The Haunted Saloon Welcomes "Dark Westerns"

The Haunted Saloon will hold its 3rd annual screening on October 21, 2018, in Vancouver, Canada.

"We want horror with a brain," says James Kingstone. So make it smart. And while he welcomes all subgenres, some might have an easier time getting in.

"We see a lot of 'monster in the house' movies. We get that it's easy to shoot, but it certainly is over-saturated at this point." One subgenre that's especially welcome is the Dark Western. "We are the Haunted Saloon, after all."

Kingstone offers filmmakers the following tips:

* Nerd it up. Learn what is going on in horror.

* Be mindful of maintaining suspense.

* Don't show the monster too much.

* Get the right sound design. Sound is a great worker. Without it, that "horror feeling" is tricky to create.

The Haunted Saloon offers winning filmmakers a Halloween party atmosphere -- and trophies!

"Our trophies are terrifying and custom made every year," said Kingstone. "The Rio Theatre is a classic location, complete with alcohol. It holds over 400 people, so we can really pack the house. A lot of people dress up in costume. We even have a contest at intermission.

"East Vancouver does Halloween right. We are a bunch of horror loving cinephiles."

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For a behind-the-scenes look at horror film festivals and the festival directors who manage them, see Horror Film Festivals and Awards. This book also includes a directory of over 200 horror film festivals, and a list of festival award winners from dozens of festivals over several decades.