2017 PROGRAM

Opening Night: Stephanie

Dir. Akiva Goldsman | USA | 89 min

Stephanie re-unites Blumhouse with Academy Award winning writer and director Akiva Goldsman (director: Winter’s Tale, writer: A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, executive producer: the Paranormal Activity franchise) for this supernatural horror-thriller. In the not too distant future, after a global crisis, Stephanie is left alone in her remote home, while a dark supernatural force looms in the background. When her mother and father return to claim her, the malevolent power spins out of control with Stephanie at the center.

Centerpiece: Lady Macbeth

Dir. William Oldroyd | UK | 89 min

Rural England, 1865. Katherine is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age, and his cold, unforgiving family. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a young worker on her husband’s estate, a force is unleashed inside her so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Closing Night Secret Screening: It Comes at Night

Dir. Trey Edward Shults | USA | 91 min

For our closing night festivities, the Overlook Film Festival proudly presents a hotly anticipated film from a bold voice in film. Come and be the first to see an unmissable work of genre art!

The Bad Batch

Dir. Ana Lily Amirpour | USA | 115 min

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, this imaginative tale sees a young girl deemed no longer suitable for civilized society forcibly put out to pasteur in the rugged Texas wasteland inhabited by a iron-pumping ground of blood thirsty cannibals. The sophomore effort from Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night), The Bad Batch is a genre-bending acid trip full of iconic imagery and evocative sequences.

Blood Drive

Dir. James Roland | USA | 90 min

Welcome to Blood Drive, a new grindhouse-inspired series soaked in high-octane chaos and just barely approved for television. After Los Angeles’ last good cop is forced to join a twisted cross-country death race, his only hope of survival is a dangerous femme fatale. Oh, and forget gasoline… these cars run on human blood. Together the unlikely pair embark on this dangerous competition where either you’re first…or you’re fuel. The Overlook Film Festival is presenting the first two episodes of the new Syfy series.

Boys in the Trees

Dir. Nicholas Verso | Australia | 112 min

Part eerie, part moving, this engrossing coming-of-age tale sees two estranged teens as they begrudginly find themselves walking home together on Halloween 1997. As the differences in the pair start bubble to surface, the two embark on a surreal journey through their vivid memories, lurid dreams and morbid fears.

Capture

Dir. Georgia Lee | Hong Kong | 85 min

A young woman returns to her family in Hong Kong to tend to her ailing grandmother. Upon arriving, she begins to come into contact with strange occurrences – noises, moving objects and frequent electronic disruptions. Filming her day to day activities for her doting husband, she begins to unravel the terrifying mystery that haunts her family and its connection to her dark past. In the tradition of William Castle, this innovative feature uses app technology for maximum, real time interactivity with the film and the evils within.

The Dwarves Must Be Crazy

Dir. Bhin Banloerit | Thailand | 92 min

The most insane and hilarious horror comedy you will see this year, The Dwarves Must Be Crazy follows a village of little people as it is attacked by an evil ancient Thai spirit. When the local inhabitants feast on some poisonous fireflies, all hell breaks loose in this chaotic piece of anarchic cinema full of intenstines and flatulance humor.

Hounds of Love

Dir. Ben Young | Australia | 108 min

In the mid-1980s, 17-year-old Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted from a suburban street by a disturbed couple. As she observes the dynamic between her captors, she quickly realizes she must drive a wedge between them if she is to survive.

Killing Ground

Dir. Damien Power | Australia | 89 min

With their hearts set on a romantic vacation, Ian and Samantha arrive at an isolated campsite, only to to find an SUV and a tent — with no sign of the occupants. The discovery of a distressed child wandering in the woods unleashes a terrifying chain of events that will test the young couple’s breaking point. In the great tradition of shockers like Straw Dogs and Wolf Creek, this brutal survival thriller cuts deep.

Lake Bodom

Dir. Taneli Mustonen | Finland | 85 min

Every camper’s worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent. As the years passed and the case grew cold, the unsolved mystery turned into a creepy campfire story passed from generation to generation. Now, a group of teenagers arrives at the same campsite, hoping to solve the murder by reconstructing it minute by minute. As night falls, it turns out not all of them are there to play.

Like Me

Dir. Robert Mockler | USA | 80 min

A reckless loner, desperate for human connection, sets out on a crime spree that she broadcasts on social media. Her reality quickly splinters into a surreal nightmare that escalates out of control, just in time for Christmas.

M.F.A.

Dir. Natalia Leite | USA | 93 min

Following the brutal sexual assault of a fellow classmate, an introverted art student sets out into the campus night to take justice into her own hands in director Natalia Leite’s terrifying and poignant revenge thriller.

Mayhem

Dir. Joe Lynch | USA | 86 min

In this explosive new film from director Joe Lynch, a dangerous virus that prevents the infected from controlling their inhibitions is discovered in a corporate law building – the very same firm that recently cleared an infected man on murder charges. When a quarantine is issued and the building goes on lockdown, all hell breaks loose inside, leaving a disgruntled employee (Steven Yeun) and an irate client (Samara Weaving) to fight their way to the top to “have a word” with the corrupt executives who wronged them.

Preceded by DEATH METAL | Dir. Michael T. Kuciak | USA | 5 min

Meatball Machine Kudoku

Dir. Yoshihiro Nishimura | Japan | 108 min

Japanese cyberpunk is alive and well In this folllow-up to the 2005 splatter comedy Meatball Machine. Taking the reigns this time is effects specialist Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) as he puts his own independent spin on the story of the alien parasite who turns unsuspecting humans into Necro-borg – half man, half machine creatures who will stop at nothing to battle each other to the death.

ParaNorman

Dir. Chris Butler, Sam Fell | USA | 92 min

A misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead takes on ghosts, zombies and, worst of all, grown-ups, in order to save his town from a centuries-old curse in this modern animated classic from the wizards at Laika. Join your fellow children of all ages for the perfect love letter to all things that go bump in the night on the final day of the festival.

Prey

Dir. Dick Maas | Netherlands | 108 min

Bad boy Dutch director Dick Maas returns with this over-the-top thriller about an enormous, aggressive lion who is on the loose outside of Amsterdam. Teaming up with the police and her hunter ex-boyfriend, a brilliant veternarian is hot on the trail, dead set on catching the beast before he tears through everything in sight in the romp of a gore-fest.

Primal Screen

Dir. Rodney Ascher | USA | 60 min

Why are we simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the things that scare us the most? In this special presentation, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237, THE NIGHTMARE) explores the pop culture that left dark impressions on us as children. Ascher asks real people to look back at pop-culture artifacts that traumatized them in their youth and describe the effect they had on their lives. A singular hybrid of documentary and horror, Ascher will present PRIMAL SCREEN with an extended talkback following.

Psychopaths

Dir. Mickey Keating | USA | 85 min

When an unidentified madman is sent to the electric chair, it triggers a sort of Mischief Night for a group of serial killers out in an entire city. An escaped mental patient, a beautiful seductress, a strangler who preys on unsuspecting women and an enigmatic masked contract killer run amok in Mickey Keating’s new slasherfest.

Shorts Program #1

Includes:

GREAT CHOICE | Dir. Robin Comisar | USA | 7 min

I WANT YOU INSIDE ME | Dir. Alice Shindelar | USA | 13 min

WHEN SUSURUSS STIRS | Dir. Anthony Cousins | USA | 16 min

FUCKING BUNNIES | Dir. Teemu Niukkanen | Finland | 17 min

ARCANA | Dir. Jerónimo Rocha | Portugal | 11 min

TICKLE MONSTER | Dir. Remi Weekes | USA | 4 min

A NEARLY PERFECT BLUE SKY | Dir. Quarxx | France | 35 min

Shorts Program #2

Includes:

DAWN OF THE DEAF | Dir. Rob Savage | UK | 12 min

A KNOCK AT THE DOOR | Dir. Katrina Rennells, Wendie Weldon | USA | 8 min

THE ITCHING | Dir. Dianne Bellino | USA | 15 min

THE HOME | Dir. L.Gustavo Cooper | USA | 7 min

AN ELDRITCH PLACE | Dir. Julien Jauniaux | Belgium | 17 min

DON’T EVER CHANGE | Dir. Don Swaynos | USA | 10 min

THE SOUND OF BLUE, GREEN AND RED | Dir. Joshua Erkman | USA | 10 min

THE CLEANSING HOUR | Dir. Damien LeVeck | USA | 18 min

Still/Born

Dir. Brandon Christensen | Canada | 84 min

When Mary loses one of her twins during childbirth, she feels an unparalleled disconnect. As she struggles with the loss of one child, she begins to suspect a sinister force have plans for the other. Written by Colin Minihan of The Vicious Brothers (GRAVE ENCOUNTERS) and pitch perfectly directed by new comer Brandon Christensen, Still/Born is a newborn horror you won’t soon forget.

Terror 5

Dir. Sebastian Rotstein, Federico Rotstein | Argentina | 78 min

On a night when the City Governor is facing the accusation of being responsible for a tragedy that led to the death of 15 persons when a building in construction fell apart, five citizens who remain disillusioned are fated to face their most terrifying fears. Based on a set of urban legends, these seedy, allegorical tales of lust, possession, revenge and voyeurism will make your skin crawl.

Preceded by ARRET PIPI | Dir. Maarten Groen | Netherlands | 6 min

Two Pigeons

Dir. Dominic Bridges | UK | 80 min

Hussein, a slick talking real estate agent, gets by day to day thanks to sharp wit and massive ego. Unbeknownst to him, he’s sharing his apartment with a forgotten stranger, a master of concealment who is plotting a malicious campaign of vengeance. One of the most unique voices in genre cinema this year, director Dominic Bridges crafts the darkest of comedies about class.

The Untamed

Dir. Amat Escalante | Mexico | 100 min

The fragile existence of a young housewife and her working class family is thrown off balance when a mysterious stranger comes into their lives and convinces them that in the nearby woods, inside an isolated cabin, dwells something not of this world that could be the answer to all of their problems. Director Amat Escalante’s shocking and controversial new film touches on themes of family values, hypocrisy, homophobia, and male chauvinism.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Immersive Horror Game

Available exclusively to all pass holders

Unfolding over the entire festival weekend, The Overlook Film Festival’s signature event is a fully realized interactive horror mystery that bleeds seamlessly into the festival atmosphere. Open to all badge holders, The game permeates the entire weekend, featuring planted actors, hidden clues, tactile puzzles, and surprising twists that each player can engage with at their own comfort and interest. Those who follow the clues become the protagonists of an engaging and thrilling narrative that no two players will experience in exactly the same way. Details of the game’s story are not revealed until the festival begins. Don’t phone it in. And remember: discovering how to play is all part of the game.

Conceived, Designed and Directed by Dylan Reiff

The Chalet

Available exclusively to All Access pass holders

The Chalet is based on The ABC Project’s A(partment 8), an immersive performance for an audience of one. In The Chalet audience members take a walk in someone else’s skin for a fully immersive theatrical experience. One audience member per performance. Morbid & disturbing with a twinge of black humor, A(partment 8) was a smash hit at the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival receiving rave reviews and selling out from word of mouth within 24 hours of its opening night.

Directed by Annie Lesser.

Critics on A(partment 8):
“… densely poetic, deeply intimate and intensely personal…”-LA Weekly

“Lesser not only successfully implicates audience members in their own sundry crimes of the heart but opens a space between empathy and horror for something more critically and morally contemplative.” – Stage Raw

“…a darkly original work that sticks with you long after it’s finished…”-LAist

“Annie Lesser has a small wonder on her hands, and actress Keight Leighn pretty much defines the term fearless at this point.” -No Proscenium

Blackout

Available exclusively to All Access pass holders

In 2009, an underground immersive horror experience swept through the NYC art scene and began a path that would transform the international horror community. BLACKOUT, the X-rated fear experience designed for adults over 18 to walk through completely alone. Created by directors Kristjan Thor and Josh Randall, BLACKOUT has had productions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Now at the Overlook Film Festival, BLACKOUT presents a rare and unique opportunity for the adventurous to make their way through what the NEW YORK TIMES has called the “most extreme theater event of the year.”

Created by Josh Randall and Kristian Thor.

WARNING: This is considered an extreme experience and is exclusively for pass holders. Participants are required to sign a waiver.

Mule

Available exclusively to All Access pass holders

From virtual reality’s impresarios of horror Dark Corner Studios (creators of CATATONIC) comes a new vision of death. Piece together the choices that led to your demise, as you endure the the final hours of one very bad day. Choose your ending — do you want to be buried or cremated?

MULE is a 360° immersive virtual reality experience. Not recommended for people with epilepsy or who are sensitive to portrayals of graphic violence or nudity.

Directed by Guy Shelmerdine.

Tales From Beyond The Pale

Presented by Glass Eye Pix, TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE is an ongoing series of audio dramas penned by luminaries from the world of contemporary horror from JT Petty (HELLBENDERS) to Simon Barrett (YOU’RE NEXT), and Kim Newman (ANO DRACULA), featuring players from Ron Perlman (HELLBOY), to Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM), and Mark Margolis (AMERICAN HORROR STORY). The Overlook edition will feature performers culled from the film lineup and festival guests. Join horror impresarios Glenn McQuaid and Larry Fessenden as they invite you to close your eyes and… listen.

The Pumpkin Pie Show

Come join us for a special presentation of The Pumpkin Pie Show and get ready to get icky. For 20 years, author Clay McLeod Chapman and his rigorous storytelling session The Pumpkin Pie Show have offered a view into the lives of Southern Gothic monstrosities. Sometimes darkly humorous, sometimes strangely heartbreaking, these stories explore the domestic horrors of the everyday, finding terror within our own households. This one-of-a-kind performance delves deep into the depraved minds of those madmen and women who drift along the periphery of humankind. Don’t miss it!

One-On-Ones presented by The Pumpkin Pie Show

Available exclusively to All Access pass holders

Author Clay McLeod Chapman will take one audience member at a time on a dark ride through depravity in this intimate storytelling experience. Think of it as a heart-to-bleeding-heart with madmen, murderers and monsters telling their own story. No fourth wall, no escape. Sessions will last between 5 to 20 minutes.

Dead Right Horror Trivia

Priority registration available for all Overlook pass holders

Do you consume horror as voraciously as zombies eat flesh? The hit Los Angeles horror event comes to the Overlook Film Festival! Join your hosts Ryan Turek (Blumhouse Productions) and Sam Zimmerman (Shudder) to test your horror knowledge in eight rounds of terrifyingly titillating trivia. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror.

The Killing Ground Interactive Experience

Engage in an exciting cat-and-mouse game of assassination and survival on the final day of the festival, Inspired by the upcoming IFC release THE KILLING GROUND (screening 4/28, 8pm and 4/30, 8:15pm). Using Timberline Lodge as its game board, players will be divided into teams and must collect weapons, ammunition and other tools, while avoiding being hunted and killed. Competitors have the opportunity to take on different roles and complete several types of tasks. The experience is open to all festival guests. Join us for one final interactive experience and play to win, thanks to official sponsor IFC Midnight.

Designed by Laura E. Hall

Indie Horror: Common Missteps and Uncommon Successes in Getting your Movie Made

Panel Available exclusively to pass holders

Hear from sales agents, distributors, programmers and film professionals about some of the hardships, tactics and strategies for getting indie horror films made, financed, sold, and put out into the world. In a world of changing screening venues and distribution landscapes, who is the best audience for genre today?

Panelists: Nate Bolotin (XYZ Films), Matthew Hechinger (IFC Films), Lindsay Peters (Frontieres/Fantasia Film Festival), Peter Van Steemburg (ICM)

Moderator: Ryland Aldrich (Screen Anarchy)

Scare Tactics: Making Immersive Work

Panel Available exclusively to pass holders

From the intimate, to the extreme, to fully realized environments, the artists and creators behind the amazing interactive experiences featured at this year’s Overlook Film Festival peek out from behind the curtain to reveal secrets, stories and insights into the new frontier of real world storytelling in a 360 degree world.

Panelists: Annie Lesser (The Chalet/The ABC Project), Josh Randall (Blackout), Dylan Reiff (Bottleneck Immersive), Kris Thor (Blackout)

Moderator: Bryan Bishop (The Verge)