Exclusive Trailer Premiere: Will You Be Scared to Death in THE HAUNTED FOREST?

2025/08/13 16:50:12 +00:00 | Jonathan James

You'll run. You'll hide. But will you survive The Haunted Forest? Ahead of its FrightFest premiere on August 23rd, we're thrilled to have the exclusive trailer premiere of The Haunted Forest, written and directed by Keith Boynton, and starring Grayson Gwaze, Kaitlyn Lunardi, Cedric Gegel, and Meghan Reed.

Synopsis: "Zach is a horror-movie obsessive who'd rather draw gruesome comic books in class than concentrate on his studies – so when his cousin Mark invites him to work at the legendary Haunted Forest, Zach is thrilled beyond belief. On his first night, he meets Sarah, a beautiful and intriguing makeup artist, as well as Jacko, a veteran employee who takes Zach under his wing. Zach is living his best life, indulging his passion for all things morbid – but when Jacko is found dead, the magical world of the Forest begins to seem sinister, and Zach can't help but wonder where the killer will strike next..."

Director’s Statement: "Some places are so special that the only adequate tribute is to make a movie about them. Markoff’s Haunted Forest is one of those places – a legendary haunt, a beloved local attraction, and a place where wonder and terror coexist with a carnival-style frivolity, for a few short weekends in Maryland in October. It’s a place to celebrate the macabre and the horrific, and also to ask ourselves why we feel so drawn to them. It was my pleasure and privilege to embody these paradoxes in movie form.

The Haunted Forest is a love letter to slasher films, as well as an examination of what makes them so compelling. What is it about violence and death that fascinates us so much? What kind of catharsis are we looking for – what kind of deep human need are we fulfilling – when we watch a teenager run from a man with a knife? This movie both celebrates and interrogates the horror genre – but hopefully in a way that never feels dry or academic. At its heart, it’s a genre film, with a deep love for the genre it both embodies and critiques.

Also, we had a blast making it. Hope you enjoy it too!"

Director: Keith Boynton
Producers: Cassie D’Agostino, Mashka Wolfe
Story by: Devin McEwan
Executive Producer: Alison Rosa
Consulting Producer: Catherine Corchoran
Director of Photography: Aitor Mendilibar
Production Designer: Crescentia Volz
Cast: Grayson Gwaze, Cedric Gegel, Kaitlyn Lunardi, Meghan Reed, Keith Boynton, Jamie Bernadette, Myles Hamilton, Dave Harding, Mashka Wolfe, EJ Roeder, Victor Zheng, Josie Martin-Knowles, Samantha Waldrup, Elizabeth Keith, Nathan Lassman, Grant Scherini, Tristen Raughton

FrightFest Film Festival Screening:

Discovery Three ODEON Luxe Leicester Square - Sunday 24 August at 8.55 pm

For FrightFest details, schedule, and tickets, visit: https://frightfest25.eventive.org/schedule