Film Festivals

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

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Spoiler-Free Reviews: HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT 2: MINERVA, TONTINE, and THE UXCIORU CULT TAPE (Unnamed Footage Festival)

Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva Writer/director Dutch Marich follows up his 2021 feature Horror in the High Desert — which I haven’t seen yet —with Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva. This sequel finds police and first responders in Cyprus, Nevada, dealing with the murder of a woman named Minerva (Solveig Helene), who had lived in a trailer in a remote area while studying geology and mining. Reporter Gal Roberts (Suziey Block) tries to uncover the facts behind this mysterious case, including following a series of communications between Minerva and her friend Cathy (Sami Sallaway) in New York. The faux documentary then turns to the nighttime roadside disappearance of a woman named Ameliana (Brooke Bradshaw) and the eerie bodycam footage of EMT Luke Wells’ (David Nichols Jr.) search in the desert and through an abandoned building for her. Marich does a superb job of recreating the authentic feel of a missing persons documentary and of giving the

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Joseph Perry

Mar 27, 2023

Film FestivalsReviewsShort Films

Shorts Reviews: EYESTRING and THE MUNDANES (SXSW)

Eyestring If eye trauma gives you the heebie jeebies, director Javier Devitt’s short horror film Eyestring is certain to press a few buttons. There’s no Un Chien Andalou-level of sudden shock; rather, Eyestring deals more with lingering, building psychological and body horror. Alena Chinault, who cowrote the screenplay with Devitt, stars as Veronica, a young woman who finds a hair growing out of one of her tear ducts one day. The mental health phone service she uses to discuss her obsessive compulsive disorder is of no help in her new situation, and matters escalate as attempts to cut the hair do anything but solve the problem. Could an alternative eye treatment clinic be of help? Devitt and Chinault have crafted a gripping, thought-provoking slice of fear-fare cinema that addresses mental health care while delivering a chilling story. Chinault’s fine performance and Devitt’s solid work at the helm lead toward a jaw-dropping final shot. The Mundanes Meet the Mundanes, a suburban

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Joseph Perry

Mar 20, 2023

DocumentariesEventsFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesNews

Boston Underground Film Festival Serves Up the Supernatural and The Super Funny

The Boston Underground Film Festival is mere days away, and Horror Fuel has our collective eyes on many of the fest’s fine fear-fare offerings. Following are official press announcements, with thoughts from Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry in italics. 23nd annual Boston Underground Film Festival returns to Harvard Square’s arthouse hub The Brattle Theatre with five days of vanguard cinemania from March 22nd through the 26th. This year’s lineup is stacked with fearsome folk horror, mendacious miscreants, harrowing horrors and hero/es/ines, godless god-complexes, eco-thrillers and chillers, sensational sci-fi, and all manner of midnight madness. BUFF is beyond honored to host the World Premiere of Jeffrey A. Brown’s haunting, Massachusetts-based horror thriller The Unheard for a homecoming heroes’ welcome on Opening Night. Starring Lachlan Watson (Chucky, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), The Unheard follows a deaf young woman ensconced in a signal-to-noise mystery of dueling senses, realities, truths, identities, and possibly worlds. Brown (2019’s The Beach House) and local screenwriting legends Michael

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Joseph Perry

Mar 16, 2023

Film FestivalsMoviesReviews

Film Review: Appendage (SXSW)

Body horror and creature feature combine in writer/director Anna Zlokovic’s feature Appendage. Fueled by solid direction, fine performances, and fun special effects work, the film comes highly recommended for horror fans. Hannah (Hadley Robinson) is a fashion designer hoping to make it into the upcoming seasonal collection of her ill-mannered boss. She receives a great deal of support from her friend and colleague Esther (Kausar Mohammed) and her boyfriend Kaelin (Brandon Mychal Smith), but none from her own parents, who hold an incident from her high school years against her. As Hannah’s insecurities mount, she develops a growth in her side, springing from a birthmark — a growth with a face, that enjoys needling her about the things that already trouble her. As the appendage grows, Hannah seeks support from a group of others sharing her affliction, including Claudia (Emily Hamphsire), who has seemingly tamed her own appendage into a more submissive role. Appendage features some humorous moments but more

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Joseph Perry

Mar 15, 2023

EventsFilm FestivalsMoviesNews

Panic Fest Brings the Fearful and the Frightening to Kansas City — and Your Home — This April

Kansas City’s renowned Panic Fest has announced a 2023 hybrid slate that will have horror and genre-film fans reaching for their drool cups! Whether your cinematic appetites lean toward slashers or slitherers, maniacs or monsters, or practically anything in between, Panic Fest offers something for pretty much everyone next month. Have a gander at the fest’s official press announcement, which follows. Universal Pictures’ new Dracula horror-comedy Renfield, starring Emmy nominee Nicholas Hoult as Renfield and Oscar winner Nicolas Cage as The Prince of Darkness, kicks off the 11th annual Panic Fest on Thursday, April 13, at Screenland Armour Theatre in Kansas City, MO. Our festival expands its 2023 programming to feature over 100 films along with special guest filmmakers and special events for opening weekend. Panic Fest will once again be a hybrid festival allowing genre fans to enjoy programming in-person and keep the party going online at home with our virtual programming. In-Person: April 13-19, 2023 Virtual Fest: April

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Joseph Perry

Mar 15, 2023

EventsFilm FestivalsNews

Brazil’s Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival 2023 Edition Offers Horror from the Classic to the Cutting Edge

The world renowned Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival has announced its 2023 lineup, bringing a terrifying treasure trove of chillers and thrillers to Porto Alegre, Brazil April 13–30. From the opening night centennial tribute to Lon Chaney vehicle The Hunchback of Notre Dame to the closing night Lovecraftian monster musical Minore and everything inbetween, the fest has plenty for fear-fare fans of all stripes to enjoy. Following is the official press announcement. Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival triumphantly returns to the cinemas of Porto Alegre, Brazil from April 13 through April 30 of 2023, with this year’s massive festival being held in four theatrical venues – one of which is dedicated solely to short films! And as they have done in years past, a portion of the festival’s program will also be available to audiences online, geo-blocked for viewers within Brazil. The stunning poster for this year’s festival was conceived by filmmaker Elizabeth Schuch: with art inspired by 1920s Expressionist films alongside

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Joseph Perry

Mar 9, 2023

EventsFilm FestivalsNews

The 23rd Annual Boston Underground Film Festival Announces Its Line-Up Of Mind-Bending, Genre-Blending Films

From the opening night world premiere of Shudder’s The Unheard to fest’s closer Rebel and everything inbetween, this year’s edition of the Boston Underground Film Festival has horror, science fiction, and genre-film goodness galore! Following is the official press announcement. Attention New England cinephiles: Spring festival season is nigh as the 23nd annual Boston Underground Film Festival returns to Harvard Square’s arthouse hub The Brattle Theatre with five days of vanguard cinemania from March 22nd through the 26th. This year’s lineup is stacked with fearsome folk horror, mendacious miscreants, harrowing horrors and hero/es/ines, godless god-complexes, eco-thrillers and chillers, sensational sci-fi, and all manner of midnight madness. BUFF is beyond honored to host the World Premiere of Jeffrey A. Brown’s haunting, Massachusetts-based horror thriller The Unheard for a homecoming heroes’ welcome on Opening Night. Starring Lachlan Watson (Chucky, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), The Unheard follows a deaf young woman ensconced in a signal-to-noise mystery of dueling senses, realities, truths, identities, and

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Joseph Perry

Mar 9, 2023

Film FestivalsMoviesNewsTrailers

‘The Burned Over District’ Shares Trailer Ahead Of World Premiere

The new horror film The Burned Over District will premiere this March at HorrorHound with filmmakers Vince and James Coleman of Coleman Bros. Films in attendance. The film already has a ton of nominations, which is a great sign. Horror Hound has nominated the movie for Best Feature, Judge’s Choice, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Sound Design, Best Production Design, Best Writing, and Best Special Effects. In the film, widower Will (Jon Sheedy) and his sister Katie (Amy) uncover a dark secret that waits in the woods on the outskirts of town. The local sinister cult (led by actor Michael Chase) is about to raise Hell. Literally. The film was recently viewed by legendary creature creator Steve Wang (Predator, Hellboy, Monster Squad), who excitedly stated, “The Burned Over District is the gruesome supernatural tale of a religious cult inspired by the Second Great Awakening. Like any good cult movie of the past, it does

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Mar 8, 2023

Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films

Spoiler-Free Reviews: THE UNCANNY and TEALIGHT (Romford Horror Festival)

The Uncanny Art therapist Zouzou (Marie Laurin) takes the suicide of one of her charges quite painfully, leaving her job and moving to a new area in The Uncanny. Her new home, initially unbeknownst to her, is filled with past traumas and no small amount of dread. Her neighbors and new acquaintances can’t help but notice her increasingly strange behavior, which is caused in part by recurring visits from a young girl. The Uncanny doesn’t offer shocks and gratuitous gore; rather, director Clara Gabrielle — who cowrote the screenplay with Laurin, her mother — focuses more on the drama regarding grief, loss, depression, and the slow decline of sanity, which are heightened here by supernatural forces. The third act does serve up a decidedly eerie set piece, though. Laurin’s hypnotic lead performance is something to behold, with solid assistance from the sizable supporting cast. Gabrielle does an impressive job at the helm, crafting a feature that should give aficionados of

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Joseph Perry

Mar 6, 2023

Film FestivalsMoviesNewsTrailers

Trailer for Puppet Horror ‘Abruptio’ Features Jordan Peele, Robert Englund And Sid Haig

HellBent Pictures has just announced the long-anticipated screening of Evan Marlowe‘s life-sized puppet horror Abruptio is coming to Cinejoy, the virtual version of Silicon Valley’s Cinequest. Comedy, mystery, blood, A-List voices, action, and puppets combine in the first-of-its-kind surrealistic horror-thriller. Abruptio features the voice talents of James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Jordan Peele (Nope), Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Hana Mae Lee (Pitch Perfect), Christopher McDonald (The Faculty), Darren Darnborough (“True Blood”), Rich Fulcher (“Rick and Morty”), and the iconic Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses) in one of his final roles. The film centers on Les Hackel, who hates his life. “He works a dead-end job, was just dumped by his high-maintenance girlfriend, and still lives with his nagging mom. One night, he discovers a fresh incision behind his neck. His friend Danny tells him it’s a bomb, that someone has implanted one in his neck, too. And then the messages start coming in, forcing Les

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Kelli Marchman McNeely

Mar 4, 2023

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