(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- On Friday, January 26, The Film Institute at Montclair State will kick off its “Friday Night Frights” series with the exclusive U.S. premiere of the critically acclaimed horror film, “The Ritual.” This free, premiere screening and talk back will take place in the newly opened, state of the art Presentation Hall in the School of Communications & Media at Montclair State. The event will run from 8:00pm-11:00pm.
The special live event will include a pre-screening talk with Ken W. Hanley, Montclair State Film Program alumnus and former Editor-in-Chief of FANGORIA Magazine, on “The Evolution of Horror Filmmaking.” The conversation will discuss the perpetual relevance of the horror genre and how it has thrived through every cinematic medium. The lecture will be followed by an exclusive premiere screening of David Bruckner’s The Ritual presented by Netflix. Afterwards, Bruckner himself will join the audience via Skype to offer his unique insights towards the horror genre from a personal and professional perspective.
The Ritual is a film about a group of college friends who reunite for a trip to the forest, and find themselves lost in a hell of sinister nightmares and pagan sacrifices. The Ritual was produced by actor Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: The Last Jedi). The film stars Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton and Paul Reid.
“Friday Night Frights,” a free, public monthly series presented by the Film Institute at Montclair State, sheds light on the past, present, and future of horror filmmaking. With introspective lectures, special screenings, and exclusive Q&As with the most promising talents in horror today, “Friday Night Frights” brings a unique look at what has made horror such a popular and lasting genre in cinema history. Registration for The Ritual is available online.
Susan Skoog, the Director of Programming for the Film Institute stated, “We are thrilled and deeply proud to bring back our filmmaking graduate Ken to curate and host this exciting series. Our students love horror films, and no one knows more about the horror genre than Ken!”
Additional “Friday Night Frights” screenings and conversations will take place on February 16, March 23 and April 20.
About David Bruckner: David Bruckner first made a name for himself as a co-director on the 2007 independent horror sensation The Signal. He would follow this with the opening segment of the cult horror anthology V/H/S, entitled Amateur Night, which was later adapted into the Chiller original film SiREN. Following the overwhelming reception to Amateur Night, Bruckner was soon signed onto a pair of high-profile reboots, including Amityville: The Lost Tapes and Friday the 13th for Paramount Pictures. After concluding these projects, Bruckner would go on to contribute to another horror anthology, helming the acclaimed ‘Accident’ segment in Southbound. Most recently, Bruckner made his feature directorial debut with the critically heralded film The Ritual, which was acquired by Netflix out of the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival for $4.75 million for a February 2018 release.
About Ken W. Hanley: A graduate of Montclair State University BFA Filmmaking Program, Mr. Hanley is the former Editor-in-Chief of FANGORIA Magazine, having previously held the roles of Managing Editor, Web Editor, and Web Content Manager between 2012 and 2017. Having also served as the Web Editor for Diabolique Magazine, his work has been featured in such esteemed online publications as Shock Till You Drop, Blumhouse.com, Tom Holland’s Terror Time, and Heard-Tell. Additionally, he was the primary producer of We’ll See You in Hell, the popular movie review podcast from Joe DeRosa and Patrick Walsh, and has appeared on such podcasts as You Know What Dude? With Robert Kelly. In 2015, Mr. Hanley penned the satirical horror self-help book The I in Evil , which was released in hardcover by Skyhorse Publishing and received great critical marks from Rue Morgue Magazine and Dread Central. He is currently working as a programmer and director of marketing for the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival.
About The Film Institute at Montclair State: Founded in the fall of 2014, the Film Institute at Montclair State is dedicated to the preservation, growth and enrichment of the art of film through research, education, professional development and community programming. Based within the College of the Arts at Montclair State University and supported by the School of Communication and Media, the Film Institute leverages the University’s rich resources in filmmaking and film scholarship together with the impressive array of film industry assets and opportunities in New York City, New Jersey and Los Angeles.
