DES MOINES - Movies about a mysterious charm bracelet, an alien abduction and a haunted house are just a few of the special selections featured in "The Film Lounge - Halloween Style" TV show that will air this month on Iowa Public Television.
The Halloween show is a special episode of "The Film Lounge," a collaborative TV series that premiered on Iowa Public Television earlier this year to high praise from filmmakers and fans. It is produced by Iowa Public Television in partnership with the Iowa Arts Council and Produce Iowa, both divisions of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and with generous support from the Gilchrist Foundation.
"As we were gathering film submissions earlier this year, one thing became clear: Iowans like to make horror films," said Liz Gilman, executive producer of Produce Iowa, the state office that supports media production in Iowa. "So we decided to launch an episode devoted only to short films that frighten and intrigue and have a little fun with the incredible work being done by Iowa filmmakers."
The hour-long Halloween episode will be hosted by "Inspector" Ian Miller, the driving force behind the theatrical program "The Nitch," and was supported by the Slaughterhouse haunted attraction at the Barnum Factory in Des Moines.
Following is the list of short films to be featured in "The Film Lounge - Halloween Style" that will air at 10 p.m. Oct. 29 on IPTV.1.
(Community)
(Filmmakers)
(Film Title) (Year)
(Description)
Davenport
Steve Couch
"I'm a Madman" (2009)
An animated, musical homage to monster movies.
Davenport
Bruce Walters
"Faces of Halloween" (2017)
A poetic reminder of the mysteries behind the masks of the season.
Des Moines
Juan Acuna Esparza
"I am Trying to Remember" (2017)
A look at one man's attempt to recall an abduction -- of the alien variety.
Des Moines
Justin Norman and Shrieking Tree
"The Eye" (2017)
A bizarre look at the last days of sunlight. "The Eye" is part of the Evil Grin Gift Box web series of more than 40 dark comedy shorts.
Des Moines
Michael Berg
"Ghost of a Chance" (2016)
A ghost story about the perils of performing seances in abandoned houses.
Des Moines
Patrick Tape Fleming
"Dracula's Casket" by Poison Control Center (2011)
A timeless black and white music video filled with caskets and levitation.
Des Moines
Serena Illuminati and Annalibera
"Honesty" (2017)
A haunting and ethereal music video ponders whether we are free spirits or floating ghosts.
Iowa City
P. Sam Kessie
"The Last Summer" (2013)
A cautionary tale of friendship and a mysterious charm bracelet.
Waterloo
Beau Batterson and Adam Orton
"BOO!" (2011)
A trio of troublesome trick-or-treaters visits a haunted funeral home one spooky Halloween night.
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and its three divisions – the Iowa Arts Council, Produce Iowa - State Office of Media Production and the State Historical Society of Iowa – empower Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by connecting Iowans to the people, places and points of pride that define our state. The department’s work enables Iowa to be recognized as a state that fosters creativity and serves as a catalyst for innovation where the stories of Iowa are preserved and communicated to connect past, present and future generations.
Iowa Public Television is Iowa's only statewide television network. IPTV’s mission to educate, inform, enrich and inspire Iowans guides its quality, noncommercial programming that tells Iowa's stories like no one else can. Three statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: IPTV (.1), IPTV LEARNS (.2) and IPTV WORLD (.3) on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at Iptv.org.