JERICHO, NY, September 4, 2002 – Renowned director John Carpenter (HALLOWEEN) will host "Short Screamers," an original collection of horror movie shorts on AMC this Halloween at midnight, during the network’s sixth annual MonsterFest 24/7 festival, October 25-31.
"Short Screamers with John Carpenter" is a half-hour special of the best and brightest horror movie shorts, hosted by legendary horror director John Carpenter (HALLOWEEN). Ranging from terrifying thrillers to malevolent monsters and all points in between, the shorts run approximately one-minute each and will be featured on-air and online (www.amctv.com). They reflect and interpret filmmaking trends and offer an extraordinary glimpse into the future potential of horror films and moviemaking. This is AMC's first outreach to the amateur filmmaking community.
"As AMC evolves into a network that features more popular movie fare, explores different genres, and embraces a wider range of fans, we are committed to providing viewers with a complete and unique movie experience," said Rob Sorcher, senior vice president, programming and production, AMC. "This initiative opens the doors of film and television production to a new wave of directors. We are proud to inspire them to produce fresh and different original programming that can delve deep into a favorite genre."
Carpenter comments, "Short Screamers is a great opportunity. It's a chance for a new generation of American filmmakers to display their talent – to try and scare us, or thrill us, in different, innovative ways."
To produce "Short Screamers," AMC contacted many emerging film directors and industry up-and-comers, including the L.A. based "filmmaking collective," Group 101 Films. Each filmmaker was commissioned to produce a unique interpretation of horror and monster movies. AMC's MonsterFest 24/7 is the premiere venue for their extraordinary creativity and talent.
Each of the "Short Screamers" will also air interstitially in prime time throughout MonsterFest 24/7.
AMC’s MonsterFest 24/7 is a 7-day, 154-hour-long Halloween marathon that is teh ultimate television destination for monter movies and themed original programming.
The October 25 – 31 event features over 40 films, spanning seven decades – from classic Universal titles like FRANKENSTEIN, MUMMYand DRAKULA that launched the genre in teh ’30s to more modern movies like FRIGHT NIGHT, PREDATOR 2 and HALLOWEEN 4-5
AMC is a premiere 24-hour movie network dedicated to the world of American film. With one of the finest, most comprehensive libraries of popular films, and a diverse blend of original series, documentaries and interstitials, AMC offers an elegant and contemporary entertainment destination. AMC is a fully distributed network reaching over 83,000,000 U.S. homes (as of July 2002) and ranking #16 in size among all 55 networks.
Since its launch in 1984, AMC has been dedicated to deepening the movie experience for its viewers, featuring film-loving celebrity hosts and an increasingly visible, critically acclaimed slate of original programming. AMC has more than doubled its original programming over the past three years and garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including seven Emmy awards.
A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc. is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC) and NBC. Rainbow owns and manages AMC, WE: WOMEN'S ENTERTAINMENT, Bravo, IFC (The Independent Film Channel), muchmusic usa, Mag Rack, Rainbow Sports Networks, News 12 Networks, and MetroChannels as well as the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. Rainbow is a fifty-percent partner in Fox Sports Net and has a strategic partnership with MGM (NYSE:MGM), which owns a 20% stake in four of Rainbow's national networks: AMC, WE: Women's Entertainment, Bravo and IFC.
*All times Eastern/Pacific.