ABOUT THE EVENT:

Join us for a special edition of our ongoing ‘INT. MOVIE THEATRE’ series celebrating the craft of screenwriting with a panel of today’s horror screenwriters speaking on the craft, followed by a screening of horror classic THE SHINING.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Nicolas Curcio and Kirby Gladstein are filmmakers based in Los Angeles, California.
Nic (he/him) was a writer on Sony Pictures Animation’s GOAT, produced by Stephen Curry and now streaming on Netflix. He previously developed a live-action MAGIC SCHOOL BUS film for Universal and an adaptation of the graphic novel Planet of the Nerds for Paramount. His script BARRON was featured on the annual Black List. Beyond filmmaking, Nic shares insights into writing, directing and the creative process with more than 250,000 followers across social media and as co-host of the podcast The Hollywood Hang. He holds an MFA in Film & TV Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Kirby (she/her) is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker whose clients have included Apple, HBO and Coachella. She studied Film and Media at the University of Oklahoma before working in Houston’s film and television industry on productions for ABC, Animal Planet, MTV and others. Nic and Kirby co-wrote and sold SWEET SPOT, an erotic thriller, to Paramount, with BoulderLight (WEAPONS, BARBARIAN) producing. In September 2025, they won Fantastic Fest’s inaugural Fantastic Pitches competition, receiving funding to make their horror feature PLAY HOUSE. They wrote and produced the film together, with Nic directing. PLAY HOUSE premiered at Fantastic Fest in September 2026 and was subsequently acquired by Focus Features and Blumhouse for a theatrical release in 2027. Nic and Kirby got married one week after wrapping PLAY HOUSE.

Ian McDonald is a writer, director and producer originally from Maine. He wrote WOMAN OF THE HOUR, which premiered at TIFF in 2023 before being acquired by Netflix, and produced THE SURRENDER, which premiered at SXSW in 2025 and was acquired by Shudder. He recently wrapped production on SUNDOWNING, a horror film he wrote and directed, produced by Spooky Pictures. He is currently developing projects with Netflix, Spooky Pictures, Maximum Effort, Ozone Avenue, The Atlantic Magazine and Sight Unseen, among others. Ian holds an MFA in Playwriting from Brown University, where he also taught.

ABOUT THE FILM:

Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall star in director Stanley Kubrick’s disturbing adaptation of Stephen King’s blockbuster horror novel. When writer Jack Torrance (Nicholson)–who has a history of alcoholism and child abuse–takes a job as winter caretaker for a hotel high in the Rocky Mountains, he, his wife (Duvall) and their psychic young son will be isolated until spring. But once the first blizzard closes the road out, the accumulated power of evil deeds committed at the hotel begins to drive Jack mad. Now there may be no escape for his wife and son in this haunting madness, memory and family violence.