Nightstream 2021: Digital, Collaborative Festival Returns This October
Nightstream is coming back, baby. Last year's inaugural festival was a successful response to the shutdown that happened because of the pandemic. While all festivals in the collaborative effort are planning in-person or hybrid events this year, or next, there is still much more that they can accomplish by also doing this digital event. Thus, Nightstream is back for at least one more year, holding another online event this October from the 7th through the 13th.
Of the five festivals who combined their powers for good last year, four are returning for this year's edition: Boston Underground, North Bend, Brooklyn Horror and Overlook. Much like their dearly departed sister festival, Popcorn Frights, the collective will be putting all proceeds to mighty good causes: the National Alliance To End Homelessness, climate change advocacy group the Sunrise Movement, all artists being showcased, and the four participating festivals.
So it's business as unusual as one of our favorite online events last year is bringing most of the tream back together one more time. And this year they are taking submissions as well. If you have a feature or short film at the ready and looking to get it into a kick ass event then head on over to their filmfreeway page and submit. Submit!
The Boston Underground Film Festival (MA), Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (NY), North Bend Film Festival (WA) and the Overlook Film Festival (LA) will re-team this fall to present a second edition of NIGHTSTREAM. Originally launched in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, NIGHTSTREAM offered a singular virtual festival experience to U.S. audiences that emphasized community support and artist involvement. Now in 2021, the collaborative online film festival will return for another digital celebration sharing all proceeds with the National Alliance To End Homelessness, climate change advocacy group the Sunrise Movement, all artists being showcased, and the four participating festivals. The 2021 festival will run from Oct. 7-13.For the first time, NIGHTSTREAM will open film submissions for features and shorts, with this year’s shorts program presented by Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER and DUST. The lineup will be announced in mid-September. Submissions are available at https://filmfreeway.com/NightstreamEarlybird Badges are now on sale with the festival’s signature two badges available: The Night Owl, a five-film bundle, and Homebody, a ten-film package, priced at $45 and $79, respectively, until September 1st, with each badge also granting access to virtual live events and panels. Badges can be purchased here: https://nightstream2021.eventive.org/passes/buyNIGHTSTREAM will be geo-locked to the U.S. and hosted on Eventive, which offers enhanced security features trusted by leading distributors and studios including A24, Sony Pictures Classics, Starz, Showtime, National Geographic, and many more. It will function on multiple internet browsers as well as Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast and other connective devices to ensure the most wide-reaching compatibility, as well as comfort for viewers.The first NIGHTSTREAM featured a program of 41 feature films, including the world premiere of Hulu’s acclaimed thriller RUN on opening night and the North American premiere of Quentin Dupieux’s absurd French comedy MANDIBLES in closing, 164 short films, numerous special events, and a pioneering virtual social space for attendees that ran throughout the festival. Attending speakers and participants included John Carpenter, Nia DaCosta, Ruby Rose, Joe Dante, Ernest Dickerson, Elijah Wood, Mary Harron, Mike Flanagan, Issa Lopez, Barbara Crampton, Paul Scheer, Rusty Cundieff, Larry Fessenden, David Dastmalchian, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, and Mick Garris.The festival will feature a program showcasing a mix of international horror, fantasy, sci-fi, vanguard, and underground films that capture the distinct curatorial spirit of each festival. Highlighting imaginative, daring, and bold voices in cinema, NIGHTSTREAM will encompass the full scope of genre storytelling and provide an exciting home experience for film fans this Halloween season.Apart from the virtual event, the individual festivals producing this year’s NIGHTSTREAM will continue to run their unique ventures. The North Bend Film Festival is set to celebrate a hybrid edition from July 15-18 with screenings taking place in-person and virtually (geo-blocked to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho) while Boston Underground will return to the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge in March 2022, the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival will return to theaters in Brooklyn from October 14-21, and the Overlook Film Festival will return to New Orleans with an in-person festival and interactive experiences in early summer 2022.For more information about NIGHTSTREAM, and to purchase passes or submit films for consideration, please visit https://nightstream.orgNIGHTSTREAM is sponsored by Shudder, Gunpowder & Sky’s ALTER and DUST, Dark Star Pictures, and Daily Dead - additional sponsors will be announced in the coming months.
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