Just in time for Halloween, The NYC Horror Film Festival will return to Lower Manhattan to bring the best new and classic horror films to the Big Apple. The festival runs October 19th to the 23rd at the prestigious Tribeca Cinemas and is presented by Moodude Films, in conjunction with sponsors HorrorNet; the emerging digital cable network, and Dark Castle Entertainment.
“With over fifty feature and short films in our competition series, the 2005 Festival will be our biggest to date,” said Festival Director Michael J. Hein. “Plus the festival will host a huge kick off party and offer screenings of some of the most buzzed new horror films in the world. Along with a few classic horror films in our invited programs, this year’s festival will be an event horror fans and filmmakers will not want to miss!”
2005 events include:
The 2005 NYC Horror Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award (Saturday, Oct 22. 10:00pm): The festival will honor legendary Director / Producer Roger Corman (Pit and the Pendulum, Little Shop of Horrors, The Masque of the Red Death). Roger Corman is back with a vengeance with a slate of new and exciting films for 2005-2006. Mr. Corman will be in attendance to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award and present a special screening of his classic film The Masque of the Red Death staring Vincent Price.
Tobe Hooper’s Mortuary (Thursday, Oct. 21 8:00pm) The NYCHFF will present the world premiere of Tobe Hooper’s new film Mortuary. The festival will open with the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient’s new film with this very special screening event. Starring Denise Crosby.
Three Extremes (Friday, Oct. 21 10:00pm) The Festival will offer a special screening of Lion’s Gate Films new Japanese anthology Three Extremes. Exploring the outer limits of the macabre, Lions’ Gate Films’ THREE…EXTREMES is a bracing triptych of horror stories uniting three of East Asia’s most compelling directors – Japanese cult figure Takashi Miike, Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, and Korea’s award-winning Chan-Wook Park.
JAWS (Sunday, Oct. 23 7:30pm): The Festival will host a special screening of one of the most important and entertaining horror films of all time. Steven Spielberg’s JAWS will close the festival with a new 35mm print, this is the way the film is meant to be seen.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Friday, Oct. 21 12:00am) A very special screening of the ultimate cult classic for a good cause. All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross to help hurricane victims of the recent back-to-back storms that has devastated the Gulf States. The film will be accompanied by The Home of Happiness players who will perform along with the film live including FULL audience participation.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Sunday, Oct. 23 12:00pm) This year, The Festival has put together a very special Halloween pre-event for children and adults, and will screen Tim Burton’s cult classic ” A Nightmare Before Christmas “. The program will also have, free goody bags for the kids and a special emcee. (tba)
Kick Off Party at Don Hills (Wednesday, October 19, 7:00pm) Simply put, is the horror event of the year. Last year over 300 hundred attendees partied the night away at Don Hill’s to usher in the festival. With short film screenings, live bands, and a one-hour of open bar at the world famous rock bar Don Hills (511 Greenwich St. NYC) our party is the ultimate rockin’ Halloween event. (Open to the public)
Filmmakers Discussion Panel (Sunday, Oct. 24, 12:00pm) Each year the festival has a lively discussion panel, including audience participation, on topics such as: The State of the modern horror film, Film vs. DV, the reality of independent distribution, and more. This is a must for filmmakers, film students and serious horror fans! 2005 panelists include Joe Bob Briggs and Bill Lustig (Producer/Director), Kim Bangash (HorrorNet President) Additional panelists TBA
The 2005 Line-up of films
Invited Features:
Mortuary (Dir. Tobe Hooper)
Three Extremes (Dir.Takashi Miike, Fruit Chan, Chan-wook Park)
Jaws (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
The Masque of the Red Death (Dir. Roger Corman)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (Dir. Tim Burton)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Dir. Jim Sharman)
Dead Serious (Dir. Joe Sullivan)
Feature competition:
Nightmare (Dir. Dylan Bank)
Neighborhood Watch (Dir. Graeme Whifler)
(Feature competition continued)
H.G. Wells War of the Worlds (Dir. David Latt)
Aunt Rose (Dir. James Tucker)
Cruel World (Dir. Kelsey T. Howard)
Shadow: Dead Riot (Dir. Derek Wan)
The Dark Hours (Dir. Paul Fox)
Headspace (Dir. Andrew Van Den Houten)
Horror Business (documentary) (Dir. Christopher Garetano)
Short competition:
208 (Dir. Jimmy Sariya)
5 Day Rental (Dir. Glenn Syska)
A Public Service Announcement (Dir. Brian Forrest)
Alex, Vampire Slayer (Dir. Al Kratina)
Apartment 206 (Dir. Gregory Zymet)
Close Your Eyes (Dir. David Lilley)
Color Blind (Dir. Kurt Breitenmoser)
Culinary Art (Dir. BC Furtney )
Dead Shift (Dir. Ana Djordjevic)
Dos Blokes (Dir. Brian Clark)
Facility 4 (Dir. Colter Freeman)
Fear Of Dying (Dir. Lance J. Reha)
Final Confession (Dir. Anne Marie Dentici)
For Rent (Dir. James L. Frachon)
Hell To Pay (Dir. Patrick Rea)
IOU (Dir. Kevin Shulman)
Interstate (Dir. Brad Osborne)
Jitters (Dir. Anthony G. Sumner)
Kyoto Nocturnes Pt1: Elegant Slaughter (Dir. John Foster)
Little Dead Girl (Dir. Lee Lanier)
Mainstream (Dir. Adam Barnick)
Mexican Hat (Dir. Richard Harrah)
Newlybleds (Dir. D.Christopher Weidner)
Pumpkin (Dir. Matthew Page)
Sole Possessions (Dir. Brad Osborne)
Road Kill (Dir. Mark Mardini)
Stephen King’s The Road Virus Heads North (Dir. Dave Brock)
Suffer The Little Children (Dir. RJ Hannigan)
The Drifter (Dir. Garo Setian)
The Ten Steps (Dir. Brendan Muldowney)
The Predator’s Return (Dir. Jerald Fine)
Tom Savini’s Chill Factor – House Call (Dir. Tom Savini)
Voices Within (Dir. Richard Harrah)
We All Fall Down (Dir. Jake Kennedy)
Zombie Movie (Dir. Michael J. Asquith)
For more info, visit the New York City Horror Film Festival website.