Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and Astoria, Queens, are two creative neighborhoods in New York City known for their progressive spirit and artistic sensibilities. Their communities include professionals, artists, startup founders, food enthusiasts, IT specialists, public servants, professors, and students who value freedom of expression and cultural diversity. Among the many forms of artistic expression they embrace is cinema.

As lovers of art, music, and psychedelic films, the horror film screening is initiated for Asian films that are relatively underrepresented in terms of screening opportunities and audience appreciation in these two neighborhoods. 

And the Psychic Reader Film Festival started, with horror films!

Why horror films?

"Western horror films tend to stick to a formula, lots of blood, jump scares, and over-the-top effects. But true fear goes beyond gore. It's psychological. That's where Asian horror shines," writes Le Bruillon De Tina, a film writer on Medium.

On several occasions, local film enthusiast impressions of Asian horror felt that Asian ghosts and spirits were far more diverse, distinctive, and imaginative, with fascinating supernatural characteristics and storytelling traditions.

One film that perfectly illustrates this cultural appeal is Mystics in Bali (1981), directed by H. Tjut Djalil. This Indonesian horror classic has become a popular choice for screenings at independent cinemas and public screening spaces in Brooklyn.

Who comes to watch these films? They are film scholars, filmmakers, local community and art lovers who appreciate the originality of Asian folklore and supernatural legends. They are also fascinated by the visual language of classic cinema, particularly films shot on 35mm film or Betacam Sp Video, with the old style film effects and traditional filmmaking techniques that offer something different from today's digital and AI-driven productions.

"As​ian horror movies focus heavily on the psychological aspect of fear. They mess with your mind, playing on your anxieties and insecurities," writes Le Bruillon De Tina on Medium.

A film festival for Asian horror stories. 

The Psychic Reader Film Fest, a first Halloween-season celebration of Asian horror cinema in Brooklyn chose the historic Film Noir Cinema in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, as the first screening venue day. The festival featured two Indonesian horror films: Satan's Slave (1980), directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra, and The Forbidden Door (2009), directed by Joko Anwar, one of Indonesia's most respected prominent horror film director.

The name Psychic Reader Film Fest was inspired by Psychic Reader Records, an independent music label based in Brooklyn founded by Cotter Phinney. The festival also collaborated with Pacitan Horror Film Festival in East Java, Indonesia, bringing two short films, Atelier and A Prologue's End, into the program.

Before the screening began, the festival played a special video message from Joko Anwar:

"I'm so delighted that you're joining the very first Psychic Film Festival. Thank you for making room for independent voices through your collaboration with Pacitan Horror Film Festival. It's especially meaningful for The Forbidden Door to share the program with Sisworo Gautama Putra's Satan's Slave, a film from the Indonesian horror tradition that helped shape my love of the genre.", said Joko, whose latest film, Ghost in the Cell, premiered in U.S. theaters last month.  

Unexpected response.

The mid-October Halloween festival received an unexpectedly positive response, with approximately 70% of the 55 available seats for two screenings sold. That's not bad for the first horror film festival. The audience appeared pleased, even breaking into applause at the end of the screening. 

Encouraged by the turnout, the Psychic Reader organizers decided to bring the screenings to another creative neighborhood venue in Astoria, Queens.

The timing couldn't have been better. QED Astoria, a popular gathering place for the local arts community, particularly stand-up comedy, welcomed the idea of screening Indonesian short horror films from Pacitan, East Java. The screening was scheduled for the day after Halloween, offering audiences another opportunity to experience Asian horror beyond the traditional Halloween celebrations.

So, how did audiences react to the two Indonesian short horror films in Astoria? Stay tuned for the next story!

You can also check out on Instragram:  @psychicreader.nyc / @festivalfilmhoror

Written by Naratama