I Kill Giants[/caption]
The 5th annual Chattanooga Film Festival is almost here, and the festival has released the second wave of films, comprising of a generous mix of fantasy, horror, documentary and animated films.
Film highlights include Timothée Chalamet, who has had recent turns in CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and LADY BIRD, stars in HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, a charming coming of age drama set during a summer at Cape Cod. Catch this winning flick at CFF before the good folks at A24 release it later this year.
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them, caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories.
ERNEST AND CELESTINE charmed audiences during its 2014 screening at CFF, and festival organizers are bringing the latest family crowd pleaser from the same talented filmmaking duo to Chattanooga. Bring your kids and the young film fans in your life to THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES, because this is a comedy adventure all ages can enjoy.
Rounding out CFF’s cinematic sojourn into the dark heart of the 1980s, along with this year’s SUMMER OF ’84 and LIFE AFTER FLASH, is THE POWER OF GLOVE. This doc is an absolute hoot and tells the strange, but true tale of the rise and fall of Nintendo’s Power Glove in the 1980s.
Anchored by one of the most amazing performances you’re likely to see this year by Valeria Bertuccelli, who also co-writes and directs, THE QUEEN OF FEAR tells the story of an actress that becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show. Along with previously announced selection MADELINE’S MADELINE, it makes for a fascinating and entertaining double feature about obsessive actors taking their craft perhaps a bit too seriously.
Director Ryuhei Kitamura’s latest is DOWNRANGE, revolving around a group of friends who after a roadside blowout become the targets of a mysterious sniper. Throw in an appearance by longtime CFF favorite Graham Skipper, also teaching our acting class along with actor/filmmaker Matt Mercer this year, and you’ve got a lightning-paced blast of a thriller.
In the action-packed true story A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN, an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom. This movie lands like a punch in the gut and in this case, that’s a good thing.
Everyone loves a good food documentary, and RAMEN HEADS straight up classifies as food porn. Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish.
The National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico is the site of festivity unlike any other in the world, and has been captured in a hypnotically beautiful, charming and deeply entertaining documentary called BRIMSTONE & GLORY. In celebration of San Juan de Dios, patron saint of firework makers, conflagrant revelry engulfs the town for ten days. Artisans show off their technical virtuosity, up-and-comers create their own rowdy, lo-fi combustibles, and dozens of teams build larger-than-life papier-mâché bulls to parade into the town square, adorned with fireworks that blow up in all directions. For the people of Tultepec, this explosive celebration, is a combination of unrestrained delight and real peril.
Punk rock horror? Yes please. In Jenn Wexler’s debut THE RANGER, a group of punk rockers piss off a truly psychotic forest ranger. Coupled with a soundtrack loaded with deep punk rock cuts and some truly amazing thrills and chills, this film has put Wexler on CFF’s up and coming filmmakers list. Wexler and producer Heather Buckley will be on hand for a Q&A following the film.
Lola Kirk and Zoe Kravitz star in GEMINI, a mystery thriller by acclaimed director Aaron Katz. This is the kind of film that you go into cold, and let the film and its beguiling leads cast the same spell on you that it did on the CFF team.
Casey T. Malone has chosen CFF for the world premiere of his feature film LESSER BEASTS. This hauntingly beautiful, truly personal dazzler is a cross between Guy Maddin and Terence Malick, with a little dash of good ole David Lynchian experimentation to make the mix all the more compelling. Malone will be attending for a Q&A, along with some of the cast members.
Kane Hodder is a hero. More than just the man behind the mask for iconic film villains from FRIDAY THE 13TH’s Jason Vorhees to Adam Green’s cult classic HATCHET franchise, Hodder’s is a name that genre film fans revere. This incredible biography, TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY, traces his struggle to overcome a dehumanizing childhood and endless bullying, to his rise in becoming one of the true living legends of horror and genre cinema.
When filmmakers Mike Testin and Matt Mercer challenged themselves to make a film from conception to completion in just 31 days they created DEMENTIA PART II. Making its world premiere at CFF, there is so much to love; from insane plot to the inspiring way this film came to life.
To say the films of filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are in a class of their own is an understatement. In LET THE CORPSES TAN they do for the Spaghetti Western what they did for Giallo thrillers with their classic AMER, making a movie as psychedelic as it is unforgettable.
I KILL GIANTS has been selected as the closing night film for this year’s festival, a crowd-pleasing powerhouse fantasy brought to life by the producers of the Harry Potter films. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, I KILL GIANTS tell the story of Barbara Thorson as she struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
THE SECOND WAVE OF FILMS FOR 2018 CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL
TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID | Director Issa López
A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kCERB3ss4
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS | Director Elijah Bynum
A boy comes of age during a summer he spends in Cape Cod.
BORLEY RECTORY | Director Ashley Thorpe
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories. BORLEY RECTORY examines the legend, the controversial investigations and a ghost story that may well reveal more about what might have been missing from Borley rather than what might have been invading it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVon3ODMWo
THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES | Directors Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner
Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it’s a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QkSzpNGW8
THE POWER OF GLOVE | Directors Andrew Austin, Adam Ward
A documentary that chronicles the journey of the world’s most notorious video game controller: the Power Glove. For the first time, discover the history and legacy behind the glove that helped inspire a generation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp2j7Zgo_g
THE QUEEN OF FEAR | Directors Valeria Bertuccelli, Fabiana Tiscornia
An actress becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3tVbHrm7_k
BLEEDING SKULL PRESENTS NINJA ZOMBIE | Director Mark Bessenger
We already know that every sane moviegoer on earth loves occult mayhem, undead martial arts warriors and wizards with spiders tattooed on their faces. But little did we know that all of those things and more comprised a completely unseen feature-length Super-8 masterpiece from Illinois! A murdered karate expert rises from the grave to exact revenge and rescue his girlfriend from black magic maniacs. Despite its food stamp budget, Ninja Zombie is an unrelenting ruckus of supernatural threats and high-kicking vengeance.
SUPER INFRA-MAN | Director Shan Hua
In this Shaw Bros. classic, Princess Dragon Mom and her mutant army have arisen, and only Inframan can stop them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLlecrotn0Q
DOWNRANGE | Director Ryûhei Kitamura
Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLHKmWVDYw
A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN | Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
The true story of an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp88Nuci68c
RAMEN HEADS | Director Koki Shigeno
In ‘Ramen Heads,’ Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to Tomita’s story, the film also profiles five other notable ramen shops, each with its own philosophy and flavor, which exemplify various aspects the ramen world. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan’s top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E9MGOK4LY
BRIMSTONE & GLORY | Director Viktor Jakovleski
Ecstatic ritual, danger and the absolute beauty of fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmNtP3TRmI
THE RANGER | Director Jenn Wexler
A group of punk rockers piss off a psychotic forest ranger.
Q&A following with director Jenn Wexler and producer Heather Buckley
GEMINI | Director Aaron Katz
A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjmjYU-kMI
LESSER BEASTS | Director Casey T. Malone
*WORLD PREMIERE
Four stories. One mystery.
Q&A following with director Casey T. Malone and cast.
https://vimeo.com/213251995
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY | Director Derek Dennis Herbert
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema’s most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ViGiRfRCo
DEMENTIA PART II | Directors Mike Testin, Matt Mercer
*WORLD PREMIERE
Suzanne wasn’t always this confused. She wasn’t always dead either… When an ex-con takes a job as a handyman for an unstable elderly woman to avoid a parole violation, it becomes a choice he may regret. From the makers of Dementia and Contracted comes the unnecessary midnight-movie sequel you never knew you wanted… made script-to-screen in literally one month!
Q&A following with directors Mike Testin and Matt Mercer
LET THE CORPSES TAN | Director Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
The Mediterranean summer: blue sea, blazing sun….and 250 kg of gold stolen by Rhino and his gang! They had found the perfect hideout: an abandoned and remote hamlet now taken over by a woman artist in search for inspiration. Unfortunately surprise guests and two cops compromise their plan: the heavenly place where wild happenings and orgies used to take place turns into a gruesome battlefield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMbWj8u-RA
NOVEMBER | Director Rainer Sarnet
Based on Estonian novel “Rehepapp” by Andrus Kivirähk, a bestseller of the last twenty years, the film is a mixture of magic, black humor and romantic love. The story is set in a pagan Estonian village where werewolves, the plague, and spirits roam. The villagers’ main problem is how to survive the cold, dark winter. And, to that aim, nothing is taboo.
TURBO KID | Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
*FREE SCREENING
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favorite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.
François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell in attendance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlZ6pVtnv0
THE ENDLESS | Directors Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
*FREE SCREENING
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group’s beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.
Q&A with producer and cast member David Lawson
I KILL GIANTS | Director Anders Walter
Barbara Thorson struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0QKOR5KgcTO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY
-
2018 Chattanooga Film Festival Unleashes SECOND WAVE of Films, Closes with “I KILL GIANTS” | Trailers
[caption id="attachment_27529" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] I Kill Giants[/caption]
The 5th annual Chattanooga Film Festival is almost here, and the festival has released the second wave of films, comprising of a generous mix of fantasy, horror, documentary and animated films.
Film highlights include Timothée Chalamet, who has had recent turns in CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and LADY BIRD, stars in HOT SUMMER NIGHTS, a charming coming of age drama set during a summer at Cape Cod. Catch this winning flick at CFF before the good folks at A24 release it later this year.
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them, caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories.
ERNEST AND CELESTINE charmed audiences during its 2014 screening at CFF, and festival organizers are bringing the latest family crowd pleaser from the same talented filmmaking duo to Chattanooga. Bring your kids and the young film fans in your life to THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES, because this is a comedy adventure all ages can enjoy.
Rounding out CFF’s cinematic sojourn into the dark heart of the 1980s, along with this year’s SUMMER OF ’84 and LIFE AFTER FLASH, is THE POWER OF GLOVE. This doc is an absolute hoot and tells the strange, but true tale of the rise and fall of Nintendo’s Power Glove in the 1980s.
Anchored by one of the most amazing performances you’re likely to see this year by Valeria Bertuccelli, who also co-writes and directs, THE QUEEN OF FEAR tells the story of an actress that becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show. Along with previously announced selection MADELINE’S MADELINE, it makes for a fascinating and entertaining double feature about obsessive actors taking their craft perhaps a bit too seriously.
Director Ryuhei Kitamura’s latest is DOWNRANGE, revolving around a group of friends who after a roadside blowout become the targets of a mysterious sniper. Throw in an appearance by longtime CFF favorite Graham Skipper, also teaching our acting class along with actor/filmmaker Matt Mercer this year, and you’ve got a lightning-paced blast of a thriller.
In the action-packed true story A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN, an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom. This movie lands like a punch in the gut and in this case, that’s a good thing.
Everyone loves a good food documentary, and RAMEN HEADS straight up classifies as food porn. Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish.
The National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico is the site of festivity unlike any other in the world, and has been captured in a hypnotically beautiful, charming and deeply entertaining documentary called BRIMSTONE & GLORY. In celebration of San Juan de Dios, patron saint of firework makers, conflagrant revelry engulfs the town for ten days. Artisans show off their technical virtuosity, up-and-comers create their own rowdy, lo-fi combustibles, and dozens of teams build larger-than-life papier-mâché bulls to parade into the town square, adorned with fireworks that blow up in all directions. For the people of Tultepec, this explosive celebration, is a combination of unrestrained delight and real peril.
Punk rock horror? Yes please. In Jenn Wexler’s debut THE RANGER, a group of punk rockers piss off a truly psychotic forest ranger. Coupled with a soundtrack loaded with deep punk rock cuts and some truly amazing thrills and chills, this film has put Wexler on CFF’s up and coming filmmakers list. Wexler and producer Heather Buckley will be on hand for a Q&A following the film.
Lola Kirk and Zoe Kravitz star in GEMINI, a mystery thriller by acclaimed director Aaron Katz. This is the kind of film that you go into cold, and let the film and its beguiling leads cast the same spell on you that it did on the CFF team.
Casey T. Malone has chosen CFF for the world premiere of his feature film LESSER BEASTS. This hauntingly beautiful, truly personal dazzler is a cross between Guy Maddin and Terence Malick, with a little dash of good ole David Lynchian experimentation to make the mix all the more compelling. Malone will be attending for a Q&A, along with some of the cast members.
Kane Hodder is a hero. More than just the man behind the mask for iconic film villains from FRIDAY THE 13TH’s Jason Vorhees to Adam Green’s cult classic HATCHET franchise, Hodder’s is a name that genre film fans revere. This incredible biography, TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY, traces his struggle to overcome a dehumanizing childhood and endless bullying, to his rise in becoming one of the true living legends of horror and genre cinema.
When filmmakers Mike Testin and Matt Mercer challenged themselves to make a film from conception to completion in just 31 days they created DEMENTIA PART II. Making its world premiere at CFF, there is so much to love; from insane plot to the inspiring way this film came to life.
To say the films of filmmakers Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are in a class of their own is an understatement. In LET THE CORPSES TAN they do for the Spaghetti Western what they did for Giallo thrillers with their classic AMER, making a movie as psychedelic as it is unforgettable.
I KILL GIANTS has been selected as the closing night film for this year’s festival, a crowd-pleasing powerhouse fantasy brought to life by the producers of the Harry Potter films. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, I KILL GIANTS tell the story of Barbara Thorson as she struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
THE SECOND WAVE OF FILMS FOR 2018 CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL
TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID | Director Issa López
A dark fairy tale about a gang of five children trying to survive the horrific violence of the cartels and the ghosts created every day by the drug war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-kCERB3ss4
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS | Director Elijah Bynum
A boy comes of age during a summer he spends in Cape Cod.
BORLEY RECTORY | Director Ashley Thorpe
BORLEY RECTORY is an animated documentary chronicling what came to be known as “the most haunted house in England.” The legends attached to the rectory at Borley and famed paranormal investigator Harry Price’s subsequent investigations of them caught the public’s imagination during the late 1920s, in time becoming one of the world’s most notorious ghost stories. BORLEY RECTORY examines the legend, the controversial investigations and a ghost story that may well reveal more about what might have been missing from Borley rather than what might have been invading it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVon3ODMWo
THE BIG BAD FOX AND OTHER TALES | Directors Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner
Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it’s a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QkSzpNGW8
THE POWER OF GLOVE | Directors Andrew Austin, Adam Ward
A documentary that chronicles the journey of the world’s most notorious video game controller: the Power Glove. For the first time, discover the history and legacy behind the glove that helped inspire a generation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfp2j7Zgo_g
THE QUEEN OF FEAR | Directors Valeria Bertuccelli, Fabiana Tiscornia
An actress becomes over anxious in the days leading up to the premiere of her one-woman show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3tVbHrm7_k
BLEEDING SKULL PRESENTS NINJA ZOMBIE | Director Mark Bessenger
We already know that every sane moviegoer on earth loves occult mayhem, undead martial arts warriors and wizards with spiders tattooed on their faces. But little did we know that all of those things and more comprised a completely unseen feature-length Super-8 masterpiece from Illinois! A murdered karate expert rises from the grave to exact revenge and rescue his girlfriend from black magic maniacs. Despite its food stamp budget, Ninja Zombie is an unrelenting ruckus of supernatural threats and high-kicking vengeance.
SUPER INFRA-MAN | Director Shan Hua
In this Shaw Bros. classic, Princess Dragon Mom and her mutant army have arisen, and only Inframan can stop them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLlecrotn0Q
DOWNRANGE | Director Ryûhei Kitamura
Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHLHKmWVDYw
A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN | Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
The true story of an English boxer incarcerated in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp88Nuci68c
RAMEN HEADS | Director Koki Shigeno
In ‘Ramen Heads,’ Osamu Tomita, Japan’s reigning king of ramen, takes us deep into his world, revealing every single step of his obsessive approach to creating the perfect soup and noodles, and his relentless search for the highest-quality ingredients. In addition to Tomita’s story, the film also profiles five other notable ramen shops, each with its own philosophy and flavor, which exemplify various aspects the ramen world. Mixing in a brief rundown of ramen’s historical roots, the film gives viewers an in-depth look at the culture surrounding this unique and beguiling dish. This is a documentary record of 15 months in the lives of Japan’s top ramen masters and their legions of devoted fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E9MGOK4LY
BRIMSTONE & GLORY | Director Viktor Jakovleski
Ecstatic ritual, danger and the absolute beauty of fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmNtP3TRmI
THE RANGER | Director Jenn Wexler
A group of punk rockers piss off a psychotic forest ranger.
Q&A following with director Jenn Wexler and producer Heather Buckley
GEMINI | Director Aaron Katz
A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant and her Hollywood starlet boss. As the assistant unravels the mystery, she must confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjmjYU-kMI
LESSER BEASTS | Director Casey T. Malone
*WORLD PREMIERE
Four stories. One mystery.
Q&A following with director Casey T. Malone and cast.
https://vimeo.com/213251995
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY | Director Derek Dennis Herbert
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema’s most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10ViGiRfRCo
DEMENTIA PART II | Directors Mike Testin, Matt Mercer
*WORLD PREMIERE
Suzanne wasn’t always this confused. She wasn’t always dead either… When an ex-con takes a job as a handyman for an unstable elderly woman to avoid a parole violation, it becomes a choice he may regret. From the makers of Dementia and Contracted comes the unnecessary midnight-movie sequel you never knew you wanted… made script-to-screen in literally one month!
Q&A following with directors Mike Testin and Matt Mercer
LET THE CORPSES TAN | Director Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
The Mediterranean summer: blue sea, blazing sun….and 250 kg of gold stolen by Rhino and his gang! They had found the perfect hideout: an abandoned and remote hamlet now taken over by a woman artist in search for inspiration. Unfortunately surprise guests and two cops compromise their plan: the heavenly place where wild happenings and orgies used to take place turns into a gruesome battlefield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONMbWj8u-RA
NOVEMBER | Director Rainer Sarnet
Based on Estonian novel “Rehepapp” by Andrus Kivirähk, a bestseller of the last twenty years, the film is a mixture of magic, black humor and romantic love. The story is set in a pagan Estonian village where werewolves, the plague, and spirits roam. The villagers’ main problem is how to survive the cold, dark winter. And, to that aim, nothing is taboo.
TURBO KID | Directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
*FREE SCREENING
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 1997, a comic book fan adopts the persona of his favorite hero to save his enthusiastic friend and fight a tyrannical overlord.
François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell in attendance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlZ6pVtnv0
THE ENDLESS | Directors Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
*FREE SCREENING
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group’s beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.
Q&A with producer and cast member David Lawson
I KILL GIANTS | Director Anders Walter
Barbara Thorson struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ0QKOR5Kgc
-
2017 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Reveals 2nd Wave of Films, Closes with THE BOOK OF BIRDIE
[caption id="attachment_24277" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
The Book of Birdie[/caption]
The 2017 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival will close with the North American premiere of the mesmerizing, all-female casted The Book of Birdie. First-time director Elizabeth E. Schuch impressively blends psychological horror, whimsical fantasy, and feminist ideals in one-of-a-kind The Book of Birdie. Shy and fragile teenager Birdie’s unusual hallucinations, dark obsessions and fascination with blood are triggered as she’s forced into a remote convent and faced with what her fate will be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GRWQCoMj-A
Mayhem directed by Joe Lynch will make its New York premiere as the Centerpiece screening of the festival. Mayhem follows office scapegoat Derek Cho (played by The Walking Dead’sSteven Yeun) as he’s fired f rom his cozy legal job just as the dreaded rage-inducing “ID7 virus” quarantines the building. The twist? Thanks to Cho, all acts of violence committed while infected are instantly acquitted, making it the perfect battleground for revenge.
In addition, the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival dropped its second wave two of films including, locals only showcase, shorts and more.
The Films
[caption id="attachment_24279" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Mayhem directed by Joe Lynch[/caption]
MAYHEM
USA | 2017 | 86 min | Dir. Joe Lynch
NEW YORK PREMIERE
Making its New York Premiere, MAYHEM follows office scapegoat Derek Cho (played by THE WALKING DEAD’s Steven Yeun) as he’s fired from his cozy legal job just as the dreaded rage-inducing “ID7 virus” quarantines the building. The twist? Thanks to Cho, all acts of violence committed while infected are instantly acquitted, making it the perfect battleground for revenge. Director Joe Lynch (WRONG TURN 2, EVERLY) delivers a fast-paced blend of corporate satire, corporeal brutality and heavy metal in this powerful new feature.
COLD HELL (DIE HÖLLE)
Germany | 2017 | 92 min | Dir. Stefan Ruzowitzky
EAST COAST PREMIERE
After witnessing a brutal murder from the window of her apartment, Turkish-born and taking-no-shit Ozge finds herself the next target of a calculated serial killer. Unfortunately for the killer, she has her own brand of viciousness on tap and is anything but a victim. An intelligent and live-wire cross between Italian Giallo and Jason Bourne, Oscar-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky’s (THE COUNTERFEITERS) COLD HELL is a first-rate, action-packed genre-bender.
THE CRESCENT
Canada | 2017 | 99 min | Dir. Seth A. Smith
EAST COAST PREMIERE
Plagued by painful memories, a young, recently-widowed mother relocates to a remote town and does her best to overcome emotional trauma. But the town locals have their own plans for her and before long their strange, dark and ancient traditions turn her life into a waking nightmare. Visually ambitious and tonally hypnotic, Canadian filmmaker Seth A. Smith’s haunting THE CRESCENT casts a sneakily powerful spell.
INHERITANCE
USA | 2017 | 93 min | Dir. Tyler Savage
EAST COAST PREMIERE
A man learns of the death of his absentee biological father and inherits his 2.5 million dollar home in the aptly named INHERITANCE. While staying there with his pregnant fiancé, he begins to uncover horrible truths about his father that could destroy his life. Fantastic lead performances and a patient, sinister narrative make this one hell of an impressive debut for director Tyler Savage who will be in attendance.
RIFT (RÖKKUR)
Iceland | 2017 | 111 min | Dir. Erlingur Thoroddson
NEW YORK PREMIERE
Intrigued by an unexpected call, Gunnar heads to a remote outpost to reconnect with his ex-boyfriend Einar. Despite the happy reunion the two men can’t shake the feeling that someone, or something, is there—and has sinister plans. Elegant and assured, the subtly creepy RIFT is the audacious follow-up feature from Icelandic filmmaker Erlingur Thoroddsen, whose debut feature, CHILD EATER, world-premiered at BHFF 2016 as our closing night screening. Director Erlingur Thoroddson will be in attendance.
FASHIONISTA
USA | 2016 | 106 min | Dir. Simon Rumley
NEW YORK PREMIERE
British cinema provocateur Simon Rumley completes his unofficial Texas trilogy (after RED WHITE & BLUE and JOHNNY FRANK GARRETT’S LAST WORD) with a film that proves you can’t spell “distress” without “dress.” RED WHITE & BLUE’s Amanda Fuller is fascinating as April, a clothing-obsessed woman whose suspicions about her husband’s infidelity send her down a rabbit hole of dangerous, self-destructive behavior.
SALVATION (SALVACIÓN)
Spain | 2016 | 80 min | Dir. Denise Castro
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Stuck in a hospital waiting to undergo open heart surgery, Cris finds a reason to stay in another patient named Victor who claims to be a vampire. Surrounded by death, Cris must decide between immortality and leaving her future up to fate. Filled with moments of sadness and paralyzing dread, Salvation is a terrifying new entry in the vampire canon.
GAME OF DEATH
Canada / France | 2017 | 73 min | Dir. Baz Morais & Sebastien Landry
NEW YORK PREMIERE
For a group of party-crazy teens, it’s all about smoking, drinking and sex. But that goes to hell when they play a board game that requires human blood and whose uncontrollable countdowns lead to head explosions. Survival requires killing someone else. Bodies will drop and craniums will burst in this insanely gory and fun-as-hell, splatter feature by Canadian co-directors Sebastien Landry and Laurence Baz Morais.
TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY
USA | 2017 | 108 min | Dir. Derek Dennis Herbert
EAST COAST PREMIERE
The man behind two of horror’s greatest slashers, Jason Voorhees and the HATCHET franchise’s Victor Crowley, Kane Hodder has proven himself unbeatable when it comes to offing on-screen victims. But as it turns out he’s even more unbeatable in real life, having persevered through a painful childhood and a nearly fatal accident. Derek Dennis Herbert’s heartfelt documentary TO HELL AND BACK candidly reveals the heart and soul of a horror icon.
I REMEMBER YOU (ÉG MAN BIG)
Iceland | 2017 | 105 min | Dir. Oskar Thór Axelsson
US PREMIERE
While investigating the mysterious suicide of an old woman inside a local church, a psychiatrist learns that she was obsessed his young son’s disappearance. Meanwhile, across the bay, three friends discover that the house they’re restoring is haunted. How these two stories intersect is the ultimate gut punch of Icelandic filmmaker Óskar Thór Axelsson’s I REMEMBER YOU, a haunting and cerebral marriage of the procedural with the supernatural.
INCORPOREAL: A POPUP ART SHOW & VR SHOWCASE
The annual pre-fest art show will feature new artwork from Brooklyn-based artist Andrew Abbott, who’s this year’s poster designer. The critically acclaimed horror VR studio Dark Corner will be presenting two works from director Guy Shelmerdine; the clown-filled and nightmarish journey that is NIGHT NIGHT, and MULE, which sucks you into the last moments of a man’s life and the hellish fate that comes next.THE BK PARANORMAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: MIDNIGHT GHOST HUNT
Join the celebrated BK Paranormal Society as they lead festival goers on a candle-lit ghost hunt through the streets of Brooklyn and provide the tools and know-how needed to keep you safe from spirits and creatures of the night. The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies presents THE TIME HAS COME TO TELL THE TALE: PETER STRAUB IN CONVERSATION with DOUGLAS E. WINTER Join us for this rare on-stage conversation between one of the world’s foremost horror authors, Peter Straub – who gave us JULIA, GHOST STORY, MR. X, KOKO and more, as well as collaborating with Stephen King on THE TALISMAN and BLACK HOUSE – as he talks about his writing career and the films that sprung from it with famed horror biographer and critic Douglas E. Winter. The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is a non-profit community-based curriculum through which established horror writers, directors, scholars and programmers/curators celebrate horror history and culture with a unique blend of enthusiasm and critical perspective.LOCALS ONLY SHOWCASE
This year’s spotlight on NYC-made horror headlined by a World Premiere screening of unadulterated grindhouse flick GET MY GUN! GET MY GUN USA | 2017 | 90 min | Dir. Brian Darwas WORLD PREMIERE BHFF is thrilled to present the World Premiere of Brian Darwas’ homegrown feature GET MY GUN. In line with such films as MS. 45 and INSIDE, GET MY GUN’s Amanda is left pregnant after being raped at work. When a crazed stalker becomes obsessed with her unborn child she is forced to evolve from prey to predator. Director Bryan Darwas and Writer/Producer Jennifer Carchietta in attendance.LOCALS ONLY SHORTS 2017
A NIGHTMARE WAKES Dir. Nora Unkel This proof of concept originally shown at Fantasia’s Frontières Market shares a haunting vision focused on Mary Shelley after a tragic miscarriage. RAZOR Dir. James Clay Jenkins Dark desires and devout religion collide for two sisters and a young priest in early 19th century New England. ARE YOU WILD LIKE ME Dir. Billy Nawrocki A string of missing person cases plagues a small New England town. Could they be related to the infant girl who disappeared in the woods nine years prior? FLUFFERNUTTER Dirs. Adam R. Brown, Kyle I. Kelley Twins Stephen and Clyde are forced to grow up fast “for their own good” in this bloody satirical yarn. IN HERE Dir. James Barton An unknown entity communicates to a girl through refrigerator magnets. SCORCH Dir. Robbie Lemieux Two young lovers think it’s a good idea to mess around with an occult object they’ve recently discovered. It’s a horrible idea. SLAPFACE Dir. Jeremiah Kipp Monsters come in many forms for a boy after the difficult loss of his mother. A TASTE FOR IT Dir. Oliver David An old woman has a strange experience in a parking garage. True WTF material. BEWARE, THE BEAST I WORSHIP Dir. Adam Chitayat A dog with ill intent leads a man through the color-soaked nighttime streets of New York City. RUBY Music Video / Dir. Richard Bates A young woman’s dreamy stroll through the woods is impeded when a sorcerer is allured by her moon necklace. The sorcerer summons an evil spirit from the land to follow the young woman and claim her soul bounded by the necklace.HEAD TRIP 2017: ALTERNATIVE SHORTS
A MOTHER OF MONSTERS Brazil / Dir. Julia Zanin de Paula Welcome to the Freak Show. Twisted and visually hypnotic, this Guy de Maupassant adaptation features a circus troupe with wicked intentions. COVER UP USA / Dir. Satya Bhabha She loves make-up to death. He loves her so. Alison Pill and Jason Ritter star. GREAT CHOICE USA / Dir. Robin Comisar A woman finds herself trapped within a Red Lobster commercial that just…won’t…stop. Carrie Coon stars. TASTE USA / Dir. Adrian Selkowitz All Claire wants to do is throw a fancy dinner party for her husband’s Hollywood power couple friends, hoping it’ll lead to her own cooking show. She just never expected that naked woman lying in her driveway, or what this woman’s past means for Claire’s big night. OTHERS LIKE YOU (ALTRE) Italy / Dir. Eugenio Villani Determined to become pregnant, Ester, having previously been ruled sterile, finally has success after sleeping around with random men. The news displeases Ester’s family doctor, Greta, who has a ghoulishly sinister plan in mind. THE SERVANT Iran / Dir. Farnoosh Abedi A silent and gorgeously animated tale of a bug servant who grows weary of his servitude. INK Canada / Dir. Ashlea Wessel Traumatized by a scarring pregnancy, an emotionally fragile woman seeks solace in covering her body with tattoos. After an alcohol-fueled bender, her worst fears come to pass. DON’T OPEN YOUR EYES (ÖPPNA INTE ÖGONEN) Sweden / Dir. Adrián García Bogliano & Andrea Quiroz Sisters reunite after a year apart. One is suddenly doing incredibly well for herself and it’s all because of a mysterious hypnotic vinyl record with extraordinary powers.NIGHTMARE FUEL 2017: SCARY HORROR SHORTS
AMY USA / Dir. L. Gustavo Cooper During an overwhelming heat wave, a nurse at a home for sick patients warns young resident Amy to stay inside her room. Unfortunately for her, Amy doesn’t listen. FEEDING TIME USA / Dir. Matt Mercer Filling in for her friend on a babysitting gig, Sasha is weirded out after a strange encounter with the child’s parents. Strange doesn’t even begin to describe the night she’s about to have. EARWORM USA / Dir. Tara Price Piercingly loud music continually disrupts a man’s sleep. He’ll wish he didn’t figure out the source of the music. FREDERIK REMEMBERS USA / Dirs. Ben Sottak & Steven Russel Old and senile, Frederik passes the time in solitude. A box of Nazi paraphernalia found inside his apartment is about to disrupt that. BESTIA Canada / Dirs. Gigi Saul Guerrero A man awakes to find himself alone by the frigid woods. Whatever ravaged his people is now stalking him. THE BABY’S CRYING UK / Dir. Bob Pipe It’s every parent’s burden: Answering the cries of a baby late at night. For this mommy and daddy pair, however, it’s more of a nightmare. FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL… USA / Dir. Izzy Lee Unbeknownst to the woman involved, a man uploads a homemade sex tape. Upon making a pit stop inside a grungy public bathroom, he’ll receive his comeuppance. BIRTHDAY Italy / Dir. Alberto Viavattene Using her job to hawk prescription drugs and steal from patients, a young nurse goes about her delinquent ways inside an old folks’ home. In Room 12 however, three elderly sisters have a surprise waiting for her. iMEDIUM Spain / Dir. Alfonso García This frenetic techno-terror murder mystery imagines the day we have an app for speaking to the dead.