SCREAM QUEEN! PREMIERES AT FANTASTIC FEST
The queer horror documentary Scream Queen!: My Nightmare on Elm Street made its official world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the world specializing in horror, fantasy, and sci-fi premieres. The weekend featured a sold-out premiere for the film and drag celebration with an astounding rainbow Freddy Kreuger cake by world-renowned Sideserk Cake Studio.
The film, by directors Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, explores the curious queer afterlife of Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), considered by many to “the gayest horror film ever made.” Dr. Scahill is featured in the film as a horror expert and scholar of queer specatorship. He was thrilled to return to Austin, where he received his PhD at University of Texas at Austin in 2010.
In its festival review of the film, Caitlin Kennedy at Film Inquiry had this to say: "Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street is the kind of documentary you wait all year to see. The film is well researched and paints a broader picture, beyond its tender-hearted subject. It could stand tall as a fantastic documentary on both horror and Americana during the peak of the AIDS crisis. History and background blend seamlessly with heartfelt stories."