Highlands Horror Film Fest will feature 17 short films and 4 feature films along with appearances and Q&As with a variety of filmmakers and talent on both sides of the camera as part of their 3rd annual festival!
Returning to in-person screenings at the Highlands Borough Community Center, the Highlands Horror Film Festival will present their third edition of this rising film festival.
“It’s our third year and we are proud to offer a variety of horror selections ranging from subtle psychological terror to full blown blood and gore,” said, Film Fest director Rob Kneller.
The festival will both entertain and challenge the audience as the festival lineup will feature some of the brightest voices and creative minds on the indie film circuit. Each day will have two blocks of programming that will feature acclaimed horror short films taking the audience into the deep, dark corners of the genre.
Friday night will have not only a focus on Jersey based horror short films but will have a double bill of indie horror features with the award-winning thriller THE ANDY BAKER TAPE and the home invasion nightmare FOR ROGER.
Saturday will feature two horror anthologies including Mass Grave Pictures’ DARK TALES FROM CHANNEL X and the Dread released BAD CANDY!
FRIDAY CELEBRATES THE WICKED SIDE OF NEW JERSEY STARTING AT 7 PM!
We are especially excited about Friday evening’s presentation, Jersey Night, which features films
made in New Jersey by New Jersey natives. Besides some very exceptional shorts including
NOTICE ME, PREPARATION, NOT SO ALONE, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD, & [WITHIN THE FRAME], and we will have a double feature night with two films that have been earning kudos from film festivals across the country.
First is THE ANDY BAKER TAPE. This dark, thriller that follows New Jersey based food blogger, Jeff Blake. It was shot in New Jersey, produced by two former Montclair State University students, it uses the Garden State as the backdrop and even asks the boldest NewJersey question…Pork Roll or Taylor Ham?
The second feature on “Jersey Night,” is the dark drama FOR ROGER. The overarching narrative takes place in Roger’s vacation home, a desolate cabin that becomes a lot less comfortable when he realizes someone could be watching from outside. Created by recent Drexel graduate Aaron Bartuska and a team of fellow students on a bare bones budget FOR ROGER has been gathering accolades from many film festivals across the nation.
SATURDAY IS A DOUBLE BILL OF HORROR ANTHOLOGIES STARTING AT 2 PM!
Our Saturday Matinee will spotlight some global shorts including festival favorites like WILD WILL, DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, BREAKING, & OCCURRANCE from Indian Filmmaker Deb. Following that, HHFF is proud to present the “Garden State Premiere” of the indie horror anthology DARK TALES FROM CHANNEL X directed by Manny Serrano and Lindsay Serrano. In the vein of V/H/S, a young woman finds an old TV within the home she is babysitting. As she sits back and allows the dark tales of cursed items, vengeance, stalking, and murder to unfold, she will be pulled into a surreal and sinister broadcast of fears! Featuring Michelle Nunez, Sarah Schoofs, Diana Porter, Heather Drew, and Mike Roche.
The Saturday Night anthology feature will be BAD CANDY directed by Scot Hansen and Desiree Connell. From the horror label Dread, two DJs host a Halloween show that recounts local legends and supernatural events. Featuring Corey Taylor (lead vocalist of Slipknot), Zach Galligan (Hatchet 3; The Chair; Gremlins), and Ryan Kiser (House of Manson).
For the complete lineup, to get tickets, and learn more about the festival, head over to highlandsfilmfest.com