THE OVERLOOK FILM FESTIVAL to Take Place in April at Oregon’s Timberline Lodge

Although you may not have stayed there before, the Timberline Lodge is familiar to many horror fans for being used for exterior shots of the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. It's fitting, then, that the new four-day horror genre celebration, The Overlook Film Festival, will take place at the iconic Oregon lodge in April of 2017:

Press Release: (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Los Angeles, October 31, 2016) – The Overlook Film Festival, a four-day celebration at horror’s most iconic hotel The Timberline Lodge – the hotel used as the exterior setting of the infamous Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece THE SHINING - will kickoff for the first time from April 27 through April 30, 2017. The festivity is expected to showcase experiential events, exciting work in new and classic horror cinema, and interactive activities where attendees can be fully immersed in the diverse world of the genre space. Located just one hour east of Portland, Oregon, The Overlook Film Festival will attract genre fans and cinephiles from all over the world along with major press and industry members who are excited for this unique experience.

The annual four-day celebration is created by veteran festival organizers Michael Lerman and Landon Zakheim, both sharing a passion and a vision for providing a rare experience for fans to not just watch the latest work from emerging genre filmmakers but to also connect with each other in order to foster a creative and engaging community. The duo plan to bring their signature events to the festival, including a full weekend long immersive game from interactive company Bottleneck Immersive and an original live version of radio play “Tales From Beyond The Pale” by Glass Eye Pix.

"We're incredibly excited to bring the film community and enthusiastic audiences we've been cultivating over the last few years to The Overlook Film Festival" said festival co-director Landon Zakheim. "We're so grateful to the Timberline Lodge for providing such a gorgeous iconic venue in the beautiful location of Mt. Hood, Oregon where our unique, experiential celebration of all things genre can thrive."

"It's a truly inspiring time for horror cinema," said festival co-director Michael Lerman. "Our jam-packed program of festival favorites, fresh discoveries and bonafide classics from features to shorts to live events will be presented in the one-of-a-kind atmosphere we've built through our various other genre projects. We really can't wait to announce our lineup next year."

The Overlook Film Festival advisory board is comprised of: Kristen Bell (Festival Director, Fantastic Fest), Nate Bolotin (Partner, XYZ Films), Joe Dante (Filmmaker), Larry Fessenden (Filmmaker), Colin Geddes (Midnight Madness & Vanguard Programmer, Toronto Intl. Film Festival), Mick Garris (Filmmaker), Stuart Gordon (Filmmaker), Trevor Groth (Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival), Tim League (Founder & CEO, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Drafthouse Films, Fantastic Fest), Daniel Noah (Founding Partner, SpectreVision), Lindsay Peters (Market & Industry Director, Frontieres Intl. Co-Production Market, Fantasia Intl. Film Festival), Tom Quinn (Distribution Executive), Alix Taylor (Producer), Ryan Turek (Director of Development, Blumhouse Productions), Josh C. Waller (Founding Partner, SpectreVision), Leigh Whannell (Actor/Writer/Filmmaker), Diana Williams (Creative Development lead, ILMxLab, LucasFilm Story Group), and Elijah Wood (Founding Partner, SpectreVision)

Genre fans and festival attendees can start purchasing packages and passes now through www.overlookfilmfest.com.

Film Submissions are now open until February 3rd, 2017. For more information, please visit www.overlookfilmfest.com.

Facebook: facebook.com/OverlookFilmFestival
Twitter: @TheOverlookFest
Instagram: @OverLookFilmFest

MISSION STATEMENT
The Overlook Film Festival is a 4-day celebration of horror held on Mt. Hood in Oregon at the Timberline Lodge, featured in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece THE SHINING as the location of the infamous Overlook Hotel. Presenting superior film programming with an expanded focus on experiential events, the festival showcases exciting work in new and classic horror cinema alongside the latest in interactive and live shows for a fully immersive weekend. As a summer camp for genre fans, The Overlook is a community event bringing the best of horror in all its forms to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience within an intimate and inspirational environment.

Michael Lerman, Festival Co-Director
Michael Lerman is currently the Artistic Director for both the Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival and Philadelphia Film Festival, and is a programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival, the largest film festival in the world. In 2016, he served as their Acting head of Programming. He previously held the position of senior programmer at the Stanley Film Festival from its first year, and has been a programmer for Fantastic Fest. Lerman also co-runs Tiger Industry Films, a production company for which he produces, directs, writes and edits. In 2015, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for the film MAN FROM RENO. Coming from a diverse film background, Mr. Lerman was previously a freelance writer and frequently contributor to indieWIRE, Hammer to Nail, and Spout, as well as the Director of Acquisitions for The Film Sales Company, where he took the lead on bringing in many great projects for sales including Marwencol and Room 237.

Landon Zakheim, Festival Co-Director
Landon Zakheim served as the director of programming for the Stanley Film Festival from its inception, where he pioneered the experiential program that came to be associated with the festival. He is currently a short film programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, senior programmer for the Philadelphia Film Festival and head shorts programmer for the LA Film Festival. He was the former lead programmer AFI FEST and has more than a decade of experience working for a variety of film festivals and organizations such as the San Francisco Film Society, Denver Film Society, CineVegas, Austin Film Society, The Wrap, Outfest, and the Weinstein Company's Lexus Short Films project. Zakheim is the co-founder and CEO of Bottleneck Immersive, a new interactive gaming company specializing in live events, recently responsible for Drafthouse's sold out hit "The Satanic Panic Room". He has been a juror for such prestigious genre festivals as BiFan and Sitges.

Andrew Greenblatt, Managing Director
Andrew Greenblatt is a highly skilled entertainment industry professional with a vast range of experience. Serving as the CEO / Executive Director of the Philadelphia Film Society, producers of the Philadelphia Film Festival, since 2008, Mr. Greenblatt has overseen the dramatic growth of the organization from a 2-person non-profit focused almost exclusively on the annual Festival to a significantly larger entity controlling 2 theaters, employing 20 full-time and 80 part-time staff members, and curating screenings 365-days per year while further growing the industry-wide reputation and attendance for the Festival exponentially. In addition to his work with the Philadelphia Film Society, Mr. Greenblatt advises on the development, production, sales, and distribution of films, while also personally developing, packaging and producing films independently. Mr. Greenblatt’s production credits include four feature-length documentaries and six narrative feature films.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Overlook Film Festival runs from April 24 - 30, 2017 at the historic Timberline Lodge located in Mt. Hood Oregon. The festival is committed to screening a highly curated selection of the best in world genre cinema, alongside secret screenings, world premiere discoveries, midnight shows, family programming, and a robust short film lineup. The festival will honor a living legend with the Master of Horror Award presented by Mick Garris. The Visionary Award will go to an innovator making strides to preserve the genre's future and the recipient will be invited to present a film of their choosing. The live programming will include one-of-a-kind musical performances, an original production of live radio play TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE presented by Glass Eye Pix and read by actors with films in the program, unique panel presentations, live podcasts, escape room challenges, magic shows, games, brunches, an interactive gallery, virtual reality installations, and the festival’s signature event - the horror immersive game produced by Bottleneck Immersive, an opt-in real-time mystery that encompasses the entire festival weekend in which players become the story’s the main characters.

FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS - THE TIMBERLINE LODGE
Constructed in 1937, Timberline Lodge stands on the south slope of Mt Hood at an elevation of 6,000 feet. This beautiful 55,000 square foot National Historic Landmark is still being used for its original intent – a magnificent ski lodge and mountain retreat for everyone to enjoy. As one of Oregon’s most-visited destinations, hospitality is their specialty. The hotel provides exciting, family-friendly skiing, snowboarding and year-round recreation. They offer the best in historic lodging, fine dining, meaningful souvenirs, and memorable experiences, and practices historic preservation and environmental stewardship, while providing a safe and warm family atmosphere. Historic Timberline Lodge isn’t just a hotel and ski resort, it’s a legacy.

DIRECTIONS TO THE OVERLOOK FILM FESTIVAL
The Overlook Film Festival is located approximately 60 miles east of Portland, Oregon and Portland International Airport. Out of town patrons can fly into Portland International Airport (PDX) and are encouraged to rent cars or order shuttles or car services. Local Ticket and badge holders are encouraged to drive (please check weather conditions for snow chain recommendations) or take public transportation. Shuttles will be provided to all guests from the base of Government Camp, Oregon to the Timberline Lodge where the festival is held. For more information on getting to the Timberline Lodge please visit: http://www.timberlinelodge.com/plan-your-visit/travel-and-transportation/

WHERE TO STAY
The best way to enjoy the festival is to stay at the festival’s host venue, The Timberline Lodge, available only to those who purchase festival packages. Additional lodging can be found in nearby Government Camp at The Lodge at Government Camp, Best Western Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood SkiBowl, and Collins Lake Resort, alongside a large number of cabin and condo rental options. Located about 20 minutes away from Government Camp are Mt. Hood Meadows and The Resort At The Mountain.