Screamfest 2026 to Open With Jeremy Weiss's The Night Driver
Screamfest Horror Film Festival will open its 2026 edition with The Night Driver, the directorial debut of Jeremy Weiss, Deadline reported on 15 September 2026.
The film stars Josh Lucas, David Arquette and Alyssa Milano. Lucas plays Hurdis Jones. Milano plays his wife, Cheryl. Arquette plays Detective Granger.
It is a first feature for Weiss as a director. The casting puts three familiar faces from film and television at the centre of the opening-night slot.
The festival is scheduled for 6 to 15 October at the TCL Chinese Theatre. That ten-day run keeps Screamfest in its long-time Hollywood home.
The first-wave lineup is heavy on new work. It includes eight world premieres, six North American premieres, one US premiere and three West Coast premieres, a world premiere meaning the first public screening anywhere.
Screamfest will also honour cinematographer Peter Deming with a Career Achievement Award, Deadline reported. Deming shot Mulholland Drive, Evil Dead II, Drag Me to Hell and Scream 2, 3 and 4. His television work includes Twin Peaks.
He received an Emmy nomination for the 2018 Twin Peaks episode “Part 8”. The nomination recognised outstanding cinematography for a limited series or film.
What makes this stand out is the mix. An opening night built around a new director sits alongside a tribute to a cinematographer whose images helped define modern screen horror. For fans, this means ten days of fresh scares with a nod to the craft behind them.
