Life always finds a way, a rule which applies to people, resurrected dinosaurs, and now film festivals, apparently. Nightstream, the hotly anticipated collaborative virtual film fest, has just announced its official lineup and it's one heck of a robust offering. From film premieres to surprising special guests, the all-in-one jumbo fest looks to have something for everyone, especially horror fans.
Set to take place from October 8th to the 11th, Nightstream began as a collaboration between 5 genre-focused film festivals, all of which had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. So Boston Underground, Brooklyn Horror, North Bend, Overlook, and Popcorn Frights all decided to come together and keep the spirit going with a joint virtual festival that allows them all to carry on in a socially distanced world. Thus, Nightstream was born, and it will be packed to the gills with content.
Aside from a plethora of film livestreams and premieres, the upcoming virtual film fest will showcase interviews and discussions with various filmmakers in the horror genre and others. Notably, director Nia DaCosta will be the focal point of a virtual fireside chat discussing her past and future work. As the director of the highly anticipated Candyman as well as the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, DaCosta is sure to have plenty of interesting tidbits to reveal, or at least tease. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (Beck/Woods), known for writing the wildly popular 2018 thriller A Quiet Place, will receive their own discussion panel as well, with a focus on their adventures in Hollywood.
Other panels include more specialized fare, such as a discussion with some of the talented women behind the horror genre on the fascinating projects in store for the future. Panelists and filmmakers Laura Casabe, Mariama Diallo, Nikyatu Jusu, and Laura Moss will engage in a chat with moderator Meredith Alloway leading the charge. These panels will join the lineup with several podcasts including Horror Queers, Switchblade Sisters, The Witching Hour, and Spooked. It's probably much easier for these podcast teams to join festivals in this format, considering they won't have to change up their regular setups.
But some of the more eye-catching content will likely hail from the "special events" category. Events such as "Dinner with the Masters of Horror: A Tribute to Mick Garris" will not only feature big names like Mick himself along with legendary filmmakers Joe Dante and even John Landis. Nightstream's official page even ends the event's description with "all attendees are encouraged to eat while watching." (To be perfectly honest, most viewers are probably way ahead of them on that front, but the invitation is appreciated.) A similar event, "Evening Rituals Presented by IFC Midnight," focuses on a night of cocktails and discussions with hosts such as SpectreVision's Elijah Wood, Lisa Whalen, and Daniel Noah along with some special guests. Keeping in the same spirit as the previous little party, this one's description is punctuated at the end with "all attendees will be emailed recipes for each guest’s beverage."
This is only the tiniest fraction of what Nightstream will have to offer. Attendees can head to its official site to purchase admission as well as see the full roster of events and guests. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of that pesky bright sun will prevent this massive virtual fest from happening, so don't be afraid to take the plunge and check it out.
Nightstream will begin on October 8th and run through the 11th, while any VOD films shown will be continually available until the 14th.
Source: Nightstream Official Site