John Landis, and Ernest Dickerson, and plenty more. 

Read on for the full announcement, and stay tuned for reviews and interviews in the coming days. Access to film screenings will be geo-locked to the US with ticket bundles on sale for $65 for 5 features or short film programs and $99 with 10 features or short film programs. Both bundles come with unlimited access to events and panels, while event-only badges will be made available worldwide ($25) and a virtual festival social hub will be freely accessible to all. To order a badge, visit: https://nightstream.eventive.org/passes/buy 

FEATURE FILMS

OPENING NIGHT

Run

World Premiere

United States | 2020 | 90 Min. | Dir. Aneesh Chaganty

Sarah Paulson and newcomer Kiera Allen shine in director Aneesh Chaganty (SEARCHING) nail-biting, Hitchcockian new thriller about a wheelchair-bound teenager whose fragile, isolated existence with her doting mother is threatened when she begins to notice strange occurrences around her house. A Hulu Original Film. 

CLOSING NIGHT

Mandibles

North American Premiere

France | 2020 | 77 Min | Dir. Quentin Dupieux

Visionary director Quentin Dupieux (RUBBER, DEERSKIN) returns with his most accessible and hilarious film to date, a tale of two simple-minded friends who find a giant fly stuck in the trunk of a car and set themselves up to train it to earn money with it. Originally set to premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. A Magnolia Pictures Release.

32 Malasaña Street

North American Premiere

Spain | 2020 | 105 Min. | Dir. Albert Pintó

The Olmedo family gets more than they bargained for when they move into a suspiciously low-priced apartment in Madrid, circa 1976, and quickly find themselves in a living nightmare in this intense and stylish Spanish answer to James Wan’s THE CONJURING. A Shudder Original Film.

Anything For Jackson

U.S. Premiere

Canada | 2020 | 97 Min | Dir. Justin G. Dyck

Satanists Audrey and Henry Walsh had the best of intentions when they kidnapped a young pregnant woman in the hopes of performing a resurrection ritual for their recently deceased grandson. What could go wrong?

Av: The Hunt

North American Premiere

Turkey | 2020 | 87 Min | Dir. Emre Akay

To escape the murderous wrath of her oppressive and patriarchal family after being caught with her lover, Ayse must go on the run through the backroads of modern-day Turkey in his absurdly primal fight for survival.

Black Bear

USA | 2019 | 104 Min. Dir. Lawrence Michael Levine

Punctuated with outstanding performances from Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon, Lawrence Michael Levine’s Kaufman-esque BLACK BEAR tells the story of a filmmaker who arrives at a rural retreat and discovers that the unpredictable behavior of her hosts will be the source of her most inspired work yet. A Momentum Pictures release.

Bleed With Me

Canada | 2020 | 79 Min. | Dir. Amelia Moses 

A lo-fi and subtly creepy chamber piece, Amelia Moses’ debut BLEED WITH ME follows Rowan, an insecure girl spending a wintery retreat at a remote cabin with her best friend, Emily, and Emily’s boyfriend, Brendan. When Rowan’s anxiety around being an unwanted guest starts to get to her, mounting paranoia gives way to hallucinations, making this trip into something chillingly sinister. An Epic Pictures release.

Bloody Hell

North American Premiere

Australia, USA | 2020 | 95 Min. | Dir. Alister Grierson

In this relentlessly energetic, pitch-black horror-comedy, an ex-bank robber fleeing the country after a video of him goes viral, heads to Helsinki only to find there’s something in store for him there that is much more difficult to escape.

Boys From County Hell

North American Premiere

Ireland | 2020 | 89 Min. | Dir. Chris Baugh

The tourist-pranking antics of a group of hardy Irish road workers are turned against them when they discover that they’ve accidentally awoken an undead bloodsucker sleeping beneath the town’s soil in this uproarious and freaky horror-comedy. Originally scheduled to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Breaking Surface

U.S. Premiere

Sweden, Norway, Belgium | 2020 | 81 Min. | Dir. Joachim Hedén

An emotional deep-water diving trip for two sisters turns disastrous when a landslide causes one of them to be pinned to the ocean floor in this heart-rending and fear-inducing survival thriller. A Doppelganger Releasing Film.

Climate Of The Hunter

United States | 2020 | 90 Min. | Dir. Mickey Reece

Prolific underground director Mickey Reece’s oddball humor and otherworldly retro flair are on full display in this delightful tale of two sisters whose love-hate relationship is stirred up when they reunite with a childhood friend who they suspect may or may not be a vampire. A Dark Star Pictures release.

Come True

U.S. Premiere

Canada | 2020 | 105 Min | Dir. Anthony Scott Burns

In this ambitious sci-fi gem, a troubled teenager tormented by nightmares enters into a mysterious sleep study that unlocks the truth about her surreal dreams and the dark shadowy figure within them.

Darkness

U.S. Premiere

Italy | 2019 | 98 Min. | Dir. Emanuela Rossi

Under their father’s tyranny, three siblings are forced to remain indoors, with all views of the outside world blocked off, leaving the eldest to suspect something isn’t right in this cleverly constructed look at domestic abuse under the guise of post-apocalyptic paranoia.

Detention

Taiwan | 2019 | 103 Min. | Dir. John Hsu 

Set during the Tawainese martial law of the 1960s, this shockingly gruesome and terrifying coming-of-age drama based on a hugely popular video game sees two classmates who go looking for their missing friends and teachers, all of whom took part in an illegal book club, only to come face to face with ghosts and deformed monsters that have taken over their school.

Dinner In America

United States | 2020 | 106 Min. | Dir. Adam Carter Rehmeier

A punk rocker arsonist on the run (Kyle Gallner, Veronica Mars) and his number one fan embark on a series of misadventures through suburbia, finding unexpected love along the way in this absolutely electric, thoroughly anarchic, misfit stoner rom-com you didn’t know you needed.

The Doorman

World Premiere

United States | 2020 | 93 Min. | Dir. Ryûhei Kitamura

As visually stylish as it is graphically violent, this punishing action-thriller from the legendary Ryûhei Kitamura (VERSUS) stars Ruby Rose (JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, Batwoman) as a former Marine turned doorman at a luxury New York City high-rise who must outsmart and battle a group of art thieves and their ruthless leader (Jean Reno, LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL) — while struggling to protect her sister’s family. A Lionsgate release.

Ema

Chile | 2019 | 107 Min. | Dir. Pablo Larrain

In the latest from acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (JACKIE) adoptive parents Ema (Mariana Di Girolamo) and Gastón (Gael García Bernal) are artistic free spirits in an experimental dance troupe whose lives are thrown into chaos after their son is involved in a shockingly violent incident. A Music Box Films release.

Frank & Zed

World Premiere

United States | 93 Min. | Dir. Jesse Blanchard

Lovingly crafted entirely with hand puppets, this hilarious, blood-drenched practical marvel sees the peaceful, secluded lifestyle of two monsters threatened when a group of desperate villagers come to repay an age-old pact to a wretched demon. 

Honeydew

World Premiere

United States | 2020 | 106 Min. | Dir. Devereux Milburn

A couple, Sam (Sawyer Spielberg) and Riley (Malin Barr), on a backwoods road trip find themselves descending into a hallucinatory hell when they accept auto repair help from an elderly farmer and her peculiar son in this unhinged and unforgettable directorial debut. Originally set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Hunted

U.S. Premiere

Belgium, France, Ireland | 2020 | 96 Min. | Dir. Vincent Paronnaud

Acclaimed filmmaker/comic artist Vincent Paronnaud (director of Cannes Jury Prize and Academy Award nominee PERSEPOLIS) returns to the screen with an exhilaratingly ferocious survival horror flick that follows Eve, a woman who encounters a seemingly charming man at a bar, only to uncover that his true sociopathic nature will spark a dire, life-or-death chase through the wilderness. A Shudder Original Film.

It Cuts Deep

World Premiere

United States | 2020 | 77 Min | Dir. Nicholas Payne Santos

While on Christmas vacation, Sam’s world begins to close in around him in horrifying and hilarious ways when his girlfriend’s announcement that she wants to start a family coincides with the sudden reappearance of an old acquaintance who alludes to Sam’s violent past. A Dark Sky Films Release.

Jumbo

Belgium, France | 2020 | 93 Min. | Dir. Zoé Wittock

Noémie Merlant (PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE) gives a fearless performance as a shy amusement park worker whose life changes when a new star attraction shows up and immediately enthralls her with  “his” magnificent machinery in this fantastical and heartfelt debut from writer/director Zoe Wittock. A Dark Star Pictures release.

Lapsis

United States | 2020 | 108 Min. | Dir. Noah Hutton

In order to pay for his ailing brothers’ medical bills, a seasoned scam artist takes a not-so-above-board job running a new kind of sophisticated cable through miles of wood, only to discover dire truths about this new vocation in this prescient and grounded science-fiction feature. A Film Movement release.

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist

United States / Spain | 2020 | 105 Min. | Dir. Alexandre O. Phillippe

In perhaps his most penetrating interview ever, director Alexandre O. Phillippe (78/52) ploughs deep into the filmmaking process of director William Friedkin through the tumultuous and terrifying production of one of the most iconic horror films ever made. 

Lucky

U.S. Premiere

United States | 2020 | 81 Min. | Dir. Natasha Kermani

Self-help author May Ryer finds herself the victim of increasingly violent home intruder attacks that no one, including her husband, seems all that worried about. What results is a cut-throat feminist thriller from director Natasha Kermani and screenwriter/star Brea Grant where May must face down the threat alone.. Originally set to premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. A Shudder Original Film.

May The Devil Take You Too

International Premiere

Indonesia | 2020 | 110 Min. | Dir. Timo Tjahjanto

Director Timo Tjahjanto returns for more propulsive and chaotic possession horror with this direct sequel to his hit MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU. This time, series-star Alfie is once again forced to wage war against hell’s dark forces when a group of teenage orphans unleash the demonic spirit of their former caretaker. A Shudder Original Film. 

My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To

North American Premiere

United States | 2020 | 90 Min. | Dir. Jonathan Cuartas

Dwight (Patrick Fugit, ALMOST FAMOUS, GONE GIRL) and Jessie (Ingrid Sophie Schram) go to unimaginable, morally decrepit lengths to medicate their sick younger brother Thomas (Owen Campbell, SUPER DARK TIMES), who desperately needs blood to survive. Originally set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. A Dark Sky Films release.

The Nest

Italy | 2019 | 103 Min. | Dir. Roberto De Feo

A young boy, suffering from paraplegia and trapped away in an isolated mansion under the rule of his domineering mother, has his life turned upside down when the arrival of the new teenage maid exposes him to his family’s darkest secrets in beautifully shot, Italian Gothic horror.

The Night

North American Premiere

United States | 2020 | 105 Min | Dir. Kourosh Ahari

 Kourosh Ahari’s transfixing submission to the ranks of hotel-stay-from-hell horror canon is an endlessly unnerving tale of a couple and their infant forced to confront their darkest secrets after choosing the wrong place to sleep for the night. An IFC Midnight release.

The Obituary of Tunde Johnson

United States | 2019 | 104 Min | Dir. Ali Leroi

Director Ali Leroi and screenwriter Stanley Kalu present one of the best and most radical uses of the time loop narrative device in the story of a gay black teenager forced to continuously relive May 28^th, a date in which, no matter what he does differently, Tunde Johnson finds himself unarmed and shot by the police at the end of the day.

Pelican Blood

Germany, Bulgaria | 2019 | 121 Min. | Dir. Katrin Gebbe 

Nina Hoss delivers a daring performance as a mother who suspects there are sinister supernatural forces at play when her newly adopted daughter turns from shy and charming to menacing and dangerous, threatening her idyllic country life in Katrin Gebbe’s (NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN) engrossing and cerebral horror-drama.

The Queen of Black Magic

Indonesia | 2019 | 99 Min | Kimo Stamboel

In this terrifying and gory tale of supernatural revenge from two of Indonesia’s modern masters of horror, Screenwriter Joko Anwar (SATAN’S SLAVES) and director Kimo Stamboel (HEADSHOT), a middle-class family journey to visit the terminally ill director of the orphanage where the father was raised as a child, only to encounter sinister and terrifying events as the dark history of the children’s home begins to reveal itself.

Reunion

World Premiere

United States | 2020 | 95 Min | Dir. Jake Mahaffy

A pregnant woman reconnects with her estranged mom (Julia Ormond) in this emotionally charged and quietly audacious psychological horror chiller that slowly and brutally lays bare the dark and horrific sins from a family’s shared history. A Dark Sky Films release.

The Returned

North American Premiere

Argentina | 2019 | 92 Min | Dir. Laura Casabé

In 1919 South America, a landowner’s wife, desperate to have a child after several miscarriages, decides to pray to a mythical deity to resurrect her stillborn son, unleashing something truly evil in this impactful horror allegory that gives power to the oppressed through eerie supernatural storytelling.

Rose Plays Julie

Ireland, UK | 2020 | 100 Min. | Dir. Christine Molloy, Joe Lawlor

What begins with a young woman persistently tracking down her birth mother takes a dark tonal shift as she turns her sights to her odious blood father (Aidan Gillen, Game of Thrones) in this eerie thriller. A Film Movement Release.

Survival Skills

United States | 2020 | 84 Min. | Dir. Quinn Armstrong

Presented as a lost police training video from the 1980s, an at-first comedic look to the early days on the force for a newly-minted, naive officer quickly turns into a dark, satirical critique on the way our society and law enforcement institutions fail us in this timely, clever and unexpectedly sobering examination of a broken system.

Time of Moulting

U.S. Premiere

Germany | 2020 | 80 Min | Dir. Sabrina Mertens

Spanning over ten years in 1970s Germany, this chilling debut from Sabrina Mertens follows Stephanie as she’s raised in isolation by her cold father and emotionally distraught, bedridden mother. Suffocated by the weight of her family’s lifestyle, Stephanie’s mind gradually veers towards darker thoughts and, inevitably, troubling habits and actions.

An Unquiet Grave

World Premiere

USA | 2020 | 72 Min. | Dir. Terence Krey

Unable to come to terms with the death of his wife, a man and his sister-in-law return to the scene of the car accident to perform an ill-fated ritual in this two-handed chamber horror that terrifyingly shines a light on the dangers of extreme grief: unrelenting desperation, loss of self and the evil that exists in our darkest moments of despair. 

NIGHTSTREAM RETRO

Bloody Muscle Body Builder In Hell

Japan | 1995 | 63 Min. | Dir. Shinichi Fukuzawa

This 8mm Japanese splatterfest poses the question – What if THE EVIL DEAD’s Ash was a bodybuilder whose ex-girlfriend researches haunted houses and, as such, asked him to join her on a special investigation of his dead father’s supposedly ghost-ridden home? Courtesy of Wild Eye Releasing.

Deadline

Restoration World Premiere

Canada | 1980 | 90 Min. | Dir. Mario Philip Azzopardi     

A decadent horror author living on the edge desperately works through writer’s block by conjuring the most shocking and gross scenarios this side of EC Comics in this jaw-dropping piece of Canuxploitation. Restoration courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome and the American Genre Film Archive.

Def By Temptation

United States | 1990 | 94 Min. | Dir. James Bond III

After becoming a target of a stunning succubus on the prowl in 1980s Brooklyn, a divinity scholar undergoing a crisis of faith must enlist the help of a drunken cop with a penchant for supernatural investigation if he’s going to stay alive. Restoration courtesy of Troma Entertainment and the American Genre Film Archive.

Shock Value: How Dan O’Bannon and Some USC Outsiders Helped Invent Modern Horror

Catch a rare glimpse into the earliest ideas from John Carpenter, Dan O’Bannon, and their peers before they changed genre forever in this one-of-a-kind, feature-length compilation of five historic student shorts from the late 60s/early 70s curated by USC archivist Dino Everett and author Jason Zinoman (Shock Value), with a conversation to follow, moderated by KJ Reith (UCLA FIlm & TV Archive).

PANELS, PODCASTS, AND CONVERSATIONS

Virtual Fireside with Nia DaCosta

Since her exceptional 2018 debut feature LITTLE WOODS, Nia DaCosta has quickly risen to be one of the top directorial voices in Hollywood, gaining the attention of Jordan Peele, Marvel, and many more to helm exciting new projects in the genre space. Moderated by journalist Hunter Harris (New York Magazine), we’ll take a deep dive into the state of the industry as well as hear about her highly anticipated film CANDYMAN.

 20th Anniversary Celebration of AMERICAN PSYCHO with Mary Harron

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of AMERICAN PSYCHO with a candid, in-depth conversation with filmmaker Mary Harron as she revisits every facet of this modern cult-classic. Moderated by Katie Rife (The A.V. Club).

Adventures in the Screen Trade with Scott Beck & Bryan Woods

A conversation with screenwriters/directors Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (collectively known as Beck/Woods) about their adventures in the Hollywood screen trade, from their early hard knocks culminating in their megahit screenplay A QUIET PLACE. Moderated by journalist Joshua Rothkopf.

For The Love of Horror Comics Presented by Midnight Pulp

Creators from all sides of the entertainment industry introduce us to the visionary worlds of their original horror comics and tell us why it’s so much fun to write about monsters, vampires, and haunted sneakers!  Panelists: Rodney Barnes (Killadelphia), David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter), Brea Grant (Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter), Rosie Knight (The Haunted High-Tops). Moderated by Richard Newby (The Hollywood Reporter).

The Future of Horror is Female Presented by Arrow

The Future of Film is Female presents a panel discussion about the future of horror films with women who are making the most exciting new work in the genre. Panelists: Laura Casabe (THE RETURNED), Mariama Diallo (HAIR WOLF), Nikyatu Jusu (SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT), and Laura Moss (FRY DAY). With Special Guests: Ashlee Blackwell (Graveyard Shift Sisters) and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (1000 Women In Horror). Moderated by Meredith Alloway (writer, producer, and filmmaker). Introduced by Caryn Coleman (The Future of Film is Female, Nitehawk Cinema).

Horror Camp!

Hosted by Peaches Christ (director, ALL ABOUT EVIL), gather around the virtual flame and listen to renowned horror experts explore some of the most iconic and memorably campy entries (for better or worse!) in the horror film canon. Panelists include: Renée “Nay” Bever (Attack of the Queerwolf), Stacie Ponder (Writer, Final Girl), and William O. Tyler (Theater of Terror: Revenge of the Queers).

Horror Queers Podcast

Each week on the podcast Horror Queers, part of the Bloody Disgusting podcast network. Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman tackle a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, a high camp quotient, or both. For this special presentation, they’re dissecting Tarsem Singh’s visually stunning crime thriller THE CELL (2000) starring Jennifer Lopez and Vincent D’Onofrio, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Horror Stories: Genre Fiction Masters Discuss Crafting Their Literary Scares

This panel will gather four genre fiction masters to discuss how their work fits into the modern horror landscape. Panelists include: Nathan Ballingrud (North American Lake Monsters); Tananarive Due (the African Immortals series); Paul Tremblay (A Head Full Of Ghosts, Survivor Song); Sarah Read (2020 Bram Stoker Award winner for Best First Novel The Bone Weaver’s Orchard). Moderated by journalist Aja Romano (Vox).

Indonesian Horror presented by Shudder

Join us for a discussion with some of the influential filmmakers leading the charge of Indonesian New Wave Horror during this defining moment in genre cinema history. Moderated by Shudder curator Sam Zimmerman.

Making COVID Work: How To Create During A Global Pandemic

Hear from artists who found a way to safely and successfully produce new and exciting genre work through zoom, Instagram, and web browsers. Panelists include: Eva Anderson (co-creator of Instagram horror game Arcana ), Brittany Blum (co-creator of virtual nightclub Eschaton), and Rob Savage (director of breakout zoom film HOST). Moderated by journalist Todd Martens (The L.A. Times).

The Morbido Crypt’s Guide To Mexican Fantasy And Horror Cinema Presented by The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies

Join us for a scenic tour of Mexican genre cinema guided by Morbido Fest’s head programmer, Abraham Castillo Flores. Delving beyond luchadores and psychotronica, Abraham unearths the monsters that fomented a distinctive but barely acknowledged corner of our shadow cinematic consciousness, the rich history of Mexican fantasy and horror cinema.

Switchblade Sisters Podcast

Switchblade Sisters is a podcast providing deep cuts on genre flicks from a female perspective. In this special NIGHTSTREAM edition, screenwriter and former film critic April Wolfe sits down with Natasha Kermani, director of the cut-throat feminist thriller LUCKY and the 2017 festival darling IMITATION GIRL, to slice-and-dice Kathryn Bigelow’s mindbending 1995 feature STRANGE DAYS.

The Witching Hour Podcast

Co-hosted by Perri Nemiroff and Haleigh Foutch, Collider’s horror podcast The Witching Hour digs into all things horror, from the biggest titles at the box office to under-the-radar gems, exclusive interviews, early reviews, deep-dive analysis, and all the need-to-know in genre film from two horror die-hards. On this episode, Haleigh and Perri will be joined by DINNER IN AMERICA director Adam Rehmeier and actress Emily Skeggs.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Benson & Moorhead’s Home Movies

Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead (SYNCHRONIC, THE ENDLESS, SPRING, RESOLUTION), and Issa Lopez (TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID) explore their very, very early work, with real-time commentary and the benefit of hindsight to showcase and discuss their rarities, mistakes, and successes in all their embarrassing glory in this one-time event.

Dinner With The Masters Of Horror: A Tribute To Mick Garris

You are cordially invited to a virtual dinner with festival honoree Mick Garris & his friends, filmmakers Joe Dante, Ernest Dickerson, Axelle Carolyn, Mike Flanagan, Tom Holland, John Landis, William Malone, Tommy McLoughlin, and additional surprises. Close-out the festival weekend by sharing stories and toasting the utterly fascinating life of director, writer, producer, author, and tireless champion of horror, maestro Mick Garris. All attendees are encouraged to eat while watching.

Evening Rituals Presented by IFC Midnight

Kick off each night of the festival with a unique evening of cocktails, conversation, and ephemeral secrets in this bizarre take on a social hour featuring a parade of hosts including SpectreVision’s Elijah Wood, Lisa Whalen & Daniel Noah, filmmakers Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe, and icons Barbara Crampton & Larry Fessenden All attendees will be emailed recipes for each guest’s beverage.

The Eyeslicer Halloween Special: Sleepover Pajama Party, hosted by Gwilliam!

Change into your PJs and join a gaggle of real live filmmakers for a one-time late-night chat and viewing party hosted by the notorious creature Gwilliam. Created by Dan Schoenbrun and Vanessa McDonnell and executive produced by radical artist collective Meow Wolf, The Eyeslicer Halloween Special is a deranged Midnight movie anthology experience like no other.

Final Exam Trivia: NIGHTSTREAM Presented by Arrow

Hosted by Ted Geoghegan and Michael Gingold this special edition of Final Exam will feature five rounds of trivia based on horror films from Boston, NYC, Miami, New Orleans, and the Pacific Northwest.

Horror Homecoming Soirée with Peaches Christ

Join legendary drag performer Peaches Christ for a blood-drenched evening of laughs, trivia, costume contests, drinking games, prizes, and more. Dust off your spookiest frock and slap on those devil horns honey because we’re about to Samara-crawl out of your screen to present a Horror Homecoming Soirée!

Movie Trivia Nite

Hosts Wendy & Kevin (the brains behind Nitehawk Trivia and Videology Trivia) have moved their bi-monthly trivia night online. In this special NIGHTSTREAM edition, online movie trivia will consist of four rounds of trivia including two general knowledge rounds, a clip round, and a picture round.

Pentagram Home Video (Death Waltz Originals): “In Concert After Dark”

Immortal lounge singer Freddy Carrie Cruiser performs songs from the bars off the boulevard with love to Scott Walker & the films of David Lynch. Mr. Cruiser is joined by Renato Montenegro on guitar for this very special after dark Pentagram Home Video performance.

Rated R Speakeasy’s Haunted Opening Night Party

Rated R Speakeasy, the horror world’s premiere haunted party and pop-up bar from Graham Skipper and Meyer2Meyer Entertainment, bring the mayhem to your living room! Rated R’s virtual Opening Night Party will feature DJ Jonah Ray with special surprise guests, dancing monsters, and live aerial acrobatics performances with their signature horror-movie twist. Happy Haunting!

Spooked

Snap Judgment’s Spooked Podcast, hosted by Glynn Washington, showcases true-life supernatural stories told by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Spooked will present a classic tale from their archives each night of the festival. Be afraid. NIGHTSTREAM will also feature a conversation with the Spooked team.

Strange Storytelling Hour

In this live storytelling special presented with Northwest Film Forum, emerging storytellers will recount unearthly happenings based on their own real-life experiences. Storytellers: El Sanchez (Host of The Moth Seattle), Emery Matson (Co-Founder of Writers Out Of Office), Jewells Blackwell (Actor, Weirdo Extraordinaire), and Vanessa Meyer (Programmer, Brooklyn Horror Fest). Hosted by Seattle-based storyteller, comedian, and weirdo Emmett Montgomery.

SHORT FILMS FIVE WAYS 

BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL – SHORT PROGRAMS

Boston Underground Short Film Jury:

Usama Alshaibi, Filmmaker – PROFANE, AMERICAN ARAB

Monica Castillo, Journalist – The New York Times, DigBoston
Celia Pouzet, Programmer – The Fantasia International Film Festival, MOTELx Film Festival

THE DUNWICH HORRORS: New England Shorts
Disco Graveyard, Izzy Lee (USA), The Nurturing, dir. Alex DiVincenzo (USA), Jennifer Again, dir. Kyle Mangione-Smith (USA), Miss Blueberry Beauty Pageant, dir. Sarah Kennedy, (USA), Shiny Diamonds, dir. Toni Nagy, Seth Chatfield (USA), Firstborn, dir. Erica Stockwell-Alpert (USA), Laynie Needs a Light, dir. Jill Harrigan (USA), Strange Bird, dir. Laura Lee Bahr (USA), Jonagold, dir. Michael Bizzaco & Michael Higgs (USA)

FAR GONE AND OUT

A Poem in Bamboo dir. Xufei Wu, Chun Yao Chang (USA), A Sequence of Events, dir. Michael Edwards (USA), Fresh Green, dir. Ida Greenberg (USA), Obscurer, dir. Kiera Faber (USA), Crowded, dir. Nathania Rubin (USA), Re-Education of the Senses, dir. Erinn E. Hagerty & Adam Savje (USA), MEDIUM RARE, dir. Luca Cioci (USA), Tulipomania: (This Gilded Age) So What Are You Looking At?, dir. Cheryl Gelover, Tom Murray (USA), That Makes Two of Us, dir. Tim Hawkins (UK), The Haunted Swordsman, dir. Kevin McTurk (USA)

 HEARTBEATS & BRAINWAVES

Come Be Creepy With Us, dir. Beth Fletcher (USA), Matryoshka, dir. Manny & Lindsay Serrano (USA), Space Tape, dir. Yuma Slowbinder (UK), Conspiracy Cruise, dir. Brad Abrahams (USA), Falcon & Hawke: GHOST HOST, dir. Dane Benton & Talia Krohmal (USA), Unholy ‘Mole, dir. David Bornstein (USA), One In Two People, dir. Ali Mashayekhi (Canada), The Film Machine, dir. Sonia Albert Sobrino, Miriam Albert Sobrino (Spain), The Cataclysm, Alexander Frasse (USA)

HIGHLY ILLOGICAL

Glass Half Whatever, dir. Brian Budak (USA), Side Effects May Include, dir. Jonathan Kiefer (USA), Darling Pet Monkey dir. Jim McDonough (USA), Stream, dir. Eve Dufaud (Canada), Jeff Got Stabbed, dir. Peter Levine (USA), Umbilicus Desidero, dir. Michael J. Epstein (USA), FUPA, dir. Gustavo Martin (USA), #BlueBoar, dir. Alice Winslow (USA), Like.Share.Repost, dir. Stanislav Shelestov (Russia), Dante Falls, dir. Nancy Lin (USA), Suspense, dir. Jacob Burghart & Ben Burghart (USA), Jazzberry, dir. Maxwell Nalevansky (USA)

TRIGGER WARNING
Santa Sangria, dir. Baptiste Grandin & Roser Tananbum (Spain | France), Uplift, dir. Rebecca Kahn, Abhishek Prasad (Canada), Catatonic, dir. Brian Zahm (USA), Life Is a Burger, dir. Patrick O’Brien (USA), Diabla, dir. Ashley George (USA | Mexico), Karaoke Night, dir. Francisco Lacerda (Portugal), Lifelike, dir. Jay Reid, Canada, Gacha Gacha, Dave Jackson (Japan), Changeling, dir. Faye Jackson, (UK) 

THE BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL – SHORT PROGRAMS

Brooklyn Horror Short Film Jury:

Zena Dixon, Co-Host – The Bloody Disgusting Podcast

Mattie Do, Filmmaker – DEAREST SISTER, THE LONG WALK

Marie Zeniter, International Sales Manager – Magnolia Pictures

Brooklyn Horror Home Invasion Jury:

A.K. Espada – Alumni (’16, ’18, ’19)

Robbie Lemieux – Alumni (’17, ’18, ’19)

Nora Unkel – Alumni (’17, ’19)

NIGHTMARE FUEL

Selfie, dir. John Poliquin (USA), Mr. Thisforthat, dir. Thomas Mendolia (USA), 4×6, dir. Jamie Gyngell (United Kingdom), Woodland Cemetery, dir. Niels Bourgonje (Netherlands), The Girl in the Woods, dir. Laura Kulik (USA), Separation, dir. Rebekah McKendry (USA), Attachment, dir. Katarzyna Babicz (Poland), Killing Small Animals, dir. Marcus Svanberg (Sweden), Abracitos, dir. Tony Morales (Spain)

HEAD TRIP

Weirdo, dir. Ashlea Wessel (Canada), Nova, dir. David McAbee (USA), Gutterwitch, dir. Harry Baker (United Kingdom), Boy Eats Girl: A Zombie Love Story, dir. Sarah Gurfield (USA), Audio Guide, dir. Chris Elena (Australia), Coil, dir. Spencer Ryerson (Canada), Landgraves, dir. Jean-François Leblanc (Canada)

SLAYED: LGBTQ Horror Shorts Co-Presented by Newfest

Don’t Text Back!, dir. Mariel Sharp, Kaye Adelaide (Canada), Going Steady, dir. Brydie O’Connor (USA), At the Edge of Night, dir. Philippe Sung, Brandon Fayette (USA), Susie, dir. Jordan Doig (USA), Thorns, dir. Sarah Wisner, Sean Temple (USA), I Love Your Guts, dir. David Janove (USA), Jeff Drives You, dir. Aidan Brezonick (USA)

HOME INVASION: NYC Horror Shorts

Shut Eye, dir. Robert Gregson, Unfinished Business, dir. Mary Dauterman, The Mother, dir. Hope Olaidé Wilson, The Howling Wind, dir. Lorian Gish, Justin Knoepfel, Decapitato: Consequenze Mortali, dir. Sydney Clara Brafman, Lose It, dir. AJ Taylor, Maximillian Clark, HBDTM, dir. Moh Azima, Orisha, dir. Danny Garcia, The Door, dir. Kyle C. Mumford, The Three Men You Meet At Night, dir. Beck Kitsis

THE NORTH BEND FILM FESTIVAL – SHORT PROGRAMS

 North Bend Short Film Jury

Cinema Vista + Chaos Internal

Vivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film Forum

Jennifer Reeder, Filmmaker – KNIVES AND SKIN

Cameron Swanagon, Non-Theatrical and Festival Coordinator – Oscilloscope Laboratories 

Something Strange + Transient Territories

Adam Baran, Producer – Emmy-nominated CIRCUS OF BOOKS

Michelle Garza Cervera, Filmmaker – MEXICO BARBARO, THE ORIGINAL

Pedro Souto, Festival Director – MOTELx Film Festival

CINEMA VISTA

Figurant, dir. Jan Vejnar (France, Czech Republic), God’s nightmares, dir. Daniel Cockburn (UK, Canada), Your Last Day on Earth, dir. Marc Martínez Jordán (Spain), The thing that kills me the most, dir. Jason Giampietro (USA), Dark Water, dir. Erin Coates, Anna Nazzari (Australia), Richard Nixon: Getaway Driver, dir. Kevin Lonano (USA), Audio Guide, dir. Chris Elena (Australia), Limbo, dir. Nalle Sjöblad (Finland), Eyes of Eidolon, dir. Davi Pena (USA)

SOMETHING STRANGE

Snowflakes, dir. Faye Jackson (UK), There’s a Ghost in the House, dir. Becky Sayers, Brad McHargue (USA), Yandere, dir. William Laboury (France), Blocks, dir. Bridget Moloney (USA), She-Pack, dir. Fanny Ovesen (Norway), Hand in Hand, dir. Ennio Ruschetti (Switzerland), Smiles, dir. Javier Chavanel (Spain)

CHAOS INTERNAL

Foyer (Hearth), dir. Sophie B Jacques (Canada), Exterminator, dir. Duncan Birmingham (USA), Attachment, dir. Kataryzna Babicz (Poland), Your Monster, dir. Caroline Lindy (USA), Don’t Text Back!, dir. Mariel Sharp, Kaye Adelaide (CA), Abduction, dir. Paul Komadina (USA)

TRANSIENT TERRITORIES

Children of Satan, dir. Thea Hvistendahl (Norway), Heat, dir. Thessa Meijer (Netherlands), Unfinished Business, dir. Mary Dauterman (USA), Diabla, dir. Ashley George (Mexico), Metamorphosis, dir. Carla Pereira, Juanfran Jacinto (France), Crawler, dir. Ivan Radovic (Sweden), The History of Nipples, dir. Bailey Tom Bailey (UK), In the Dark Park, dir. Nicolás Schujman (Argentina)

THE OVERLOOK FILM FESTIVAL – SHORT PROGRAMS

The Overlook Short Film Jury:

Roxanne Benjamin, Filmmaker – BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK, SOUTHBOUND

Natalie Erika James, Filmmaker – RELIC

Adam Piron, Programmer – Sundance Film Festival

SHORTS PROGRAM ONE

Lili, dir. Yfke van Berckelaer (Netherlands), Snowflakes, dir. Faye Jackson (UK), Bakemono, dir. Sumire Takamatsu, Jorge Lucas (USA), Pulsión, dir. Pedro Casavecchia (Argentina/France), Place, dir. Jason Gudasz (USA), The Rougarou, dir. Lorraine Caffery (USA), Regret, dir. Santiago Menghini (Canada), Wood Child and Hidden Forest Mother, dir. Stephen Irwin (UK)

SHORTS PROGRAM TWO

Benevolent Ba, dir. Diffan Sina Norman (Malaysia/USA), Laura Hasn’t Slept, dir. Parker Finn (USA), Imagine a World, dir. Joanna Tsanis (Canada), Farce, dir. Robin Jensen (Norway), Abracitos, dir. Tony Morales (Spain), The Doe, dir. Jennifer Lumbroso (France), Changeling, dir. Faye Jackson (UK), The Devil’s Harmony, dir. Dylan Holmes Williams (UK)

SHORTS PROGRAM THREE

Decapitato, dir. Sydney Brafman (USA), The Three Men You Meet at Night, dir. Beck Kitsis (USA), Stucco, dir. Janina Gavankar, Russo Schelling (USA), No, I Don’t Want to Dance, dir. Andrea Vinciguerra (UK), Fatale Collective: Bleed, dir. Lola Blanc, Megan Rosati, Danin Jacquay, Francesca Maldonado, Natasha Halevi, Linda Chen (USA), The Deepest Hole, dir. Matt McCormick (USA), Nom, dir. Angel Hernández (Spain), A Strange Calm, dir. Austin Rourke (USA), Bad Hair, dir. Oskar Lehemaa (Estonia)

POPCORN FRIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL – SHORT PROGRAMS

Popcorn Frights Short Film Jury:

Brittany Allen, Actress/Producer/Composer – WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE, Z, The Boys

Andre Gower, Actor/Director – MONSTER SQUAD, WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS

Rachel Talalay, Producer/Director – FREDDY’S DEAD, TANK GIRL

David Howard Thornton, Actor – TERRIFIER 1 & 2

Maxwell Wolkin, Director of Non-Theatrical Sales – Film Movement

ANIMATION DOMINATION

100,000 Acres of Pine, dir. Jennifer Alice Wright (France), A Date with Mr. Mappleton, dirs. Gabriel Akpo-Allavo, Constance Auge, Julia Brasileiro Lopes Garcia, Lucas Narjoux, Meghane Renaud (France), A Night in Camp Heebie Jeebie, dir. Dylan Chase (USA), Animals, dir. Tue Sanggaard (Denmark), The Animator, dir. Trent Shy (USA), The Beholder, dir: Shaun Clark (United Kingdom), Chicken of the Dead, dir. Julien David (France), Gholü, dir. Leo Nicholson (United Kingdom), The Haunted Swordsman, dir. Kevin McTurk (USA), Malakout, dir. Farnoosh Abedi (Iran), Pork Chop, dir. Katherine Guggenberger (USA), Seoulsori, dir. Kim Kyoung-bae (South Korea), Whence Come Brussels Sprouts, dir. Mark Reynolds (USA)

HOMEGROWN: 100% Pure Fresh Squeezed Florida Horror

The Anniversary Party, dir. John Ainslie (USA), Beach Day, dir. Harrison Fishman (USA), Cabal, dir. Conspiracy Cruise (USA), Culpa, dir. Miguel Ferrer (USA), Dead Mall, dir. Olivia Lloyd (USA), Don’t Let It In, dir. Jessica Henric (USA), Night of the Shooter, dir. Jason Daly (USA), Pete’s Putrid Peas, dir. Danny Rosenberg (USA), Rainbow in the Dark, dir. Ben Mosca (USA), The Sexton and the Spade, dir. John Rhoads & Mike Marrero (USA), Sushi Night, dir. Jack Kierski (USA)

INTERNATIONAL MIDNIGHTERS

Abracitos, dir. Tony Morales (Spain), Antique, dir. Morten Haslerud (Norway), The Fourth Wall, dir. Victoria Lacoste (France), Hand in Hand, dir. Ennio Ruschetti (Switzerland), Heat, Thessa Meijer (Netherlands), The Little One, dir. Danilo Beckovic (Serbia), Live Forever, dir. Gustav Egerstedt (Sweden), Morbus, dir. Kerim Banka (Canada), Peter the Penguin, dir. Andrew Rutter (United Kingdom), Satanic Panic ‘87, dir. Bryan M. Ferguson (Scotland), Swipe, dir. Niels Bourgonje (Netherlands)

MIDNIGHTERS

Facelift, dir. Virat Pal (USA), Flick, dir. Ariel Zengotita (USA), The Howling Wind, dirs. Lorian Gish & Justin Knoepfel, Reflection, dir. Heath C. Michaels (USA), Selfie, dir. John Poliquin (USA), Snake Dick, dir. David Mahmoudieh (USA), Suspense, dir. Ben & Jacob Burghart (USA), Waffle, dir. Carlyn Hudson (USA), We All Scream, dirs. Travis Cluff & Chris Lofing (USA)