The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival returns to bring the best and most provocative horror cinema to local screens across Brooklyn from October 17th - 24th! We’re proud to do a special little promo of the lineup, which includes premieres from around the globe and spotlights films that push the boundaries and expectations of the horror genre.
Embracing Brooklyn’s genre prowess more than ever before, BHFF will showcase two films that have roots firmly planted in the borough: the opening night film, THE BEACH HOUSE, Jeffrey A. Brown’s directorial debut that was made with a largely BK-based crew, and as centerpiece, DANIEL ISN’T REAL, director Adam Egypt Mortimer’s psychological masterwork that was filmed entirely in Brooklyn. And in the general program, BHFF is set to unveil feature films from a multitude of countries, including Laos, Sweden, Argentina and France, as well as bring back its special Fear In Focus sidebar, first introduced with BHFF 2017’s Fear In Focus: Mexico lineup, to this time shine a light on three excellent and innovative new Brazilian horror films.
“Since day one, we’ve dedicated Brooklyn Horror to defying the expectations of horror fans and naysayers alike with films that challenge the genre and reinvent its classic tropes, and 2019’s program does that in spades,” says BHFF Senior Programmer Matt Barone. “From wild new variations on haunted houses and the living dead to time-traveling ghosts and erotically charged ghouls, the films that we’re showing this year further prove what die-hard fans have long known: Horror is, and always will be, the most progressive genre in all of film.’
BHFF 2019’s second wave of programming, including the final batch of features and the festival’s entire shorts lineup, will be revealed in mid-September. Until then, let’s take a quick look at some of the features and programs scheduled for what promises to be the fest’s most exciting year to date:
Opening Night Film:
The Beach House
Hoping to reignite their relationship, Emily and Randall arrive at their weekend getaway only to discover a peculiar older couple already staying there. They all agree to share the home and after an indulgent night of partying, wake up to a living nightmare of apocalyptic proportions. Something is infecting the water and a fog is making its way ashore. THE BEACH HOUSE calls to mind the best of ‘50s science fiction with an updated twist.
Other Selected Highlights:
Blood Quantum
In the midst of a zombie outbreak, all hope seems lost, but there’s one glimmer of salvation: A small Indigenous community populated by folks who are somehow immune to whatever is turning people into undead flesh-eaters. Having been marginalized and persecuted for their entire lives, though, the lucky, and still healthy, residents see an opportunity to both keep themselves alive and pay back those who’ve wronged them by keeping their community’s entryways closed. And with that, Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnaby has conceived one of the cleverest uses of the socially potent zombie template, carrying the torch for the late George A. Romero in the process—not to mention Tom Savini, thanks to an excess of viscera.
Carmilla
Fifteen-year-old Lara has no freedom in her overbearing family’s stately manor, which makes her budding sexual curiosities all the tougher to navigate. One day, a carriage accident near their property leads to enigmatic teenager Carmilla taking up residence inside her home to recover, sparking a friendship that grows into something more passionate. Lara’s family, meanwhile, suspects there’s something inhuman about Carmilla. Adapting Sheridan Le Fanu’s classic vampire novella, which predates Bram Stoker’s DRACULA by nearly three decades, British filmmaker Emily Harris delivers an elegant and moody Gothic romance that isn’t afraid to let the blood flow.
Daniel Isn't Real
Dealing with social anxieties and the stress of caring for his mentally disturbed mother, Luke (Miles Robbins) pulls a desperation move and turns to an odd source of help: the confident and manipulative Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Luke’s imaginary friend from childhood. The more Daniel asserts his control, though, the deeper Luke falls into a waking nightmare. Perfectly balancing emotional depth and sensitivity with horror imagery that brings to mind a young Clive Barker, Adam Egypt Mortimer’s sophomore feature equal parts mesmerizing and devastating.
Girl on the Third Floor
For married man Don Koch (Philip “CM Punk” Brooks), remodeling his new home gives him the chance to start anew while trying to overcome legal troubles and fidelity struggles. Once inside the fixer-upper, Don is helpless against the house’s goo-dripping walls, sordid history and inner demons, the latter hideously exposing those of its new owner. Utilizing the expertise acquired from producing several critically acclaimed indie horror films, including STARRY EYES and WE ARE STILL HERE, Travis Stevens makes his directorial debut with a slick and wildly entertaining haunted house movie that’s truly like no other.
Mystery Of The Night
In the colonial Philippines of the 1900s, a young woman who’s been raised by creatures in the woods meets and falls in love with a man from the town. Soon enough, though, her new romance goes sour, prompting her to make him pay in ways you’ll need to see to believe. Cloaked in a hypnotic ambiance from its opening frame, Adolfo Alix Jr.’s MYSTERY OF THE NIGHT takes its time building up character and conflict before erupting with a dynamite supernatural payoff that’s shockingly primal. Behold one of 2019’s most unique horror gems.
A Night of Horror: Nightmare Radio
As the host of a popular horror-themed radio show, disc jockey Rod shares tales of terror with his eager listeners, and although this particular night is no different, there are also the unexpected wrinkles of alarming calls from a scared-to-death child. How that all ties together is part of the magic behind A NIGHT OF HORROR: NIGHTMARE RADIO, an anthology constructed by Argentinian duo Nicolas and Luciano Onetti, who’ve assembled an impressive lineup of recent festival-touring horror shorts to deliver a refreshingly unique new kind of omnibus.
Porno
For a staff of Christian teenage theater workers in 1992, their Friday night crew screening options are between A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, ENCINO MAN or a mysterious old film reel they found in the basement. After convincing their projectionist Heavy Metal Jeff to load up the mystery film, the teens are entranced by a ritualistic erotic art film, mistakenly unleashing a sex demon in the process. They'll have to keep their raging hormones in check as they battle for their souls in this raucous and gory mix of SAVED! and THE EVIL DEAD.
The Room
Looking for a change, Matt (Kevin Janssens from Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE) and Kate (Olga Kurylenko) relocates from New York City to quaint New Hampshire. While cleaning out their new home, the couple discovers a secret room in which any wishes one speaks out loud materialize. At first, it’s all fun, money wishes and games until Matt and Kate realize what this could mean for their inability to have a child. And with that "MONKEY’S-PAW"-esque setup, Christian Volckman’s bold psychodrama THE ROOM constantly surprises with its unpredictable turns while maintaining an air of subtly potent dread.
Sator
Deep in the woods, it’s hard to really say what’s whispering in the night. Ask grandma, though, and she’ll tell you it’s Sator—a protective dark force among the trees, a satanic presence, a ritualistic killer who’s haunted their family for generations. A young man ventures back to the forest in an attempt to rebuild a relationship with his brother who’s been hibernating in seclusion after traumatic events led to the disappearance of their mother years past. A disturbing mediation on family bonds and mental illness, SATOR is an impressive cinematic feat by first-time filmmaker Jordan Graham.
Spiral
To get away from the city life, same-sex couple Malik and Aaron and their teen daughter, Kayla, move to a small suburban town in the mid-’90s. Unfortunately, they're greeted right away with homophobic threats. When Malik witnesses a strange gathering in the neighbor's house, he starts to fear for their lives. A queer horror game-changer, SPIRAL uses the genre to call out the deep-rooted fear of the other in America and expose the cycle of hate as the most corruptible, ancient evil of all.
This Is Our Home
Shaking off a tense roadside encounter with some strangers, Reina and her boyfriend, Cory, arrive at her childhood home. The quarreling couple are attempting to overcome a difficult decision that has put a deep strain on their relationship: the abortion of their first child. Late that night, there's a knock at the door. It's a young boy claiming to be their son. Disturbingly batshit in its exploration of unresolved grief and regret, THIS IS OUR HOME begs to be discussed and deciphered.
VFW
A tight-knit group of grizzled military veterans (played by a formidable cast of genre fan favorites, including Stephen Lang, William Sadler and Fred Williamson) just want to have a laidback night of hard boozing inside their VFW digs. Too bad for them, though, that a gang of punk drug dealers and supercharged addicts have other plans for their unsuspecting elders. Coming off of his excellent descent-into-hell eye-opener BLISS, horror grime master Joe Begos puts his bold stamp on the good old-fashioned “siege movie” with this gore-drenched and delightfully sleazy adrenaline rush.
Fear in Focus: Brazil
The Yellow Night
A group of teenagers arrive in the middle of the night to a desolate Brazilian seaside town. High school has just ended and they are ready to party in style, but cell service sucks and as the days progress, things get very weird. Is time melting, repeating, or going backwards, and did you just see what you think you saw? A tale of friendship and young love for a generation who live through their screens and screen through their lives. Trippy, freaky, angry, and sharply humorous, THE YELLOW NIGHT is a hypnotic millennial nightmare not to be missed.
The Father’s Shadow
A young girl, already struggling with the recent loss of her mother, is dealt more strife after a tragic workplace incident causes her father to slowly lose his grip on reality. Dalva, mature beyond her years, recklessly turns to witchcraft in her desperate battle to save her rapidly decaying family. A film that wears its cinematic inspirations directly on its sleeve, THE FATHER'S SHADOW begs the question: How far would you go to bring your loved ones back from the dark?
Sick, Sick, Sick
It’s love at first sight when teenager Silvia meets the charismatic Artur, with whom she begins a passionate and world-changing relationship. That is, until Artur suddenly dies, leaving Silvia in a debilitating state of loss, complete with intense depression and physical sickness. While on a beachside vacation with her family, though, she meets a local who introduces her to the notion of voodoo—specifically, bringing loved ones back from the dead. Proudly inspired by PET SEMATARY, Alice Furtado repurposes the themes of Stephen King’s classic resurrection story onto a hypnotic film that’s both distinct to her Brazilian culture and visually decadent.
Short Blocks:
Slayed!: LGBTQ Horror Shorts (co-presented by NewFest)-
It’s an exciting time for queer horror, which is in the midst of a powerful renaissance. Look no further than these varied queer stories, covering issues like safe sex, religious persecution, identity confusion and closeted fears all through the genre’s lens.
Shorts: Jeremiah, dir. Kenya Gillespie (USA), Stigma, dir. David Velduque (Spain), The Original, dir. Michelle Garza Cervera (United Kingdom), Penance, dir. Kayden Phoenix (USA), Bathroom Troll, dir. Aaron Immediato (USA), Docking, dir. Trevor Anderson (Canada), Switch, dir. Marion Renard (Belgium)
Home Invasion: Shorts-
New York City's genre filmmaking talent is put on full display in our annual short film showcase built to equally impress and scare, this time featuring twisted meet-cutes, sadistic bakers and insatiable demons.
Shorts: Deja Vu, dir. Cameron Strittmatter, LVRS, dir. Emily Bennett, Laundry Night, dir. A.K. Espada, Bakemono, dir. Sumire Takamatsu and Jorge Lucas, Brain Jail, dir. Carleton Ranney, The Muffin Man, dir. Ethan Blum, Let Me Play, dir. Andrew Bell, The Taxidermist, dir. Natalie Johnson, Ed, dir. Robbie Lemieux, Horizontal Fall, dir. Tin Lee, Deep Tissue, dir. Meredith Alloway, The Rat, dir. Carlen May-Mann
Nightmare Fuel-
We dare you to try your best to sleep comfortably after watching these scare-fueled shorts, which run the gamut from insatiable cannibals to dating app ghouls, relentless serial killers and occult-signaled demons.
Shorts: Skin of Man, dir. Jimmy Joe Roche (USA), In Sound, We Live Forever, dir. Joshua Guiliano (USA), Inferno, dir. Bishal Dutta (USA), The Vicious, dir. Trevor Dillon, Ian Hock (USA), Megan, 26, dir. Brea Grant (USA), Midnight Talk, dir. Raffael Oliveri (Australia), Fatale Collective: Bleed, dir. Lola Blanc, Linda Chen, Natasha Halevi, Danin Jacquay, Francesca Maldonado, Megan Rosati (USA), Caw, dir. Laura Sanchez Acosta (Argentina)
Head Trip-
Conventions are shattered throughout this subversive and genre-bending collection of shorts, which push horror in wild new directions that include nihilistic poultry conspiracies, homicidal zoo animals, real-world tragedies and psychedelic freak-outs.
Shorts: Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences as They Come to You, dir. Brandon Cronenberg (Canada), Bad Seed, dir. Guilherme Daniel (Portugal), MJ, dir. Jamie Delaney (United Kingdom), Lili, dir. Yfke Van Berckalaer (Netherlands), The Video Store Commercial, dir. Cody Kennedy, Tim Rutherford (Canada), Valerio’s Day Out, dir. Michael Arcos (USA), The Obliteration of Chickens, dir. Izzy Lee (USA), The Haunted Swordsman, dir. Kevin McTurk (USA), Girl in the Hallway, dir. Valerie Barnhart (Canada)
Creeping Terror-
For those with patience, the rewards are unforgettably horrific in this group of longer, more meticulous scare products that tap into deadly family traditions, unique vampire lore, urban legends and more.
Shorts: Other Side of the Box, dir. Caleb J. Phillips (USA), Grief, dir. Brock Bodell, Daniel R. Perry (USA), The Burden, dir. Nico Van den Brink (Netherlands), Suicide by Sunlight, dir. Nikyata Jusu (USA), The Boogeywoman, dir. Erica Scoggins (USA)
Also on display at the festival:
The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies presents a conversation with Karen Arthur
This talk will discuss the formative experiences that shaped Karen Arthur’s journey in becoming a filmmaker, her artistic process in the creation of LEGACY and THE MAFU CAGE, the inner workings and personal reflections on breaking the glass ceiling in the male-dominated industry of television, and her films in the 1980s that deal with the complexities of sexual assault and toxic masculinity within a culture of often dangerous male supremacy. Moderated by filmmaker and writer Remy Bennett
Gas Station Horror
Long-running comedy show Gas Station Horror takes the wildest clips from horror flicks and let's some of NY's best comedians finish the scenes in new and hilarious ways. Having recently celebrated their six-year anniversary, GSH has been featured in the NY Times, TimeOutNY, Horror Society, the skint, nonsensenyc, and has been sponsored by Sony Pictures for the premiere of FLATLINERS. The show features free candy, prize raffles, and horror fun facts.
This is just part of the numerous films and events that will be covered soon on the site, so stay tuned here for more coverage the closer to the date of the festival. For more information, visit:
Brooklynhorrorfest.com
Comments
Post a Comment