Screamfest, the long-running Hollywood horror and sci-fi film festival, kicked off its 26th edition Tuesday with the world premiere of The Night Driver, a road-stalker thriller starring Josh Lucas, David Arquette and Alyssa Milano. The opening-night red carpet ran from 5:30 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. ahead of the 7:30 p.m. screening at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on Hollywood Boulevard, with the festival's 10-day run continuing through October 15.
The Night Driver marks the directorial debut of Jeremy Weiss, working from a script by John Cork, according to MyNewsLA.com. The film follows Lucas as traveling pharmaceutical salesman Hurdis Jones, who survives an encounter with a violent stranger who then follows him across the country and frames him for a series of killings as he tries to make it home to his wife, Cheryl, played by Milano. Arquette plays Detective Hank Granger, who is asked to help find Jones and clear his name. Notably, Friday the 13th creator Sean S. Cunningham signed on as an executive producer of the film, a connection announced ahead of the premiere by Rue Morgue.
Milano and Arquette were both expected on the red carpet, alongside Jacob Lynn, Danielle Vasinova and Charlotte Kirk, per the same MyNewsLA report. The 10-day lineup includes feature and short films, filmmaker Q&As, special events and industry programming, with organizers citing 13 world premieres, eight North American premieres, an international premiere, a U.S. premiere and five West Coast premieres this year.
A Biometric Twist on Judging Scares
This year's festival is testing something new: a partnership with app developer ScareScore to track moviegoers' real-time biometric data, including heart rate and heart-rate variability via smartwatches, in order to crown the festival's first Biometrically Decided Best Feature award, according to iHorror. Rather than relying solely on audience ballots or critical buzz, the app measures physical reactions directly during screenings to rank scare intensity in something closer to real time.
Screamfest is also honoring veteran cinematographer Peter Deming with a career achievement award this year. Deming's camera work spans three decades, including Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, Evil Dead II, three Scream sequels, Drag Me to Hell, The Cabin in the Woods and The Menu, and he earned a 2018 Emmy nomination for his cinematography on the Twin Peaks: The Return episode Part 8, iHorror notes.
Trick 'r Treat Returns With a 4K Restoration
Director Michael Dougherty is scheduled to attend a special screening of his 2007 horror anthology Trick 'r Treat, which will be followed by a Q&A session. The program also includes a 4K restoration of Season's Greetings, Dougherty's 2003 animated short, which won Screamfest's 2003 Best Animated Short award and introduced Sam. The special event folds in an exclusive signing with co-writers and artists behind Legendary Comics' graphic novel Trick 'r Treat: Witching Hours, according to HorrorFuel.
Screamfest Industry Days run Wednesday and Thursday in Hollywood, offering panels, mentorship opportunities and networking events for filmmakers, executives, producers and distributors. The festival is also partnering with Ovation Hollywood to present a free outdoor screening of the 1984 film Ghostbusters.
Closing Night Brings a Holiday Horror-Comedy
The festival wraps October 15 with the closing-night feature Christmas at the Kringles, directed by Kevin Lewis. The horror-comedy follows a suburban family that discovers their new neighbors celebrate Christmas year-round as part of a sinister plan to hypnotize and indoctrinate them, according to Dread Central. Its ensemble cast includes Ron Livingston, Rachel Bilson, Rob Riggle, Thomas Lennon, Arden Myrin, Donald Faison, Beverly D'Angelo and David Wain.
Screamfest was founded in August 2001 by producer Rachel Belofsky, who launched the event alongside Ross Martin with a two-day edition at the historic Vogue Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, according to Screamfest. It has since grown into America's longest-running horror festival and operates today as a female-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit showcasing horror and science-fiction filmmakers and screenwriters. The festival's biggest claim to fame came in 2007, when it premiered Oren Peli's Paranormal Activity, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
