Panel Discussion: The Challenges of conveying Cosmic Horror in film
Panel Topic: What are the challenges of putting cosmic horror on screen? We often talk about Lovecraft as being hard to adapt to film because so much of what happens in the story happens inside the character's head. Modern filmmakers seem to be doing a pretty good job at putting this combination of psychological horror and cosmic revelation on the screen. Our panel of filmmakers will discuss how they approached this, what they think the key elements are, and who they think has done this very successfully.
Screenwriter of 2023's Suitable Flesh, directed by Joe Lynch and based on H. P. Lovecraft's "The Thing on The Doorstep", Dennis Paoli achieved his greatest enduring cult popularity by penning the wickedly witty scripts for two superior 80s H.P. Lovecraft adaptations directed by noted horror genre icon Stuart Gordon: the terrific Re-Animator and its equally excellent follow-up From Beyond. Paoli and Gordon first crossed paths working for the experimental Organic Theater in Chicago. Besides those two films, Paoli has also written The Pit and the Pendulum, Castle Freak, Dagon and the Masters of Horror episodes "H.P. Lovecraft's Dreams in the Witch-House" and "The Black Cat" for Gordon. Paoli has done several screenplays for prolific low-budget movie producer Charles Band: a segment of the horror anthology Pulse Pounders, Spellcaster, Meridian, and Ghoulies II. He collaborated with Larry Cohen and Nicholas St. John on the script for Abel Ferrara's supremely creepy and underrated sci-fi/horror winner Body Snatchers. In addition to those credits, Paoli wrote the gruesome The Dentist for Brian Yuzna. Outside of writing screenplays, Dennis Paoli has a regular day job as a Writing Instructor and Coordinator of the Hunter College Writing Center at Hunter College in New York. He's especially knowledgeable on Irish literature and has taught a course on Gothic fiction.
Writer/Director - Beyond The Drumlins
Daniel Bowhers is a New York City based visual effects artist, writer and filmmaker. His DIY approach to film began when he produced a feature length action sports movie from his dorm room. His professional career spans nearly two decades in compositing and color grading for advertising, TV and film. This unique skillset has helped create award-winning projects such as the genre bending faux documentary Blue Hour the disappearance of Nick Brandreth and the surreal fever dream Ten, Thirteen, Twelve. I would like to close by breaking the third person act to add that I also enjoy cycling, cats and pizza. Please reach out if I can help your festival or film.
Writer/Director - "After The Fall"
Polly Schattel is a novelist and film director. Her previous films include Sinkhole, Alison, and Quiet River. Her novels include The Occultists, Shadowdays, and the Stoker Award-longlisted novella, 8:59:29 (JournalStone).
Writer/Director - "Dry January"
C.J. Arellano creates genre-forward narratives with empathy and weirdness as their key ingredients. His short “Griffica” has won several awards, including the audience award for Best Horror Short at Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBTQ+ Festival. C.J. edited “Art & Pep,” a feature documentary now streaming on Peacock about an iconic Chicago gay bar and wellspring of LGBTQ+ activism for over four decades. His screenplay The Ampersand Inn won First Place at the New York International Screenplay Awards in May 2022. At this very moment, he is running around Brooklyn, fueled by nothing but an iced green tea and a brownie, taking artsy pictures of garbage cans or something.