POCATELLO — The Spark of Madness Film Festival has added several notable guests for its inaugural event, including Jon Heder of “Napoleon Dynamite” fame, who will appear during a screening of his latest film, “The Grim & the Dark.”

Also added to the lineup are Daniel Lowman, director of “The Grim & the Dark,” and several people connected to the film “Demonetize,” including co-writer and director Alexander Watson, producers Tim Drake and Clyde Ratliff, star and co-writer Janine Hogan and actor Kris Robinson.

John Evans, founder and director of the Spark of Madness Film Festival, said both films fit the themes of the event.

“I think ‘Demonetize’ is a great fit for us because it’s not conventional horror and it’s not conventional comedy,” he said. “It’s a brilliant mix of the two.”

The film follows a group of floundering television ghost hunters who try to prove ghosts are real by convincing social media influencers to stay in a haunted house, offering a large cash prize to the winner.

Watson said the idea came to him while he was working in Los Angeles editing videos for real-life influencers. While working on a project about a possessed brother, the cast ended up chasing each other around a mansion with their faces covered in white paint.

“I thought, how funny this would be if these influencers were in a horror situation,” Watson said.

Watson and Hogan spent nearly two years completing the script. They filmed it in 2024 and spent much of 2025 in post-production.

Watson has a background in improvisational comedy — which is where he met Hogan — and says his willingness to let actors improvise sets the film apart.

“We actually had a reviewer who said it is one of the most quotable movies he has seen,” Watson said. “When I direct I do three takes — one that is what is on paper, one if the actor has any ideas, and one that is just crazy, try anything out of the blue.”

In “The Grim & the Dark,” a documentary, Heder embarks on a journey into the fantasy game Grimdark after discovering it in a game store, seeking out the artists, writers and creators who thrive in its dark world.

Evans said the film aligns with the festival’s themes of art and inspiration.

“You can find beauty in ugly things and inspiration in the darkest things,” Evans said. “And I love Jon Heder, so that was great too.”

The Spark of Madness Film Festival runs May 21-23 at Idaho State University’s Bengal Theater and the nearby Ballroom. “The Grim & the Dark” screens at 5:30 p.m. May 21 in the Bengal Theater, followed by a question-and-answer session with Heder and Lowman.

Tickets are $13 per day or $23 for a three-day pass. Evans said he has just over 100 films scheduled — a mix of full-length features and shorts spanning horror, comedy and documentaries, with an emphasis on eccentric people and artists. A strong contingent of films come from Idaho with others highlighting the broader Rocky Mountain region. Films screen from 10:30 a.m. to about 7 p.m. each day, with after parties in the evening.

For more information and tickets, visit sparkofmadnessfilmfestival.com.