Today Nightmares Film Festival (Oct. 17 to 20) announced the first wave of its 2024 “Better Horror” program and, if they stopped here – from Maury and Bustillo (Inside)’s new film to auteurs Jenn Wexler, Joe Swanberg and Jennifer Reeder attending – it might already be this fall’s most exciting horror event.
“Nightmares is a celebration of the best genre work in the world,” said co-founder Jason Tostevin. “But I think the best part is the experience, which someone told me feels like a combination of Christmas morning and summer camp for the horror family.”
Among the presents to unwrap this year? One-of-a-kind anniversary screenings, world premieres from fresh voices, and discussions with some of horror’s most notable creators, live.
INTRODUCING: NIGHTMARES RESURRECTIONS
This year’s NFF shocks to life a new offering: Nightmares Resurrections, featuring repertory screenings of influential horror classics, presented through extraordinary experiences. Among the planned Nightmares Resurrections are:
The world’s first horror film, presented with live score accompaniment. L’Inferno (1913), an Italian adaptation of Dante’s Inferno, is arguably the first horror feature film ever made. It will be presented with a live, eerie score performed by Montopolis.
Larry Cohen’s It’s Alive 50th anniversary all-new 4k remaster screening. Featuring FX by Rick Baker and one of horror’s best scores, this is Cohen’s mondo masterpiece as it’s never been seen before: in an all-new 4K remaster, created for its 50th anniversary.
Proxy 10th anniversary screening with director and new 16mm short. Ten years ago, Zack Parker elevated what indie horror could be and captured the genre world’s imagination with Proxy’s subversive story and dreamlike atmosphere. Now, Zack and team join us for a screening that will include his new short, Barista, shot and presented on 16mm film
A MURDERERS ROW OF GENRE MASTERS
Nightmares continues its tradition as “the best festival networking opportunity for filmmakers, bar none” with talkbacks and workshops with leading genre auteurs called “Working Maker Workshops.” Attending live to share new work and insights on the industry are: Jenn Wexler (The Ranger), Joe Swanberg (V/H/S), Jennifer Reeder (Knives and Skin) and Bram Stoker Award-winning author Jeff Strand, who will pull back the curtain on screenwriting for studios and adaptations. The festival is proudly partnered with bold, legendary genre distributor Dark Sky Films (The House of the Devil).
PREMIERES GALORE
As always, Nightmares promises as part of its bellwether program premieres of the freshest features and surprising new voices. This year’s debuts include: the world premiere of the astonishingly original side-scrolling horror adventure Waves of Madness from Jason Trost (The FP); the world premiere of hilarious home-selling horror comedy For Sale by Exorcist from debut director Melissa LaMartina (WNUF Halloween Special), the midwest premiere of The Soul Eater by directors Maury and Bustillo (Inside, Leatherface), the world premier of Ohio-made Replicator from Mark Hamer (I See You), plus the North American premiere of found footage Holocaust horror Solvent from festival favorite Johannes Grenzfurthner (Masking Threshold) and the world premiere of Dooba Dooba, which starts with an Adult Swim vibe and descends into madness.
NFF ‘24 will offer all this, plus a live recording of the Fright Club podcast, horror-themed team trivia, its anticipated annual panels like The New Distribution and, of course, its #betterhorror program, which will be announced in early October.
“This is only a taste of what we have in store for the NFFam at Nightmares ‘24,” said NFF co-founder and Gateway Film Center CEO Chris Hamel. “We can’t wait to host our annual celebration at Gateway Film Center, meet new friends and catch up with old ones, and discover a new program of better horror.”
The festival once again takes place at the legendary independent Gateway Film Center, a top five North American art house (Sundance) featuring one of the last dedicated projection teams in the country. Upgrading the already standout on-site experience this year is the film center’s remodeled and expanded overlook festival lounge, where VIP badge holders can hang out with creators while enjoying a private bar and restrooms, a new kitchen menu and private entrance to both festival auditoriums.
Competition films and screenplays vie for a coveted Night Mare statuette, representing the dark horses of genre. The Night Mare is sculpted and painted by renowned toy and figure creator Tony Simione (Marvel, Star Wars, Godzilla, Alien).
A limited number of VIP badges are currently available for purchase while they last.
