Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2016

Five horrific questions with screenwriter Doug Kaufman

Winners of the 2015 International Horror Hotel screenplay contest, including Doug Kaufman, third from the left. (That's Skippy the Clown in the front row.)   As with any horror film, there’s a lot of tragedy in screenwriter Doug Kaufman’s scripts. But there’s a lot of life, too. You wouldn’t expect it any less from an artist who experienced more life than most of us in his first 14 years. “I was born and raised by my mom in Chicago,” Kaufman says. He now lives in Detroit. After his mom remarried a railroad professional, Kaufman began what became a series of moves across the country. “We bounced back and forth between Chicago and Boston at least eight times. And when we found a place to live, we moved [in the city] several times. There was a period of 11 years where we moved a total of 19 times.” The moves made it difficult for Kaufman to establish long-term friendships. And he was always the new kid in school. As he entered his teens, Kaufman ran into alcohol and drugs.

Five Horrific Questions with Jason Tostevin, co-founder of Nightmares Film Festival

Are you ready for the Nightmares Film Festival? There’s nothing horrific about the Nightmares Film Festival , a new horror fest concocted by award-winning filmmaker Jason Tostevin and his business partner Chris Hamel. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Nightmares promises to deliver the scares while uniting and elevating horror around the world. The inaugural event takes place October 20 to 23, 2016. Screenings will be held at the Gateway Film Center, named one of the 20 best art houses on the continent by Sundance. “We’re lifelong horror fans who’ve been part of hundreds of festivals,” said Tostevin. “We’re using that experience and those connections to bring the very best horror and genre films from across the globe to one easy-to- reach, welcoming festival that really celebrates horror and genre.” Tostevin, born in New York, calls New Albany, Ohio, home these days. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Tostevin, a writer, fell in love with filmmaking after taking part

No plans for movie studio at former Geauga Lake property

Former roller coaster at Geauga Lake Park While Aurora and Bainbridge Township would love to see a movie studio break ground on the former Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom property, there are presently no deals on the table. “The concept of film studios is ideal,” said Jennifer Syx, president, inSITE Advisory Group. “However, plans are not currently underway for that type of use at the site.” inSITE is working on a development plan with Cedar Fair on behalf of the city and township. Cedar Fair owns the 650-acre property, The development plan is a combined effort between Cedar Fair, Aurora and Bainbridge. It will help Cedar Fair market the property to developers.   Both communities had hopes a movie studio might locate there, telling the Aurora Advocate that a studio could be a “game changer.” Figures shared by Syx with the Advocate included the possibility of 1,000 jobs, more or less. “The communities are certainly desirous of having film studios in this area, as