Skip to main content

Monster Fest announces the appointment of Kier-La Janisse as Festival Director for 2016

Image
By



Australia’s premier festival of cult, horror and the fantastic, Monster Fest is thrilled to announce the appointment of its new Festival Director, renowned Canadian film programmer and author Kier-La Janisse.

Returning to Melbourne’s Lido Cinemas for its sixth edition, Monster Fest 2016 has been scheduled for to take place November 24-27.
Monster Fest has also announced that submissions for Features, Short Films and Expanded Cinema Projects open on February 26 with an Early Bird Deadline of April 29, a Regular Deadline of June 3 and a final, Extended Deadline of August 12, 2016.

Acclaimed author of the autobiographical House of Psychotic Women, Janisse comes to Monster Fest after nearly two decades of experience on the genre festival circuit, having worked for such prestigious events as Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX and founding Canada’s first horror film festival, CineMuerte (1999-2005) as well as co-founding revered Montreal micro-cinema Blue Sunshine. In addition to her Monster Fest duties, Kier-La also runs Spectacular Optical Publications (Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s) and founded the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, which has branches in Montreal and London, with a US branch opening later in the year.

“The appointment of Kier-La signals a real intent on behalf of Monster Fest to permanently etch its way into the Australian cinema landscape” says Monster Fest founder Neil Foley. “In recent times genre film festivals have emerged to become among the most exciting, important and well-attended screen culture events on the planet, both in terms of launching new talent, and celebrating their more established counterparts. Kier-La brings a dynamic mix of experience, knowledge and vision to the festival that we are confident will see Monster Fest take its place alongside some of the world’s finest film festivals. If you’re a fan of sensational genre cinema, whether from behind a camera, or in front of a screen, then this is an exciting day!”

“I can’t wait to start plotting out this year’s event with the Monster Fest team,” remarks Janisse. “I was wooed by the vibrant Australian genre film community when I visited Monster Fest as a panelist two years ago, and I feel this is an incredible opportunity to let my inner ‘monster kid’ out to play. The pool of local collaborators include some of the most important voices in genre criticism today, constituting a veritable brains-trust that ensures that this year’s festival will be a curatorial powerhouse and a massively fun event.”

Monster Fest was established in 2011 as the exhibition arm of Monster Pictures, and since that time has garnered a reputation for showcasing some of the finest new independent genre films in the world, and giving Australian audiences an opportunity to see them on the big screen.

Submissions for Monster Fest 2016 can be processed via Film Freeway, Without a Box and Film Festival Life. Details and submission guidelines are available at www.monsterfest.com.au
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

POPULATION PURGE Trailer and Release Info

By
In a dystopian world where a radical government has unleashed a deadly poison to control population, only those with blood type AB positive remain unscathed. But instead of outright death, the rest of the population is left to suffer in a state of chronic illness, causing widespread chaos and panic. As the majority slowly succumbs to the effects of the poison, their only hope lies in receiving transfusions of AB positive blood from the few immune survivors, like Charlie and his granddaughter Maya. Living in the decrepit remains of an abandoned amusement park, Charlie is a renegade supplier of blood to the underground market. But their sanctuary is threatened by the iron-fisted rule of District 22's ruthless warden, Onslow, who will stop at nothing to save his own dying son. As Charlie and Maya fight to defend their haven and their own sanity, the eccentric duo must navigate through a world of danger and betrayal. POPULATION PURGE was written by Brian Johnson and Toby Osborne and di
Read More

A SACRIFICE Trailer and Release Info

By
Written and Directed by Jordan Scott Produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Georgina Pope Starring Eric Bana, Sadie Sink, and Sylvia Hoeks A Sacrifice is an emotionally turbulent story that follows American social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) who is investigating a local Berlin cult connected to disturbing events. While he immerses himself in his work, his rebellious teenage daughter, Mazzy (Sadie Sink), becomes embroiled with a mysterious local boy who introduces her to the city’s underground party scene. As their two worlds head toward a dangerous intersection, Ben will need to race against the clock in order to save his daughter. A SACRIFICE will be in theaters on June 28th, 2024
Read More

Blue Underground to Release Goodbye Uncle Tom on 4K/Blu-ray!

By
  In a bold move, Blue Underground has announced the upcoming release of "Goodbye Uncle Tom" on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on April 23rd. This release will offer viewers a chance to witness one of the most notorious and graphic films ever made, showcasing a haunting portrayal of America's dark history of slavery. Originally released in 1971, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" is an Italian mondo-docudrama directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi, the masterminds behind "Mondo Cane." Drawing from period documentation and historical accounts, the film vividly recreates the antebellum South and delves into the horrors of the slave trade. However, the film's unflinching depiction of slavery's atrocities sparked controversy from its inception. Distributors in the US insisted on radical edits to tone down the graphic content before its release. Despite these efforts, "Goodbye Uncle Tom" continued to stir strong reactions among critics a
Read More