October has a Friday the 13th this year, so what better way to revel in the spooky season than with a slew of horror films beginning on that frightful day.
The Atlanta Horror Film Festival will be marking the occasion at a brand new venue, the Limelight.
“This is our first year at Limelight, and we are so excited to be moving to this new space,” said event organizer Eric Panter. “Limelight is equipped with two theaters, which means we can showcase nearly double the amount of films and we have plenty of extra space for filmmakers to come together before and after the screenings.”
The long-running Atlanta festival, now in its 17th season, will be bringing an extensive lineup of international and local horror films to the former home of the Village Theatre on Decatur Street in downtown Atlanta.
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Film Series
Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Film Series
“We’ve had filmmakers from all over the world join us for the festival,” Panter said. “Having such a large pool of international talent screening with our favorite local talent is something we are extremely excited about. Every year, our film submissions get better. This year is no exception.”
The festival hosts nine feature films in addition to more than 200 short horror films, and Panter is excited about the idea that this will be “an opportunity for audiences to be the first to see most of these films before they hit theaters across the country.”
And, as Panter noted, the festival is getting bigger. “We have over 200 amazing films screening, making this year’s festival the biggest we’ve ever had,” Panter said. “Anytime we get to meet these talented creators, and they have the chance to connect and collaborate with other filmmakers at the screenings or at one of our filmmaker parties, we help create lasting bonds which is one of the main reasons we hold this event.”
One of those filmmakers is Joe Reilly, whose “Charlie the Canceled Skeleton” is among the films screening at this year’s festival. His first horror short, “The Lake Parasite,” was on the festival bill back in 2021.
“When you attend the event, you feel like family, whether attending as a filmmaker or simply a fan of film,” Reilly said. “In fact, there are many filmmakers I’ve met at Atlanta Horror whom I’ve stayed close friends with over the years, so the networking effects of this festival are long lasting.”
With Atlanta’s growing stature in the film and television industry, it’s important to showcase that homegrown talent. Paster said the festival “has given local filmmakers opportunities they would have never had when we first started the festival in 2006.”
Reilly is a big fan of the event. “Atlanta Horror Fest is one of the best horror festivals in the world, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many other horror professionals as proven by their inclusion in Dread Central’s most recent list of best fests in the world,” he said. “I love seeing this festival continue to grow bigger and bigger every year.”
Whether they’re first starting out, or as in Reilly’s case, starting over, the Atlanta Horror Film Festival provides a way to reach fans of the genre. Reilly began his career at Disney Studios, but his passion was in horror.
“Working in that environment for so long made me walk the opposite path after a while,” Reilly said. “I’ve always been a fan of horror films, and after leaving Disney Studios, my goal was always to take a serious crack at making films on my own in this realm, which I did with ‘The Lake Parasite’.”
While the festival has grown over the years, there’s still room to reach more audiences in the years to come. “I would actually love to see this festival play at a big movie theater in the future,” Reilly said. “Right now it plays at a quaint little performance space in a fantastic location in Atlanta, which has a great personal feel to it, but with how much it has grown over the years, I could for sure see it filling out big movie theaters in the city easily.”
FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Atlanta Horror Film Festival
Oct. 13-15. $25, Friday or Sunday; $35, Saturday. Individual film screenings, $13. Limelight Theater, Pencil Factory Flats, 349 Decatur St. SE, Atlanta. Atlantahorrorfilmfest.com.
FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
“Forever Young.” An age-reversing drug offers an author a chance to rewrite her life, and erase the aspects she regrets. 10 p.m. Oct. 13.
“Abruptio.” Les Hackel is a guy down on his luck who wakes to find an explosive device has been implanted in his neck. 11:59 p.m. Oct. 13.
“The Stranger.” A naive, young ride-share driver is thrown into her worst nightmare when a mysterious Hollywood Hills passenger hitches a ride one night. 6 p.m. Oct 14.
“An Angry Boy.” Owen was kidnapped by a ruthless predator when he was younger and his repressed memories are starting to flood back. 10 p.m. Oct. 14.
“There’s Something in the Lake.” A 13-year-old girl and her two friends fall asleep watching a monster movie and are literally sucked into its world. 5 p.m. Oct. 15.
“Departing Seniors.” Following an act of bullying, a gay, Mexican American high schooler develops psychic abilities which he must use to stop a mysterious serial killer targeting his classmates. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 15.
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