By Lynn SHER

Expect screams, plenty of popcorn, food trucks, fear and free beer. These are all part of Screamfest LA’s “Fears and Beers Screening Under the Stars” that features local filmmaker Mike Timm. Timm is screening his vaunted horror short film “The Eyes” at the event on Saturday, June 24 at the McGroarty Arts Center in Tujunga. The gates open at 7 p.m. giving attendees ample time to peruse the food trucks and, for those over 21, to get their complimentary beer from Angel City Brewery before the screening begins at 8:30 p.m.

In 2022, Timm’s “The Eyes” premiered at the Screamfest LA Film Festival to rave reviews.

Screamfest LA is a premier film festival for the horror genre and it hosts a number of film-related events throughout the year. Its website encourages horror lovers to come out, saying “The Eyes” is a “must-see” and that it’s “guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat.” The short film will play before the headlining feature, “Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter.”

“The Eyes,” which Timm wrote, directed and produced, is described by Screamfest LA, “A world where nothing goes unseen as the eyes of karma haunts one man’s wrong choices.” The film is described as being a campy, ’80s, “creature thriller.” Attracting attention, “The Eyes” is currently being developed into a feature film called “Leech.”

“[I’m] basically taking the creature from my short film and … kind of throwing that into a sci-fi horror movie,” Timm said.

The protagonists are a group of diamond thieves that encounter a creature, adding elements of the “crime genre” into the story.

Timm fell in love with filmmaking in the sixth grade when he was the only one in his class to finish the assignment of shooting a short movie on Super 8 film.

“I just got hooked,” he said, and he’s since been pursuing filmmaking and working in various facets of the film industry.

Excitingly, Timm currently has two additional feature films in development, each partnering with renowned production companies. “Hell Squad,” a sci-fi desert survival tale, is being brought to life through a collaboration with Convergent Media, known for its work on “Beast of Burden” featuring Daniel Radcliffe. And “Kiss Of The Scorpion,” an action-packed drama, is being produced in Australia by the same company responsible for esteemed films like “Chopper” with Eric Bana and “Wolf Creek.”

Along with the food trucks and beer, movie-watching staples like popcorn and soda will also be available at the June 24 event at McGroarty Arts Center. Adding to the already festive occasion will be trivia with the chance to win prizes and a Q&A after the movie with select cast members.

Tickets are $15 and are available ahead of time through Eventbrite at https://tinyurl.com/5xtbxsv2. When ticket buyers arrive, they’ll check in at the “will-call” table with their email confirmation, e-ticket or printed e-ticket. Seating is first come, first served.

The McGroarty Arts Center is located at 7570 McGroarty Terrace in Tujunga.