by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

This year I will be covering Nightstream Film Festival and I could not be more excited. If you have not heard of Nightstream they came about in 2020. As their website dates the festival came about “in response to the many challenges impacting the film community amid the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing concerns of safety and security associated with physical exhibition and festivals, the collaborative online event Nightstream was launched by organizers of a number of American genre festivals across the country to present a dynamic and accessible virtual film festival in October 2020.”

This year’s lineup is full of bizarre, sci-fi, horror, and thrillers. They also have several interesting shorts programs and events that folks are able to attend virtually. If you want to delve into the truly bizarre films making the festival circuit this year, this is a great place to look.

There are several feature films that I am looking forward to. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is a Japanese sci-fi film by director Junta Yamaguchi. The film was shot entirely on an iPhone and it follows a cafe owner who goes on a bizarre adventure in Japan. I love Japanese cinema and this seems like a very fun watch. 

Name Above Title is a film that comes from Portugal by director Carlos Conceição. This 59-minute film is about a serial killer who accidentally becomes famous after he is caught kissing a dying woman. This brings to mind films like American Psycho and Man Bites Dog. I love films that revolve around a serial killer and the more bizarre the premise the better. 

We're All Going to the World's Fair is a U.S. release by director Jane Schoenbrun. This film is about a girl who becomes obsessed with an online game and she begins to lose her grip on reality. I love tech-horror stories, especially ones that involve the characters grappling with the realities around them. I am eager to see how this one plays out. 

While I have already seen this film a few months ago I would be remiss if I did not take the opportunity to remind people that Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror is playing at the festival this year. Director Kier-La Janisse is one of my favorite women in horror and she crafts a beautiful history of a fascinating horror subgenre. It is incredibly thorough and I added many films to my watchlist after seeing this.

In honor of Woodlands Dark playing the festival also has a selection of folk horror they will be showing. This includes Alison’s Birthday, an Australian horror film from 1981, and Lake of the Dead a Swedish horror classic from 1958. There are plenty of other film retrospectives available that folks should check out. 

The festival also includes several blocks of shorts programming. I am looking forward to their “How We Survive” block which features shorts revolving around evil spirits, the horrors of the workplace, and time travelers. There “Last Resorts” also seems to be fun with shorts focused on supernatural rituals and some techno horror.

And finally, there are all of the amazing events being hosted by some of my favorites. Fangoria is doing a program on Horror Noire, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror is hosting a program on CreepyPasta horror, and Racer Trash has a “Scare-Tastic Double Feature” lined up. There is so much that Nightstream is offering that I hope I find the time to see everything I am interested in. 

Check back for my coverage on the festival. I cannot wait to share everything the festival offers with you all!