BEYOND FEST EXPANDS TO CHICAGO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MUSIC BOX THEATRE: "Beyond Fest, the largest genre film festival in the United States, is proud to announce its first geographical expansion. Built in partnership with Chicago’s iconic Music Box Theatre, this new evolution of Beyond Fest will take place April 2–5, 2026, bringing four days of all-killer-no-filler, cinematic excess and celebration.
Submissions for Beyond Chicago are now open through FilmFreeway, inviting filmmakers from around the globe — especially those from Chicago, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes region — to bring their wildest, weirdest, and most uncompromising visions to screen with one of the nation’s most passionate film communities.
“Since inception, Beyond Fest has existed in service of film fans and filmmakers that are obsessively passionate about film,” said Christian Parkes, Beyond Fest founder. “This passion isn’t something that resides exclusively in Los Angeles; for decades, Music Box Theatre has fostered and entertained some of the best audiences in the world. It’s going to be electric, having our worlds collide.”
Beyond Fest will bring to Chicago what it does best: high-energy premieres, stunning repertory screenings, iconic talent, and late-night discoveries, transforming the Music Box Theatre into a hub of packed houses, big reactions, and cinematic exuberance that can only be experienced in the communal setting of a movie theater. Championing both global and local cinema, Beyond Fest Chicago will showcase films that challenge, thrill, and unite, highlighting the full spectrum of our most electrifying art form.
“The Music Box has always been a home for bold, visionary cinema,” said Music Box Theatre Owner, Brody Sheldon. “Partnering with Beyond Fest means bringing that energy to a new generation of filmmakers and fans — the ones who make this city’s film scene the loudest, smartest, and most passionate in the country.”
Founded in Los Angeles in 2013, Beyond Fest is the highest-attended and most densely programmed genre film festival in the U.S., with its most recent edition drawing over 30,000 attendees and screening 95 features. Known for its boundary-pushing programming and in-person appearances from seminal filmmakers including James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, S. S. Rajamouli, Julia Ducournau, and Bong Joon Ho, Beyond Fest has built a reputation for
fearless storytelling and ardent fan support — qualities that it's committed to bringing to Chicago.
Nestled in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood on Southport Avenue, the independently owned and operated Music Box Theatre has been the home for independent, foreign, and classic cinema since 1929. With its glowing marquee, historic main auditorium, and famously loyal late-night crowds, the Music Box stands as both a neighborhood landmark and a cornerstone of the city’s film culture
Beyond Chicago is presented by Beyond Fest and the Music Box Theatre combining their shared mission to preserve, celebrate, and advance the cinematic arts.
Filmmakers can submit their work now via FilmFreeway
(https://filmfreeway.com/BeyondFestChicago). The full lineup, guests, and special events will be announced in 2026.
For more information, visit beyondfest.com and musicboxtheatre.com
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Lights. Camera. Murder. "Gloria’s Cut" Brings 90s Horror Back to Life on Seed&Spark: "Written and directed by Olivia Gropp ("Traders"), "Gloria’s Cut" follows a diner waitress / actress whose life unravels after she’s dropped from the role meant to save her. When her replacement strolls into her neon-lit diner that same night, obsession, fame, and identity-theft collide in a blood-and-glitter fever dream.
The short serves as a proof-of-concept for the feature in development (No Doubt), blending Sunset Boulevard, American Psycho, and Clueless with VHS-era style and 90s diner noir. Principal photography is planned for December 2025 in Boise, Idaho.
The campaign launched last Monday and has already raised $2K in its first week."
https://seedandspark.com/fund/
After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.
After more than a decade as a consultant in the tech and entertainment industries, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror entertainment. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead's talented team of writers, who work tirelessly to explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He has also been consulted as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering his insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, radio stations, film festivals, and fan conventions.
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