NYC Horror Film Fest Opening Night

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Features

Published on Thursday, 19 November 2009 22:05

Written by Frank Lovece

The eighth annual New York City Horror Film Festival kicked off in downtown Manhattan Wednesday night, Nov. 18, 2009, with a party for filmmakers and ticketholders at BLVD, on the storied avenue called The Bowery.

Dedicated to the international genre film community, The NYCHFF was established in 2001 by Festival Director Michael J. Hein. Over 50 features and short horror and sci-fi films offer stories that range in subject matter from the terrifying to the gory and hilarious.

Said Hein, ”This year we received more entries than ever before and are thrilled by the high-caliber of excellent films submitted for consideration to this year’s festival. The 2009 NYCHFF will prove to be one of the best years for the festival, as well as for film aficionados and horror fans.”

The festival's program includes films screened both in and out of competition. Its jury presents awards to films in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor/Actress, Best Screenplay for films showcased, and Audience Choice.

The NYCHFF also presents an annual Lifetime Achievement award as well. Past recipients include director George A. Romero, Special Effects Artist and Director Tom Savini, Producer and Director Roger Corman, and Producer and Director Mick Garris.

The NYCHFF takes place November 18 - 22, 2009, and is held at the Tribeca Cinemas, located at 54 Varick Street at Canal Street.

Festival organizers Joe Mauceri (and founder/editor of the great fan site, http://fearsmag.com/08/) and Hein presided over three bands, a screening of selected shorts, and enough flowing beer for a Sleepaway Camp campfire. Or would that be flowing blood?

Film Festival Traveler covered the crowd and the up-and-comers, from first-time filmmakers to a Friday the 13th Jason...

The New York City Horror Film Festival
November 18 - 22, 2009
the Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick Street (at Canal Street)

For more info got to: www.NYCHorrorfilmfest.com

 

Hayley Griffiths — the former lead singer, in the role of Erin the Goddess, in the US tour of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance — serenaded the crowd as the opening performer. Also on the schedule that night: Witches in Bikinis and The Tarantinos NYC.		Mauceri and Hein warm up the audience.

left to right: David Karges of Mark7 Studios; writer-director-actor Ryan Blake George of the short Edge; and Dustin Masters, a producer of Edge		Director Keith Carter, from Washington, D.C., adapted the silent classic Nosteratu with newly shot material for the feature Orlok the Vampire 3D. "We just got a distribution deal today. It's supposed to be in all the major and minor stores from Target to mom-&-pops."

The opening-party crowd at BLVD, 199 Bowery in Manhattan		Crowd and mural

left to right: Director Frank Sabatella and filmmaker and horror/SF journalist Michael Gingold. Sabatella on his first feature, Blood Night, screening at the fest: "It's an '80s slasher movie with a modern sensibility — like watching a Friday the 13th made today. The kids look more modern, the cinematography is more modern, the special effects are more modern."		Speaking of Friday the 13th, actor and former stuntman Steve Dash, who played Jason Vorhees in Part II (1981), was a festival guest. Dash has just finished two films, Trust Me and Emerging Paths ("In that one I play a police Lt. Vorhees — they named him after Jason")/ Another, The Catoosa County Hellhound, is about to shoot in Georgia.

		Chris Aurilia, originally from New York City and now living in Scottsdale, Ariz., brought his first feature, Ave Maria.
Brian Lonano describes Attackazoids, Deploy!! (not be confused with the original Attackazoids!), screening here, as "a propaganda film about the creation of a giant robot army." It's his fourth film. "I actually got into this fest for the first time in 2006, with a music video."     Festival publicist Jill Feldman, head of MediaShop PR (center) with associates Allison Berger (left) and Megan Raphael