How Two Film Programmers Centered Horror Fans Over Industry to Build the Overlook Film Festival

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Landon Zakheim and Michael Lerman, the co-founders of the genre-specific Overlook Film Festival held over four days, embody two contrasting sides of horror enthusiasts: Lerman delves deep into the sequels of every slasher series, whereas Zakheim leans more towards self-declared “highbrow” tastes, favoring giallo and avant-garde films. Combining their preferences, they have crafted a festival that caters to fans and has rapidly gained popularity in New Orleans.

Zakheim notes that during the recent event, held from April 3-6, there was a frequent discussion about contrasting the world of cinema production with the turmoil of a festival, compared to the true essence of a ‘festival’ as a celebration. At that time, the genre and horror films were not experiencing the surge we see today, which is fantastic. However, this segment of the festival scene is inhabited by some of the kindest filmmakers, most enthusiastic fans, and individuals who genuinely support each other, and we had an abundance of creative ideas.

Zakheim and Lerman have extensive experience in film festivals. Zakheim, in particular, has held positions such as a short film programmer at Sundance, an associate programmer at Tribeca, and a senior programmer for the Philadelphia Film Festival. On the other hand, Lerman serves as the artistic director of the Philadelphia Film Society and has worked as a programmer for notable festivals like the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

Zakheim and Lerman have been active participants in the film festival scene. Zakheim, specifically, has served as a short film programmer at Sundance, an associate programmer at Tribeca, and a senior programmer for the Philadelphia Film Festival. Meanwhile, Lerman is the artistic director of the Philadelphia Film Society and has also worked as a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

Back in 2016, they began to seriously consider creating a fresh festival, and in 2017, they launched the Overlook at Timberline Lodge in Oregon. The site, which was used as an exterior setting for the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s “Shining” adaptation, initially served them well, but eventually faced challenges due to harsh weather conditions and restricted indoor space, compelling them to find a new venue. Eventually, New Orleans was chosen as their permanent location, hosting the festival since 2018 (with the exception of some digital editions that were held during the pandemic).

It soon became evident that a genuine movie theater experience and a true city were essential, and New Orleans emerged as a viable option,” Zakheim explains. “We had some connections in New Orleans, and there were local employees eager to assist us. We also found local partners who welcomed our presence. We weren’t interested in going to a place where we wouldn’t be beneficial. Instead, we value collaboration over dominance. So, we reached out to all the film-related organizations, and they were thrilled about our arrival.

The city, famed for its eerie past, proved to be an ideal match and news about the festival grows annually. This year, the all-access “Final Girl” passes, humorously priced at $666 each, were snapped up in just a day, well before the performers were revealed.

Zakheim states, ‘We don’t need a headlining event,’ he explains. ‘Our focus is on curating the finest horror films. This is why our attendees often book their tickets even before we reveal the schedule. They anticipate seeing both familiar favorites and unexpected gems. As such, we feel a strong sense of duty to thoroughly scrutinize all potential options.’

This year’s event featured more than just films – from the debut of “Abraham’s Boys,” the sequel to “Dracula,” and showings of popular titles like “Clown in a Cornfield” and “LifeHack” at South by Southwest, to retrospectives such as the 4K restoration of “Re-Animator” for its 40th anniversary. The programming also included a variety of activities off the silver screen, such as author panels with notable horror writers like Joe Hill, Grady Hendrix and Alex Jennings; a horror trivia contest; late-night dance parties at the Toulouse Theater; and even a unique second line parade in New Orleans, given a chilling twist by festival sponsor Shudder, the horror streaming service celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Zakheim and Lerman view these unique events as the heart of Overlook. For instance, they’d have a Sunday matinee showing of William Castle’s film “13 Ghosts” from 1960, which included “Illusion-O” glasses for the audience that replicated the original release, with one side revealing ghostly apparitions and the other blocked for non-believers. Before the screening, they would host Phantom Follies by Zabrecky, a magic show reminiscent of the séance-style spook shows popular during the Great Depression. The performance would include a darkened auditorium “ghost attack,” culminating in the magician pretending to be killed by the ghosts just as “13 Ghosts” started playing.

The two founders are thrilled to observe the significant progress made by their pet project, even though it started modestly.

Landon has significantly improved his fundraising skills, something he was unfamiliar with initially,” Lerman notes. “He hadn’t held that specific role before. However, the capital we had wasn’t provided by a big investor; instead, it was us deciding to embark on this venture. We contributed some of our own funds and then sold badges to cover the cost of renting theaters. It’s not as if we had a large angel investor backing us from the start to build our business.

As a dedicated fan, I’m eagerly anticipating the future growth of Overlook, always pushing the limits of its potential offerings while staying grounded in maintaining the high-quality experience and intimate atmosphere it’s known for. After all, the festival is powered by an incredible team of volunteers, so striking a balance between ambition and practicality is key to its continued success.

Zakheim mentions a list of experiences, often related to live events and immersive theater, that they hope to realize someday. This includes horror concerts, though many aspects need alignment for them to happen. There are projects from this year’s festival that have been in the works for years, such as the Shudder second line, which finally found a viable path. They have numerous grand ideas for making the festival more immersive, but everything hinges on: What resources do we currently possess? Can we execute these plans without exhaustion? Do we find a reliable partner who can aid with fundraising and also contribute creatively to ensure a successful event?

The pair realizes that when they manage to fit all the parts together seamlessly, there’s a special synergy that elevates everyone involved. Recalling some of the most memorable moments from the festival, Zakheim looked back fondly at an exceptionally involved audience during a 2023 screening of Castle’s movie “The Tingler”. This screening followed the original roadshow guidelines, even staging a scene where an ‘audience member’ was dramatically carried off on a stretcher, pretending to be too terrified.

He describes it as a shared experience where everyone present seemed to understand and appreciate horror for similar reasons,” he explains. “It was as if we were all linked together, and in that instant of darkness, that’s what we aim to achieve.

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2025-04-08 01:17