Film Festivals

Horror film festivals worldwide — lineups, awards and the titles that break out of the festival circuit.

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Shocks and Shudders Abound in SXSW 2024 Film Festival’s First Wave Announcement

This year’s takes place, as always, in Austin, Texas — this year from March 8–16, 2024 — and the fest has just announced its first-wave lineup. Following is the list of Midnighters, which SXSW says are “Exciting after-dark features for genre lovers and the terminally curious,” along with German shocker Cuckoo, which screens under the Narrative Spotlight section. Descriptions are from the festival’s official press announcement. Cuckoo Director/Screenwriter: Tilman Singer, Producers: Markus Halberschmidt, Josh Rosenbaum, Maria Tsigka, Ken Kao, Thor Bradwell, Ben Rimmer On a trip to the German Alps with her father and stepmother, Gretchen discovers that the resort town where they’re staying hides sinister secrets, as she’s plagued by strange noises and frightening visions of a woman pursuing her. Cast: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick, Marton Csókás, Jan Bluthardt (International Premiere) Azrael Director: E.L. Katz, Producers: Dan Kagan, Simon Barrett, Dave Caplan, Screenwriter: Simon Barrett Many years following the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunts

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Joseph Perry

Jan 11, 2024

EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsShort Films

Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Offers In-Person and Online Viewing for Its Ninth Edition

The FINAL GIRLS BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL proudly unveils its 9th edition, featuring a captivating array of horror cinema that includes nine feature films, twelve short film blocks, and a variety of horror-themed events and workshops led by international genre experts. This year’s program highlights queer horror narratives, digital dystopias, eco horror, folk horror, the absurd & surreal, and more. Scheduled from February 7-11, 2023, the festival will take place at City Kino Wedding and will also feature an online component for broader accessibility. Dedicated to elevating the work of women and non-binary filmmakers in the horror genre, Final Girls Berlin Film Festival has earned recognition as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 50 Genre Festivals in the World and has been named among Dead Central’s The Best Horror Festivals in the World. This edition continues the festival’s tradition of challenging conventions and showcasing groundbreaking horror that pushes boundaries and sparks conversation. Watch our 2024 trailer here! FEATURE FILMS BOOGER Written and

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Joseph Perry

Jan 8, 2024

'In a Violent Nature' Is Slashing its Way onto a Collector's Edition Blu-ray

Film FestivalsMoviesNewsShudderStreaming TV

Shudder Snags Slasher ‘In a Violent Nature’ Ahead of Sundance Premiere

Shudder, AMC Networks’ streaming service dedicated to all things horror, has acquired the chilling new slasher film In a Violent Nature ahead of its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. This marks Shudder’s fifth consecutive year, bringing spooky thrills to the prestigious festival. A Fresh Bite on the Slasher Genre In a Violent Nature promises a unique twist on the classic slasher formula. The film features an undead antagonist, Johnny, tearing through a remote wilderness on a rampage. Writer and director Chris Nash, in his feature film debut, crafts a story that balances “atmospheric creeping dread” with “shocking gore,” according to Shudder’s vice president of programming, Samuel Zimmerman. This tonal blend echoes Shudder’s successful originals like Skinamarink and When Evil Lurks. A Collaborative Triumph It is produced under the Shudder Original banner. Peter Kuplowsky co-produces along with Shannon Hanmer. “In a Violent Nature” represents a culmination of creative passion. Kuplowsky praises Nash’s vision for blending genres and expresses

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Jan 2, 2024

EventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNewsThriller

2024 Sundance Film Festival Fear Fare Announced

Utah’s Sundance Film Festival announced its slate of selections for its 2024 edition today, and we have the horror and related features for you. The following information is from the fest’s official press announcement. Today the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 82 films, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28, 2024. This year marks the 40th edition of the Festival, bringing together audiences in Utah and beyond to celebrate Sundance’s rich history of supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT. To kick things off, the Festival will begin at noon MT on January 18

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Joseph Perry

Dec 7, 2023

Film FestivalsMoviesReviewsShort Films

Spoiler-Free Short-Film Reviews: DOUBLE NICKEL, BIRTHDAY WISH, and 3:00AM (Another Hole in the Head Film Festival)

Double Nickel (U.S., 2023) Writer/director Mark Tomov’s short Double Nickel uses Johnny Burnette and The Rock & Roll Trio’s “The Train Kept A-Rollin,” known for its distorted guitar sound, and Tomov certainly keeps things rolling in the distorted world of his neo-noir/crime/horror mash-up short. Set mainly during Christmas season at The Hideaway Cafe, where the 1970s and 1950s blend together, the film finds a pair of criminals (Michael Spears and Jeff Medley) confronting the waitress (Gillian Todd) who hired them to kill someone — without her cluing them in that the target of their hit was no ordinary human. The vibe of Double Nickel is strong, with danger an ever-present feeling and no shortage of hipness on display. The three leads play off of each other wonderfully, and I don’t want to go into spoiler territory by revealing the target of their hit, so suffice it to say that the design is impressive and eerie. Tomov has crafted a colorful,

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Joseph Perry

Nov 29, 2023

Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews

Spoiler-Free Reviews: EVIL SUBLET and BAKEMONO (Another Hole in the Head Film Festival)

eVil Sublet (U.S., 2023) Like most things in life, if rent sounds too good to be true, there must be some sort of problem. In writer/director/cinematographer/editor/producer Allan Piper’s horror comedy eVil Sublet — eVil referring to New York City’s East Village — couple Alex (Jennifer Leigh Houston, Piper’s wife and also a producer on the film) and Ben (Charley Tucker) find that out first-hand when they rent a fully-furnished apartment for incredibly low rent that turns out to be not only haunted, but the site of multiple past murders. The film aims more for satire and silliness than scares, though plenty of creepiness is certainly on hand. eVil Sublet sends up the housing crisis, pharmaceutical companies, political and sexual politics, and more as Alex and Ben try to cope with their spooky situation with the help of a large cast of supporting characters, including Sally Struthers as a woman living in a storage facility, Stephen Mosher and Pat Dwyer as

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Joseph Perry

Nov 23, 2023

Film FestivalsMoviesNews

IFC And Shudder Acquire Supernatural Horror ‘Late Night With The Devil’

It has just been announced that IFC Films and Shudder have acquired Image Nation and Spooky Pictures’ acclaimed supernatural thriller Late Night with the Devil. Written, directed, and edited by Australian filmmakers Cameron and Colin Cairnes (100 Bloody Acres, Scare Campaign), the film stars David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Oppenheimer), who plays the charismatic Late-Night talk show host Jack Delroy, whose live broadcast unexpectedly unleashes evil into the nation’s living rooms. Currently rated “Certified Freah’ with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, Late Night with the Devil premiered at SXSW to critical acclaim and has screened at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal and others and recently won Best Screenplay at the Sitges Film Festival and numerous accolades at Toronto After Dark, including Best Feature Film and Best Lead Performance for Dastmalchian. “Late Night With The Devil is an exhilarating demonstration of how the horror genre continues to present new and exciting storytelling. We’re delighted to partner with Cameron and Colin,

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Nov 3, 2023

Film FestivalsIndieMoviesNewsTrailers

It Doesn’t Pay To ‘Cheat’ In This Supernatural Horror’s New Trailer

Black Mandala presents the supernatural horror film Cheat, written and directed by Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis (The Long Dark Trail). This film reminds you why it pays to be faithful. In Cheat, “A supernatural being from the afterlife is violently killing anyone who cheats on their significant other in the small college town of Silvercreek, Pennsylvania. Maeve and Charlie seek out a local history student to help find answers and figure out a way to defend themselves. It all comes undone, however, as the savage being horrifically kills several people one by one at a rapid pace. Eventually, Maeve, Charlie, and the few survivors band together in an attempt to defeat the monster once and for all.” Starring Will Bunk, April Clark, Corin Clay, Kyle Corbin, Danielle Grotsky, Paul Ignatius, and Michael Thyer, the film made its World Premiere at the prestigious Frightfest. It was selected in the last edition of the Santiago Horror Film Festival. As soon as

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Nov 1, 2023

Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews

Spoiler-Free Reviews: THE WATERHOUSE and MARIA (FrightFest Halloween)

The Waterhouse (U.K., 2023) Writer/director Samuel Clemens’ The Waterhouse boasts mesmerizing sound design, captivating visuals, and a satisfyingly eerie, enigmatic tone. Thieves Eric (Alan Calton), Matt (Dominic Vulliamy), and Paul (Michelangelo Fortuzzi) have stolen a painting, the profits from which could make them rich. There’s a problem, though, as Matt’s mother Denice (Corrine Wicks), who helped with the heist, is missing, and when Eric finds blood and an object that could give rise to something going wrong, he keeps the information to himself. The trio is holed up in an isolated house on the beach and suspicion rises among them. Matters become more complicated when three women — Pixie (Lily Catalifo), Opal (Lara Lemon), and Noé (Sandrine Salyères) — turn up seeking help but wind up in a game of Two Truths and a Lie with the men, which leads to flirtation, strong sexual attraction, and eldritch proceedings. Painful sounds, missing time, and supernatural occurrences abound. Clemens — son of

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Joseph Perry

Nov 1, 2023

EventsFilm FestivalsNews

A Night of Horror International Film Festival Moves from Australia to the United States

A Night of Horror International Film Festival has been leaving Australian audiences with blown minds and dropped jaws, and festival founder Dr. Dean Bertram has today announced that the fest is moving from Sydney to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The 2024 edition will be held alongside Bertram’s MidWest WeirdFest from March 1–3. With fright-filled features such as What You Wish For and shocking shorts galore (find a few examples here), A Night of Horror International Film Festival is a diabolically good destination for fear-fare fanatics. Following is the official press announcement. One of the most beloved genre film festivals on the planet, Australia’s long-running A Night of Horror International Film Festival is changing venues . . . to the other side of the world! And festival founder, Australian ex-patriate Dean Bertram, has returned to the helm. A 2021 Dread Central article noted that A Night of Horror was “Australia’s top genre festival” and attributed this ranking to “Dean Bertram’s discerning curatorial

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Joseph Perry

Nov 1, 2023

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