POPCORN FRIGHTS UNLEASHES SECOND WAVE FEATURING DEE WALLACE, TINA ROMERO’S “QUEENS OF THE DEAD,” JOHN CARPENTER’S “THE FOG” IN “FOG-O-VISION,” AND 25 NEW PREMIERES

Highlights include a hell-raising debut from Tina Romero and her undead drag spectacle QUEENS OF THE DEAD featuring a live drag performance to die for, the 4K premiere of DAY OF THE DEAD for its 40th anniversary, a howling triple-bill with horror icon Dee Wallace, an immersive “Fog-O-Vision” experience of John Carpenter’s THE FOG, a “Masters of Horror” panel featuring horror legends like Barbara Crampton and Lloyd Kaufman, and a parade of 25 theatrical premieres including AMERICANA starring Sydney Sweeney—all capped by nationwide virtual carnage that ensures no soul escapes the madness.

The Eleventh Annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival will be a hybrid experience presenting both in-theater and virtual film offerings from August 7-17, 2025

The screams just got LOUDER! Building on the killer buzz of its initial lineup announcement, the 11th Annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival is back with a vengeance, dropping its second wave of programming—and it’s packed with an additional 25 film premieres, epic events, and special guests who are ready to raise unholy hell across South Florida from August 7–17!

Hot off the slab is Tina Romero, daughter of zombie godfather George A. Romero, making a hell-raising entrance with the Southeast US premiere of her undead drag spectacle QUEENS OF THE DEAD, a dazzling, blood-splattered celebration of identity, horror, and glamour. This night of the living glam will be paired with a fabulous live drag performance that’s guaranteed to slay and leave audiences gagging… for more brains! Tina will also present a special 40th Anniversary 4K Restoration of her father’s seminal zombie classic DAY OF THE DEAD, bringing the zombies back to Florida soil where it was originally shot.

But the undead aren’t the only icons rising—horror legend Dee Wallace is crashing the party for a howl-worthy triple-bill, appearing in-person to introduce three of her all-time cult classic hits: Stephen King’s CUJO, Wes Craven’s gritty nightmare THE HILLS HAVE EYES, and Joe Dante’s hair-raising masterpiece THE HOWLING, newly restored in 4K. She joins an already stacked horror pantheon that includes genre titans Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, and Linnea Quigley, making this year’s Popcorn Frights a bloodbath of horror royalty.

Speaking of legends, Popcorn Frights is summoning a thick layer of terror with a one-of-a-kind immersive experience of John Carpenter’s THE FOG in full-blown “Fog-O-Vision!” This 40th anniversary immersive event surrounds audiences in a thick veil of fog—yes, real fog!—as the restored 4K print rolls. When the fog rolls in… the terror begins.

Recently named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” Popcorn Frights continues to be a must-attend summer pilgrimage for genre fans. This year ups the ante with an epic “Masters of Horror” panel featuring Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, and Stephen Susco, moderated by FANGORIA’s Kimberly Leszak—a must-see scream summit!

Among the 25 newly announced in-theater premieres are some of the most daring, demented, and deliriously entertaining horror films on the festival circuit, including: the Sydney Sweeney-starring neo-western thriller AMERICANA; the animated fever dream DOG OF GOD; the pastel-slashed horror comedy FUCKTOYS; the haunted house pupper nightmare GOOD BOY; the razor-sharp thriller INFLUENCERS; the sinister style-fest THE MANNEQUIN; the jaw-dropping genre-bender SLANTED; and the sci-fi meta-horror thrill ride TEST SCREENING, among others guaranteed to rattle your soul.

And for those brave souls watching from home, the Popcorn Frights Virtual Program opens its crypts nationwide, offering a terrifying ticket to the full online lineup. Featuring films both ferocious and freaky, this virtual slate includes the genre-blasting space saga ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER; the eerie slow-burn CARRY THE DARKNESS; the mind-twisting nightmare CROSSWORD starring Harvey Guillén; the dark erotic thriller CUSTOM; the frightfest DON’T HANG UP; the warped modern fairytale KING BABY; the gut-churning psychological ride THE ONLY ONES; the family-from-hell horror comedy THE MOTHER, THE MENACER, AND ME starring Lorraine Bracco and Leah Remini; the trippy terror tale TIE DIE, featuring cult icons Lloyd Kaufman and Joe Bob Briggs; and the genre-blurring UNIVERSE 25.

Rounding out the virtual mayhem is a chilling documentary spotlight under the Hot Docs, led by the North American premiere of THE DARK FANTASTIC, a sonically immersive deep dive into the mind and music of cult composer Simon Boswell. Other unmissable docs include the boundary-pushing EXORCISMO: THE TRANSGRESSIVE LEGACY OF CLASIFICADA “S,” a history of Spain’s cinematic underground; the nostalgia-fueled MAKING MEGAFORCE featuring Barry Bostwick; the horrifying exposé PREDATORS; and the haunting portrait of blind devotion SHADOWLAND centered on the fall of Richard Stanley.

And don’t close your eyes just yet—a Third Wave of premieres and special events is still to come, promising even more carnage, chaos, and cinematic insanity!

The countdown is on. The dead are restless. The fog is rolling in. And Popcorn Frights is ready to raise hell.

Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience—hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood—are now available. Virtual All-Access Passes can also be purchased for streaming access to the full digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Access VIP Badge, click here, to order a Virtual All-Access Pass, click here.

Submissions for this year’s festival are still open via Film Freeway through the final deadline of July 18. Shorts, features, documentaries, animation, film, and video — all are welcome and can be submitted at the link: https://filmfreeway.com/popcornfrights

The eleventh edition of the Popcorn Frights Film Festival is made possible with the support of its generous sponsors, including AGFA, Blue Underground, Fangoria, Flick Direct, Kino Cult, MVD, Paramount Scares, Radiance Films, Troma, and its loyal fans.

IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
(Second Wave):

Americana
Florida Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Tony Tost

Dog of God
Florida Premiere
Latvia-USA | 2025 | Dirs. Lauris Abele & Raitis Abele

Fucktoys
South Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Annapurna Sriram

Good Boy
Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dirs. Ben Leonberg

Influencers
US Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Kurtis David Harder
*Director Kurtis David Harder expected in person

The Mannequin
East Coast Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. John Berardo
*Director John Berardo expected in person

Queens of the Dead
Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Tina Romero
*Director Tina Romero expected in person

Slanted
Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Amy Wang

Test Screening
East Coast Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Clark Baker
*Producer/screenwriter Stephen Susco expected in person

VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
(Second Wave):

Astral Plane Drifter
Florida Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Scott Slone

Carry the Darkness
Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Douglas Forrester

Crossword
Florida Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Michael Vlamis

Custom
Southeast US Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Tiago Teixeira

The Dark Fantastic
North American Premiere
UK | 2025 | Dir. Lg White

Don’t Hang Up
North American Premiere
Norway | 2025 | Dir. Alex Herron

Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S”
Southeast US Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Aleberto Sedano

King Baby
Florida Premiere
UK-France | 2024 | Dirs. Kit Redstone & Arran Shearing

Making Megaforce
East Coast Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. Bob Lindenmayer

The Mother, the Menacer, and Me
Southeast US Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Jon Salmon

The Only Ones
South Florida Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Jordan Miller

Predators
Florida Premiere
USA | 2025 | Dir. David Osit

Shadowland
East Coast Premiere
Finland | 2024 | Dir. Otso Tiainen

Tie Die
Florida Premiere
USA | 2024 | Dir. Morgan Miller

Universe 25
Florida Premiere
UK | 2025 | Dir. Richard Vartan Melkonian

RETRO FILM LINEUP
(Second Wave):

Cujo
Howling Triple-Bill Event
USA | 1983 | Dir. Lewis Teague
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person

Day of the Dead
40th Anniversary 4K Restoration
USA | 1985 | Dir. George A. Romero
*Director Tina Romero expected in person

The Fog
45th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Presented in “Fog-O-Vision”
USA | 1980 | Dir. John Carpenter

The Hills Have Eyes
Howling Triple-Bill Event
USA | 1977 | Dir. Wes Craven
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person

The Howling
Howling Triple-Bill Event
USA | 1981 | Dir. Joe Dante
*Actress Dee Wallace expected in person