ICA’s indie-horror ‘Fright Night’ opens its doors this Wednesday
A still from 'Revenge of the Great Pumpkin,' a short film by Hank Allen and Max Rooney. Photo courtesy of the Institute for Contemporary Art.
Rachel Nicholas, Contributing Writer
The Institute for Contemporary Art will present “Fright Night” on Oct. 29, a showcase of back-to-back independent, short horror films with a feature-length film for the grand finale.
The idea for “Fright Night” was constructed by director and film coordinator, Renn Trani, a VCUarts alum and audiovisual technician for the ICA.
“I noticed that there was a big cinema community in Richmond, so I kind of just wanted to make a space where independent work could be shared,” Trani said. “A place where students and upcoming artists could come together as a collective.”
Trani is a longtime horror fan; his birthday even falls on Halloween. When pitching the idea for “Fright Night” in summer, he leaned into the idea of a holiday-themed event, as many of the artists he knows have worked in the horror genre.
Trani saw the city’s love for cinema and wanted to meet that with a way for film buffs to support local artists.
“Fright Night” is a great way to fuel the creative flames of the local film industry, but is also a stepping stone for artist visibility, Trani said.
Film entries were selected mostly through a mix of personal and mutual connections, according to Trani. He reached out to fellow local artists to display their work, like Stone Thurman, who Trani worked with previously on a project and currently works with at the ICA.
“I’ve known Renn for a couple of years, we both went to VCU,” Thurman said. “We made this found footage horror film and that kind of bonded us. After that, I found out he was doing this and I was like ‘dude, I have to show something.’”
Rocco Vasaio, another director being showcased in “Fright Night,” met Trani while acting in one of Thurman’s short films.
“I’m excited to see who’s being screened and meet other people,” Thurman said.
Thurman further addressed the visibility Fright Night could bring, saying how most horror fanbases start at the smaller events, growing with the trajectory of the film.
“Throughout time, it all started from these small, passionate indie projects that built up a sort of cult fanbase,” Thurman said. “I think ‘Fright Night’ is giving a strong platform to that next potential wave of horror filmmakers.”
“Fright Night” has a $5 cover, the event is for all from fans seeking a heart-stopping show to artists looking to connect with like-minded individuals. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the first film will be shown at 6:30 p.m., with an expected run time of 129 minutes. More information on the event and the films can be found on the ICA’s website
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misspelled Rocco Vasaio’s last name. It also had the incorrect price for the event. The story has been updated with the correct spelling and pricing.
