TriCoast Media, a programming-led CTV adtech company, today announced the launch of the inaugural Dark Matter Film Festival, a Culver City-based celebration of genre cinema spotlighting action, sci-fi, and horror. Launched in partnership with sister company TriCoast Entertainment (and its Dark Matter TV app), the festival is a natural extension of their content and distribution arms.
The inaugural event, featuring ten feature films and over two dozen shorts, will take place October 28-30, 2025, at the iconic Culver Theater.
The feature and short film finalists will be judged by an impressive lineup of genre veterans, including:
- Rachel Talalay (Director: “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”)
- Jack Sholder (Director: “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge”)
- Sara Risher (Producer: “A Nightmare on Elm Street”)
- Kristina Klebe (Actress: “Halloween”)
- Greg Sestero (Actor: “The Room”)
- Jeffrey Reddick (Producer/Writer: “Final Destination” franchise)
Additionally, the festival will host a star-studded “A Nightmare on Elm Street” panel featuring the star of the film series, Robert Englund—best known for his iconic role as Freddy Krueger, who will also be honored with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star following the panel—as well as a screening of “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.” There will also be an anniversary screening of the John Carpenter classic “In The Mouth of Madness,” along with a Q&A featuring star Julie Carmen.
TriCoast Entertainment was founded in 1987 and has amassed more than 5,000 titles distributed across FAST, AVOD, and linear channels, catering to passion-driven communities such as Lifestyle and Travel. As viewership of its content soared across FAST and AVOD channels, it then created TriCoast Media to fill its own ad inventory, discovering an entirely new business model in the process.
By starting with content ownership, TriCoast has grown into a preferred partner with 250+ publishers, including Vizio, Samsung, TCL, Xumo, and Tubi. This programming-first approach allows the company to compress the supply chain and extend its owned inventory with premium partners, offering more cost-efficient CTV supply to demand partners like Epsilon, FreeWheel, and PubMatic.
“The Dark Matter Film Festival brings the TriCoast story full circle, bridging the gap between programming and programmatic to unlock new value for creators, publishers, and brands alike,” said Nick Risher, CEO at TriCoast Media. “The festival will take place October 28-30, 2025, welcoming thousands of fans for in-person screenings, special guest appearances, and a streaming spotlight on the Dark Matter TV FAST channel.”
For tickets or more information about the 2025 Dark Matter Film Festival, visit https://darkmatterfilmfestival.com.
