OUT OF THE CELLAR FILM FESTIVAL to Debut at Chabot Theater

This autumn, the crypt doors unhinge and silver-screen nightmares break free! The inaugural Out Of The Cellar (OOTC) Film Festival will descend upon the historic, single-screen Chabot Theater in Castro Valley on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026.

Designed as an electrifying sanctuary for devotees of the strange, macabre, and uncanny, OOTC transforms the vintage movie palace into a communal, pulse-pounding festival where every single screening is a full-throttle theatrical event.

Founded by filmmaker Veronica Craven—inspired by her cult syndicated 2000s horror serial In The Cellar—the festival pays fierce homage to late-night television pioneers while fiercely spotlighting the next vanguard of independent fright masters.

Emceeing the two-day madness is none other than television legend and Horror Host Hall of Famer Count Gore De Vol (Dick Dyszel), bridging the golden age of broadcast creature features with cutting-edge independent cinema. Joining the mayhem on site are Bay Area television titan John Stanley, syndicated cult favorite Lord Blood-Rah, and San Francisco’s reigning queen of independent horror, Miss Misery.

OOTC has gathered a meticulously chosen lineup of films spanning the surreal to the blood-curdling, presented across three dynamic festival pillars:

• Bay Area & Regional Highlights: A celebration of Northern California’s thriving DIY cinema culture, underground auteurs, and regional dark fantasies.
• International Visions of Terror: Boundary-pushing horror, dark fantasy, and genre cinema arriving directly from visionary filmmakers across the globe.
• U.S. Independent & Student Showcases: Bold, uncompromising works spotlighting film school disruptors and grassroots indie provocateurs.

From October 6 through November 4, 2026, Out Of The Cellar is conducting an exclusive Kickstarter initiative serving as the festival’s official box office and patron portal.

Supporters and genre connoisseurs can back the project to secure guaranteed festival badges, single-block screening passes, prime VIP seating, limited-run commemorative merch, and exclusive insider collector items. Every pledge directly funds indie filmmaker grants, pristine theatrical projection, festival awards, and accessibility initiatives for attendees.

Honored Luminaries & Special Guests

Count Gore De Vol

Created and portrayed by veteran broadcaster Dick Dyszel, Count Gore De Vol is a transformative icon of late-night television and digital media.

Dominating the Washington/Baltimore airwaves on WDCA Channel 20 from 1973 to 1987, Count Gore became the region’s longest-running horror host with his campy, tuxedoed vampire persona, sharp wit, and deep affection for B-cinema on Creature Feature. Dyszel made entertainment history on July 11, 1998, when he launched Count Gore online—becoming the world’s very first internet horror host and pioneering web streaming for genre fans decades before it was the industry standard. Inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame in 2011, where he had the distinct honor of inducting Elvira the following year, Count Gore De Vol stands as a vital bridge between golden-age regional television and modern independent streaming culture.

John Stanley

A revered genre historian, filmmaker, and veteran San Francisco Chronicle arts writer, John Stanley redefined regional genre broadcasting when he stepped into Bob Wilkins’ iconic rocking chair to host KTVU Channel 2’s Creature Features from 1979 to 1984.

Author of the essential multi-edition Creature Features Movie Guide and director of the cult feature Nightmare In Blood, Stanley elevated the host format with sharp cinematic scholarship, original scripted comedy shorts, and definitive interviews with luminaries including Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Ray Bradbury.Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Miss Misery

Hailed by critics and fans as the 'Queen of Horror in the Bay Area,' Miss Misery is the gothic, razor-witted alter ego of San Francisco filmmaker, author, and producer Reyna Young.

Through her long-running syndicated showcases Miss Misery’s Movie Massacre and The Last Doorway Show, she has redefined the midnight hostess tradition, creating an indispensable promotional pipeline for independent filmmakers, emerging literary talent, and underground shock cinema.

Lord Blood-Rah

A dynamic cornerstone of contemporary late-night genre broadcasting, Lord Blood-Rah commands the syndicated cult hit Lord Blood-Rah’s Nerve Wrackin’ Theatre.