Nightmares Film Festival Returns October 20th!
This Thursday, Nightmares Film Festival returns to Columbus, Ohio. The top-rated festival has once again scoured the globe to assemble the most surprising and beloved genre forces for indie genre cinema in a four-day lineup that continues to live up to NFF’s “better horror” credo. This year’s film program combines new work from some of the most recognizable names in horror, from Mike Flanagan to Jamie Lee Curtis to Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, with fresh, shocking stories from some of the planet’s best indie filmmakers and screenwriters.
Co-founders Jason Tostevin and Chris Hamel said:
“We are so honored the world’s top genre creators trust us to present their work. This year’s program, including dozens of premieres from more than 25 countries, is absolutely brimming with the outrageous, hilarious, challenging and thought-provoking genre experiences our audience loves.”
On October 20th, the festival once again takes place at the legendary independent Gateway Film Center in Columbus. The Gateway is one of the top arthouse theaters on the continent, with one of the last dedicated projection teams in the entire country. What’s that mean? That you don’t have to worry about poor projection, bad bulbs, and improper masking. Every film screened there looks the absolute best it can, year-round. All while you rest in the comfort of top-notch seating. Just the way it should be.
Upgrading the already extraordinary 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 a private entrance to both festival auditoriums. I’m not sure what more you could ask for, beyond the programming itself. Speaking of which…
This year Nightmares Film Festival boasts a lineup of 20 feature films that hail from a wide range of categories, from bloody funny horror comedies to tense thrillers to terrifying horror films to even a few mind-bending midnighters. Everything a growing horror fanatic needs!
Four of this year’s features are part of the special Returning Terrors program, presenting a murderer’s row of anticipated sequels to films that took the genre world by storm, each with their director in attendance. They include the world premieres of WNUF 2’s special “Nightmares cut” and FP:4EVZ, the final film in The FP franchise; the Midwest premiere of horror comedy anthology Scare Package 2: Rad Chad’s Revenge; and Ohio’s only screening of The Barn Part II.
The fest is also proud to present the Midwest premiere of Benson and Moorhead’s (Spring, The Endless) new feature Something in the Dirt … the North American premiere of UK post-apocalyptic monster movie Walking Against the Rain … the Midwest premiere of the horror anthology Sinphony, the first feature created through collaboration on social platform Clubhouse … the bonkers French zombie horror comedy Super Z … and an unprecedented double-feature of mockumentary The Once and Future Smash, about two actors who played the same slasher, followed by the “restored” movie-in-the-movie they starred in, End Zone 2.
Nightmares’ special events include the return of one of its best-known traditions, the Midnight Mind Fuck. It’s been called “one of the most dangerous and challenging blocks of programming at any festival” (The Film Coterie). This block will feature the Northern U.S. premiere of All Jacked Up and Full of Worms, a one-of-a-kind 35mm screening of James Quinn (Flesh of the Void)’s The Ruins of a Serpent Kingdom, the homecoming premiere of Obstacle Corpse, the horror comedy feature debut presented out of competition from the Fright Club podcast tea, and the fest’s anticipated annual panels, Social Progress Through Horror and The New Distribution, including distributors and studios.
On top of all of that, Nightmares is laying out a smorgasbord of short film blocks this year. The lineup holds over 150 horror, thriller, midnight, and horror comedy shorts, including dozens of world premieres. This year also includes several themed blocks of shorts, including The Horrors of Filmmaking, Animated Nightmares, Never Play with Your Food and She Just Hasn’t Been Herself. Plus there’s also the usual Recurring Nightmares blocks, which highlight NFF audience favorites returning with new work, and the Ohio shorts block, which offers up the best locally made fare.
Nightmares has also named the finalists in its short and feature screenplay contests. These screenwriters will be given the chance to connect with selected filmmakers to explore the production of their scripts through the NFF FinaLIST matching service.
All selected competition films and screenplays vie for a coveted Night Mare statuette, representing the dark horses of the genre. The Night Mare is sculpted and painted by renowned toy and figure creator Tony Simione (Marvel, Star Wars, Godzilla, Alien).
The complete NFF ‘22 schedule and list of selected films and finalist screenplays is available here. If you plan on making the pilgrimage this year, be it a return or your first time, feel free to seek me out, as I’ll be there for the duration of the festival. Get tickets while you still can and let the mayhem begin!
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