(Courtesy photo) The 12th edition of An October Evening celebrates ghosts through film, fashion, music and dance, all in an expanded two evenings Oct. 20-21 at the Masonic Temple in Salt Lake City.
It won’t just be one October Evening celebrating local horror film, fashion, music and dance, but two as the popular event goes beyond the grave and into the world of ghosts.
Local filmmaker Stephen Simmons and Pretty Macabre owner and fashion designer Andrea Hansen are marking the 12th edition of An October Evening and promising less campy comedy and more darkness — an effect, Simmons said, of growing up.
“This year definitely has a darker feel,” he said. “A lot of the artists behind the work have had a rough couple of years. It shows in their work. There is a lot of change and maturity in our films. We have all kind of grown up with each other in the past 12 years. We’re trying to do something a little more adult.”
For the first time since its inception, An October Evening will run two nights at the Masonic Temple on Friday, Oct. 20, and Saturday, Oct. 21.
“We wanted to expand the show,” Simmons said. “Our goal is to have An October Evening every weekend in October. In extending for two nights, we are going to experiment with that and see how it goes.”
An October Evening<br>This year’s lineup includes music by Vadawave and Kagan Breitenbach, theatrical dance performances, horror couture fashion by Pretty Macabre and original films by Conor Long, Stephen King Simmons, David Komatar and Mathew Pool.<br>When • Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20-21, 7 to 10 p.m.<br>Where • The Historic Masonic Temple, 650 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City<br>Tickets • $15; saltlakefilmsociety.org and Tower Theater box office, 876 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City
(Courtesy photo) The 12th edition of An October Evening celebrates ghosts through film, fashion, music and dance, all in an expanded two evenings Oct. 20-21 at the Masonic Temple in Salt Lake City. Pictured, Julia Fae in a behind-the-scenes shot from "Night Terrors," one of the films that will be featured in the event.
On a recent early October evening, Simmons and Hansen, filmmakers Conor Long and David Komatar and graphic designer James Ramirez gathered around Simmons’ kitchen table talking about this year’s event and the months of work the group has put in to give audience members a ghostly evening to remember. Simmons — who has notoriously hinted in years past that the event will soon see its final act — said he’s finally accepted that he just can’t quit An October Evening.
“It’s year 12, and this is the first time I haven’t said, ‘If there is a next year,’ ” he said with a laugh.
Last year, An October Evening went campy with an ’80s horror theme. This year, it’s the eeriness of the unknown — the crackling voices picked up on a recording; the sudden slam of a door — that drew Simmons and crew to ghosts.
“I feel like Utah loves ghosts. Utah has a huge haunted history behind it,” Simmons said.
“This year’s theme intrigued me,” said Komatar. “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I believe in the reasons that people have ghosts, and that’s interesting territory to explore for a film.”
Long, who also has a film in the event, has been involved with An October Evening for nine years. This year, he premieres one short film along with a few mini skits to bring some light to the darkness. He too does not believe in ghosts, but was drawn to this year’s theme.
“Ghosts to me are the only creature that has no rules,” he said. “Ghosts are so vague and ethereal that you can make them be whatever you want them to be. It provides an artist or a filmmaker a lot of room to play and create their own set of rules.”
(Courtesy photo) The 12th edition of An October Evening celebrates ghosts through film, fashion, music and dance, all in an expanded two evenings Oct. 20-21 at the Masonic Temple in Salt Lake City. Pictured, event organizers Andrea Hansen and Stephen Simmons.
Hansen, who co-hosts the event for the second year in a row, dove into the darker side of ghost stories to design a slew of new fashion pieces for the AOE runway. Vocalist Megan Allman will be outfitted in what Hansen described as a “haunted-mansion-lounge-singer-awesomeness” gown while she performs. And Kagan Breitenbach returns with the eerie orchestral sounds of Quartet Macabre.
“I will be doing a pretty dark, ghostly demonical demonic runway show, which will be fun for me to do,” Hansen said. “Becoming a co-host of the show has helped me be more creative with what I put in the show. I wanted to branch out from traditional runway stuff and make it more of a theatrical show that tells a story and has a feeling behind it. It’s given me an opportunity to take the theme mixed with the variety we have in the show and helps create the live aspect of the show compared to the film.”
Local haunts
In celebration of An October Evening’s theme, event organizers Stephen Simmons and Andrea Hansen and graphic artist James Ramirez shared ghost encounters of their own.
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