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
