WELCOME RECEPTION
Pick up your passes. Meet other filmmakers and attendees. Enjoy sushi and signature cocktails.
Free with festival pass
Hallowed Ground • Friday, April 26
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm • Parties
UNDERGROUND LOUNGE : SLIP ‘N SLIDE
Enjoy chill vibes with sushi and signature cocktails as we marathon a series of aquatic horror films.
Free
Hallowed Ground • Friday, April 26
5:00 pm - 12:30 am • Parties
LISTENING PARTY
w. Linnea Quigley
Hang out with Linnea Quigley as we listen to The Return of the Living Dead and Horror Workout LPs.
Free
Residency Records • Friday, April 26
6:00 pm - 7:45 pm • Parties
IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS
Directed by Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti
This found footage horror film blends fact and fiction, featuring nearly 20 years of archival video. When filmmakers Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf buy an abandoned duplex to shoot their next indie horror film in, they are delighted to find random strangers are drawn to the building, gathering outside to stare at it in a zombie-like trance. What begins as an effort to document the cult quickly escalates into an increasingly ecstatic quest to see just how scary their real-life horror movie can get.
Die With Your Boots On • Weekend I
United States | 83 minutes
Friday, April 26 • 8:00 pm • Tickets
LIVESCREAMERS
Directed by Michelle Iannantuono
In this screenlife found footage film, a popular group of streamers who face a lesson in teamwork when a cursed video game kills them one by one.
United States | 90 minutes
Die With Your Boots On • Weekend I
Friday, April 26 • 9:45 pm • Tickets
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
Directed by George A. Romero
A disparate group of individuals takes refuge in an abandoned house when corpses begin to leave the graveyard in search of fresh human bodies to devour. The pragmatic Ben does his best to control the situation, but when the reanimated bodies surround the house, the other survivors begin to panic. As any semblance of order within the group begins to dissipate, the zombies start to find ways inside -- and one by one, the living humans become the prey of the deceased ones.
United States | 97 minutes
Coolidge Corner Theater • Weekend I
Friday, April 26 • 9:45 pm • Tickets
Single tickets available at coolidge.org
Free admission with festival pass
CAT PEOPLE (1942)
w. Faculty of Horror
Directed by Jacques Tourneau
Irena Dubrovna, a New York City--based fashion designer who hails from Serbia, begins a romance with marine engineer Oliver Reed. After the couple gets married, Oliver becomes concerned about Irena's notion that she is cursed and may transform into a large cat in the heat of passion. Confiding in his beautiful assistant, Alice Moore, about his marital issues, Oliver unwittingly triggers Irena's curse, with tragic results.
United States | 73 minutes
Followed by Faculty of Horror
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
SECRET SCREENING
w. Cinematic Void
From out of the mouth of cinemadness comes Cinematic Void Up All Night. Originating as the online extension of the Los Angeles based film screening series, the Cinemandess Movie is hosted by James Branscome and features Deanna Rooney (Mystery Science Theater 3000). Harkening back to gonzo late night TV of the 80s and 90s, this cult film odyssey features a mystery movie with vintage commercial breaks and host segments and sketches.
For this exclusive Salem Horror Fest presentation, the featured mystery film not only has ties to the city of Salem but its very history.
Salem MA | 88 minutes
Followed by Cinematic Void
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 2:15 pm • Tickets
MY MOTHER’S EYES
Directed by Takeshi Kushida
A mother and daughter literally share a single vision of the universe through use of a new, futuristic contact lens device with built-in camera inserted into the eyes and set up together with VR goggles. This psychological fantasy weaves together the lives of the mother and daughter with their shared vision as they ultimately find a true bond while transcending the boundaries of body and mind.
Japan | 94 minutes
Hallowed Ground • Weekend I
Saturday, April 28 • 1:30 pm • Tickets
SINS OF THE FATHER
Directed by Vanessa M. H. Powers
After the death of his father, Aden and his mother Sarah find themselves responsible for the sale of his family home -- a place they thought they’d left behind. As they clear out the house, they uncover secrets in Sarah’s past and the sinister nature of the cultivated community Aden was raised in... And his father’s family is not so eager to let the sins of the past go unpunished.
United States | 102 minutes
Hallowed Ground • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 3:00 pm
SWEET RELIEF
Directed by Nick Verdi
Parents and teachers are in a panic over kids playing Sweet Relief, an online murder challenge where the player must nominate someone they'd like to see die. Three teenagers play the game as a joke, unaware of the dire consequences. Meanwhile, Jess has mysterious and dangerous inclinations of her own, finding her way into a deadly situation when she meets Gerald, a confidential police informant and sadistic child killer.
United States | 87 minutes
SATV Studio • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 3:30 pm • Tickets
UNDERGROUND LOUNGE : COED KILLERS
w. Linnea Quigley
Enjoy chill vibes with sushi and signature cocktails as we hang with Linnea Quigley and marathon a series of co-ed horror flicks.
Free
Hallowed Ground • Saturday, April 27
5:00 pm - 12:30 am • Parties
YOUNG BLONDES, STALKED AND MURDERED
Directed by Nick Funess
A struggling actress starts to believe a serial killer is after her.
United States | 66 minutes
Die With Your Boots On • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 8:00 pm • Tickets
FACELESS AFTER DARK
Directed by Raymond Wood
Following her breakout success as the star of a killer clown horror flick, Bowie now finds herself struggling to capitalize on its success. But when she is suddenly held hostage by an unhinged fan posing as that same killer clown, horror becomes her reality as she fights to survive the night and escape before he completes his sinister plan to recreate the film’s fatal plot.
Die With Your Boots On • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 9:45 pm • Tickets
United States | 86 minutes
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
Directed by George A. Romero
As hordes of zombies swarm over the U.S., the terrified populace tries everything in their power to escape the attack of the undead, but neither cities nor the countryside prove safe. In Pennsylvania, radio-station employee Stephen and his girlfriend, Francine, escape in the station helicopter, accompanied by two renegade SWAT members, Roger and Pete. The group retreats to the haven of an enclosed shopping center to make what could be humanity's last stand.
United States | 127 minutes
Coolidge Corner Theater • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 9:45 pm • Tickets
Single tickets available at coolidge.org
Free admission with festival pass
ALL THAT YOU LOVE WILL BE CARRIED AWAY
Directed by Bolen Miller
Based on the Stephen King short story: A middle-aged traveling salesman contemplates his life choices at a a shitty motel in Nebraska.
United States | 10:22
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
Directed by Julia Marchese
It's 1976, and popular college co-ed Elizabeth meets an unusual boy, Edward, who knows what she needs. But who is Edward really, and what secrets is he hiding? It's a love story, but a Stephen King love story, so things aren't always what they seem. Elizabeth doesn't know what she wants, but Edward knows what she needs
United States | 45:00
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
THE MONKEY
Directed by Spencer Sherry
Based upon a story by Stephen King. After a near-fatal accident, soon-to-be father Pete Shelburn begins to suspect that his past has come back to haunt him. With his own father at death's door and his brother refusing to make amends with him, he's forced to save his family by confronting a nightmare from his childhood: a cursed cymbal-clapping toy monkey.
United States | 60:00
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
ONE FOR THE ROAD
Directed by David Jester
A family traveling from out of state breaks down in the most unfortunate place, Salem's Lot. Going for help, Gerard Lumley leaves his wife and daughter behind, unaware of the dangers awaiting them. Reaching a bar in the town next door, he finds nothing but reluctant assistance, everybody but him knowing the danger his family is in.
United States | 24:00
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
GEORGE A. ROMERO’S RESIDENT EVIL
Directed by Brandon Salisbury
A documentary that brings to light the vision that director George A. Romero had for an adaptation of Resident Evil, using newly filmed interviews with those who were there, and unravels the secrets behind why it was never produced.
United States | Special Presentation with Q&A
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 3:00 pm • Tickets
WELCOME WEEK : A COLLEGE HORROR ANTHOLOGY
Directed by Jack McDermott, Ethan Gomez-Zahnley, Ryan Ranc, Blake Douglas, Léonidas Ibarra, Cory McCullough
This college-themed horror anthology follows Andrew Cross, a college freshman whose four siblings all died in their first weeks of college, and his roommate Josh as they attempt to save their friend from a masked killer. Each sibling’s death is depicted in a terrifying short film from four different college filmmakers.
United States | 98 minutes
SATV Studio • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 1:30 pm • Tickets
APOTEMNOFILIA
Directed by Jano Pita
It is opening night, the theater is crowded and Clara, the leading actress, refuses to leave her dressing room. Something inside her is keeping her from leaving, something she will have to face.
Spain | 9:53
THE APPRAISER
Directed by C.J. Arellano
Gary takes his partner Nico to his family’s farm, where both men are possessed by unseen forces.
United States | 9:30
FREE BENCH MUST PICKUP TODAY
Directed by Gus Reed
A young couple pay an unexpected price for bringing home a free piece of furniture.
United States | 6:10
GIALLO
Directed by Yogesh Chandekar
A quirky ode to Italian Giallo cinema, a young woman returning from a party is stalked by a mysterious masked killer who’s much more than what he seems to be.
India | 7:37
GIRL WITH THE GREY EYES
Directed by Kara Grace Miller
Blaire hasn’t seen Will since the assault, but she’s known his every move. Her paranoia lures her too close, and she’s spotted by an old friend and pulled into the morning hours of Will’s dying party. Blaire must find a way out before her obsessive tracking is revealed, and Will searches for a way to keep her quiet about the truth.
United States | 13:58
THE GOURD, THE BRAD, AND THE GHOSTLY
Directed by Jillian Terwedo-Malsbury
After causing a tragic accident on Halloween night, Brad is haunted by his guilty conscience as he takes the elevator down to the scene of the crime. Is he heading to the lobby... or straight to hell?
United States | 9:42
THE HAUNTED BABY CARRIAGE FROM HELL
Directed by JT Seaton
In this LGBTQ+ Comedy Horror Short Film, Spencer and Cameron move into a new house that just so happens to be haunted by an old baby carriage. As the carriage endeavors to scare the couple, the attempts ultimately fail because the couple just doesn't care... like... you know... at all.
United States | 8:35
INNER DEMONS
Directed by Jasmine J Johnson
Mya's world takes a harrowing twist when pills meant to alleviate depression unwittingly unleash a nightmarish entity that embodies her inner turmoil. Mya finds herself entangled in a relentless battle against her own psyche, fighting not just for her mental well-being but her very survival.
United States | 10:54
KOMBUCHA!
Directed by Jake Myers
Luke, a musician stuck in a meaningless marketing job, decides to try the red kombucha beverage that seems to bring purpose to his coworker's lives. A feeling of commitment and belonging washes over Luke; unfortunately, so do some nasty side effects.
United States | 7:03
THE LURE
Directed by Tony Hipwell
Late at night, a lone fisherman discovers he is not the only one hoping to hook something.
United Kingdom | 1:28
THE MANAGEMENT
Directed by Sebastian Ganschow
A lost tourist just wants a good old soy milk pumpkin spice latte. She finds her way into a creepy old delicatessen that has a lot waiting for her, none of it being any kind of hot beverage.
Germany | 13:23
MIRA
Directed by Eva Louise Hall
In this stop-motion film, Mira, a busker in an isolating metropolis, finally gets a taste of recognition when she meets Lore, a charismatic and successful performer who takes an interest in Mira’s talents. Unfortunately, artistic aspirations and kindness are weaponized through the sinister motivations of those in power.
United States | 11:30
MY SCARY INDIAN WEDDING
Directed by Ramone Menon
A bridesmaid has to forcefully get married to her soulmate before dawn in order to escape the wrath of a vengeful demon.
United States | 11:21
OVERNIGHTS
Directed by Shannon Brown
An overworked veterinary technician picks up a late night shift to make ends meet. She's soon tormented by the very thing she's dedicated her life to.
United States | 9:09
THE PERFECT PLACE TO CRY
Directed by Shane Bannon
Late at night, deep in the woods, a woman cries in her car. A light flickers through the trees. At the edge of her headlights' reach, she can just make out the shape of a man. He's coming closer.
United States | 6:31
PEST
Directed by Matthew Broughton
A woman calls over a pest controller to deal with an infestation in her house, but not of termites...
Canada | 6:00
PONTIANAK
Directed by Kayla Aalia
Nakia, a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship, finds herself at a crossroads when she discovers she is pregnant with her boyfriend's child. Filled with anger, pain, and a desperate need for justice, Nakia resorts to a forbidden path in her quest for revenge. However, her intentions unknowingly set in motion a series of events that spiral out of control.
United States | 11:24
RED GLOVES
Directed by Santiago Saba Salem
A dancer at the top of her class, is accosted during a lonely night of rehearsing by a shadowy figure wearing red gloves.
United States | 11:04
SACRIFICE
Directed by Aldo Enrique Apango Ortiz
Tormented by the disappearance of his son in the lake where he has fished all his life, Miguel will sacrifice whatever it takes, even his faith, to have him back in his arms.
Mexico | 12:31
SCAM
Directed by Julie Sharbutt
When a phone scammer makes one last late night call, the woman on the other end gives her much more than she bargained for.
United States | 7:30
SLIP
Directed by Sonya Chwyl, Anik Desmarais-Spencer
After she is evicted from her basement suite apartment, Laura struggles to find a place to live - until she stumbles onto a horrifying opportunity that may just work to her advantage.
Canada | 10:40
TASTE
Directed by Lucy Rose
When Jane marries and moves into her new home, she will discover her husband is keeping more than a few skeletons in his closet. From her food, she pulls clusters of hair, silence haunts the lonely corridors of the home and, while Jane is abused by her husband, she untangles the house and its harrowing history.
United States | 12:45
THREE BATHS
Directed by Rafael De Leon Jr.
A spiritualist instructs Loreen to give her distraught younger sister, Rosa, three baths to get rid of a malevolent spirit that appears to be moving closer and closer to her.
United States | 6:48
VALLEY OF THE SOULS
Directed by Edileuza Penha de Souza, Santiago Dellape
A black family tries to defend their land against invaders but gets caught between a mischievous witch and a tortured spirit eager for revenge.
Brazil | 15:00
THE WHEEL
Directed by Nikhil Bhagat
A spiritualist instructs Loreen to give her distraught younger sister, Rosa, three baths to get rid of a malevolent spirit that appears to be moving closer and closer to her.
United States | 14:32
WHO’S THERE?
Directed by Ryan Doris
When a single father hears his daughter come home late, he begins to question if the voice he’s hearing is really hers... or something else.
United States | 10:48
ALL THAT YOU LOVE WILL BE CARRIED AWAY
Directed by Bolen Miller
Based on the Stephen King short story: A middle-aged traveling salesman contemplates his life choices at a a shitty motel in Nebraska.
United States | 10:22
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
THE BASEMENT
Directed by Catherine Hois
Mysterious happenings unfold in a young woman's basement.
Canada | 18:00
THE BOUNCE HOUSE
Directed by Callie Bloem, Christopher J. Ewing
Civilization has ended. Everyone Polly loves is dead. But at least she has a bounce house.
United States | 15:27
COLD
Directed by Liz Whitmere
Jane likes things to be clean. Jane has just turned 40. Jane died sometime last week. She’s cold all the time, her skin is grey, and her appetite is nonexistent. Something is wrong. Her doctor, her friends, her partner, all tell her it’s normal—this happens to women of a certain age. Her friends are showing signs of decay themselves... It’s just the reality of The Change. The important thing is not to let yourself go. Jane tries to “fake it till she makes it,” but her body is decomposing at an alarming rate… which is when things really start to fall apart.
Canada | 20:00
I KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
Directed by Julia Marchese
It's 1976, and popular college co-ed Elizabeth meets an unusual boy, Edward, who knows what she needs. But who is Edward really, and what secrets is he hiding? It's a love story, but a Stephen King love story, so things aren't always what they seem. Elizabeth doesn't know what she wants, but Edward knows what she needs
United States | 45:00
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
LADY PARTS
Directed by Ariel McCleese
When Iris thinks of Ellie, she gets wet. Very wet. She’s heard it’s normal, but this seems different. And when you’re in high school, different is dangerous.
United States | 15:00
ONE FOR THE ROAD
Directed by David Jester
A family traveling from out of state breaks down in the most unfortunate place, Salem's Lot. Going for help, Gerard Lumley leaves his wife and daughter behind, unaware of the dangers awaiting them. Reaching a bar in the town next door, he finds nothing but reluctant assistance, everybody but him knowing the danger his family is in.
United States | 24:00
Peabody Essex Museum • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 12:00 pm • Tickets
Part of Stephen King’s Dollar Babies Block
THE POWER OF THE STRIKE
Directed by Dima Barch
One totally f***ed up night in a bowling alley.
Germany | 15 minutes
SCRATCH
Directed by MIchael Trainotti
A Father/Son weekend adventure becomes a terrifying fight for survival.
United States | 24:00
THE THAW
Directed by Sarah Wisner, Sean Temple
In 19th century Vermont, a young woman's parents drink sleeping tea in order to survive the harsh winter, but an early thaw leads to horrifying results.
United States | 16:31
POSSUM
Directed by Daisy Rosato
When the leader of an artist residency kills the possum that’s been eating their cauliflower, the residents come to a shocking consensus.
United States | 15:00
SWEET RELIEF
Directed by Nick Verdi
Parents and teachers are in a panic over kids playing Sweet Relief, an online murder challenge where the player must nominate someone they'd like to see die. Three teenagers play the game as a joke, unaware of the dire consequences. Meanwhile, Jess has mysterious and dangerous inclinations of her own, finding her way into a deadly situation when she meets Gerald, a confidential police informant and sadistic child killer.
United States | 87 minutes
SATV Studio • Weekend I
Saturday, April 27 • 3:30 pm • Tickets
TUONELA | BOSTON
Directed by Ryan Cultrera
Following a devastating undead outbreak in the city of Boston, a survivor sits down with a documentary crew to tell the tale of her escape.
United States | 6:00
WELCOME WEEK :
A COLLEGE HORROR ANTHOLOGY
Directed by Jack McDermott, Ethan Gomez-Zahnley, Ryan Ranc, Blake Douglas, Léonidas Ibarra, Cory McCullough
This college-themed horror anthology follows Andrew Cross, a college freshman whose four siblings all died in their first weeks of college, and his roommate Josh as they attempt to save their friend from a masked killer. Each sibling’s death is depicted in a terrifying short film from four different college filmmakers.
United States | 89 minutes
SATV Studio • Weekend I
Sunday, April 28 • 1:30 pm • Tickets
April 26 - April 28, 2024
Grants access to all screenings, lectures, podcasts, parties and more. All sales final. Includes official SHF 2024 lapel pin.