Focus on The Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival

The Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival announced today eleven feature films and over thirty shorts to screen at the fifth annual festival, held this year October 21-25, 2010.

International festival hit, TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL will open Spooky Movie 2010 on Thursday, October 21 at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. TUKCER & DALE premiered this year at Sundance, and has already received awards from Fantasia and South by Southwest festivals. This is the second year in a row the festival kicks off at the legendary AFI venue.

“We are looking forward to once again work with the American Film Institute,” said Mr. Curtis Prather, festival director and founder. “Thanks to our theatre partners, such as the AFI Silver Theatre and Cinema Arts Theatre, audiences from all over the D.C. metro area will have extraordinary opportunities to see the best independent horror cinema on the big screen!”

On the evening of Friday, October 22 the festival moves to Fairfax, Virginia’s Cinema Arts Theatre, which has been home for Spooky Movie since 2006. For the fifth fest in a row, Friday night has been set aside for new zombie movies, highlighted this year by the terrific and bloody feature films COLIN, which debuted at Cannes in 2009, and BROKEN SPRINGS: SHINE OF THE UNDEAD ZOMBIE BASTARDS, which is certain to win over the Spooky Movie audience.

• Discounted admission at the door Friday night for patrons who come dressed as zombies!

On Saturday, October 23, also at Cinema Arts, Spooky Movie presents a different kind of late night double feature, as we return to our roots when we blast into modern “grindhouse” cinema with the Australian “Oz-politation” ode to Russ Meyer and Ray Harryhausen, EL MONSTRO DEL MAR! and the latest from the man who started it all – Herschell Gordon Lewis’ blood soaked satire THE UH-OH SHOW!

“We've welded together outrageous gore and outrageous humor,” says Herschell, who debuted footage from THE UH-OH SHOW! for the Spooky Movie patrons at our opening night 2009. “The audience will know we had a good time making this one, and I can promise they'll have a good time watching it.”

• Because of the extreme nature of some of the features and shorts, the Saturday night block is restricted to patrons 17 years and older, without exception.

The festival resumes a few hours later, Sunday, October 24, at noon with a slate of five unique feature films that will run through-out the day: Stephen King’s EVERYTHING’S EVENTUAL, the psychological slasher THE ECHO GAME, the extreme French/Norwegian twist on the living dead DARK SOULS (Mørke Sjeler), the brilliantly twisted and disturbing look at the horror movie culture, S&MAN (Sandman), which shocked audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival and South by Southwest, and the documentary on the career of Spooky Movie’s godfather “Count Gore De Vol” - EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN.

“I'm continually amazed as to how happy people are after watching this film in a theater,” said Dick Dyszel (aka: “Count Gore De Vol,” “Captain 20,” and “Bozo”), who (as “The Count”) will attend the screening, along with vintage props from his shows. “The film brings back so many wonderful memories!”

• Co-produced by the Spooky Movie Film Festival, and distributed by Brink Media, EVERY OTHER DAY IS HALLOWEEN screens at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 24, in a program block appropriate for most age 10 and up.

All good things have to come to an end, and for Spooky Movie 2010 that day is Monday, October 25, when we present the American Premiere of the Chinese ghost story THE MATRIMONY, at Cinema Arts Theatre. Premiering outstanding new “Extreme Asia” cinema on Closing Night is yet another Spooky Movie tradition that goes back to our inaugural festival in 2006.

In addition to these 11 features, 31 exceptional and diverse international SHORTS from 9 counties will also screen. Horror, comedies, suspense, science-fiction, ghosts, experimental, vampires, animation, creepy kids, musicals, werewolves, maniacs, and even a zombie western will accompany the feature films for each block, giving the lucky Spooky Movie patrons at AFI or Cinema Arts a fuller festival experience.

”As a filmmaker and a fan of the macabre, Spooky Movie is an essential stop for filmmakers and genre film buffs alike,” said award winning director, and three time Spooky Movie alum, Brian Lonano, who’s new short , MARTIAN PRECURSOR, will have its world premiere at the very top of the festival, Thursday, October 21. “C.W. Prather puts together a great festival with great films and has become one of my favorite film festivals period!”

Lonano is one of several Spooky Movie filmmakers whose works are showcased on the new television program, “Spooky Movie Television,” which debuted this summer in Northern Virginia, and will soon be on in more markets in the mid-Atlantic region by Halloween 2010. Giving indie filmmakers a chance for greater exposure, Spooky Movie Television (www.spookymovietelevision.com) also brings the festival home for fans year round.

FESTIVAL TRAILER > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l25wSvpQdEw

COMPLETE SCHEDULE with film synopsis are available at the official website, along with more detailed information on tickets and times: www.thespookymovie.com.