Nightmares Film Festival Returns to Columbus
The Nightmares Film Festival is returning to Columbus Ohio this weekend for another season of terrifying, original horror cinema. With a reputation as one of the “best networking opportunities at a festival” Nightmares has been delivering one of a kind originals and amazing opportunities for fans and filmmakers alike to meet and interact without the stodgy atmosphere that most film festivals tend to be surrounded in. Festival programmer and co-founder Jason Tostevin is committed to bringing some of the best horror around to the screen while fostering a sense of community and collaboration akin to the one at the Women in Horror Film Festival. So what, exactly, can you expect from NFF? I’m so glad you asked.
Starting Thursday, October 18th the festival opens with Bill Lustig presenting the 4K restoration of his slasher classic Maniac at 7pm. It’s the opening salvo of an explosive weekend long exploration of the genre. With 23 blocks of feature length and short films it’s definitely going to be a marathon event. When I tell you that the Nightmares Film Festival is going to be huge, it’s not an exaggeration. In a perfect world, this event would have a full 7 day week devoted to it allowing audiences to watch, enjoy, and experienced every last one of the films being shown. It’s a daunting challenge to be sure and, when coupled with opportunities to meet and interact with the filmmakers and guests, it makes for an incredibly full weekend.
Original, independent horror films like Kill Giggles, Amy’s in the Freezer, and Mother Rabbit -all of which I swear I’m getting around to writing up for you, scaremakers- will be running throughout the weekend and will be paired with new films created by some familiar faces as well. Creators behind films like Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, Wyrmwood, and Thankskilling to name a few will also be presenting new and original films and screenplays alongside their indie counterparts. With so much happening on screen, individual screening block tickets are going to go fast so you’ll want to get yours while they last.
Nightmares Film Festival has been one of the top rated and most talked about film festivals in the horror community for a good reason. The list of films, filmmakers, and events connected to the fest make it a truly monumental event. If you are planning on making that pilgrimage to Columbus, be sure to share your experiences and pictures with us on social media (@52weeksofhorror) and tell us all about it. Check out the list of films screening and be sure to follow online for release date information and where they’ll be playing at next. With any luck, your scaremaker correspondents will be covering Nightmares Film Festival in 2019. In the meantime, check out the site, check out the festival if you can, and keep making that scary no matter where you happen to be.
Dan is an author, editorialist, podcaster, and horror culture & lifestyle correspondent from the Southeast. You can find Dan's stories at Danno of the Dead Blog and through PDI Press.
