2026 New Orleans Film Festival

The Haunting of Pennhurst

Available in 24d 22h 16m 04s
Available October 23, 2026 12:30 AM UTC
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Haunted-house thrills meet disability and the reclamation of a painful history. A Tribeca selection for Halloween fans, horror lovers, and disability advocates.


Do you believe in haunted gravesites? There is one filled with unmarked graves at Pennhurst State School and Hospital, which was finally shut down in 1987. Within it are unsolved cases of abuse and torture. These days, the people of Spring City, Pennsylvania, come to these haunted grounds to see the performers who have created an annual halloween spectacle. Many of these performers live with some of the same disabilities of those whose lives ended in this hospital. So as monsters, ghouls and zombies, they are able to reclaim and reap the profits, but not without confronting ideas around what it means to be a spectacle for entertainment, and how to do so on your own terms. -BT



Director bio:

Stenberg, Attie and Poljak are a film directing team based in Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Between them they have completed three features, numerous shorts and a dissertation that no one will EVER read.

  • Year
    2026
  • Runtime
    82 minutes
  • Language
    English
  • Country
    United States
  • Premiere
    Louisiana
  • Director
    Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak
  • Screenwriter
    Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, Katarina Poljak
  • Producer
    Daniel J Chalfen
  • Cinematographer
    Mike Attie
  • Editor
    Sarah Garrahan
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