by Jenika McCrayer, Staff Writer

I’ve been waiting all year for this moment: there’s a crisp chill in the air, well-trodden paths are now paved with vibrant hues of fallen leaves, and for once, I’m encouraged to watch as many horror films as possible instead of being referred to a specialist. Yes, my friends, Spooky Season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than at the ninth annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (BHFF), happening from Thursday, October 17 through Thursday, October 24, 2024.

Brooklyn Horror is on a mission to provide “nightmare fuel” and push boundaries on what is considered horror. Their ninth annual festival offers an ambitious slate of films from around the world, spotlighting first-time filmmakers and filmmakers from marginalized communities. The festival has a growing community as well and offers unique events, lectures, and Q&As with filmmakers. There will be no shortage of thrills, and I truly wish I could see all of the films! Below are just a few of the films I can’t wait to see.

Features

Sayara
Written and Directed by Can Evrenol
Premieres October 18
Tickets here

I personally love a beautiful revenge story, and I have high hopes for Sayara. The titular character, Sayara, is a janitor at an Istanbul gym who keeps her martial arts combat training a secret. But Sayara soon finds an outlet for her skills as she seeks to avenge her sister’s murder at the hands of the gym owner and his powerful friends. Turkish Director Can Evrenol returns to Brooklyn Horror with plenty of gore and social commentary, and I look forward to both!

Vampyres (1974)
Directed by José Ramón Larraz
Screens October 19
Tickets here

Each year’s Fear In Focus program offers a chance to see old and new international films, and this year highlights films from Spain. This includes 1974’s Vampyres, about a pair of female vampires who stalk the British countryside for men. It promises plenty of blood, sex, and murder, which is what this season is all about!

Grafted
Directed by Sasha Rainbow
Premieres October 21
Tickets here

Grafted follows college student Wei, a college student determined to continue her late father’s work treating facial disfigurement and skin disease. Wei also becomes personally invested in her father’s work as she tries to assimilate into her cousin’s popular group of friends. While I’ve personally never been a fan of body horror, I can’t resist a Mean Girls meets Frankenstein horror with unbridled teenage angst. Because we’ve all been there before, right? Grafted has already been acquired by horror streaming service Shudder for a 2025 release, which is a hell of an endorsement for director Sasha Rainbow’s first film.

The Rule of Jenny Pen
Directed by James Ashcroft
East Coast Premiere October 24
Tickets here

Icons Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow together in one film? Yes, please! The Rule of Jenny Pen is a black comedy that follows a newer nursing home resident (Rush) who endures odd and increasingly terrifying nightly visits from a fellow resident (Lithgow). Director James Ashcroft’s sophomore film sounds bonkers enough to deserve one of BHFF’s Closing Night slots.

Shorts

Shorts: Slayed
Beach Logs Kill, directed by Haley Z. Boston
Lady Parts, directed by Ariel McCleese
Unsettled, directed by Bella Thorne
Dream Factory, directed by Alex Matraxia
Rat! directed by Neal Suresh Mulani
Stink, directed by Matias Breuer
Girls, directed by Julien Hosmalin
Screens October 19
Tickets here

I love that Brooklyn Horror platforms LGBTQ filmmakers and themes, and I look forward to the Slayed Shorts every year. There will also be a post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers as well.

Events

The Future of Film is Female: Women in Horror Brunch
October 20
Tickets here

Horror has an enthusiastic community filled with the nicest weirdos you’ll ever meet, but at times, it can be aggressively cishet male. I am most excited to brunch with ladies and other marginalized genders in the industry and to learn more about The Femme Fright Collective community and feminist horror magazine Bloodletter.

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies: Queer Vampires, Queer Liberation, Queer Futurity
October 22
Tickets here

Horror often gets a bad rap for appearing shallow or senseless gore, but the Miskatoic Institute always provides sound methods to the madness. Dr. Leah Richards’ lecture will explore the significance of vampires being universally queer-coded, the intersections of monstrosity and sexuality, and how vampire cinema coincided with the 1960s and 1970s queer liberation movement. This lecture complements all of the vampire films presented at BHFF this year and will even cover the queerness seen in Vampyres.

Brooklyn Horror Film Festival runs from October 17 through October 24, and tickets may be purchased here.