Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival runs through Sunday

The Hot Springs Arts and Film Institute will present the Hot Springs International Horror Film Festival through Sunday at the historic Central Theater, 1008 Central Ave. The festival began on Thursday.

Founded and operated by film industry professionals, the independent festival is dedicated to helping promote aspiring and talented filmmakers, a news release said. It provides opportunities for networking and exhibition in a historic theater venue where films can be experienced on the big screen.

The festival recognizes and promotes a variety of films in the horror, thriller and sci-fi genres.

Special festival guests include R.A. “Leatherface” Mihailoff, who has been in the horror movie business since the early 1980s and has been featured in such films as “Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III,” “Trancers III,” “Alien Hunger,” “Death House,” “Death Riders,” “Darkside Witches II,” “Crazed,” “Slasher” and “Smothered,” among others.

On Saturday, Mihailoff will attend a debut screening of his latest film, “Ride Hard Live Free,” and will participate in a Q&A panel discussion following the screening. Before the screening, producers are hosting the Ride Hard Live Free Run, a bike ride from Rodney’s Cycle House in Little Rock to the Central Theater, with Mihailoff arriving just before the start of the movie screening. An after party will be held at Fat Jack’s at 10 p.m.

Also attending this year’s festival is Michael Berryman, known for his role as a cannibal in “The Hills Have Eyes.” Berryman has been in the horror movie business since the early 1970s and has been featured in films including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Star Trek,” “Weird Science,” “The Barbarians,” “Teenage Exorcist,” “Tales from the Crypt,” “The X-Files” and “The Devil’s Rejects.”

During the festival, Berryman will attend a screening of his latest film, “The Evil Within,” followed by a Q&A panel discussion.

Seminars featured at this year’s festival include “Movie Makeup Mayhem & Magic” and “Creating AtmosFEAR” with John L. Burton; a mask-making seminar with Tony Buck; and a camera lenses seminar with Gene Sive.

The festival will also present the Theater of Horror beginning Sept. 28 at the Central Theater. Theater of Horror is part play, part movie and part haunted attraction and combines the elements of stage theater, a movie theater and a walk-through haunted attraction.

This 60-minute horror show is produced by Bill Volland and Burton.