News
Abertoir Festival Raises Money for Charity with Help of ‘Friday the 13th’ Director Sean Cunningham
The genre festival circuit is just ramping up at the moment, but the end of the season always bows out on a high in Wales with Abertoir.
Abertoir Horror Film Festival raised over £600 for local hospice care, thanks to generous donations from its attendees during the 2018 edition of the festival. The fundraising came as a result of the festival’s guest of honour, cult director and producer Sean S. Cunningham, best known for Friday the 13th, whose most recent project is a short documentary film, The Nurse With The Purple Hair, about an American hospice nurse, Michelle Lasota.
A large portion of the funds raised came from the auction of a horror-themed teddy bear which made reference to Friday the 13th. The teddy bear was donated by festival attendee Alan Jones, and signed by Sean S. Cunningham before it was put to auction. Julian Neilson was the winning bidder, and his bid was match-donated by Kristen and Jeff McGorry.
Elsewhere at the festival, attendees made optional donations during an autograph signing session with Sean S. Cunningham. The sale of second-hand DVDs, donated by several attendees, over the course of the six days of the festival, also raised money through an honesty box system. Between the auction, signings and the DVD sale, the Abertoir festival audience raised a total of £620.
The funds have been donated to two local hospice care providers, North Ceredigion’s HAHAV, which provides practical, social and emotional support to patients who are living with advanced, incurable and progressive illness in the comfort of their own homes; and the Skanda Vale hospice, located in Llandysul, which is predominantly staffed by volunteers. The hospice is now also in touch with Cunningham, and hope to host their own screening of his film in the new year.
Abertoir Festival director, Gaz Bailey, said “We were thrilled to be able to raise so much money for such a good cause. Our festival goers have always been among the kindest people you could ever hope to meet, and their generosity confirms that. We were really touched that such a meaningful and important subject such as hospice care could be embraced so warmly by our attendees.”
Abertoir Horror Festival took place 13-18 November, 2018 at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
Are you watching? Ishana Night Shyamalan has clearly been paying attention to her father, M. Night Shyamalan. Not only is she following in his footsteps as a filmmaker, but she’s also embracing a similar mystique surrounding her work.
The new trailer for her feature directorial debut, The Watchers, gives viewers a taste of what’s in store. AreYouWatching.com has launched with even more clues.
Visit the site to join the mysterious creatures that lurk in the Irish forest as you observe a shelter. From the time the sun sets at 7:30 PM until it rises at 5:55 AM, four strangers — played by Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Oliver Finnegan, and Olwen Fouere — can be seen trapped inside.
You’ll find several interactive items. Click on the gramophone to set the mood with some spooky music. Tap on the birdcage to hear an ominous message from the parrot inside: “I’m going out, try not to die.” Press on the TV to watch clips from a fake reality show called Lair of Love. And if you tap on the window during the daytime … they’ll tap back.
There are also Easter eggs hidden at specific times. We’ve discovered three: a disorienting shot of Fanning’s character’s car at 5:52 PM, a closer view of the captives at 11:11 PM, and a glimpse of monitors at 12:46 AM. Let us know if you find any more in the comments…
The Watchers opens in theaters on June 14 via New Line Cinema. Ishana Night Shyamalan writes and directs, based on the 2022 novel of the same name by A.M. Shine. M. Night Shyamalan produces.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Trap’ – Official Trailer Previews a Wild New Horror Experience from M. Night Shyamalan
‘The Exorcism’ – Russell Crowe Stars in Horror Movie Formerly Titled ‘The Georgetown Project’
