Since 2023, the Franklin Theatre has hosted Fear Fest, an October-wide series of Halloween and horror movies that brings together cult classics, family favorites, newer releases and special events.
What began as an extension of the theater’s successful holiday programming has grown into one of its annual traditions.
This year, the festival is bringing nearly a century of horror back to the silver screen, from this year’s “Obsession” to 1931’s “Frankenstein.” Whether avid horror fans are finding their seat or families are filing in, there is something to watch — or do — at this year’s Fear Fest.
“We didn’t know it was going to be as successful as it’s turned out to be,” said Eric Dilts, managing director. “But it’s incredibly popular. Who knew everyone loved Halloween as much as they loved Christmas? But they do.”
The idea for Fear Fest came from the late Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, who had previously worked with the theater on its Movie Gang series. In 2023, Gilbert suggested extending the theater’s holiday programming into October.
The festival has continued to evolve since then. What began with fewer than 20 screenings now includes 35 screenings this year.
Programming coordinator Ian Matthews and deputy director Tigris Parada work together to build this year’s lineup, balancing films that have become Franklin Theatre traditions with movies that bring something new to the festival.
Some films, like “Hocus Pocus,” “Frankenstein” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” return because audiences have come to expect them. “Hocus Pocus” in particular will be shown six times this year.
Other films are chosen to bring audiences into different corners of horror.
“We have such an interesting movie audience at the theater,” Parada said. “We skew, I think, just a bit older. So we always want to make sure we hit the classics.”
At the same time, the theater wants to appeal to younger generations and families looking for a movie night.
“We are slowly starting to build our audience, with teens, and with young adults, and people going out on date nights,” Parada said.
That range is reflected in the festival’s schedule. Family-friendly movies fill the morning screenings, while the evenings and midnight screenings move toward more traditional horror films.
“We really like showing unique movies as well,” Matthews said.
Matthews’ mindset is especially evident in the Terrorthon, a double-feature event he created. This year’s event begins with “The Blair Witch Project,” followed by a mystery film related to the first movie’s found-footage theme. An extended intermission between the two will include horror trivia and prizes.
“The goal with the series is to give people a genre of movie we know they like,” Parada said. “Then introduce them to a movie that is similar enough to where we think it’ll hit the mark for them, but that they’ve probably never seen.”
Fear Fest also extends beyond the screen.
The Franklin Theatre had a paranormal survey filmed and made into a mini-documentary, marking the building as certifiably haunted according to Dilts. This video is shown before every film in the month of October.
The theater will offer themed cocktails and mocktails, decorate the building for Halloween, host costume contests and bring in characters for select screenings.
“We are very intentional about making it an entire experience,” Dilts said. “Whether it be Christmas or Halloween or anything. We like to be experiential, and we want the audience to engage in any way they can.”
According to Parada, those additions work best when they are connected directly to the movies. A “Ghostbusters” screening, for example, will have a themed mocktail, while “Hocus Pocus” will feature costumed witches at the theater.
“We try to make sure it’s all inspired from the movie,” Parada said.
This formula has been working in recent years, with the tradition growing over time.
“Every year, it’s kind of grown in a different way,” Parada said. “So we’ve been able to feel a little bit more confident, pouring a little bit more behind it.”
The theater has also kept the festival accessible to families and college students. Fear Fest movie tickets are similar to the theater’s regular programming, with a preservation fee bringing tickets to $15 for adults and $13 for children, seniors, military members and educators.
For the Franklin Theatre, however, the value of Fear Fest goes far beyond ticket sales.
The theater’s Christmas movies have already become annual traditions for locals, and the staff hopes this Halloween event will follow the same path.
Parada said that the community aspect is one of the biggest differences between watching a movie at the Franklin Theatre and watching one at home or at a larger cinema.
“People leave here feeling like they had a sense of community with the movie, which I really love,” Parada said.
Because the theater primarily shows films that audiences already know and love, screenings can become shared experiences between movie-goers. That same community can even branch across generations.
“These are parents’ favorite movies from when they were growing up or from when they were younger, and they’re coming here to show their kids, and now their kids are loving them here,” Parada said.
Those memories are part of what the theater hopes to bring throughout Fear Fest. A chance to revisit movies in a room full of people who are just as excited to see them.
“There is really, truly something magical about seeing a movie in the theater,” Matthews said. “Sitting in a dark room with an audience with a massive screen, there’s nothing else like it.”
With 35 screenings, interactive events and movies spanning generations and subgenres, Fear Fest is continuing to grow as a tradition.
For detailed information on showtimes and ticketing, visit the Franklin Theatre’s official website.