Nightstream 2020 The First Virtual Film Festival Brings the Horrors to Your Home

Nightstream, the collaborative virtual film festival, opened last night with the World Premiere of Run. The Sarah Paulson led film is said to be a“Hitchcockian new thriller.” Which centers around a wheelchair-bound teenager who has been isolated by her doting mother. Her whole world is turned upside down when she begins to notice strange occurrences around her house.

Nightstream is a collaboration between The Boston Underground Film Festival, The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Northbend Film Fest, The Overlook Film Festival and Popcorn Frights Film Festival.

In a statement from the Nighstream Team “As the COVID-19 crisis continues to alter our collective lives in a myriad of unprecedented and increasingly disastrous ways, its impact on the industry we love is all too apparent. Amidst forced festival cancellations and upended film releases, we felt an overwhelming need to come together and join forces to present a first-class film experience for the larger genre community this Halloween season. The challenges posed this year are immense, but so too is our desire to remind our fans of the thrill, amusement, and wonder of discovering new movies, even from home.”

Not only does the film festival aim to give a voice to filmmakers around the world, but also as support for the artists and associated businesses. “The launch of NIGHTSTREAM, a unique virtual festival experience, will continue each of our missions to bring communities together and showcase the best that the genre scene has to offer, while also giving back to those in need who have supported us.”

“Your ticket purchase will be going directly to all the artists we showcase, to charitable causes and struggling small businesses in each of our festival’s home cities, and to each of our organizations to recoup expenses from our canceled physical events, and help sustain us through these turbulent months so that we can all return to public gatherings when it is safe to do so.”

There are a ton of films and events apart of this virtual festival, the complete list can found here. Below are a select few that all horror fans will enjoy.

FILMS

May The Devil Take You Too

Director Timo Tjahjanto returns for more propulsive and chaotic possession horror with this direct sequel to his hit MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU. This time, series-star Alfie is once again forced to wage war against hell’s dark forces when a group of teenage orphans unleash the demonic spirit of their former caretaker.

Black Bear

Punctuated with outstanding performances from Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon, Lawrence Michael Levine’s Kaufman-esque BLACK BEAR tells the story of a filmmaker who arrives at a rural retreat and discovers that the unpredictable behavior of her hosts will be the source of her most inspired work yet.

Bloody Hell

In this relentlessly energetic, pitch-black horror-comedy, an ex-bank robber fleeing the country after a video of him goes viral, heads to Helsinki only to find there’s something in store for him there that is much more difficult to escape.

EVENTS

DINNER WITH THE MASTERS OF HORROR: A TRIBUTE TO MICK GARRIS

You are cordially invited to a virtual dinner with festival honoree Mick Garris & his friends, filmmakers Joe Dante, Ernest Dickerson, Axelle Carolyn, Mike Flanagan, Tom Holland, John Landis, William Malone, Tommy McLoughlin, and additional surprises. Close-out the festival weekend by sharing stories and toasting the utterly fascinating life of director, writer, producer, author, and tireless champion of horror, maestro Mick Garris. All attendees are encouraged to eat while watching.

FINAL EXAM TRIVIA: NIGHTSTREAM PRESENTED BY ARROW

Hosted by Ted Geoghegan and Michael Gingold this special edition of Final Exam will feature five rounds of trivia based on horror films from Boston, NYC, Miami, New Orleans, and the Pacific Northwest.

EVENING RITUALS PRESENTED BY IFC MIDNIGHT

Kick off each night of the festival with a unique evening of cocktails, conversation, and ephemeral secrets in this bizarre take on a social hour featuring a parade of hosts including SpectreVision’s Elijah Wood, Lisa Whalen & Daniel Noah, filmmakers Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe, and icons Barbara Crampton & Larry Fessenden All attendees will be emailed recipes for each guest’s beverage.

VIRTUAL FIRESIDE WITH NIA DACOSTA

Since her exceptional 2018 debut feature LITTLE WOODS, Nia DaCosta has quickly risen to be one of the top directorial voices in Hollywood, gaining the attention of Jordan Peele, Marvel and many more to helm exciting new projects in the genre space. Moderated by journalist Hunter Harris (New YorkMagazine), we’ll take a deep dive into the state of the industry as well as hear about DaCosta’s highly anticipated film CANDYMAN.

Nightstream will run until Sunday, October 11. Don’t miss your chance to join in the horror fun and get your tickets here. Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for more of all things horror.

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