MONSTER FEST ANNOUNCES 2017 DATES IN THE WAKE OF RECORD-BREAKING YEAR

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www.monsterfest.com.au

After its most successful edition to date, with festival attendance tripling that of the previous year and more industry attendance and international media coverage than ever before, Australia’s premier genre film festival Monster Fest has set the dates for its seventh annual edition, to be held November 22-26, 2017. These dates include the return of the festival’s industry component, The Swinburne University Media and Communication Monster Academy, which will kick off the festival November 22 and 23.

“There was an incredible, collegial energy at the festival this year,” says Festival Director Kier-La Janisse. “Filmmakers of all stripes mingled with academics and passionate audiences, exchanging ideas and hatching plans, and we were able to involve many of our Australian exhibition colleagues as panelists and moderators, from ACMI, Cinemaniacs and the Melbourne Horror Film Society to visiting programmers from Stranger With My Face and the Queensland Film Festival. It was an inspiring collaboration.”

Keynote speaker Ted Kotcheff, who attended Monster Fest to present four of his films – including the Australian landmark WAKE IN FRIGHT - and a four-hour masterclass moderated by director Mark Hartley, said of the festival, “I loved the creative energy of Monster Fest, the great programming, the enthusiastic audiences. In the course of over half a century of film making, I have attended almost every film festival there is and Monster Fest is one of the most interesting and enjoyable that I've experienced.” 

The Monster Fest programming team has already started tracking films for the 2017 festival, and festival submissions will re-open in February. Stay tuned to www.monsterfest.com.au for updates.

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See the full list of 2016 Award Winners here: http://www.monsterfest.com.au/monster-fest-announces-2016-award-winners/

See Monster Fest 2016 media coverage here: http://www.monsterfest.com.au/media-coverage/

See photos of the 2016 festival on our Flickr page here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/monster_fest/albums/72157673629626224

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About Monster Fest:Founded in 2011, Monster Fest is a genre film festival that showcases films and events that fall into the broadly-defined categories of horror, science fiction, action, crime, noir, animation, dark drama, black comedy, gothic western, erotica and more. Its programming is a mix of Premieres, international festival favourites, challenging new discoveries and curated repertory sidebars alongside industry-focused events such as panels and masterclasses with renowned international guests, and a special emphasis on supporting emerging Australian genre film talent through the festival and beyond. Monster Fest is mounted with the support of Screen Australia and Film Victoria.

AUSTRALIA’S MONSTER FEST ANNOUNCES FINAL WAVE OF THE 2016 FESTIVAL LINEUP

www.monsterfest.com.au

In a fitting complement to this most sinister season, Australia’s premier genre festival Monster Fest has unveiled its final wave of films for the 2016 festival, which is set to take place November 24-27 at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne. 

The team of features programmers – which includes festival director Kier-La Janisse, Monster Pictures co-founder Neil Foley, Boston Underground Film Festival Director of Programming Nicole McControversy and writer/programmer/punk legend Chris D. – vetted over 600 features in selecting the 2016 Monster Fest lineup, which includes new crime films DOG EAT DOG and THE HOLLOW POINT from Paul Schrader and Gonzalo López-Gallego respectively, gory slasher throwback THE WINDMILL MASSACRE, the hometown premiere of epic period western THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL with cast in person and acclaimed TIFF selections PREVENGE and INTERCHANGE alongside Fantastic Fest faves such as the Aussie-made yuletide thriller SAFE NEIGHBOURHOOD and the devastating – and polarizing – PLAYGROUND. Brief descriptions of all films in the final wave follow below.

Select panels for the Swinburne University Media and Communication Monster Academy - Monster Fest’s two-day industry component running Nov 23 + 24 - have also been announced, including a panel with director Geoffrey Wright and producer Daniel Scharf about the making of Aussie cult sensation ROMPER STOMPER, a panel on the Golden Age of Ozploitation featuring producer Antony I. Ginnane (PATRICK, TURKEY SHOOT) and cinematographer Vincent Monton (ROAD GAMES, LONG WEEKEND), a case study panel on ‘The Westbury Faery’ as an example of international multi-platform storytelling, panels on festival strategy, the opportunities and obstacles facing women working in the genre space, and more to be added. The full lineup for Monster Academy will be announced in the coming weeks. 

See the Final Wave of Monster Fest 2016 Films listed below:

​A DARK SONG

Director: Liam Gavin | Ireland 2016 | 100 mins | Australian Premiere

Driven by an all-consuming desire to make contact with her murdered child, Sophia hires an occultist named Solomon (Steve Oram) to conduct a black magic ritual that would grant her wish. As they delve deeper into the tedious, trying ritual, Sophia and Solomon find their bond of trust and sense of sanity pushed to the very limit as a sinister presence makes itself known.

AUTOHEAD

Director: Rohit Mittal | India 2016 | 97 mins | Australian Premiere

This Man Bites Dog take on a Mumbai Taxi Driver follows a documentary crew as they shadow an auto-rickshaw driver named Narayan. The slice of life angle soon skews into dodgy voyeuristic complicity as the film crew documents the unraveling of a man’s humanity, culminating in a chilling, bloody climax.

DOG EAT DOG 

Paul Schrader | USA 2016 | 93 mins | Australian Premiere

Based on a 1995 novel by acclaimed crime writer and ex-con Edward Bunker, the latest from the writer of TAXI DRIVER and ROLLING THUNDER and director of MISHIMA, HARDCORE, CAT PEOPLE and so many other now-canonized films, is a pitch black, uncompromisingly brutal and at times highly theatrical crime thriller about three ex-cons (Nicholas Cage, Willem Dafoe and Christopher Matthew Cook) who team up for that fateful ‘one last job’ only to have everything go horribly - and hilariously - awry.

GUYANA: CULT OF THE DAMNED 

Director: René Cardona Jr. | Mexico 1979 | 90mins

When over 900 Americans were made to commit mass suicide by drinking cyanide-laced Kool Aid in the middle of the steamy Guyana jungle, exploitation filmmakers couldn’t wait to cash-in on the tragedy, and Mexican filmmaker René Cardona Jr (TINTORERA: TIGER SHARK) was the first on the scene. Hypnotically sleazy and enjoyably lurid as only Cardona Jr. could make them. Co-presented by the Morbido Film Festival.

THE HOLLOW POINT 

Director: Gonzalo López-Gallego | USA 2016 | 97 mins | Australian Premiere

Patrick Wilson stars as Wallace, the new sheriff of a small town in Gonzalo López-Gallego's full blooded take on the western genre. Building on the best of B-movie westerns and not skimping out on the gore, Gallego crafts a tale of one man investigating the aftermath of a drug cartel deal gone wrong - cleverly filling all the roles with terrific actors including Ian McShane, John Leguziamo, Jim Belushi and more.

INTERCHANGE 

Dain Said | Malaysia  2016 | 102 minutes | Australian Premiere

In this Malaysian ritual thriller and TIFF Midnight Madness selection, a forensics photographer is lured into a world of shamans and mystic creatures while helping his detective friend investigate a series of macabre murders.

THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL

Matthew Holmes | Australia 2016 | 134 mins | Victorian Premiere

In this epic period western based on the true story of one of Australia’s most famous outlaws, Ben Hall is drawn back into bushranging by the reappearance of his old friend John Gilbert. Reforming the gang, they soon become the most wanted men in Australian history. 

MAXIE DIABLO AND THE FUNKY FUNKY SEX MURDERS: A LIVE RADIO PLAY BY MYSTERY RADIO THEATRE

From the makers of Man Bites God and the Theatre of the World podcast, Mystery Radio Theatre is a comedy/murder mystery performed in the style of old-timey radio theatre. There will be sound effects. There will be silly voices. There will be live ad-reads. There will be a special musical guest. And there will be blood.

MY FATHER DIE 

Sean Brosnan |  USA 2016 | 102 minutes | Australian Premiere

The debut feature from Sean Brosnan (son of Pierce) about the vengeful path of a man left mute since childhood following a family tragedy straddles the border of nihilistic revenge tale and brutalist Southern Gothic redemption with a poetic, even romantic sensibility, recalling at times sleeper hits WINTER’S BONE and COLD IN JULY.

PLAYGROUND 

Bartosz M. Kowalski | Poland 2016 | 81 mins | Australian Premiere

Certain to be the most controversial film of the festival, acclaimed documentary director Bartosz Kowalski issues his first narrative feature, the stark tale of two pre-teen budding sociopaths and what they do on the last day of school. A devastating film in the vein of NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN and THE TRIBE.  

PREVENGE

Alice Lowe | UK 2016 | 88 mins. | Australian Premiere

This brilliant first feature from actress/director/writer Alice Lowe (SIGHTSEERS, GARTH MARENGHI’S DARKPLACE) channels Lowe’s comedy background to create a completely unique horror comedy about a woman who is seven months pregnant and full of homicidal fury.  

PSYCHONAUTS, THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN

Director: Alberto Vázquez, Pedro Rivero | Spain 2015 | 80 mins | Victorian Premiere

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, PSYCHONAUTS is a gorgeous, haunting animated allegory that follows rebellious teen Dinky and the silent, drug-addicted outcast Birdboy as they attempt to escape life as they know it from an island ravaged by an industrial accident.

SAFE NEIGHBOURHOOD 

Chris Peckover | Australia/USA 2016 | 85 mins | Australian Premiere

On a quiet suburban street tucked within a 'safe neighborhood', a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from strangers breaking into the house, only to discover that this is far from a normal home invasion. A great new yuletide terror film from the director of UNDOCUMENTED (2010).

THE WINDMILL MASSACRE

Nick Jongerius | Netherlands 2016 | 85 mins | Australian Premiere

Windmills, they’re those things you see in storybooks surrounded by daffodils right? Think again! THE WINDMILL MASSACRE is a freakishly ferocious slasher reboot about unsuspecting tourists who awaken a mysterious evil in the Dutch countryside after their tour bus breaks down, stranding them at an abandoned barn beside a sinister windmill where a miller used to grind the bones of locals.

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For the full 2016 lineup, including all previously-announced films, go direct to our 2016 Festival Site atwww.monsterfest.com.au/2016

All-access Passes, Day Passes and tickets to Monster Fest 2016 are on sale now here: https://www.lidocinemas.com.au/Promotion/Monster-Fest-2016-At-Lido

All-access passes for Monster Academy are now on sale here: https://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=241013

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About Monster Fest:

Founded in 2011, Monster Fest is a mix of Premieres, international festival favourites, challenging new discoveries and curated repertory sidebars alongside industry-focused events such as panels and masterclasses with renowned international guests, and a special emphasis on supporting emerging Australian genre film talent through the festival and beyond. Monster Fest is mounted with the support of Screen Australia and Film Victoria. 

AUSTRALIA’S MONSTER FEST ANNOUNCES FIRST WAVE OF FEATURE FILM TITLES

www.monsterfest.com.au | www.cultofmonster.com.au

Australia’s premier genre film festival Monster Fest returns to Melbourne for its 6^th edition Nov 24-27, 2016 – and they’ve just rolled out their first slate of official selections.

Following on announcements that the official Opening Film will be Julia Ducournau’s controversial RAW, with Jim Hosking’s THE GREASY STRANGLER as Closing Film and keynote speaker Ted Kotcheff presenting retrospective screenings of his films WAKE IN FRIGHT, FIRST BLOOD, WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S and a new HD master of cult TV rarity SPLIT IMAGE, Monster Fest is pleased to announce its first wave of new feature film titles, including FREE FIRE, the latest from visionary director Ben Wheatley; TROLL HUNTER director André Øvredal’s long-awaited English language debut THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE; the new digital restoration of Andrzej Żuławski’s sci-fi epic ON THE SILVER GLOBE; Jesse Moss’ (THE OVERNIGHTERS) newest acclaimed documentary THE BANDIT - about the legendary friendship between Burt Reynolds and stuntman-turned-director Hal Needham - and much more. Brief descriptions of each film follow below.

“Monster Fest has come a long way since its inception in 2011,” says Festival Director Kier-La Janisse. “Originally conceived as a platform for showcasing Monster Pictures’ own titles, it has since evolved into its own beast, and continues to grow each year into the kind of diverse and inclusive genre festival that we see as key to fueling support for genre film production and exhibition in this country. It’s a place for us to come together with both independent filmmakers and our colleagues in the distribution landscape to share the most exciting, challenging and acclaimed genre titles emerging each year - ranging from horror and sci-fi to documentary, animation, crime and even westerns. We wanted to create an event that could be the Australian equivalent of major genre fests like Fantasia, Sitges and Fantastic Fest – and I think we’ve made huge strides in that direction.”

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MONSTER FEST 2016 FIRST WAVE:

ALWAYS SHINE – Australian Premiere
Director: Sophia Takal | USA 2016
When two competitive actresses go on a vacation to a cabin in the woods to try to rekindle their damaged friendship, tensions rise and facades crumble, causing an inevitable violent confrontation.

ANTIBIRTH – Victorian Premiere
Director: Danny Perez | Canada/USA 2016
Natasha Lyonne and Chloe Sevigny star in this psychedelic Sundance midnighter about a hard-partying gal who finds herself pregnant with a rapidly growing and increasingly hostile presence after a drug-fueled blackout.

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE – Australian PremiereDirector: André Øvredal | USA 2016
Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch star as father-son coroners who find themselves enveloped by dark forces when they are called upon to do an urgent forensic analysis of a mysterious corpse. One of the most terrifying films of the year and winner of the Best Horror Feature Award at this year’s Fantastic Fest. (Tickets for this show on sale now at www.lidocinemas.com.au)

​THE BANDIT – Australian Premiere

Director: Jesse Moss | USA 2016

Jesse Moss’ (THE OVERNIGHTERS) latest acclaimed documentary about the legendary friendship between Burt Reynolds and stuntman-turned director Hal Needham and the making of their unlikely box-office smash SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.

DEAREST SISTER – Australian Premiere
Director: Mattie Do | Laos 2016Leaving Australian audiences haunted with her 2013 feature debut CHANTHALY, Lao filmmaker Mattie Do returns with another penetrating supernatural tale about families, illness and fracturing identities.

DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP – Victorian Premiere
Director: Jai Love | Australia 201619-year old Sydney filmmaker Jai Love’s debut feature is the heartfelt and often grim documentary portrait of the reclusive Edwin Borsheim - notorious onstage mutilator, former backyard wrestler and frontman for extreme metal band Kettle Cadaver.

​FREE FIRE – Australian Premiere

Director: Ben Wheatley | USA 2016

In his most accessible, action-packed film to date, British visionary Ben Wheatley (KILL LIST, HIGH RISE) places us in the center of a shootout of absurd proportions when an international arms deal goes horribly wrong in a 1978 Boston warehouse. Starring Cillian Murphy, Brie Larsen, Sharlto Copley and Noah Taylor. (Tickets for this show on sale now at www.lidocinemas.com.au)

ON THE SILVER GLOBE – New Digital Restoration
Director: Andrzej Żuławski | Poland 1988An inexhaustibly inventive and absorbing film maudit that quite literally creates a new cinematic world, Andrzej Żuławski’s sci-fi epic ON THE SILVER GLOBE is perhaps the grandest expression of his visionary artistry. This rarely screened film returns in a gorgeous new digital restoration that was approved by Żuławski – best known to Monster fans as the director of POSSESSION - only days before passing away earlier this year.

SLASH – Australian Premiere
Director: Clay Liford | USA 2016
In Clay Liford’s painfully poignant Cosplay comedy, an introverted high school freshman lies about his age to post his erotic gay fan fiction in an exclusive online forum. But he finds himself at the centre of an emotional shootout when he is invited to a live-read at a nearby Comicon. Featuring an inappropriate Eddie Munster joke.

MONDO YAKUZA – World Premiere
Director: Addison Heath | Australia 2016
Presented in black and white with a grindhouse glaze, this latest from prolific Australian filmmaker Addison Heath comes on like CHOPPER mixed with a Seijun Suzuki crime film of the 60s. This screening also doubles as the book launch party for Aussie genre scribe Michael Helms’ FATAL VISIONS BOOK 2.

Previously announced:

BEYOND THE GATES – Australian Premiere
Director: Jackson Stewart | USA 2016
After their father goes missing, two brothers (Graham Skipper of ALMOST HUMAN and Chase Williamson of JOHN DIES AT THE END) meet at his video store to liquidate his assets. When they discover a VCR board game and the last video their father viewed, they find that it may actually open a door to a more sinister world. Co-starring genre fave Barbara Crampton.

EYE OF THE DEVIL – 50^th Anniversary Screening
Director: J. Lee Thompson | UK 1966
The inspiration for this year’s Monster Fest trailer (which you can see HERE), this proto-WICKER MAN folk horror film stars David Niven as the heir to a mysterious vineyard and Deborah Kerr as his endangered spouse, who is being increasingly terrorized by local priest Donald Pleasence and creepy siblings David Hemmings and Sharon Tate (the latter in her film debut).

THE GREASY STRANGLER – Victorian Premiere
Director: Jim Hosking | UK/USA 2016
Monster Fest’s Official 2016 Closing Film is this Sundance WTF sensation in which a bizarre father-son duo compete for the affections of a seductive woman they meet on their Disco Walking Tour, while an oily maniac prowls the streets wringing necks. (Tickets for this show now on sale at www.lidocinemas.com.au)

MADE FOR TV MAYHEM – World Premiere
The world premiere book launch of ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE ALONE? A TV MOVIE COMPENDIUM 1964-1999 with a clip-and-tell panel featuring the book’s editor and authors, and a screening of Buzz Kulik’s 1974 tele-fright, BAD RONALD. Co-presented with Cinemaniacs Film Society.

RAW – Australian Premiere
Director: Julia Ducournau | France 2016
Monster Fest 2016’s official Opening Film is the controversial, stomach-churning tale of a young vegetarian who discovers a dark appetite after she is forced to participate in a carnivorous hazing ritual. (tickets for this show now on sale at www.lidocinemas.com.au)

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL: THE TRUE STORY OF THE PROCESS CHURCH OF THE FINAL JUDGEMENT – Australian Premiere
Director: Neil Edwards | UK 2015
UK Director Neil Edwards will join us in person for his mind-melting doc about the esoteric and oft-misunderstood Process Church, which rose to prominence in the 1960s as a dark counterpart to the era’s new wave of spiritual experimentation.

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Stay tuned for future announcements, including our second wave of feature film titles, our huge short film program (double the size of last year!) and our educational and industry component, The Swinburne University Media and Communication Monster Academy.

The full Monster Fest 2016 Program will be launched on October 31, 2016, both on our new festival website and in our collectible print guide, which will be unleashed at a program launch party and Halloween screening of Rob Zombie’s 31 at the Lido Cinema (Tickets for that event HERE: https://www.lidocinemas.com.au/Movie/31).