The first annual Sleepy Hollow FrightFest was held at Sleepy Hollow High School on Saturday, Oct. 10. Presented by Sleepy Hollow Cinema, the festival showcased 20 official selections from high school and undergraduate filmmakers across three competition categories.
The Golden Horseman, the festival’s top honor, was awarded to three films:
- National High School Short Film Category: True Nature, directed by Erona Beka
- Sleepy Hollow High School Short Film Category: Serial Dating, directed by Liam McMahon, a Sleepy Hollow High School student
- National Undergraduate Short Film Category: Envi, directed by Julian Felix Aaronson
“This was an amazing inaugural festival,” said Marc Solomon, co-founder, board chair, and executive director of Sleepy Hollow Cinema. “There’s no better place in the world to celebrate horror filmmaking than Sleepy Hollow, and seeing a packed house cheer on these young directors was everything we hoped FrightFest would be. We’re already in discussions with our partners at Sleepy Hollow High School to make this an even bigger festival next year.”
“These students are the future of filmmaking,” said Lita Robinson, festival manager at Sleepy Hollow Cinema. “The creativity, craft, and fearlessness in these films were remarkable. Every filmmaker who submitted should be proud, and we can’t wait to see what they make next.”
Festival judge Monica Castillo — The A.V. Club film critic, freelance programmer, and member of the New York Film Critics Circle — was in attendance and led a horror trivia contest for the audience during the evening. Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown was also on hand to congratulate the winners.
Official Selections
National High School Short Film Category
- Rainbow Road, dir. Rose Zofia Satchell
- Musical Fears, dir. Rohan Tare
- One New Follower, dir. Paul Edward Noorlander
- Red-Handed, dir. Charlotte Mathias
- True Nature, dir. Erona Beka — Golden Horseman winner
- Revenge of the Killer Rubber Chickens, dir. Tristan J. Cook
Sleepy Hollow High School Short Film Category
- Serial Dating, dir. Liam McMahon — Golden Horseman winner
National Undergraduate Short Film Category
- Take All of Me, dir. Declan Franey
- Insomnicat, dir. Braydon Fox
- Strings, dir. Max Goodhill
- Felt, dir. Sophia Kamensky
- Dear Satan, dir. Daelan Hontanosas
- Where Lilies Grow, dir. Riley Moore
- Stream #23, dir. John Barva
- Best Friends Forever, dir. Anderson Weaver
- Envi, dir. Julian Felix Aaronson — Golden Horseman winner
- Final Act, dir. Sam Kornreich
- By the Treeline, dir. Anthony Conte
- The Offering, dir. Martin Gonzalez
