The Overlook Film Festival, the annual celebration of all things horror, has announced its full schedule for its 2024 edition, including some surprise new additions and special guests. Taking place April 4 – April 7 in America’s most haunted city, New Orleans, Louisiana at the Prytania Theatres, the horror festival announced seven additional films to its lineup, as well as new immersive events, presentations and parties. The festival schedule and tickets can be found at overlookfilmfest.com/schedule.
“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.
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.
