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2023 HAUNTED GARAGE HORROR FEST

Hello, and welcome! We are happy you're here! Below you will find the itinerary for 

the 2023 Haunted Garage Horror Festival. This year we are offering 3 packed days of horror films, 

speakers, and our featured hands-on practical effects genius, Brian Hillard, creator of

the most famed zombie in AMC’s The Walking Dead, "THE WELL WALKER"!

Thursday OCT 5, 2023
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6:00PM - 7:00PM 

FESTIVAL OPENING & HAPPY HOUR 

MEET THE DEAD TALKERS | NETWORK 
EXPERIENCE HORROR THEMED COCKTAILS

The Haunted Garage Horror Festival kicks off with cocktail hour Friday night. Mingle with other filmmakers and fans as we settle in for three days of delight! Meet practical effects master, Brian Hillard, Chest director, Aaron Irons, and renowned writer of horror, Jeff Bassetti!

THURSDAY OCT 5, 2023

7:15PM - 8:00PM 

FESTIVAL MICRO HORROR SHORTS 

SELECTEES: 

MICRO-SHORT FILMS

Cancerslug (Los Angeles, CA)

Director: Francesca Nobili

Run Time: 00:01:00

MATCHED (NY, NY)

Director: Zack Kron

Run Time: 00:03:10

Sally's Lullaby

Director: Johnathan Cook

Run Time: 00:05:00

 

Dinner For One (Topsfield, MA)

Director: Brad Jacques

Run Time: 00:01:59

He's Mine (STL)

Director: Brian Cooksey

Run Time: 00:02:30

(Q&A w/ Brian Cooksey)

 

SHORT FILMS

Member's Mark (STL)

Director: Marisa DeMarini

Run Time: 00:10:12

Why Don't You Like Me (Nashville, TN)

Director: Ira Storozhenko

Run Time: 00:20:02

Q&A w/ Exe. Producer Brett Woodall

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Dinner For One / Director: Brad Jacques

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Cancerslug / Director: Francesca Nobili

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Sally's Lullaby / Director: Johnathan Cook

THURSDAY OCT 5, 2023

8:30PM - CLOSE

CHEST

Followed by Q&A With Director, AARON IRONS

RUNTIME: 01:35:00

 

While filming a documentary series about Appalachian folklore and mythology, a crew of amateur filmmakers uncover the legend of a mysterious box hidden away deep in a wilderness area known as "Jeffrey's Hell" in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee.

SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

8:30AM - 9:30AM 

COFFEE WITH FILMMAKERS

CAFFEINATE & NETWORK WITH THE FILMMAKERS

Starbucks is located on site! The first person that orders a Pumpkin Latte gets a high-five! 

Starbucks at Westport

111 W. Port Plaza Dr. #123 

Saint Louis, MO 63146

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SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

10:00AM - 12:00PM 

FESTIVAL HORROR SHORTS BLOCK 1

SELECTEES: 

417 Meadow Lane (Winter Park, FL)

WINNER BEST STUDENT FILM

Director: Adam Wells

Run Time: 00:09:48

 

Self-Exposure (STL)

WINNER: BEST SCREENPLAY

Director: Randy Shinn (Presenting)

Run Time: 00:11:41

 

The Journal of Aleksandr Kuzmich (STL)

WINNER: MOST INNOVATIVE CREATURE

Director: Alexander Hernandez (Presenting)

Run Time: 00:09:o1

 

Dementia 29 (STL)

WINNER: BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Director: Ben Manhanke 

Runtime: 00:24:54

Q&A w/ Ben Manhanke 

Viral (STL)

WINNER: BEST SHORT FILM

Director: Michael Rich (Presenting)

Run Time: 00:13:12

 

PER UN RASOIO IM GOLA (Richmond, VA)

Director: Jim Stramel

Runtime: 00:08:31

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417 Meadow Lane

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VIRAL

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Self-Exposure

SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

12:30PM - 2:00PM - WINNER: FILM W/ THE MOST GRIT

A LUNATICS FILM (HENDERSON, TN)

DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS (PRESENTING)

RUNTIME: 01:00:30

 

A VHS tape provided to the Postelsky Police Department by an unknown third party, that features an unnamed man's psychotic descent into serial murder.

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Starlight Light Hotel

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Chateau Sauvignon

SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

2:15PM - 3:30PM 

FESTIVAL HORROR SHORTS BLOCK 2

SELECTEES: 

Chateau Sauvignon: Terroir (NY, NY)

Director: D.M. Night Maire

STUDENT FILM SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS (SVA)

Runtime: 00:13:00

 

The Starlight Hotel (Springfield, MO)

STUDENT FILM MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

Director: Brett Baxley

Runtime: 00:15:00

 

Experience the World: The Train (Chicago, IL)

WINNER: Best Dark Comedy

Director: Duro Howard Jr.

Runtime: 00:06:00

 

The Bellman (Kansas City, MO.)

WINNER: BEST MICRO-SHORT FILM

Director: Paul South

Run Time: 00:06:20

SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

4:00PM - 6:00PM 

CHEST (MADISON, TN)

DIRECTOR: AARON IRONS (PRESENTING)

WINNER: BEST OF FEST

RUNTIME: 01:35:00

 

While filming a documentary series about Appalachian folklore and mythology, a crew of amateur filmmakers uncover the legend of a mysterious box hidden away deep in a wilderness area known as "Jeffrey's Hell" in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee.

SATURDAY OCT 8, 2022

PRACTICAL EFFECTS WORKSHOP WITH

BRIAN HILLARD

7:15PM - 10:00PM 

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YOU, THE AUDIENCE, WILL WORKSHOP A ZOMBIE!

Brian is known for creating practical effects for numerous film and television productions, including Academy Award winning films Django Unchained, Predator, The Departed and No Country for Old Men.  He also designed and created all the practical effects on his two films, The Spore and 3 Demons. Brian is also a 

two-time Emmy Award Winner for his work on both The Walking Dead and Star Trek: Discovery.  Click HERE to view Brian’s impressive Full IMDB profile here

In addition to his work in the film industry, Brian is the CEO of metaSPHERE Industries. a company which works closely with a charity near and dear to the Shift Films family, the  Heroic Hearts Project  The goal of the Heroic Hearts Project is to help veterans dealing with the challenges of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.  A portion of proceeds from ticket sales is being donated to the Heroic Hearts Project to help this great cause! Brian will be doing autographs featuring his artistry and all proceeds will fund these amazing projects for Veterans!!! 

Brian will teach you the best practices when it comes to PRACTICAL EFFECTS and, who knows, maybe he will bring the monster out of you! 

SUNDAY OCT 9, 2022

10:30AM - 12:15PM

STREET WALKER (Wyoming, MI)

DIRECTOR: JEFFEREY HUSSELMAN

RUNTIME: 01:37:55

 

Ruby lives a jaded life of melancholy until she survives the most traumatic night of her life and wakes up to slowly realizing that she’s living in a nightmare.

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SUNDAY OCT 9, 2022

THE HORRORS OF FILM MAKING WITH

JEFF BASSETTI

12:30PM - 2:30PM 

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The Haunted Garage is pleased to present one horror writer, producer, and director who fought through 20 years of battles for his film to be made. How did he do it? What horrors did he encounter? Prepare yourself for the incredible JEFF C. BASSETTI, who will share his filmmaking adventures about distribution's shady nature, funding, even drug money laundering–a man who created a masterpiece with F-Stops, while so many odds were placed against him. With production bids that fell through numerous times, through countless recuts, sound, and music changes, to end with a piece of art that should have blasted the Silver Screen in CANNES… but instead, played for 5 minutes before the house lights went up? The controversy still lives today as to why CANNES refused to show it, but having KODAK step up for you, that's pretty cool.

 

Hearing Jeff's story and reading the chronology of his film brought me to a jaw-dropping halt. How can anyone stay the course after so many let downs? One word, Passion. Jeff shares his passion as our final
DEAD TALKER to encourage you to never give up, to keep driving, and to find ways to succeed. Winner of countless awards, from Houston World Fest to Austin's Revolution, Jeff has seen it all on the west coast, even starting his career at Industrial Lights & Magic.  Jeff will take us through the ups and downs of the film making process.

F-STOPS Synopsis

Driven by blind passion to shoot his neo-realistic crime story as authentically as possible, Gabe crosses the line and hires Gideon as a criminal consultant to lead his band of neophyte actors on his quest. How do you make it in Hollywood these days? You stage a real robbery and call it art.

SUNDAY OCT 9, 2022

 3:00PM - 4:30PM

A TOWN FULL OF GHOSTS 

DIRECTOR: ISAAC RODRIGUEZ

WINNER: BEST HORROR FEATURE

RUNTIME: 01:05:17

 

A couple invest in a tourist attraction town. but little do they know the hidden secrets.

SUNDAY OCT 9, 2022

6:00PM - 8:30PM

AWARDS | JUDGED BY BRIAN HILLARD, JEFF BASSETTI, MATT NEAL & MAX FOIZEY

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THE GOLD PISTONS are handed out! These handcrafted awards are like nothing you will experience at any festival. Ripped from engines at fatal accident scenes, we send home 8 golden pistons to the lucky winners. Some are reportedly haunted, a little added bonus at our horror fest. 

 

This year we have added the BLACK ROAD PISTON award for the film with the most GRIT! 

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