Running May 2-5, the inaugural Stanley Film Festival (SFF) looks to be a very strong launch and will boast not only popular horror films, but some really cool special events. A big part of any film festival are the short films debuting new and established talent. The SFF will feature 22 short films from eight countries. According to Programming Director Landon Zakheim, "The 22 short films selected represent some of the most adventurous work happening in genre film today."
To kick off the fest during the "Shining Gala" party, they’ve selected to screen Universal Picture’s new Ethan Hawke (Sinister), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) crime thriller, The Purge. Some of the other films being screened are Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever, the Singapore/Indonesian horror film Macabre and No One Lives.
The centerpiece film will be the UK "hilarious horror comedy," Sightseers which Rotten Tomatoes gave an 88% "fresh" rating. But, of course, The Shining doc Room 237 will also screen at the fest.
Also, from the release, "The Stanley Film Festival has a number of special events scheduled, including a presentation of the critically acclaimed The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, which will be accompanied by a live score and preceded by the first horror film ever made, George Melies’s Haunted Castle from 1896; a live action horror short film competition by student’s from Colorado’s leading film schools; and a whiskey tasting where guests will be able to sample whiskeys from the Stanley Hotel’s extensive collection." That also doesn't include the Horror Brunch and Bloody (Mary) Awards show.
Other special events include: "The Pumpkin Pie Show," a campfire story experience; and, a book signing by horror author Clay McLeod Chapman who will read from his family-friendly novel The Tribe: Homeroom Headhunters.
To see the entire list of events/films and purchase tickets to this event, head over to StanleyFilmFestival.com.
-Larissa Mrykalo