Second Wave Announcement For Popcorn Frights Film Festival 2021 Including Virtual Titles
Popcorn Frights revealed the second-wave line-up for their 2021 film festival. This time, the slate is focused on their virtual programming and features a hefty amount of premieres, shorts, and an exciting virtual reality line-up.
Spooky season starts early this year with Florida’s upcoming genre film festival, Popcorn Frights. The Seventh AnnualPopcorn Frights Film Festivalwill be a hybrid experience with both in-theater and virtual film offerings fromAugust12-19, 2021. The Southeast U.S.' largest genre film event will offer its virtual programming nationwide and run parallel to its in-theater program (August 12-15) and through the duration of the festival until August 19.
The virtual portion will have seven feature film World Premieres including thrill rides likeThe Accursed, a paranoid thriller entitledDashcam(co-starringLarry Fessenden), a Euro-horror inspired film calledDawn Breaks Behind the Eyes, the claustrophobic and suspensefulIt Came FromBelow, a horror mystery calledNight at the Eagle Inn, the devilish dark comedyVal, and moc-doc horror calledThe Wild Manwhich was a home-grown Florida production.
Documentary films are also a part of this frightful cinematic feast. Audiences will be treated to the World Premiere ofThe History of Metal and Horror, a nostalgia trip of some of the most iconic horror films told through candid conversations withJohn Carpenter,Tom Savini,Kirk Hammett, andRob Zombie, among many others. Festival darling, and the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror,Woodlands Dark and DaysBewitchedwill also make its East Coast Premiere at the festival.
Other highlights include the North American Premieres of the Spanish horror anthologyApps, the supernatural-thrillerThe Ex, and the brutal shockerStokerHillswhich starsTony Toddand is directed by Florida nativeBenjamin Louis. There will also be US Premieres ofTakashi Shimizu’s (creator of theJu-on seriesandThe Grudge) new nightmareHowling Villageand the timely sci-fi-thrillerTin Can. East Coast Premieres include the dark comedyKeeping Company, the gleefully creepyLair, and the boldly originalThe Yellow Wallpaper.Blood of Conscious,House at the End of the Forest,and the Bloody Disgusting x Dark Star Pictures collaborationThe Last Matineewill all have their Florida Premieres.
But Wait There’s More!
Popcorn Frights' will hold its first-ever Virtual Reality world experience created in partnership with the O Cinema, an independent non-profit based in Miami. Hosted onAltSpaceVR, the Virtual Reality environment will feature live events and the premieres of an exclusive selection of short films. The platform will be free to all audiences and available through Quest or STEAM headsets or on PCs.
How to Watch
Virtual offerings are geo-locked to the United States and are available to view on the Eventive platform until August 19. The platform functions on multiple internet browsers as well as Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and other connective devices.
Access to virtual film screenings is available through individual tickets or an all-access virtual pass, which provides an all-inclusive experience for the festival’s entire virtual program. Separate individual tickets and all-access badges are also available for Popcorn Frights' in-theater program, which is exclusively hosted at the Silverspot Cinema Coconut Creek. You can purchase an In-Theater All-Access Badgehereand Virtual All-Access Passes can be purchasedhere.
On top of all of this amazing information, a portion of all proceeds from the festival will go to benefit those impacted by the building collapse in Surfside, FL.
Check out the complete list of Second Wave film announcements below:
Feature Films Lineup
The AccursedWorld PremiereUnited States | 2021 | 86 Min. | Dir. Elizabeta Vidovic & Kathryn Michelle
Inspired by Eastern European folklore, this shocking thriller starsYancy Butler(Kick-Ass, Hard Target) as a matriarch who spends twenty years suppressing a maleficent curse that was placed upon her bloodline, only to have a family member knowingly release it forcing her to kill or to be killed.
AppsNorth American PremiereChile-Argentina | 2021 | 94 Min. | Dirs. Sandra Arriagada, Camilo León, Lucio Rojas, JoséZúñiga, Samot Marquez
An anthology of four short but terrifying tales of the macabre told with great style and pulpy, grisly thrills.
Blood ConsciousFlorida PremiereUnited States | 2021 | 81 Min. | Dir. Timothy Covell
This shocking tale reflecting racial and social tensions of our time centers on vacationers who turn the tables on an unhinged killer who claims to be fighting demonic forces.
DashcamWorld PremiereUnited States | 2021 | 81 Min. | Dir. Christian Nilsson
This stunning psychological thriller follows a video editor at a local news channel who is inadvertently sent secret dashcam video evidence that points to a possible conspiracy and government coverup.
Dawn Breaks Behind the EyesWorld PremiereGermany | 2021 | 72 Min. | Dir. Kevin Kopacka
Equally mesmerizing and erotic, this Euro-horror-inspired tale centers on a couple who spend eternity in a castle until their reality starts to shift and unimaginable horrors ensue, deteriorating their fading sanity.
The ExNorth American PremiereRussia | 2021 | 87 Min. | Dir. Evgeniy Puzyrevskiy
The screws are tightened in this wickedly entertaining, juicy supernatural-thriller about the vengeful spirit of an ex-girlfriend who makes life hell for the man who scorned her.
The History of Metal and HorrorWorld PremiereUnited States | 2021 | 100 Min. | Dir. Mike Schiff
Filled with countless clips and entertaining moments, this documentary is a
nostalgia trip of some of the most iconic horror films through the perspective of visionary artists in both the metal and horror worlds, includingJohn Carpenter,Tom Savini,Gunnar Hansen, andSid Haig, as well as musicians such asKirk Hammett,Rob Zombie,Dave Mustaine,AliceCooper, and many more.
House at the End of the ForestFlorida PremiereSweden | 2021 | 84 Min. | Dir. Jonathan KatzeffIn this boundary-pushing frightening tale, a traumatized woman who was previously a victim of a brutal attack by a stranger is stalked by a killer in her summer cabin.Howling VillageUS PremiereJapan | 2020 | 108 Min. | Dir. Takashi Shimizu
Best known as the creator of the JapaneseJu-onseries andThe Grudgefranchise,Takashi Shimizureturns with this new nightmare about a village at the end of a forgotten tunnel from which no one has ever returned alive.
It Came from BelowWorld PremiereUnited Kingdom | 2021 | 81 Min. | Dir. Dan Allen
In this riveting, claustrophobic nail-biter, a caving expedition goes horribly wrong as the explorers become trapped and ultimately discover that they are not the only dwellers of these ominous caverns.
Keeping CompanyEast Coast PremiereUSA | 2021 | 82 Min. | Dir. Josh Wallace
This bloody, brutal, breakneck, black-hearted treat follows a fateful chain of events that begins to unravel after two brash insurance salesmen go knocking on the wrong door and find themselves trapped in a stranger’s basement, who is actually a cold-blooded serial killer.
LairEast Coast PremiereUSA | 2021 | 95 Min. | Dir. Adam Ethan Crow
In this chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil, a fractured family is forced to face their demons as they unwittingly become embroiled in a man’s attempt to prove the existence of the supernatural in order to overturn a friend’s murder conviction.
The Last MatineeFlorida PremiereUruguay | 2021 | 88 Min. | Dir. Maximiliano Contenti
Set in Montevideo, Uruguay, this ultra-violent neo-Giallo slasher follows a serial killer who slashes up an audience one by one during the final showing of a horror film in a small downtown cinema.
Night at the Eagle InnWorld PremiereUSA | 2021 | 70 Min. | Dir. Erik Bloomquist
Fraternal twins embark on a pilgrimage to a remote inn to investigate the last known whereabouts of their father who mysteriously disappeared the night they were born — their exploration leading to shocking revelations as the property’s dark secrets ensnare them in a hellish labyrinth they must escape before dawn.
Stoker HillsNorth American PremiereUSA | 2021 | 91 Min. | Dir. Benjamin Louis
Three students filming a horror movie stumble upon something much worse, and their only hope for survival is two detectives who find the camera that was left behind.
Tin CanUS PremiereCanada | 2020 | 104 Min. | Dir. Seth A. Smith
As the world faces a deadly plague, a frontlines parasitologist is imprisoned in a life-suspension chamber. To escape she must destroy the last of her kind.
ValWorld PremiereUSA | 2021 | 90 Min. | Dir. Aaron Fradkin
A criminal on the run breaks into the home of a high-class escort, only to discover that you get more than you bargain for with Val – short for “Valefar” – a demon who offers to make all his problems disappear if he agrees to follow her rules.
The Wild ManWorld PremiereUSA | 2021 | 95 Min. | Dir. Ryan Justice
In this Florida moc-doc, a young student journalist and her friends travel to a small town in Central Florida to collect documentary footage about the Skunk Ape (aka The Wild Man or Bigfoot), a legendary local monster who they believe is behind the disappearance of many young women.
Woodlands Dark and Days BewitchedEast Coast PremiereUSA | 2021 | 194 Min. | Dir. Kier-La Janisse
Filled with thoughtful commentary, lush visuals, and a myriad of perspectives, this landmark film is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror and a resplendent treasure for horror lovers.
The Yellow WallpaperEast Coast PremiereUSA-Ireland | 2021 | 99 Min. | Dir. Kevin Pontuti
This dark, visually rich, and disturbing contemporary adaptation of the well-known and controversial gothic feminist horror story is a chilling and boldly original vision of a woman suffering from hysteria.
Virtual Reality Experience Lineup
Short films premiering in Popcorn Frights' VR world experience are:
Body of the MinedSouth Florida PremiereUSA | 2021 | 15 Min. | Dir. Eric Jungmann
A quiet, young woman moves into a new building and meets a reclusive engineer at the brink of completing a bizarre, extraordinary machine.
I’m A VampireFlorida PremiereMexico | 2021 | 15 Min. | Dir. Sofia Garza-Barba
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, 8-year-old Jackie is so confused by her bewildered parents' behavior that she thinks she’s turning into a vampire.
MeTube: August Sings “Una Furtiva Lagrima"Southeast US PremiereAustria | 2020 | 8 Min. | Dir. Daniel Moshel
The intergalactic music nerds August and Elfi conquer the opera stage and orchestrate an extraordinary adventure in an opulent manner.
The WheelEast Coast PremiereUSA | 2021 | 15 Min. | Dir. Nikhil Bhagat
A woman is terrorized by a cursed antique.
Short Film Lineup
Short Film Headliner
A special presentation ofAlex Proyas' new short filmMask of the EvilApparition, which was made entirely with virtual production and is uniquely set in the Dark City universe. Accompanying the screening is a Q&A with Alex Proyas hosted by filmmakerJoe Lynch(Mayhem, The Movie Crypt podcast).
Mask of the Evil ApparitionSneak PreviewAustralia | 2021 | 20 Min. | Dir. Alex Proyas
A young woman lost in a nocturnal, dreamlike city, with twin psychic brothers who attempt to help her find her way home as she is pursued by a shadowy cult known as The Mysterious Ones.
Animation Domination
The endless possibilities of genre animation are on dazzling display in this retina-reeling, round-the-world showcase of some of the medium’s most innovative, boundary-pushing, and mind-enhancing short films:
Le Cridirs.Charlotte Chouisnard, Ninon Dodemant, Baptiste Leclerc, SolèneMichel, Justine Parasote,Anouk Segura-Diaz(France)The Expecteddir.Carolina Sandvik(Sweden)Expedit, dir.Baptiste Boutin(France)Tio, dir.Juan Medina(Mexico)Mum’s Sweater, dirs.Anand Varma, Yi Chen Hsiao,Mauriziana Gualdrini, Ugo Offner, James Mann(France)International MidnightersA celebration of some of the year’s most fantastic international short films from new emerging voices and established filmmakers:Ad Lib, dir.Joseph Catté(France)Familiar, dir.David J. Ellison(United Kingdom)I Call Upon Thee, dir.Michael Anthony Kratochvil(Australia, World Premiere)Salmon Pink, dir.Jamy Steele(Canada, World Premiere)Sweet Mary, Where Did You Go?,dir.Michael Anthony Kratochvil(Australia, World Premiere)The Thing That Ate the Birds, dirs.Sophie Mair & Dan Gitsham(United Kingdom)Under the Lather, dir.Olivier Briand(France)
Midnighters
A celebration of new works from cinematic scaremongers that bring nightmares into waking hours with thrills, chills, and spills:
#NoFilter,Dir.Nathan Crooker(USA, World Premiere)
Cutter,dir.DanRepp & Lindsay Young(USA)
Every Time We Meet for Ice CreamYour Wole F*cking Face Explodes, dir.Anthony Cousins(USA, World Premiere)
Jumpin' Jacob, dir.Alexander Deeds(USA, World Premiere)
Koreatown Ghost Story, dir.Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum(USA)
Nagual: The Sin Eater, dir.Dan Lazarovits(USA, World Premiere)
Nightmare of the Dog, Dir.Hans Stjernsward(USA, World Premiere)
Poor Glenna, dir.Jean-Paul DiSciscio(USA)
SignificantOther, dir.Quinn George(USA)
Snapper: The Man-Eating Turtle Movie That Never Got Made, dir.Jon Campopiano(USA)
