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Overlook Film Fest

Summer camp for horror fans is back! The Overlook Film Fest delivers 4 packed days of horror in a haunted city — back in person for 2022.

The Overlook Film Festival is a 4-day celebration of all things horror held in America’s most haunted city, New Orleans. Each year, genre fans and cinephiles from the world over convene in the heart of the French Quarter, home to countless apparition sightings, voodoo legends, vampire curses, and even some lore related to our namesake, horror fiction’s most frightening creation.

Presenting superior film programming with an expanded focus on experiential events, the festival showcases exciting work in new and classic independent horror cinema alongside the latest in interactive and live shows for a fully immersive weekend.

Hailed as a summer camp for genre fans, The Overlook is a community event bringing the best of horror in all its forms to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience within an intimate and inspirational environment.

This year’s event takes place JUNE 2 – 5, 2022, and features 23 feature films plus numerous special events. 

Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

The 2022 Overlook packed lineup is blowing my mind.

The festival will open with the North American premiere of Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, and close with Universal Picture’s and Blumhouse’s The Black Phone.

I’m a huge fan of Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, The Bad Batch), and I could not be more excited to see the latest new fantasy film from this visionary director, who will be in attendance to screen the North American Premiere of her film.

Adding to my excitement is the fact that there could not be a more perfect place to experience this pulsating, raucous film than at Overlook in New Orleans, given the film takes place on the NOLA streets. It’s about a mental asylum escapee with unusual powers setting off on a thrilling adventure as she tries to make it on her own while on the run from the cops.

An incredible cast including Jeon Jong-soo, Kate Hudson, and Craig Robinson make this violent, surreal, homegrown crowd-pleaser glow with the character of the city.

The Black Phone

I had the pleasure of seeing The Black Phone at Fantastic Fest, and it’s extraordinary. You don’t want to miss this one!

The minds behind Sinister and Dr. Strange return to horror with this terrifying tale of a shy 13-year-old boy (Mason Thames), abducted and trapped in a soundproof basement by a sadistic killer (Ethan Hawke), who begins to receive mysterious calls, on a dead telephone, from the killer’s previous victims.

Here are just a few of the other films I’m most excited to see at the fest:

RESURRECTION

Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth turn in career-defining performances in this blistering tale of a successful businesswoman whose peaceful and disciplined life with her daughter takes a turn for the very, very dark when a man carrying the secrets of their past returns to confront her.

THE COW

Kath (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend Max (John Gallagher Jr.) head off to the Redwoods for a getaway, only to discover that their Airbnb has been double-booked by another couple. Out of viable options, the four decide to share the house for the night. When Kath wakes up in the morning, only to find Max has disappeared, it sends her on a dangerous and surreal journey in this creepy, twisty thriller.

DEADSTREAM

Filmmakers Joseph and Vanessa Winter will be on hand to present this go-for-broke gorefest sees an arrogant, stunt-driven video blogger, on the verge of social cancellation, who gets exactly what he bargained for when he faces his craziest challenge yet – spending a night in an actual haunted house.

FLUX GOURMET

Peter Strickland (In Fabric, The Duke of Burgundy), the master of oddities, is back with his latest tale, a portrait of an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performances where power struggles, bizarre fetishes, gastrointestinal issues, and revenge abound.

HYPOCHONDRIAC

Director Addison Heimann will be on hand to screen this film about a young, gay potter who begins to spin out of control when he realizes he’s losing control of his bodily functions while being haunted by an unknown presence tied to his past in this blistering, erotic spookfest.

JETHICA

Director Pete Ohs will present his film about a woman’s stalker who follows her to a remote area of New Mexico, where she and her estranged high school friend must enlist spectral assistance in this thoughtful, often comedic ghost story that skewers toxic masculinity in modern dating.

SISSY

When successful social media influencer Cecilia gets invited to a destination bachelorette party by her childhood best friend, she finds herself face to face with her high school bully in this grisly, inventive slasher from directors Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes (who will be in person at the fest).

WATCHER

One of the most exciting new voices in horror this year, Chloe Okuno, makes her solo feature debut with this homage to 70s tales of paranoia about a young woman who moves to foreign country with her fiancée and can’t shake the feeling that she is being constantly monitored by an unseen figure in an adjacent building.

Additionally, the following incredible films will enjoy their World Premiere at The Overlook:

SHAKY SHIVERS

By turns charming and creepy, this pitch-perfect directorial debut from actor Sung Kang (the Fast & Furious franchise) is a hilarious spoof of 80s monster movies about two best friends who travel to an abandoned cabin in the woods with a book of magical spells hoping to escape a mysterious curse.

THE SUMMONED

Two high-profile couples learn the true price of success and inheritance when they discover just how exclusive the self-help seminar they’ve attended is in this nasty piece of evil business from newcomer Mark Meir, who will be at The Overlook to present his film.

SWALLOWED

From Carter Smith, the Director of The Ruins, comes a pulse-pounding tale of two best friends on what might be their final night together. A drug deal gone wrong finds them at the center of a chilling queer body horror full of shocking violations. Carter Smith will be in person at the festival.

WHO INVITED THEM

Reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s Funny Games, Duncan Birmingham’s first feature follows a young married couple who, after a successful housewarming party, discover that their charming new neighbors have crashed. Hoping to prove themselves to be hospitable, they keep the drinks flowing, only to realize there might be sinister intent in the air. Birmingham will be in-person to present the debut of his first film.

But that’s not all! 

Part of what makes The Overlook so beloved is that it’s not just a killer lineup of must-see features and short films. It’s also a fest rich with signature live and special event programming.

One of the most crowd-pleasing events of the fest is “The Game”, as it’s colloquially known — a multi-day live ARG that all pass holders can participate in. This year, it’s being designed by Escape My Room, a New Orleans immersive experience company, and it promises to be an unforgettable experience.

A staple of the festival since its inception, this year’s re-imagined weekend-long immersive storytelling experience offers a gripping story told through text messages, phone calls, and real-world investigations that can be played at your convenience throughout the fest, in groups or alone, in and around the festival hub. A local music historian who has uncovered a demonic connection between a series of unexplained deaths summons you to discover the truth. Will you be able to put a rest to the chaos? Or will discord continue to ring out?

According to The Overlook organizers, some clues for “The Game” are already tucked into the site! So be sure to head there now to learn more about the event and start planning your winning strategy.

This year’s passes are cheaper than ever, and a portion of all sales will go to helping New Orleans rebuild from Hurricane Ida. 

The city of New Orleans continues working on making a full recovery from the devastating effects caused by Hurricane Ida in August 2021. This year’s festival is dedicated to giving back to its adopted city, donating a portion of festival pass and ticket sales to the Hurricane Ida Relief and Recovery Fund, a project from the Mutual Aid Response Network led by Imagine Water Works.

Each pass includes access to:

  • All regular festival screenings
  • Opening Night Film
  • Closing Night Film
  • Centerpiece Film
  • All Panels
  • All Live Shows
  • All Events

Your pass allows exclusive access to registration for any festival activity that requires advance sign-up, as well as free access to the weekend-long alternate reality game from Escape My Room.

Festival Passes – $250

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