A slasher film shot inside a real Alabama haunted attraction is now playing in select theaters nationwide.

“Hellbilly Hollow” opened Friday in eight cities after a packed premiere on LA’s Sunset Strip. The film is the first ever shot at the actual Hellbilly Hollow haunt in Vincent, Alabama, a venue that’s been scaring visitors for years with its haunted barn and backwoods hayride.

Director Kevin Wayne got the idea while shooting a commercial at the attraction. Instead of rebuilding it on a soundstage, they filmed on location. Every corner fans recognize from the real haunt made it into the movie.

The story follows paranormal YouTubers who show up to film the night before Halloween. They quickly learn the scares aren’t staged. Killer siblings Tickles, a disfigured clown, and Bull, his manipulative brother, are real, and they’re hunting.

The film stars Kurt Deimer and Kevin Wayne, with an original score by metal drummer Roy Mayorga. Deimer’s Bald Man Films produced alongside Todd Slater of Convoke Media. Atlas Distribution is handling the U.S. release, with Jinga Films covering international sales.

“Hellbilly Hollow” is playing in Birmingham, Cincinnati, Columbus, Jacksonville, LA, Omaha and Orlando. Regal Edwards Long Beach is hosting a public Q&A after the 7:40 p.m. screening Friday.

For indie horror filmmakers, it’s proof you can turn a regional attraction into a theatrical release.

Before Election and Sideways made him an indie darling, Alexander Payne kicked off his career with Citizen Ruth, a dark comedy that ripped into the culture wars with zero mercy. Now Film Forum is bringing back his 1996 debut in a new 4K restoration, running October 30 through November 5.

Laura Dern stars as Ruth Stoops, a drug-addicted woman with four kids already taken away by the state. When she gets pregnant again while locked up, a judge gives her an ultimatum: get an abortion or face a felony charge. What follows is a brutal tug-of-war between pro-life and pro-choice activists, both desperate to use her as a poster child for their cause. Ruth doesn’t care about either side. She just wants to survive.

The film premiered at Sundance in 1996 and introduced Payne’s signature style, sharp satire with uncomfortable truths baked in. Critics at the time loved Dern’s performance, calling her “a revelation” and “weirdly lovable” despite playing someone you probably shouldn’t root for.

Payne went on to earn an Oscar nomination for Election three years later, but Citizen Ruth remains a boldly irreverent first swing. The restoration was handled by IndieCollect, working with Criterion and Paramount. If you missed it the first time around, here’s your chance.

Paweł Pawlikowski is back with another black-and-white stunner. His new film “Fatherland” premieres October 23 at Film Forum in New York, and it’s already racking up serious attention.

The film stars Sandra Hüller (fresh off “Anatomy of a Fall”) as Erika Mann, daughter of legendary author Thomas Mann, played by Hanns Zischler. Set in 1949, they’re driving through a bombed-out Germany after years of exile in the U.S. Mann’s returned as a Nobel Prize winner with celebrity status, but the country he knew is gone. Erika’s coordinating his trip while dealing with her own family trauma, trying to break through her father’s distant facade.

Pawlikowski won Best Director at Cannes for this one. It’s also Poland’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature. If you know his work, the pedigree checks out. “Ida” won the Oscar in 2014, and “Cold War” scored three nominations including Best Director.

The reviews are glowing. Critics are calling it “a perfectly cut jewel” and praising cinematographer Łukasz Żal’s gorgeous monochrome work. At just 82 minutes, Pawlikowski keeps it lean and devastating.

For indie cinema lovers, this is the kind of restrained, visually striking filmmaking that reminds you why arthouse matters. Film Forum’s the place to see it first.