‘Queens of the Dead’ Joins The Popcorn Frights 2025 Lineup
Hot on the heels of their initial lineup announcement, Popcorn Frights is back to announce an additional 25 film premieres, epic events, and special guests getting ready to take over South Florida from August 7 to August 17!
Tina Romero, daughter of zombie godfather George A. Romero, will be in attendance for the Southeast US premiere of her undead drag spectacle Queens of the Dead. 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! Romero 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. Check out the rest of the feature announcements below!
Speaking of horror icons, the legendary Dee Wallace is crashing the party for a triple-bill, appearing in person to introduce three of her all-time cult classics: Stephen King’s Cujo, Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes, and Joe Dante’s The Howling, newly restored in 4K. She joins an already stacked lineup of guests at this year’s Popcorn Frights, which includes genre titans Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, and Linnea Quigley.
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.
But the fun isn’t over yet—a Third Wave of premieres and special events is still to come!
Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience 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.
POPCORN FRIGHTS IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Americana (dir. Tony Trost)
Florida Premiere
The lives of local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwine when a rare Lakota Ghost shirt falls onto the black market in a small South Dakota town.
Dog of God (dirs. Lauris Ābele & Raitis Ābele)
Florida Premiere
A rotoscoped animation that depicts a 17th-century witch trial in Livonia that uncovers a werewolf within a devout community.
Fucktoys (dir. Annapurna Sriram)
South Florida Premiere
In a pre-millennium alternate universe, a cursed young woman must raise $1,000 for a group of psychics, scootering through the surreal, seedy underworld of Trashtown and encountering a cavalcade of bizarre characters along the way.
Good Boy (dir. Ben Leonberg)
Florida Premiere
When a loyal pup moves to a remote farmhouse with his owner, he soon senses a sinister presence—and must confront terrifying supernatural forces to protect the boy he loves most.
Influencers (dir. Kurtis David Harder)
US Premiere
In the picturesque landscapes of southern France, a young woman’s chilling fascination with murder and identity theft sends her life into a whirlwind of chaos.
The Mannequin (dir. John Berardo)
East Coast Premiere
While investigating her sister’s death in a historic Los Angeles building, a stylist assistant uncovers the vengeful spirit of a long-dead serial killer—and must escape before she becomes his next victim.
Queens of the Dead (dir. Tina Romero)
Florida Premiere
Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during a zombie outbreak at their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against the undead threat.
Slanted (dir. Amy Wang)
Florida Premiere
An insecure Chinese-American teenager undergoes experimental surgery to appear white, hoping to secure the prom queen title and peer acceptance.
Test Screening (dir. Clark Baker)
East Coast Premiere
Four teens find out that a test screening is coming to their little cinema, but the film is actually a mind-control experiment that has terrifying effects.
POPCORN FRIGHTS VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Astral Plane Drifter (dir. Scott Slone)
Florida Premiere
Sometime Before Yesterday. Or After Tomorrow. Somewhere Out In The Yonder. There Was This Guy.
Carry the Darkness (dir. Douglas Forrester)
Florida Premiere
Inspired by the West Memphis Three, this chilling tale follows a misfit teen scapegoated for a series of brutal crimes as a sinister force emerges from the woods, feeding on the town’s fear and paranoia.
Crossword (dir. Michael Vlamis)
Florida Premiere
After the death of their daughter, a woman immerses herself in her beloved children’s book series while her husband seeks comfort in the daily crossword—only to spiral as the puzzle begins to take on a sinister life of its own.
Custom (dir. Tiago Teixeira)
Southeast US Premiere
A couple producing custom erotic films is dragged into a nightmarish conspiracy when they start working for a mysterious client.
The Dark Fantastic (dir. Lg White)
North American Premiere
A psychedelic dive into the mind and work of renowned film composer Simon Boswell.
Don’t Hang Up (dir. Alex Herron)
North American Premiere
While attending a wedding in Tulsa, a group of friends find themselves trapped in a haunted rental home, where vengeful spirits from the 1921 Tulsa Massacre rise to unleash a chilling fight for survival.
Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada “S” (dir. Alberto Sedano)
Southeast US Premiere
A deep dive into the dark heart of Spain’s cinematic underground—a world where censorship, repression, and Catholic morality once ruled with an iron fist.
King Baby (dirs. Kit Redstone & Arran Shearing)
Florida Premiere
In a decaying kingdom inhabited only by a delusional King and his loyal Servant, the arrival of a mannequin Queen shatters their fragile reality, unleashing a twisted modern fairytale of isolation, madness, and murderous ambition.
Making Megaforce (dir. Bob Lindenmayer)
East Coast Premiere
Superfan Bob Lindenmayer sets out to celebrate MEGAFORCE—one of the 1980s’ most infamous cinematic flops—by tracking down cast, crew, and star Barry Bostwick in a joyous tribute to cult cinema, fandom, and the power of loving what others left behind.
The Mother, the Menacer, and Me (dir. Jon Salmon)
Southeast US Premiere
Stuck in a dead-end job and forced to live with a disapproving mother-in-law, a struggling dreamer sets out to make it in Hollywood—pushed by his sinister imaginary companion, who’s determined to break free and become real.
The Only Ones (dir. Jordan Miller)
South Florida Premiere
When a group of friends’ plans unravel into a spiral of misfortune and bloodshed, trust shatters and the survivors must face the terrifying truth that the deadliest threats often come from within.
Predators (dir. David Osit)
Florida Premiere
Exploring the controversial NBC series that caught potential child predators in sting operations, leading to arrests, and its eventual cancellation.
Shadowland (dir. Otso Tiainen)
East Coast Premiere
Cult filmmaker Richard Stanley guides a secretive enclave in the French Pyrenees on a quest for spiritual transcendence, but as his influence deepens, resurfaced abuse allegations spark a haunting unraveling of faith, power, and manipulation
Tie Die (dir. Morgan Miller)
Florida Premiere
Park Ranger Lloyd Kaufman and Sheriff Joe Bob Briggs join forces to hunt a mysterious killer bear terrorizing campers, while a displaced group of hippies struggles to find their next camping spot.
Universe 25 (dir. Richard Vartan Melkonian)
Florida Premiere
An angel sent on a sacred mission through London and Bucharest encounters a chaotic world that derails his quest and forces him to confront his true identity.
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
Cujo (dir. Lewis Teague)
Howling Triple-Bill Event
Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.
Day of the Dead (dir. George A. Romero)
40th Anniversary 4K Restoration
As the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.
The Fog (dir. John Carpenter)
45th Anniversary 4K Restoration
Local legend tells of a ship lured onto the rocks of Antonio Bay being enveloped by a supernatural cloud as it sank; the myth says that when this mysterious fog returns, the victims will rise up from the depths seeking vengeance.
The Hills Have Eyes (dir. Wes Craven)
Howling Triple-Bill Event
On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack.
The Howling (dir. Joe Dante)
Howling Triple-Bill Event
After a bizarre and near-deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.
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