The rain poured down as horror fans lined up outside the Stanley Hotel Concert Hall to see Cooties, lit only by a few remnants of daylight and the soft glow of ominous red lights surrounding the hotel. And with this, the perfect tone for the third annual Stanley Film Festival was set.
Inside the venue, Festival Director, Britta Erickson, welcomed everyone to the opening night film as she wielded the iconic axe that will soon be awarded to one of this year’s honored filmmakers. Cooties cast and crew, including Elijah Wood, and Alison Pill, joined in introcuing the movie and writer/actor Leigh Whannell endeared himself and his film to the audience by making sure they knew they were, “the first real people at a real festival” to see Cooties. Subtext: Stanley Film Festival > Sundance Film Festival.
Following the screening, there was a Q&A with talent from the film, followed by an opening night party in the MacGregor Ballroom. Guests were treated to giant suckers, cafeteria food (including the infamous chicken nuggets), and the incredible live tunes of Snake Rattle Rattle Snake.
The first day didn’t wrap until after the witching hour for some festival-goers, with snake bones and masked figures entering the rooms of some Stanley Hotel guests as part of the Immersive Horror Game.
Can’t wait to see what day number two holds. Top our our list for the time before films resume is the virtual reality horror experience, Catatonic. We had hoped it would be at the festival, and we can’t wait to check it out! Stay tuned for updates on today’s festival events.