The following digest of recent horror news is compiled from pieces published to HorrorScope and the Australian Horror Writers' Association website.
A Night of Horror Special Event: How to Make a Horror Feature Film Forum
Wednesday March 25, 6.30pm at Metro Screen, Paddington Town Hall
Learn the ins and outs of making an independent horror feature film from filmmakers who have successfully navigated the process! Special guest feature filmmakers: Ursula Dabrowsy (FAMILY DEMONS), Mike Masters (REEL ZOMBIES), Stacey Edmonds and Doug Turner (I KNOW HOW MANY RUNS YOU SCORED LAST SUMMER). And forum chair ABC Movietime journalist Jason Di Rosso.
Ozploitation Shorts Showcase presented by A Night of Horror
Wednesday March 25, 9pm at Metro Screen, Paddington Town Hall
Don’t miss your chance to see this gut-wrenching line-up of shorts from Australia’s up and coming generation of horror filmmakers. It’s a bloody fantastic program packed with frights, laughs, and gore, proving that the spirit of 70s and 80s Ozploitation cinema is still undead and kicking.
A Night of Horror opening night screening of The Broken
Thursday March 26, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night of Horror International Film Festival is opening with the Australian Premiere screening of The Broken, the creepily atmospheric second feature film from OSCAR and BAFTA nominated director Sean Ellis (Best Short Film: CASHBACK).
On a busy street in London, Gina (Lena Heady) thinks she sees herself drive past in her own car. Stunned by this strange event, Gina follows the mystery woman up to her apartment. From here, events take an eerie turn for the worse until Gina's awareness slides from solid reality into a nightmarish existence.
A Night of Horror presents: I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer
Thursday March 26, 9pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
The Australian cricket-themed satirical slasher feature film, I KNOW HOW MANY RUNS YOU SCORED LAST SUMMER steps up to crease in 2009. Sharpen up your game.
In the heady Australian summer of ‘89 a young cricketer is hospitalized by his bullying teammates. 20 years later he returns to his homeland to wreak his bloody revenge. Scotland Yard hotshot Kim Reynolds arrives in Sydney to assist New South Wales Detectives Gary Chance and Shane Scott in the hunt for the serial killer terrorizing Sydney. The remaining team members are relocated to a safe house in Joadja Creek, Illawarra; unfortunately it doesn’t turn out to be that safe! One by one in the remote Australian outback the team members are dismissed by a moustachioed serial killer with a razor sharp cricket glove and an arsenal of sharpened stumps.
Special guests Stacey Edmonds and Doug Turner - the film's directors/producers - will be at the screening's Q&A and also at the fest's Horror Filmmaking Forum.A Night of Horror presents: Mum & Dad
Friday March 27, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
Gore Zone calls MUM & DAD "The Best UK Horror of the last decade". See it for yourself, and you'll know why.
Set around a major London airport, MUM & DAD is about a murderous and perverse family who live at the end of a runway. They live off the airport, feeding off the black market and sending their two adopted children out to bring back victims for Mum to torture and Dad to kill. Lena, a young Polish worker, is one of these victims. The film charts Lena's battle to survive Mum and Dad's savage parental regime, until finally, Lena finds her only way out is to become as savage and brutal as the family itself.
Accompanied by the short films: Daugher Of The Above - 12 Min Rodney Bolton (Australia) and The Ugly File - 10 Min Mark Steensland (USA).A Night of Horror Presents: Family Demons
Friday March 27, 9pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
FAMILY DEMONS will leave you uncertain as to whether you are watching reality or a character’s perception of reality, similar in tone to THE SIXTH SENSE and THE OTHERS. Thematic and visual references in FAMILY DEMONS hark back to Brian de Palma’s horror classic, CARRIE and contemporary Japanese and Korean ghost stories, such as THE GRUDGE and TALE OF TWO SISTERS. Inspired by real events, FAMILY DEMONS is a powerful and disturbing chiller, and an amazing feature debut from director Ursula Dabrowsky. Don't miss the world premiere of her film at A Night of Horror.
When Billie, an abused teenage girl, murders her alcoholic mother, she is horrified to discover that the mother’s vengeful spirit returns to haunt her. Even in death, the mother is hell bent on denying Billie her freedom.
Accompanied by the short film: Hold Your Fire 8 Min - Wes Benscoter (USA).
A Night of Horror presents: Midnight Movie
Friday March 27, 11:45pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown - feature starts at 12:00am sharp!
Here's your chance for a genuine old school grindhouse experience! Come to the festival's midnight screening of MIDNIGHT MOVIE, a film that hearkens back to such genre classic as DEMONS, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. The perfect film to screen at the witching hour!
At a run down theater in a sleepy suburban town, a group of friends get together for a midnight screening of an early 1970's horror film. The director/star is thought to have died five years earlier in a psych ward massacre. But the detective and doctor who witnessed the aftermath of the bloodbath suspect that the director was not a victim, but the perpetrator of the killings and is still on the loose. What none of them understand is that he has enshrined his soul into the film itself.
As the film starts, the kids heckle the old black-and-white scenes, but are jolted when the movie's gruesome killer butchers one of their friends on screen! They realize that it is not the prank that they had hoped it was as they soon become the stars of the very movie they are watching on the screen. Caught between the world of reality and the screen's flickering shadows, these unsuspecting viewers fight to stay alive in the locked theater.
Accompanied by the short film: Dead Bones - 18 Min Olivier Beguin (Switzerland).As the film starts, the kids heckle the old black-and-white scenes, but are jolted when the movie's gruesome killer butchers one of their friends on screen! They realize that it is not the prank that they had hoped it was as they soon become the stars of the very movie they are watching on the screen. Caught between the world of reality and the screen's flickering shadows, these unsuspecting viewers fight to stay alive in the locked theater.
Free Forum with Ian Hunter - The Dark Knight's visual effects supervisor
Saturday March 28, 1pm at The International Film School Sydney
A Night of Horror International Film Festival and The International Film School Sydney are proud to present visual effects master Ian Hunter (New Deal Studios) in a free public forum. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Ian is one of the world’s leading visual effects supervisors. You’ve seen recent examples of his stunning work in: THE DARK KNIGHT, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, SPIDER MAN 3, and WAR OF THE WORLDS.
Ian will be screening samples of his work, special behind the scenes footage, and talking about the ins and outs of the visual effects industry. Ian’s visually mesmerising short film ALLURE is screening as part of A Night of Horror International Film Festival!
A Night Of Horror International Film Festival Shorts Program
Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night Of Horror International Film Festival is delighted to present a special program of bite sized horror treats - short films to shock and entice. The program is spread over three installments, all of which are not to be missed!
Saturday March 28th, 4pm - Shorts Programme #1: Horror Comedies & Animations
A line-up of hilarious, disgusting, wild and wonderful horror comedies & animations from all around the world that will leave you in stitches!
Sunday March 29, 4pm - Shorts Programme #2: H.P Lovecraft & Other Adapted Shorts
Join us for a line-up of shorts inspired by the legendary author H.P Lovecraft
Thursday April 2, 7pm - Shorts Programme # 3: F#*%ed Up People Doing F#*%ed Up Things
You know they're out there!
A line-up of hilarious, disgusting, wild and wonderful horror comedies & animations from all around the world that will leave you in stitches!
Sunday March 29, 4pm - Shorts Programme #2: H.P Lovecraft & Other Adapted Shorts
Join us for a line-up of shorts inspired by the legendary author H.P Lovecraft
Thursday April 2, 7pm - Shorts Programme # 3: F#*%ed Up People Doing F#*%ed Up Things
You know they're out there!
A Night of Horror presents: Reel Zombies
Saturday March 28, 9pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
REEL ZOMBIES is a hilarious thrill-ride and the most original zombie film of the decade.
Independent zombie filmmakers, (real-life) Producer Mike Masters and Director David J. Francis, the team behind the commercially unsuccessful ZOMBIE NIGHT 1 and 2, set about to complete their trilogy, only this time, using the real zombies that have taken over much of the world. With a full crew and a documentarian following them all the way, Masters and Francis embark on the production of their masterpiece only to discover that shooting in a post-apocalyptic world offers even more challenges than they faced on the first two films.
Followed by a Q&A with Mike Masters the co-director/producer and star of REEL ZOMBIES.Accompanied by the short film: Kickstart My Gandhi - 10 Min Shane K (AU).
A Night Of Horror presents: Finale
Sunday March 29, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night Of Horror International Film Festival proudly present the world premiere of John Elfers shoe-string budget feature Finale. Mystery, horror and suspense are captured in the visual style of the 1970's colorful Italian gialli.
A family descends into a vortex of denial and paranoia after the death of the oldest son. Though labeled a suicide, the bizarre circumstances lead the mother, Helen (Carolyn von Hauck), to believe there are darker forces at work. Black paint was thrown over everything reflective in the son's decrepit Victorian house, an explosive trap set in his bedroom and a woman from his past haunts the cemetery where he lies buried. But when Helen's investigation threatens to ruin the life of her teenage daughter, Kate (Suthi Picotte), and possibly her own sanity, she realizes there is but one escape from this nightmare world - the very route attempted by her dead son.
Accompanied by the short films: Shapes - 5 MIN Alan Brennan (IRELAND) and Still Life - 9 min Daniel McKleinfeld (USA).A Night Of Horror @ Club 77
Sunday March, 9pm til late at Club 77, Kings Cross
Join A Night Of Horror at Sydney's notorious Club 77 for horror themed music videos and the horror party to end all parties! Includes the feature film Burn Paris Burn - 71 Min Laurent Sebelin (France), and the shorts Anyone There? - 10 Min Holger Frick (Germany), Kagimiko - 13 Min Mathieu Arsenault (Canada), The Flies - 5 Min Josh Collier (UK) and Stygian Horizon - 5 Min Evan Chan (Canada).
With horror themed music videos:
- More Control - 6 Min Steve Daniels (USA)
- The Beauty - 4 Min Luca Vecchi (Italy)
- Hunt - 2 Min Yohei Ito (Japan)
- Francois Martin By The Tenth Stage - 4 Min John Von Ahlen (AU)
- The Man Who Made Monsters - 6 Min Onethirtyeight (UK)
- Haunted By The Thought Of You - 6 Min Terran Schackor (USA)
- Karaoke Show - 5 Min Karl Tebbe (Germany)
- Crystal - 4 Min Jason Lapeyre (Canada)
Monday March 30, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
Get ready to experience the graphic shocker from director/co-writer David Gregory that DVD Savant hails as “a bloody onslaught…PLAGUE TOWN knows which buttons to push to extract the maximum in squeamish delirium!” Fangoria calls it “A boundary-pushing, taboo-breaking experience.” AV Maniacs says it “embodies the spirit and atmosphere of the great horror films of the ‘70s.”
In a remote village, a shocking secret lives on with each and every baby born. It is said that all children are creatures of God…except here. Now for a group of lost tourists, every conception of ‘family’ will soon be sliced to pieces. And for a doomed few, the ultimate terror is about to hit home.
Accompanied by the short film: Una Storia Di Lupi (A Wolf's Tale) - 27 Min Cristiano Donzelli (Italy).
A Night Of Horror presents: Linkeroever (Left Bank)
Tuesday March 31, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night Of Horror presents Belgian horror gem Linkeroever (Left Bank), directed by Pieter Van Hees. Left Bank is an original and emotionally true thriller about a driven, confused girl who, in her journey to womanhood, gradually starts alienating from the place she lives, the man she loves and the body that fails her. Welcome to Left Bank.
When Marie begins to suffer from headaches, nausea and insomnia, she starts believing that the place they live has a bad influence on her body. Her obsessions create a distance between them, Bobby believes she is just imagining things. Now Marie feels lonelier than ever. She begins to doubt whether she can really trust Bobby. Life in Left Bank, once envisaged as a dream town, becomes an alienating nightmare.
Accompanied by the short film: Shadows - 14 Min Michael Jonathan (NZ).
A Night Of Horror Presents: The Dead Outside
Wednesday April 1, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night Of Horror International Film Festival presents Scottish horror/thriller feature The Dead Outside, directed by Kerry Anne Mullaney.
Following the outbreak of a terrifying, brain-disease inducing virus, a botched anti-viral program designed to stop mass panic turned millions into carriers, leading to a catastrophic collapse of the population. The dying victims wander desperate, confused, violent, or scared; always in the dark… until now.
With the cause of the outbreak and the fate of the wider world largely unknown to him, Daniel, a man desperate and recently bereaved, finds refuge in a crudely fortified but once-working farm in the Scottish countryside. In the face of evidence of recent life, and recent killings in the form of a mass grave, something is not quite right with Braehead Farm. Unexpected company arrives in the form of a mysterious young girl, who claims the farm as her own. As Daniel struggles to come to terms with his new life, and keep a grip on his own fragile sanity, the mysteries surrounding the farm and its young inhabitant are revealed to run far deeper than he first thought. In a desperate world, true evil lurks in the most unexpected of places.
With the cause of the outbreak and the fate of the wider world largely unknown to him, Daniel, a man desperate and recently bereaved, finds refuge in a crudely fortified but once-working farm in the Scottish countryside. In the face of evidence of recent life, and recent killings in the form of a mass grave, something is not quite right with Braehead Farm. Unexpected company arrives in the form of a mysterious young girl, who claims the farm as her own. As Daniel struggles to come to terms with his new life, and keep a grip on his own fragile sanity, the mysteries surrounding the farm and its young inhabitant are revealed to run far deeper than he first thought. In a desperate world, true evil lurks in the most unexpected of places.
Accompanied by the short films: H5N1, Le Jour De La Pandemie - 8 Min Jean Olivier (France), Gasoline Blood - 9 Min David Pope (UK), and A Break in the Monotony - 4 Min Damien Slevin (Australia).
A Night of Horror presents: No Morire Sola (I'll Never Die Alone)
Thursday April 2, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
NO MORIRE SOLA is probably the most shocking film you will see this year, reminiscent of such exploitation classics as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. If you are offended by scenes of strong violence and brutality, you had better sit this one out...
The film follows the traumatic journey of four female University students who travel back to their family home in the remote outback of the La Plata region, Argentina. On the road they witness a violent crime perpetrated by local thugs. They are captured, hideously violated and some are shot dead… The surviving women, out of sheer determination for revenge, mercilessly pursue their attackers to the bitter end.
Accompanied by the short films: Linda Lorna: The Red Door - 16 Min Jason Bognacki (USA), and Fetal - 4 Min Tony Falcon (USA).
A Night of Horror Closing Night: Splinter Screening, Awards Ceremony and After Party!
Friday April 3, 7pm at Dendy Cinema Newtown
A Night Of Horror International Film Festival comes to a close with the Australian premiere of Splinter - screening to be followed by the A Night Of Horror Awards Ceremony and after party!
Fantastically paced, with smart, motivated characters, and plenty of cool scares and gore, Toby Wilkins' SPLINTER is the best monster flick we've seen in years. So, we're not at all surprised that the film recently won almost every major award at Screamfest (The USA's biggest horror film festival) including: BEST FILM, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS, BEST MAKE-UP, BEST EDITING, & BEST SCORE). This is one horror film that you do not want to miss! DREAD CENTRAL says, "Splinter is garnering quite the buzz and with good reason -- it kicks ass!"
A young couple has retreated to the wilderness for a romantic camping weekend – but the trip quickly spirals into a nightmare when they are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend. Thrown together by chance, no one can imagine the terrifying horror that awaits the two couples at the remote and isolated gas station.
Includes FREE DRINK on arrival courtesy of HOWLING WOLVES WINES, and admission to the awards ceremony and after party.A Night Of Horror Film Festival 2009
All sessions are rated R 18+ (except I Know How Many Runs Your Scored Last Summer - rated MA 15+).
Ticket Prices:
Regular sessions: $15 / $11 concessions
Closing Night: $20 / $15 concession
Metro Screen Filmmaking Forum: $15
Club 77: $15
Dendy tickets can be booked on: 9550 5699
All other sessions, tickets only at the door.
Venues:
Dendy Cinema, 261-263 King Street, Newtown
Metro Screen, Crn Oatley Rd & Oxford Street, Paddington
Mu-Meson Archives, Crn Parramatta Rd & Trafalgar St, Annandale
Club 77, 77 William Street, Kings Cross
Addendum - The Australian Horror Writers' Association would like to congratulate AHWA member Kyla Ward on the world premiere screening of her comedic short horror film Bad Reception, screening at A Night Of Horror International Film Festival on March 28. Knock 'em dead, Kyla!
Submitting News
If you have news about Australian and New Zealand horror publishing and film, or news of professional development opportunities in the field, feel free to submit news to Talie Helene, AHWA News Editor. Just visit HorrorScope, and click on the convenient email link. (International news is not unwelcome, although relevance to Antipodean literary and screen arts practitioners is strongly preferred.)
For information on the Australian Horror Writers' Association, visit australianhorror.com.
This AHWA NEWS DIGEST has been compiled, written, and republished in select Australian horror haunts by Talie Helene. Currently archived at the AHWA MySpace page, Southern Horror, and Darklands, and hosted by AHWA members Felicity Dowker, Jeff Ritchie, Brenton Tomlinson, and Scott Wilson.
If you would like to support the AHWA News effort by hosting a copy of the AHWA News Digest on your blog or website, contact Talie to receive a fully formatted HTML edition of the digest by email.
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