'Antlers' To Premiere At Closing Night Of Beyond Fest 2021

Searchlight Pictures and Beyond Fest announced today the World Premiere of Scott Cooper’s new horror thriller ANTLERS as the October 11th, Closing Night selection of the 2021 Beyond Fest, presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque. The premiere will launch a series of events leading up to the October 29th domestic theatrical release of the film, including a “Fantastic Fest Presents” Special Screening with Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in San Francisco and Austin on October 11th; the International Premiere at the 54th Sitges International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantastic de Catalunya) on October 13th; Closing Night of the 12th Annual Telluride Horror Show on October 17th ; and a special Drive-In Screening at the 57th Chicago International Film Festival on October 15th. Additionally Scott Cooper will host a horror retrospective in conjunction with Beyond Fest and the American Cinematheque this fall.

ANTLERS comes from the visionary world of acclaimed director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart; Hostiles), horror maestro Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth; Mimic; The Devil’s Backbone), David S. Goyer (Searchlight’s The Night House; Apple TV+ Foundation), and J. Miles Dale (Searchlight’s upcoming Nightmare Alley).

In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher (Keri Russell) and her sheriff brother (Jesse Plemons) become embroiled with her enigmatic student (Jeremy T. Thomas), whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature who came before them. ANTLERS is written by C. Henry Chaisson (Servant) & Nick Antosca (The Act) and Scott Cooper (Black Mass), based upon the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca. The film features an accomplished crew of craftspeople, including Cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (The Deep Blue Sea), Production Designer Tim Grimes (The Wrestler), Editor Dylan Tichenor (Brokeback Mountain), and Composer Javier Navarrete (Pan’s Labyrinth). In addition to Russell (Universal’s upcoming Elizabeth Banks thriller Cocaine Bear) and Plemons (Netflix’s Jane Campion drama The Power of the Dog), ANTLERS features Academy Award nominee Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves), Scott Haze (Jurassic World: Dominion), Rory Cochrane (Encounter), and Academy Award nominee Amy Madigan (Twice in a Lifetime). Smoke Signals director Chris Eyre served as a consultant on the film.

"I made ANTLERS as a communal theatrical experience for cinema lovers,” said director and co-writer Scott Cooper. “I can’t think of a more apt series of screenings to launch our film before audiences across the globe – audiences whom I hope share an appreciation for horror films with a different perspective on our everyday fears and ancestral mythology.”

“ANTLERS features intense scares, a spectacular creature, riveting storytelling, accomplished performances, and the thrilling vision of Scott Cooper at the helm,” said Beyond Fest Founder Christian Parkes. “We know our audiences will journey into the heart of the monster for this artful nail-biter. It’s an honor for us and the American Cinematheque to welcome Scott back, as we have celebrated his genre-spanning films from Crazy Heart to Out of the Furnace over the years.”

Beyond Fest, presented in partnership with American Cinematheque, is celebrating its 9th year as one of the country’s premiere genre film festivals. Closing Night will take place at the American Legion Theater in Hollywood, and will feature a red carpet and interviews with Cooper and additional cast to be announced. In Austin, Fantastic Fest will host a special screening of ANTLERS at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in Austin and San Francisco. Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States, specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. The Sitges Film Festival is celebrating its 54th year as one of the globe’s premiere international film festivals specializing in fantasy and horror films. ANTLERS will screen as part of their 2021 lineup on October 13th, marking the International Premiere of the film. The Telluride Horror Show, Colorado's first and largest horror film festival, returns for its 12th edition October 15th to 17th. Every year, the festival attracts the latest and best genre films from around the world, and attendees from all over the country for an incredible gathering of film fans in the world-famous mountain resort town of Telluride, Colorado. The Drive-In Screening at the 57th Chicago International Film Festival will feature a special taped conversation between Scott Cooper and Guillermo del Toro on October 15th.

ABOUT SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Searchlight Pictures is a global specialty film company that develops, produces, finances, and acquires motion pictures for both worldwide theatrical and streaming releases. It has its own marketing and distribution operations, and is part of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 1994 as Fox Searchlight Pictures, the company’s titles have grossed over $5 billion worldwide, amassing 43 Academy Awards including five Best Picture winners since 2009: Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, Birdman, The Shape of Water, and Nomadland; 49 BAFTA awards, and 28 Golden Globe Awards.

Searchlight and Hulu recently released Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s award-winning documentary feature Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) in partnership with Disney’s Onyx Collective. Upcoming releases include Michael Showalter’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Scott Cooper’s Antlers, Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, and Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins. The company includes Searchlight Television, which develops and produces series for streaming, network, and cable partners. 

ABOUT BEYOND FEST

Beyond Fest is the highest-attended genre film festival in the U.S. and exists to support film fans and filmmakers alike. Based in Los Angeles, Beyond Fest is a not-for-profit entity built in partnership with the American Cinematheque that raises funds for the 501c3 non-profit film institution. Its favorite film is JAWS.