Category: Festival

HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST may be over for 2021, but we wanted to take this time to thank our wonderful volunteer judges. Couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to you all!

Phil Condit – Producer, Writer, Director

Tammy Hunt – Talent Manager, Producer

Nancy O’Brien – Director, Producer, Writer

Aaron Jay Rome – Actor, Writer, Director, Producer

Jolin Crofts – Producer

Frank Di Muccio – Writer, Director, Producer, Actor

James Moorer – Screenwriter, Author, Producer, Voice Actor

Paula Pilotte Lauzon – Actress, Director, Producer

Giulia Governo – Cinematographer

Adam Sartain – Actor, Producer

Damien Gerard – Actor, Voice Actor, Director

Victoria Stevens – Writer, Actor

Lar Park Lincoln – Actor

Mark Moran – Producer, Screenwriter, Director

Koushik Chattopadhyay – Writer

Eric Pereira – Writer, Director 

Haben Merker – Screenwriter, Director, Producer.

Ryan Murphy –

Marlissa Conroy – Actor

Katherine Botts – Writer, Co-Producer.

Pat Jankiewicz – Author, Journalist

As it has been for so many of us, 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been tough and filled with obstacles. As a festival, our primary concern is to keep the event going and to try to make it a live event as soon as possible, in whatever way we can. The real success of any festival is in getting filmmakers together in-person, to celebrate their work and be able to network – with colleagues and industry insiders.

Having said that, we were devastated to hear that our previous venue and home, The Mayflower Club, has now had to close permanently due to the economic impact of the pandemic. With so many similar venues also closing, we thought we would have to close for good too. But, after a long and hurried search, and at the 11th hour, we were lucky to find a new venue. We were able to secure it for our live return with a celebratory Awards Night on Saturday Aug 7th 2021.

As with the Mayflower Club, for our invited winners there’ll be a full bar and cinema snacks available, live music, celebrity guests, live magic, prizes and complementary photo ops on the festival step and repeat.

We will be giving out awards for both 2020 and 2021 on the night and screening select highlights from both year’s entries. Having lost our primary venue at such very late notice means we won’t be able to screen ‘official selections’ this year. But we hope you understand and will join us in celebrating our live return at our special party. We’re just very thankful we’ve found a new home at such late notice.

And as a “Thank You” to all our winning ‘official selections’ for both years, entry will be free to them (RSVP required – as space is limited). We will reach out to everyone with full details as we get closer to the date.

We’re excited to be at our new venue and home, and the event promises to be a night to remember. We look forward to seeing all our old friends and making new friends too.

We continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation from a global perspective. Our priority is to create a safe environment for all attendees, following the health and safety protocols set forth by the state of California.

Be safe and well.

HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST Team

HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST, the home of the PRICE AWARD, has announced that it has to postpone all its screenings and live events until next year. That means the coveted PRICE AWARD, created in honor of VINCENT PRICE and presented by his daughter VICTORIA PRICE, will also be postponed till August 2021. Previous award recipients include horror icons SID HAIG, CASSANDRA PETERSON and JOE DANTE.

Festival founder, Miles Flanagan states, “It’s so disappointing to everyone involved, but all live events are suffering the same.” The festival had considered outdoor screenings but, as Flanagan explained, “We need to be able to screen at least 12 hours a day, so obviously outdoors wasn’t going to work.”

The festival is still committed to judging all the 2020 entries and will announce winners online. Plus officially selected 2020 films will be screened at the next festival.

Finalists announced July 27th 2020.
Winners announced August 8th 2020.
This Year’s Official Selections/Winners screened Aug 2021.

2020 WINNERS will receive prizes, awards and benefits from our many sponsors (TBA) at our postponed screenings and events next year.

2020 Certificates and Laurels will be sent to finalists and winners online, Sunday Aug. 8th.

2020 WINNERS will still be offered the opportunity of having their work distributed worldwide (non-exclusive) through our unique partnership with FilmFest Distribution (see www.filmfestdistribution.com for more details).

“Next year’s festival will screen all the finalists from 2020,” states Flanagan. “We plan to split the event into 2 halves, one for 2020 and the other for 2021. That way everyone can still do the red carpet, have photos taken and network.”

THE OFFICIAL NOTICE from the festival:
The health and safety of our fans, attendees, exhibitors, guests and volunteers is always our number one priority. Unfortunately due to the continuing spread of the COVID-19 virus, and circumstances beyond our control, film screenings and live events at HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST 2020 have to be postponed this year.

We will still judge all entries, as we believe it’s important that filmmakers’ work is recognized without delays and that filmmakers get the laurels and awards they need to promote their work this year.

We decided against an online version of the festival’s screenings and events for 2 reasons. Nothing beats actual in-person events, where attendees can mix and socialize. That’s the heart and soul of any festival. And secondly video piracy is an issue with online screenings.

Be safe and well.

HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST Team


When Sid Haig officially accepted the PRICE AWARD earlier this year we knew he wasn’t a well man. In fact we knew he was a very sick man. He told us so. But hearing the news on Monday that he had passed away was still a shock and very painful. In the time we all knew him he was always funny, generous and a deeply caring man. Being able to celebrate him and his iconic career just before his death was a true honor. If anyone’s work in recent memory was iconic, it surely was Sid’s.

But on celebrating his vast career we realized he was so much more than Captain Spaulding. Sid’s career covered every genre and every TV and Film format. He’d worked with everyone from Connery to Shatner and (as we learned on stage that night) to the great Mr. Price too. As we read the obituaries it’s great to see how much the man’s work was loved by both fans and his peers.

We’ll never forget the touching and totally surprising story he told everyone about his meeting with Vincent Price on the set of TALES OF TERROR, and also the pure joy he expressed at receiving the Award. Something he simply described as “The highlight of my career.”

Our hearts go out to Sid’s family and close friends at this difficult time.

RIP Sid. We miss you.

 

Thanks to all our truly wonderful prize sponsors – both for the festival winners and for the VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM fundraising auction at SID HAIG’S PRICE AWARD evening.

Thanks to:

Rob Hauschild at WILD EYE RELEASING

Kathy & Larry at BLAST FROM THE PAST

Del & Sue at DARK DELICACIES

Christopher Zephro at TRICK OR TREAT STUDIOS

David Shapiro at CREATIVE HANDBOOK

and Evan Zeisel at COPYRIGHT SLAP

We couldn’t do this without your support and generosity.

Thank you.


Friday 9th August’s Opening Night W.Coast Premiere of EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET was not only SOLD-OUT but also brought the film 4 major festival awards. In attendance were writer/actor and producer ROBERT RHINE, director CHAD FERRIN, composer RICHARD BAND and stars ROBERT MIANO, LANCE HENRIKSEN, BAI LING, BILL MOSELEY, KELLI MARONEY, SILVIA SPROSS, MATTHEW MOY, GINO SALVANO, DAN BENTON, JEFF BLUMBERG, LUCA PENNAZZATO, CRAIG NG, BRAD SERVER, JIN N TONIC and SAMMY THE DWARF. Pretty much the entire cast.

After an audience pleasing screening BAI LING was presented the HHF Best Comedy Actress Award, RICHARD BAND the Best Original Score Award, ROBERT MIANO the Best Actor Award and Producer ROBERT RHINE the Best Horror Comedy Feature Award.

A lively Q&A followed with journalist & author PAT JANKIEWICZ. We’ve never seen so many stars on-stage at the same time.

To add to the fun, star LANCE HENRIKSEN was clearly moved when presented with the festival’s IMPACT AWARD, an award he very clearly was not expecting. The evening raised funds and awareness for the VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM.

 

 

 

Hollywood legend LANCE HENRIKSEN received the coveted IMPACT AWARD last Friday August 9th at HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST 2019. The star of film classics ALIENS, THE TERMINATOR and NEAR DARK was happily surprised on-stage with the award presentation by festival founder MILES FLANAGAN and journalist & author PAT JANKIEWICZ. Mr. HENRIKSEN was at the festival as part of Friday’s EXORCISM AT 60,00 FEET Q&A panel and had no idea he was about to be given the award. The IMPACT AWARD is presented to an artist whose work has positively impacted genre filmmaking. And with a body of work that not only features the aforementioned classics but also includes THE RIGHT STUFF, JAGGED EDGE, THE PIT & THE PENDULUM, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, ALIEN 3, HARD TARGET, THE QUICK & THE DEAD, THE X FILES and MILLENNIUM to name but a few, Mr. HENRIKSEN truly deserves this accolade. 

As several cast members of EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET received festival awards on-stage Mr. HENRIKSEN joked, “Well I hope I don’t receive an award” only to be clearly moved when the IMPACT AWARD was presented to him “This Is Your Life” style. Previous recipients include HALLOWEEN co-composer ALAN HOWARTH and the late, great character actor DICK MILLER.

On Saturday, August 10th, at the HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST, actor SID HAIG became the 3rd annual recipient of the event’s prestigious Price Award – created to honor the iconic legacy of Vincent Price by celebrating an equally iconic genre icon.

The jet black Raven was bestowed onto Haig by VICTORIA PRICE herself, Price’s daughter. She delivered a touching speech explaining how Haig, like her famous father, embodied “the onscreen bad guy you secretly root for!”

The crowd at this invitation-only fundraising evening for the VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM, featured many of Haig’s costars from other projects, including Bill Mosely and Robert Mukes, Dee Wallace and Ken Foree, as well as HATCHET’S Adam Green, previous PRICE AWARD recipient Joe Dante, plus Belinda Balaski, Robert Rhine, the directors of THE AFTERMATH and HANUKKAH and many more.

A visibly moved Haig surprised everyone, as he held his Price Award and recounted a previously untold of meeting with Vincent Price. 

“I was casually dating a girl (who went unnamed) who invited me to the set of her movie, TALES OF TERROR. Once there, I met Vincent Price and spent the day with him and forgot all about her! I just loved him!

“We talked about everything. He was a gourmet cook and I wasn’t, but at least nobody died from my cookin’,” Haig joked.

Phaedra and Tate, the actor’s children, were in attendance.


 

“Growing up,  whenever Dad was on TV, my brother would always say, ‘what does Dad die in tonight?’, because he ALWAYS got killed!

“This Price award is so sweet, because it shows how much people love Dad.It’s still weird to see Dad on a t shirt, toy or tattoo, because to us, he’s Dad!”

The HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST was held August 9th and 10th at the Mayflower Club in N. Hollywood.

Another famous guest, or more specifically famous vehicle, joins the all-star cast for the Opening Night screening of EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET. The Girls and Corpses famous 1959 Cadillac hearse (Miller Meteor) which stars in Avril Lavigne’s new music video “I Fell In Love With The Devil” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIw_e2B0AbE  will be parked at Hollywood Horrorfest Friday August 9th for the Horror Comedy’s West Coast Premiere.

The restored vintage black ’59 Cadillac hearse has been featured in numerous music videos and movies, such as SUBURBICON, directed by George Clooney (starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore) and in EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET.

Tickets for the West Coast Premiere & Opening Night of HOLLYWOOD HORRORFEST can be purchased for only $10 in advance.

Stars Bill Moseley, Lance Henriksen, Bai Ling, Kelli Maroney, Robert Miano and the rest of the cast will be at the screening for a lively Q&A with journalist/author Pat Jankiewicz. We also promise a few big surprises along the way.

Tickets in advance available, while stocks last, at: https://exorcism.bpt.me

Doors Open at 7.00pm. Film begins at 8.00pm.

Full bar at the venue – bring ID