The Overlook Film Festival is one of the country’s best genre fests, an annual party that combines some of the most exciting new horror films, rep titles and special guests with unique immersive experiences. Taking place April 4 – April 7 in New Orleans, we recently brought you this year’s killer lineup, including an event we are particularly excited about.
FANGORIA is presenting a 50th-anniversary screening of Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise, with none other than Paul Williams in attendance, as well as a special lecture about the film’s history by Swan Archives‘ Ari Kahan. We couldn’t be more excited to bring this special event to the Overlook.
And we have some more good news today as we just got word on some late additions joining the fest. The festival has announced seven additional films to its lineup, including Arcadian and Dead Mail as well as new immersive events, presentations, and parties. Seriously, this lineup just keeps getting more impressive!
“With the full scope of this year’s lineup, we’re thrilled to be able to recognize all of the many forms horror can take,” said Lisa Carbonari, festival director of The Overlook Film Festival. “We’re diving headfirst into the dark and twisted, through the films, immersive presentations, interactive exhibits, themed parties and even sensory experiences. We can’t wait to get together with our fellow horror-lovers and celebrate all of the different ways we enjoy being scared.”
The new additions to the lineup bring the festival total to 52 films (28 features and 24 shorts) from 11 countries, as well as four live presentations, six immersive experiences and six special events. More details in the press release below, along with all the additional titles and events joining the party.
Highlighting the late addition films are Arcadian, a post-apocalyptic film starring Nicolas Cage as a father desperately trying to take care of his children; Dead Mail, in which an investigator gets in over his head trying to track down the origin of a mysterious message sent through the mail; Exhuma, an epic tale steeped in Korean folklore where a mysterious curse threatens a prominent family’s newborn; Hood Witch, the story of an exotic arms dealer who finds herself the victim of a literal witch hunt, racing to escape her Persian urban complex; the horror-comedy I Don’t Understand You, starring Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells as a couple on the verge of adopting a baby who find themselves on an Italian vacation from hell; and Realm of Satan, the feature debut from director Scott Cummings, which tells the story of modern day satanists as they fight to preserve their customs and individualism.
In addition to these features, a special festival premiere screening was announced of Me, a mysterious new animated musical from two-time Academy Award nominee Don Hertzfeldt, who will be in attendance.
Also joining in the festivities will be a group of newly announced special guests. John Cameron Mitchell, the writer, director and actor behind acclaimed work such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, will join to moderate the previously announced Q&A with the legendary Paul Williams following the 50th anniversary screening of Phantom of the Paradise. Acclaimed actor David Dastmalchian will return to The Overlook after joining in 2023 with his new film Late Night With the Devil. This year he will introduce the 70th anniversary screening of Creature From the Black Lagoon as the horror movie host Dr. Fearless, as well as be the guest on the live recording of the podcast Scream Dreams, presented by AMP, featuring hosts Catherine Corcoran and Barbara Crampton. And horror icon Larry Fessenden will accompany his terrifying new film Blackout.
Two new immersive experiences were also added to the schedule. E3W Productions is returning to The Overlook for the fourth year with the world premiere of In Another Room presented by The Murder Mystery Co. and WildKat Sports, where participants must help Madame Eleanor, one of New Orleans’ most popular (and fraudulent) mediums, in conducting a private reading for an unsuspecting guest. And Time Will Tell presents Tales By Candlelight: The Scent of Fear, an olfactible story where scented oils and mentalism combine to tell a bespoke story tailored to each attendee.
Finally, the celebrations, open to all festival-goers, were added, headlined by the annual Closing Night Halloween Party, featuring a performance by NOLA’s own Boyfriend, who will inject the night with her signature blend of rap and cabaret and a spine-tingling twist of spooky flair. Other special events attendees will enjoy include an Interview With a Vampire-themed Opening Night Vampire Ball, honoring the film’s 25th anniversary, a Horror Trivia competition hosted by Daily Dead, the spooky swap meet, Night of the Living Art Market, and REEL Reset: Overlook Edition, presented by NOVAC, a house party in the heart of New Orleans featuring beats by DJ 2Ready and immersive installations.
NEW ADDITIONS
Special Screening
Me
FESTIVAL PREMIERE
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
USA, 2024
A mysterious new musical from two-time Academy Award nominee Don Hertzfeldt (It’s Such a Beautiful Day, Rejected, the World of Tomorrow series).
Feature Film Presentations
International Titles Presented by MUBI
Arcadian
Director: Benjamin Brewer
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall
United States, 2024
Nicolas Cage stars as a father desperately trying to take care of his two sons in equally heartfelt and innovatively terrifying post-apocalyptic vision from director and lauded visual effects artist Ben Brewer (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Save Yourselves).
Dead Mail
Director: Joe DeBoer & Kyle McConaghy
Cast: Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, Susan Priver, Micki Jackson, Nick Heyman, Tomas Boykin
United States, 2024
A dead letter investigator gets in over his head when tracking down the origin of a mysterious blood message sent through the mail in this quirky, twisty, grimey, genre-blending indie thriller that worms its way under your skin.
Exhuma
Director: Jang Jae-Hyun
Cast: Choi Min-Sik, Kim Go-Eun, Yoo Hai-Jin, Lee Do-Hyun
South Korea, 2024
When a mysterious curse threatens a prominent family’s newborn baby, a ragtag group featuring two shamans, a feng shui master and an undertaker are hired to dig up ancestral remains in the hope of lifting the spell. What they uncover is something far worse…This box office smash hit from Korea, reverberating with the legacy of imperialism, is a truly thrilling creeper.
Hood Witch
Director: Saïd Belktibia
Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Denis Lavant, Jérémy Ferrari
France, 2023
Struggling to build a better life for her son, an exotic items dealer develops an app to connect mystical healers with potential clients. When one consultation goes horribly awry, she finds herself the subject of a literal witch hunt, racing against to escape her Persian urban complex before an angry mob reaches her.
I Don’t Understand You
Director: Brian Crano & David Craig
Cast: Nick Kroll, Andrew Rannells, Nunzia Schiano, Morgan Spector, Eleonora Romandini
Italy, 2023
Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells shine as a couple on the verge of adopting a baby who find themselves on the Italian vacation from hell in this hilarious horror comedy. When they find themselves trapped in a rural area late one night in the middle of downpour, things go from bad to worse and accidents can’t seem to stop occurring.
Realm of Satan
Director: Scott Cummings
United States, 2024
Visionary filmmaker Scott Cummings makes his feature debut with this eerie and poignant portrait of modern day Satanists in a fight to preserve their customs and their individualism.
Immersive Presentations
The festival’s unique interactive live theatrical horror experiences for small audiences return with fresh offerings for the brave and mysterious.
In Another Room
Presented by The Murder Mystery Company & Wildkat Sports
WORLD PREMIERE
Creators: E3W Productions
E3W Productions returns to Overlook for their 4th year of intimate immersive horror with an all new never-before-seen chapter! It’s the turn of the century and Madame Eleanor, one of New Orleans’ most popular (and fraudulent) mediums, has just set up shop in a notoriously haunted building in the French Quarter. She invites you to help her in conducting a private reading for an unsuspecting guest. But not all is as it seems in Madame Eleanor’s parlor, and tonight the spirits she purports to invoke may actually answer her call…
Tales By Candlelight: The Scent of Fear
Presented by Time Will Tell
Creator: Spencer Milone Williams
Performers: Steve N Bradford, Katelyn Schiller
From Walk The Night productions, discover a tale you didn’t know you’ve always known. A portal within you holds an unexpected truth, waiting to be found. Combining scented oils, effects and mentalism to tell bespoke stories tailored to each session attendee, this is a multiple award-winning collaborative experience in which anyone can participate through their own sense of smell. Bring an open mind willing to explore beyond the expected; leave with a fragrance card that holds the key to your story.
Special Event Presentations
16mm Camera Workshop
Presented by Kodak
Horror filmmakers, fans and enthusiasts have long embraced the medium of celluloid as a choice to ramp up tension, serve up scares, and capture a feeling that’s all too important to the tone of genre filmmaking. Thanks to Kodak, 15 lucky registrants will be able to participate in this special 16mm demo and workshop to learn to capture the stories of moving images of tomorrow on film today!
Closing Night Halloween Party
Hosted By Generations Hall
Featuring Boyfriend ft. members of The Revivalists
Embrace the spirit of All Hallow’s Eve at The Overlook Film Festival’s 3rd Annual Halloween bash! Don your most terrifying costume and become part of this macabre celebration with surprises around every corner. Haunting performances from The Unnaturals and NOLA’s own Boyfriend, songwriter (Charli XCX, Slayyyter), producer (Rebecca Black, Jon Batiste), and performer (featured with Pussy Riot, Big Freedia, Lil Wayne) will inject the night with her signature blend of rap and cabaret and a spine-tingling twist of spooky flair.
Visit official costume partner, Nikki’s French Quarter Halloween Store, where passholders get 10% off all spooky delights!
Horror Trivia
Presented By Daily Dead
Hosted by B Mac’s
FREE EVENT
Test your fright – if you dare. Join local film scholar and trivia host extraordinaire Mike Miley for our annual horror trivia night. Prizes, drinks and four ghoulish rounds of only mildly obscure nuggets you’ll definitely know, and all of those sequel subtitles you’ll definitely wish you didn’t. Scare yourself with how much you actually know about horror.
Night of the Living Art Market: A Spooky Swap Meet
Presented by The Dark Art Market and Cottage Magick
Hosted by Rahm Haus Ice Cream and Courtyard Brewery
FREE EVENT
Overlook’s bizarre bazaar is back with even more ghoulish delights, vintage VHS, intoxicating elixirs, paperback horror novels, handmade art, and other creepy collectibles. Relax with a pint from Courtyard Brewery and sample the sweets of cult-favorite confectioners Rahm Haus Ice Cream. You never know what you might find. Or what might find you. Participating Vendors include: Cottage Magick, Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Book Shop, Future Shock Video, Planchette, Gothlight Collective, PaperSnapDragon, JLH Illustration, and more!
Opening Night Vampire Party
Presented by Boutique Du Vampyre
Hosted by Generations Hall
A vampire-themed party that will haunt your dreams honoring the 25th anniversary of the film Interview With The Vampire! Dance with the undead, sip on blood-red cocktails, and embrace the seductive allure of the endless night. Mainstage performance by monster dubstep fixture Figure.
REEL Reset: Overlook Edition™
Presented by NOVAC
FREE EVENT
Sunday Scaries need not apply! Wind down from Overlook ‘24 with a bewitching edition of REEL Reset, an after-hours haunt, hosted by our film family at NOVAC. Come in for a spell and enjoy haunting beats by DJ 2Ready, immersive installations, and a chance to reach out to the other side at this chill house party in the heart of the New Orleans community. REEL Reset is produced by NOVAC with support from Film New Orleans.
The festival is programmed by Co-Founders Landon Zakheim & Michael Lerman; Program Manager Keith Garcia; Short Film Programmer Katie Rife; and Associate Director of Programming Sheryl Santacruz.
Head on over to the Overlook Film Fest’s site to see a complete lineup of all the titles pick up your badge, and learn more about the best film festival in New Orleans.
