“America is the final girl, and I hope she survives.”
Salem Horror Fest‘s eighth annual event kicked off last night at Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum, and festival manager Leslie Adams‘ brief opening statement — which concluded with the above quote — assured attendees that the event remains steadfast in its mission to cultivate a safe, inclusive, and fun community for genre fans.
This year’s festival is the first under the new leadership of Horror Arts Collective — formed by legacy staff members in the wake of founder Kay Lynch stepping down last year — but the team upholds the ethos instilled by Lynch, who cheered on her successors from the front row like a proud mom.
The new guard also upheld the tradition of kicking off with a memorable opening night headlined by a horror icon, with Hellraiser‘s Ashley Laurence serving as this year’s guest of honor. Media personality Xero Gravity returned as master of ceremonies for the third year in a row, maintaining momentum with her infectious energy.
The theme of the 2025 event is “the horror within,” which renowned author and professor Tananarive Due delved into with her keynote speech. She explored how the theme played into the resonant story behind her Bram Stoker Award-winning historical horror novel The Reformatory, praised by Stephen King as “one of those books you can’t put down.”
Tananarive Due
Due, who executive produced Shudder’s Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, also revealed that she and her husband Steven Barnes are in pre-production on a short film adaptation of their graphic novel The Keeper, on which they’ll make their directorial debut.
Due’s speech was followed by a thoughtful conversation with Xero to further investigate the impact of representation in media, after which Adams returned to the stage to announce this year’s festival winners.
The George A. Romero Fellowship recipients — who will receive mentorship from indie film veterans Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor), Jenn Wexler (The Ranger), and Matt Leslie (Summer of 84) — include Christopher Bickel (Pater Noster and the Mission of Light), Senda Bonnet (Turn It Off), and Sophie Whipple (The Night Side).
The 2025 Jury Awards went to Kaye Adelaide‘s The Rebrand for Best Feature, Conor Soucy‘s The Conduit for Best Interlude, and Alexa Jane Jerrett‘s Bedlamer for Best Short. The latter was screened for the audience, leaving them mesmerized by the tale of a patriarchal fishing settlement attempting to domestic otherworldly creatures, told through gorgeous black-and-white cinematography.
Finally, Rue Morgue’s Andrea Subissati welcomed Laurence to the stage for a 40-minute conversation that traced her origins back to growing up as a “weird, stay-by-myself, draw-to-make-friends girl” who initially pursued acting to impress a boy through her current work as an artist. She announced that Phil and Sarah Stokes, Clive Barker‘s longtime archivists who curated his art books, are in the early stages of creating a coffee table book of her art.
Ashley Laurence and Andrea Subissati
Of course, there was also plenty of Hellraiser talk, from the soft-spoken actress’ empathetic approach to the role of Kirsty Cotton (“I actually didn’t think of Hellraiser as a horror film. I thought of it as a love story”) and her lifelong kinship with Clive Barker to getting hypothermia when she reprised her iconic role for the final time in Hellraiser: Hellseeker.
“I like being the Hellraiser girl forever,” said the delightfully genuine Laurence, met with cheers from the audience. “People like me are victorious in [Barker’s] world. I’ve always been safe with him. This is my life, more than just a film I was involved in.”
The evening concluded with a screening of Hellbound: Hellraiser II, the sequel that sees Laurence’s Kristy rise to full final girl status — but Salem Horror Fest is just getting started.
Over 60 Official Selections are programmed through May 4, including features Catch a Killer, Head Like a Hole, House of Ashes, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light, So Fades the Light, The Dæmon, and The Rebrand along with various shorts and interludes, plus repertory screenings of Re-Animator, The Substance, The Descent, The Girl with All the Gifts, Troll 2, Give Me an A, and Chain Reactions.
The festivities continue with meet-and-greets with scream queen Linnea Quigley; live podcasts from The Faculty of Horror, Girl, That’s Scary!, and Bloody Disgusting’s own The Horror Show; a book signing and panel with Due and other horror authors; and a vendor market where yours truly will be slinging VHS tapes this weekend.
Salem Horror Fest 2025 passes are on sale now!
Salem Horror Fest manager Leslie Adams
Tananarive Due and Xero Gravity
Xero Gravity
Ashley Laurence and Andrea Subissati
Salem Horror Fest 8