Popcorn Frights Reveals Full Lineup for Third Edition

Popcorn Frights has promised to be "bigger, bolder, and bloodier" in its third year, and the second wave of program announcements reflects that commitment. The festival has already revealed its homegrown horror section and a number of other new features. Now it says more than 40 film premieres from eight countries will hit Miami this August 11 through 17.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with this year’s Popcorn Frights Film Festival program, as it offers something exciting for every horror lover," cofounders Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman say in a news release. "These films brilliantly showcase the breadth and quality of genre work being produced worldwide and serves as a great reminder that the genre form is both thriving and continuously evolving."

The festival revealed that Tragedy Girls would be part of its opening-night lineup at O Cinema Wynwood, but there will also be two other films in its massive opening. One is the final cut of Terrifier, a spinoff of Damien Leone's All Hallow's Eve (and expansion of his short of the same name). The other is the North American premiere of Jackals, a psychological thriller set in the '80s and starring Stephen Dorff. 

The festival will continue for days with features such as the U.S. premiere of the horror-comedy Dead Shock and the North American debut of the Russian gothic horror The Bride. Another highlight is actor Michael G. Kehoe's return to the festival; he'll come with the North American premiere of The Hatred, an extension of his short film Hush, which has played at Popcorn Frights before.

Other titles this year include Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's The Endless, Graham Skipper's sci-fi horror-romance Sequence Break, the satirical Happy Hunting, the '90s coming-of-age flick Super Dark Times, and the South Florida premiere of the pulpy 68 Kill.
But it's not all about features. Joining homegrown short films such as Jon Rhoads and Mike Marrero’s Buzzcut will be a number of other shorts from new and emerging filmmakers. There are 20 shorts in all this year. The collection will include the world premiere of Andrew Hunt's Level, the North American debut of Izù Troin's animated Fierce, and Alfonso García López's found-footage film iMedium. Plus, check out Robin Comisar's Borscht-produced Red Lobster horror, Great Choice.

Also joining the haunted house of cinema is Miami-based record label Bribery Corporation, which will curate a live aural journey highlighting music and horror that includes DJ sets from Mystvries and Dr. Mofongo. These performances will shine a spotlight on iconic theme music from John Carpenter, Goblin, Steve Moore, Survive, and Disasterpeace. The tunes come from across the spectrum of classic and modern horror films, including darkwave, synthwave, and retrowave.

Festival premiere badges are on sale for a limited time for $120 per person and $180 for couples. Single screening tickets are available for $12. For badges, tickets, and the festival schedule, visit popcornfrights.com.