Night Frights LA Unleashes Horror Showcase

A new entrant to Los Angeles’ festival circuit arrives on 20 September as 2100films unveils Night Frights LA, a one-day horror showcase running 10am to 10pm in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Founded by filmmaking brothers Tristan and Gavin Winchester, the inaugural edition combines screenings, panels, a red carpet and a premiere at a separate historic cinema site, with an afternoon gala for Catch a Killer headlining proceedings before an evening of shorts blocks and spotlights.

The programme puts emerging directors front and centre across competitive strands and curated sidebars. The “Best in Blood” selection features Ghosted (dir. Jamie Dee Lyons), Playback (dir. Gavin Zahn), No Slasher Here (dir. Robert Tiemstra), Knife (dir. Michael Kuciak), Chickenboy (dir. Matthew Rush), A Simple Life (dir. Manoa Raine), Banjo (dir. Cameron Poletti), Where the Shadows Feast (dir. Aaron M Cabrera), The Carvening (dir. Matthew R Cinotti) and Love Forevermore (dirs. Jeremy Mowery, Annette Bedrossian).

Psychological and gore-tilted shorts sit under “Mental Carnage”, comprising Vivir (dir. Gerardo Maravilla), The Specter of Christmas (dir. Joel Harlow) with Paul Giamatti among the cast, Devil’s Prism (dir. Kika Magalhães), Keep Coming Back (dir. Kyle Kouri), The Last Thing She Saw (dirs. Anthony Cousins, Rebecca Daugherty), The Vanity (dir. Megan Rosati) and Contraction (dir. Andy Greene). International titles and performance-led showcases appear in “Planet Terror” with LaCroix (dir. Joris Fleurot), Umbra (dir. Pablo Otero), Bananahead (dir. Christopher Greenslate), The Overkill (dir. Joanna Tsanis), The Nature of Death (dir. Sean Cruser) and The Smell of Sin (dir. Gabriel Paul Gonzales).

Beyond films, Night Frights LA runs a craft-focused panel with the Horror Writers Association moderated by Kevin Wetmore, featuring Maria Alexander, Paul Carro, Ari Loeb and Greg McWhorter. A dedicated writers’ slate highlights projects at treatment and screenplay stage, including Gravewater (Jeff Barker), Dreadel (Nick Roth), One for the Box (Kevin Machate), Bitchlorette (Randi Krasny), #VanLife (Keegan Bartel), Sick Sad Little Games (William Sterling) and Consumed (Don Stroud).

VIP badge holders receive reserved seating, automatic raffle entry for signed HWA titles, limited-edition festival merchandise and access to an exclusive Q&A with composer John Massari followed by a screening of Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The evening concludes with an awards presentation hosted by Elias Alexandro recognising category winners across the competitive strands.

The organisers point to a broad partner network backing the launch. Angel City Brewery underwrites much of the event and will continue a monthly horror screening series with 2100films after the festival; October’s SAW-themed Fall of Flesh installation has prompted interest from Lionsgate Horror. Additional sponsors and supporters include Dallas Global Agency, Screambox, For The Win, Creatures of Science, Halloween Toys and Costumes, and a media roster featuring Rue Morgue, Morbidly Beautiful, HorrorBuzz, Macabre Daily, Local Haunts, PromoteHorror and Film Inquiry, alongside FilmLA and LACC Digital Readers.

Night Frights LA follows 2100films’ “Summer of Scream” collaboration with Paramount Scares at Angel City Brewery and aims to extend that model across the year. The festival will maintain an all-day red carpet, with a dedicated filmmaker and screenwriter call time prior to the Catch a Killer premiere, and additional pop-up moments planned during the evening blocks.

Tickets and programme details are available via nightfrightsla.com.