Locally produced “New Fears Eve” — a full-length movie shot entirely in Owensboro — is continuing to gain traction on the national film festival circuit. After a red carpet premiere at the RiverPark Center earlier this year, the producers are holding another screening at the venue on October 19 — complete with a costume contest and a Q&A with cast & crew.
“New Fears Eve” was produced by P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson of the local independent film company Blood Moon Pictures.
On Sunday night, the film was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award. The nomination was broadcasted live during the awards ceremony on Shudder, the largest horror streaming platform with more than 3 million viewers.
Doors for the screening at RPC on October 19 will open at 6 p.m., with the film starting at 7:15 p.m. The Q&A will follow the screening. Tickets can be purchased here.
“Because of the overall success of our June premiere, we got a call from The RiverPark Center, who wanted to screen the film again,” Starks said. “We’re excited because it’s another chance for the community to check it out, and in October no less. If there was ever a great time to come watch a locally produced horror film, Saturday, October 19, is that time.”
The movie was shot on several sets throughout the city, including The Pub on Second, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Owensboro Community and Technical College, the Owensboro Bridge, and more. Starks said it was intentional to put Owensboro at the center of his fictional universe.
“Owensboro is very heavily featured in this movie, so I think that’ll be something that’ll be really cool for people here to see,” Starks said.
He noted that the indie film genre is often written off as low-budget and reflected in the production quality. Starks said that is one of the lines they try to toe when producing these films.
Additionally, he said the film got some help in funding and production from horror film great Jeffrey Reddick, best known for writing the first “Final Destination” film and executive producing the second.
Reddick was such a big proponent of the project that he helped produce it and is an actor in the film. Starks originally approached Reddick for the Blood Moon Pictures film “13 Slays Till X-Mas,” when he said the production quality was impressive for an indie film.
Since then, Reddick has stayed in touch with the caveat that if he could, he’d help in some capacity for the next project. So when Starks reached out to Reddick about “New Fears Eve,” after reading the script, he knew the duo had yet another successful movie on their hands.
In an interview with OT earlier this year, Reddick said a successful horror movie has to start with characters that an audience is interested in. Otherwise, “you’re just watching people you don’t care about get killed.” He said he immediately noticed that the characters are rounded and believable in their endeavors.
Reddick said the movie leans toward a horror comedy, an approach he said often becomes a balancing act to ensure the movie is still suspenseful.
“There are definitely some suspenseful scenes and there are definitely some death scenes that I have never seen before — and I’ve watched everything. So they found a way to deduce at least three new kills, and there’s a lot of kills in this movie,” he said.
Gregg Hale, producer of “The Blair Witch Project” recently had an opportunity to watch “New Fears Eve”
“It’s a fun slasher,” he said. “(P.J. and Eric) did a great job managing a complex story with lots of moving parts. It looks really good, and has some truly funny moments and lines. All the kills were entertaining.”
The film has screened in numerous major cities and several festivals including Melbourne, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Houston. It has won Best Ensemble Cast, Audience Choice, two wins for Best Horror Comedy, and more, including a Best Supporting Performance win by “Scary Movie” actor Dave Sheridan.
There are already a couple more screenings scheduled for “New Fears Eve” — in New Jersey at Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle Film Festival at the end of the month, and at West 57th Street in Manhattan at the NYC Horror Film Fest at the beginning of December.
“Kevin Smith has been something of an inspiration for me as a visual storyteller,” Starks said. “Having our film selected to screen at his theater, at his festival is a surreal opportunity. We’re headed to New Jersey in a couple of weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. Then to be headed to New York City in December to show our movie will be an incredible way to cap off the year. I’ve never been to the Big Apple. My first time there coinciding with the screening of ‘New Fears Eve’ is nothing short of amazing. I have no idea what other surprises the year holds. This film has truly become something special.”
