Description
Before the tricks. Before the treats. There was SAM.
See the original 1996 animated short film that birthed the spirit of Halloween, SEASON'S GREETINGS, at the Halloween International Film Festival 2026, playing with our closing film HALLOWARRIOR and more surprise treats from SAM on Saturday night, Oct. 24.
From writer/director Michael Dougherty (Trick 'r Treat, Krampus, Godzilla: King of the Monsters), in the film, "On a late Halloween Night, a young trick-or-treater on the hunt for candy discovers the dangers of staying out past midnight."
SEASON'S GREETINGS is the original animated short film that first introduced the world to Sam, the mysterious trick-or treater who would later become a modern horror icon.
Created using traditional hand-drawn animation methods, the film unfolds like a dark holiday fable: playful, eerie, and quietly unforgiving.
Now restored in 4K with remastered 5.1 audio for its 30th Anniversary, SEASON'S GREETINGS preserves the charm of its original 16mm presentation while inviting audiences to experience Sam as he first appeared.
JOIN US Oct. 23-24 at Roanoke Island Festival Park, on the Outer Banks, NC, where Halloween Island will decorate all of the Manteo Downtown Social District.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW: filmfreeway.com/halloweenfilmfestival/tickets
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