2017 Films Announced: The Lure, Pool Party Massacre, Red Christmas + More!

February 18, 2017 - The Fright Night Theatre Film Festival is excited to officially unveil its slate of 2017 official selections. This year`s roster is a roller coaster program featuring some of the most exciting, anticipated, and flat-out insane new indie horror, cult, and exploitation genre films that genre fans have been dying to see! From carnivorous singing mermaids to cat-themed serial killers to one of the most famous movie monsters of all time, the 2017 Fright Night Theatre Film Festival offers 7 feature films and 16 shorts guaranteed to chill, thrill, and kill horror fans, cult film aficionados, and genre junkies of all stripes. All the cinematic carnage goes down March 24-26 at the Staircase Theatre in Hamilton, ON. Scroll down this page for more info on the films and trailer and poster links.

7 DEADLY FEATURE FILMS

THE LURE (POLAND) 

HORROR * MUSICAL * MONSTERS
== Hamilton Premiere == 

Trailer Poster

Forget La La Land! The true must-see musical of the year is the bloody, bold, and genre-defying sensation The Lure. A pair of carnivorous mermaid sisters are drawn ashore in an alternate '80s Poland to explore the wonders and temptations of life on land, and indulge their taste for human flesh. Their tantalizing siren songs and otherworldly aura make them overnight sensations at a risque nightclub where debauched glitz and glam put the bonds of sisterhood to the test. Featuring stunning musical numbers and effects, savage sexuality, and an original new-wave soundtrack, The Lure is a twisted take on The Little Mermaid that has been a fan favorite at festivals like Sundance, Fantasia, and Toronto After Dark.

RED CHRISTMAS (AUSTRALIA) 

HORROR * SLASHER* EXPLOITATION
== Ontario Premiere == 
Trailer Poster

Starring and produced by genre star DEE WALLACE (The Howling, Cujo, The Hills Have Eyes), the stylish and over-the-top Red Christmas makes its Ontario debut the FNTFF! A cloaked stranger interrupts the Christmas Day festivities of a strong willed matriarch (Dee Wallace) who is celebrating with her dysfunctional family. When the stranger goes on the offensive, the family is subjected to an un-silent night of holy terror in which the cinematic carnage that follows will shock naughty and nice alike. Christmas comes early this year, and it's not black. It's very, very red.

LONG LIVE THE KING (USA) 

CLASSIC MONSTERS * DOCUMENTARY
== Hamilton Premiere == 
Teaser Poster

84 years since his first rampage through New York, King Kong still reigns supreme as one of the most enduring and fascinating movie monsters ever created, but what makes him so special in the hearts of movie monster fans? Presented in LONG LIVE THE KING's charming and riveting documentary style, you will join influential Hollywood directors like Joe Dante (Gremlins), actors and writers like Doug Jones (Hellboy) and Dana Gould (The Simpsons), monster movie historians and collectors like Bob Burns, and modern special FX masters like Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), Tom Woodruff Jr (Aliens), Chris Walas (The Fly), and more as they discuss the influence King Kong had on their lives and careers. Long Live the King is a big-hearted celebration of the 8th Wonder of the World just in time for Kong's return to the big screen. Will put a smile on the face of monster kids everywhere, young and old.

POOL PARTY MASSACRE (USA) 

HORROR * SLASHER * COMEDY
== Canadian Premiere == 
 Poster

Like, OMG. This is the Worst. Pool. Party. Ever! When Blair, a high maintenance young socialite, invites some friends over to her parents' house for an intimate pool party, they are unaware that a serial killer is hiding inside the house...with a surprising assortment of power tools. What starts out as a relaxing summer day by the pool quickly turns into a nightmare as the unknown killer begins to stalk and murdering the young girls one by one. In this hilarious homage to 80s slashers from hot up-and-coming horror writer/director Drew Marvick, Pool Party Massacre is a refreshingly smart yet tongue-in-cheek mashup of Slumber Party Massacre meets Mean Girls. Definitely a pool-side treat for fans of bodacious, blood-soaked bikini body counts. Starring LeeAnna Vamp, Alexis Adams, Mark Justice

WHO'S WATCHING OLIVER? (USA) 

SERIAL KILLER * EXPLOITATION
== Ontario Premiere == 
Poster

Take a bit of lovable naiveté from Forrest Gump and crash it head-long into the debraved and sleazy violence of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and you get Who's Watching Oliver?. Who's Watching Oliver? is the story of a mentally unstable loner living in Thailand who wanders the streets at night looking for women to defile and dismember in front of his webcam to satisfy the psychotic cravings of his deranged and manipulative mother. His only savior and possible way out of a life of depravity and humiliation comes in the form of the beautiful Sophia. Or will she end up like all the beautiful women in his life: cut up into little pieces?

BLOOD HUNTERS (CANADA) 

HORROR * DRAMA * CREATURE FEATURE
== Ontario Premiere == 
Trailer Poster

Award-winning Canadian director Tricia Lee returns to the FNTFF with Blood Hunters, a character-driven horror film about a single mother who wakes up in a medical facility to find that everyone is dead and she's nine months pregnant. And to make matters worse, strange blood-hungry creatures are lurking in the darkness. Mysterious, terrifying and emotionally gripping, Blood Hunters features an outstanding ensemble cast featuring Julian Richings (Man of Steel, The VVITCH, Cube), Lara Gilchrist (Battlestar Galactica), Mark Taylor (Flashpoint), and Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis).

CAT SICK BLUES (AUSTRALIA) 

HORROR * EXPLOITATION * CULT FILM WEIRDNESS
== Canadian Premiere == 
Trailer Poster

Destined to go down in Fright Night Theatre history as one of the most f*cked up films we've ever screened, CAT SICK BLUES is the sordid story of Ted, a man pushed to into a traumatic mental breakdown following the death of his beloved cat who believes he can bring his feline friend back from the dead by dressing up like a cat and collecting 9 human lives. Insane. Offensive. Prosthetic Cat Penis. None of these words come close to describing the unbridled madness that is destined to make CAT SICK BLUES a certifiable cult hit. See it here first!

16 SHOCKING SHORTS

BORN AGAIN (USA) - Canadian Premiere
Dir. Jason Tostevin

Five bumbling satanists experience a true "holy shit moment" when their scheduled demonic summoning goes awry. Stars multiple FNTFF award-winning actress Ellie Church (Harvest Lake, Plank Face).

CHEWED (CAN) - World Premiere

Dir. Mike Trebilcock

An anthropologist seeks to settle the score using the powers of an ancient Aztec god with an appetite for revenge. Written and directed by Hamilton's own Mike Trebilcock (leader of the Canadian 90s Juno-winning punk-pop band, The Killjoys) and starring John Migliore (The Friday Night Death Slot).

CURVE (AUSTRALIA) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Tim Egan

Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a girl tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death. A terrifying, white-knuckle experience, especially for those afraid of heights.

DEATH METAL (USA) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Chris McInroy

A metalhead gets too cocky shredding on a satanic guitar with a life of its own. Throw up the horns for hilariously gory and over-the-top heavy metal horror action.

THE FISHERMAN (SPAIN) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Alejandro Suárez Lozano

Mr Wong is a third generation fisherman in Hong Kong, struggling to keep this tradition alive. One night, he decides to leave the crowded waters of Victoria Harbour, and fish in calmer waters. His luck changes when he makes a monstrous catch of something that does not belong to this world.

FLIES IN MAY (AUSTRALIA)
Dir. Caroline Jiang - World Premiere

In this creepy animated short, a young, shy girl named May, is bitten on the chest by a fly. As the days pass, the bite grows into a monstrous, parasitic maggot. As May struggles with the uncontrollable growth of the maggot, her negligent parents remain oblivious.

JASON (CAN)

Dir. Greg Kovacs - World  Premiere

A little boy gleefully journeys into darkness only to discover his true calling. From the director of O CHRISTMAS TREE (Winner: Best Short Audience Choice - Fall 2016)

JUST JUSTICE III: KUNG FU KARATE ANNIHILATOR (SPAIN) - Ontario Premiere
Dir. Rafael Dengrá

Welcome to the year 1988. Violent gangs of murderers dressed as savage punks control the World. To restore order, scientists create a one-man nuclear weapon of precision kung fu ass kicking, expert motorbike riding, and supreme face-ripping justice: CHUCK LEE BRONSON. Riffing off a host of 80s sci-fi like The Terminator and Mad Max, cult flicks like Escape from New York and The Warriors, and kung fu / action movies like Enter the Ninja and Death Wish, JUST JUSTICE III: KUNG FU KARATE ANNIHILATOR is an offensive, obsessive, and excessive and out-of-its-mind pop culture genre blender of attention deficit disorder destruction from the director of Brutal Relax.

KASKA (GERMANY) - Canadian Premiere
Dir. Alexander Dannhauser

A ghastly shadow creeps through the ruins of a dark postwar city. A small, spider-like robot sneaks into the few remaining houses, in search for victims. A dark fantasy with a lot of heart -- literally.

PEEPHOLE (CAN) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Doug Cook

A shady motel manager films his guests through a peephole in the wall of suite 12. On one particular night, he gets in over his head when he witnesses something sinister on the other side.

POLICY (USA) - Canadian Premiere
Dir. Donavon Thompson

A young boy who won't put down his phone buys a ticket to a movie and gets the show of a lifetime. In fact, it may just be his last.

PYOTR495 (CAN) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Blake Mawson

Set one evening in present day Moscow, 16 year-old Pyotr is baited by an ultra-nationalist group known for their violent abductions and anti-gay attacks bolstered by Russia’s LGBT propaganda law, but Pyotr has a dangerous secret his attackers could never have accounted for.

STUDDED NIGHTMARE (CAN) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Jean-Claude Leblanc

The chair of a man who committed suicide induces nightmarish and erotic fantasies in its new owners and rives them to live out shocking visions of her own violent deaths. Winner Best Short (Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival 2016)

UNDRESS ME (CAN) - Canadian Premiere
Dir. Amelia Moses

Alice, a socially awkward freshman, desperate to fit into the typical college lifestyle, begins to experience a mysterious and gruesome physical deterioration after an encounter at a frat party.

WHEN SUSURRUS STIRS (USA) - Hamilton Premiere
Dir. Anthony Cousins

A man finds purpose in his meaningless life when he becomes Host to an otherworldly parasite named Susurrus. A body horror tale like no other. 

YOUR DATE IS HERE (USA) - Canadian Premiere
Dir. Zak White & Todd Spence

After dusting off an old Mystery Date-style board game, a mother and daughter realize the game holds more evil than amusement.

Non-Competitive Shorts Lineup Announced

On the heels of yesterday's competitive lineup reveal, today we are excited to announce the official selections in our non-competitive shorts programme.

Choice Cuts (USA)

A duo of violent kidnappers bite off more than they can chew when their latest victim turns the tables on their dinner plans. (Dir. Jeff Meyers and Keith Jefferies)

Crazy Golf (UK)

While on a date at an amusement arcade, Reed and Lucy begin a game of Crazy Golf that takes a dark turn somewhere around the 10th hole where horror is par for the course. (Dir. Chloe Phillipou)

The Cyborg (USA)

In this charming interview, Oneion (CII-001YN) the Cyborg tells the story of how his life was saved by Cybernetics Industries International. (Dir. James Heyes)

Dark Therapy (USA)

A vampire seeks psychiatric treatment for a phobia that impacts his way of life. (Dir. Chad Eric Smith)

Deathbox (Canada)

A lonely, conflicted hobo lives an existence defined by a dark, insatiable need. On this day, he crosses paths with a mysterious man, who’s also defined by an all-consuming, singular drive. (Dir. Michael Pereira)

Isolated (Chile)

After finding himself in a wrecked taxi, Evan tries to piece together the puzzle of his memory while dealing with a dangerous threat in a seemingly deserted city. (Tomas Vergara)

Japanese Doctor Who (UK)

A found clip on old video tape from the 1970's or 80's that looks like a strange Japanese version of Doctor Who. (Joshua Kahan)

Laughing Out Loud (Canada)

A woman, completely immersed in all forms of electronic social networking, is thrown into a situation where she only gets one last chance to send one last text message to one last person. (Dir. Daniel Clements)

Letting (USA)

In the middle of the night a little girl awakens to discover the doll she fell asleep with has disappeared, but what she finds next is terrifying. (Dir. Hannah Neurotica)

Mitten (Canada)

An elderly man discovers a lost mitten and begins a paranoid search for its owner. (Dir. Amanda Row)

My Favorite Holiday (USA)

An enthusiastic home owner celebrates Halloween by decorating the outside of his house and making his own special candy. But there's a trick to those treats... (Dir. Josh Mruz, Anthony Cousins)

Out of the Box (Canada)

Two men volunteer for an experiment. All they have to do is not open the box. Simple, right? (Dir. Seb Godin).

Pig Boy (Canada)

Documentary filmmakers get too close to their subject: the dealer of a strange new drug. (Dir. Chad Magnant)

Repossession (Canada)

Lindsay is a typical university student living in a house with her friends … except her best friend and roommate is possessed by a demon. (Dir. Jessica Marshall)

The Revenant (France)

A young man believes that he can beat death through sheer will power alone, and one he succeeds he decides to make the Grim Reaper's job even more complicated. (Dir. Victor Druillet and Norman Jangot)

Shhh (Canada)

Shhh is a dark fairy tale about a young boy, Guillermo, who uses his imagination to overcome his monstrous bully at night. Tired of being scared, Guillermo eventually takes matters into his own hands. (Dir. Shervin Shoghian
and Freddy Chavez Olmos).

Shit's About to Get Dark (USA)

"What's the worst thing you can think of?" With those words, five friends kick off a hilariously filthy game of shock value one-upsmanship that culminates unexpectedly in real-life horror. (Dir. Stephen Stull)

Top Hat (UK)

Graham, the nervy Saturday Boy at a late night dry cleaners, is greeted by a deeply mysterious customer who manages to surprise him and turn his terrible first day around for the better. (Dir. Michael Middleton-Downer)

Uncommon Enemies (Canada)

A hard-boiled US Sergeant and a chatterbox Nazi must join forces to destroy a sexy, French vampire in World War II France. (Dir. Alex Hatz)

Vampire-Killing Prostitute (USA)

Raven, a vampire hunter who poses as a prostitute, joins a rogue priest and his team in a mission to save the world and exact revenge on the blood sucker who killed her father. (Dir.
Jordan Mears)

Congratulations to all our non-competitive shorts!

Second Wave of Official Selections Announced

After a record-breaking number of submissions, Fright Night Theatre is thrilled to announce our second wave of official selections in our competitive features and short film programme.

FEATURE FILMS

LATE NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE (Canada)

A horror anthology film directed by Navin Ramaswaran, Zach Ramelan and Torin Langen.

Produced by Kelly Michael Stewart. 

At a down and out television studio where dreams of Hollywood go to die, the late night show “Dr. Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror” goes live to air...and bloody chaos ensues. In between screening two films, the cannibal super-thriller “Dinner for Monsters” and “Slit,” an art house foray into the world of a human cutter for hire, the Dr. Nasty cast and crew find themselves battling off-screen antics, blown out egos, and a deranged killer who refuses to stay in the shadows any longer.

Starring Jamie Elizabeth Sampson, Nick Smyth, Colin Price, Jeff Sinasac, Caleigh LeGrand, Mike Donis, Sandra DaCosta and Brian Carleton.

KILLER RACK (USA)

Directed by Gregory Lamberson

Written by Gregory Lamberson, Paul McGinnis, Rod Durick

Screwball horror comedy about a woman (Jessica Zwolak) suffering from low esteem who gets breast enhancement surgery from Dr. Cate Thulu (Debbie Rochon). Her new assets turn out to be man-eating monsters, and only she can stop them. Featuring cameos by Lloyd Kaufman, Michael Thurber, and Brooke Lewis as the Voice of the Boobs. Directed by author Gregory Lamberson, creator of the cult classic SLIME CITY.

Starring Jessica Zwolak, Debbie Rochon, Paul McGinnis, Michael Thurber, Lloyd Kaufman, Brooke Lewis, Roy Frumkes

FRIDAY NIGHT DEATH SLOT (CANADA)

Directed by John Migliore
Written by John Migliore, Kyle Hytonen, Darren Hutchings

The Friday Night Death Slot lampoons late night television in a mashup of weird, wild, and wonky comedic horror shorts. Join your undead host Johnny Ghoulash for a madcap series of silly shorts, terrifying trailers, and kooky commercials that celebrate the joys of homemade independent film-making.

Starring John Migliore, Andre Guantanamo, Deborah Jayne Reilly Smith, and Rachél Johnson.

SHORT FILMS

The Army Within (Australia)

One night, childhood sweethearts Traye and Sally find themselves at ground zero for an alien invasion. Now Traye has to face his biggest fears while protecting the woman he loves as she fights for her life from an extraterrestrial evil within.... (Dir. Andy Sutton)

The Barber's Cut (UK)

Two decapitated yet still-living heads wake up in a refrigerator and plot to escape their captor: a deranged barber. (Dir. Mark Brocking)

Charlie (Canada)

Aging war veteran Charlie finds it difficult dealing with his post-traumatic stress disorder, and must hide his secret from his wife. (Dir. Jane Watson and Lyndon Horsfall)

The Doll (USA)

A young girl wraps a doll as a gift, but perhaps the doll has other plans. (Dir. Adam Gambrel)

Double Cross (USA)

When a scurrilous bandit double crosses his simple-minded partner, his greed puts him at the mercy of his conscience and a gang of vicious feral children. (Dir. Sandy Stenzel)

El Gigante (Canada)

After attempting to cross the US/Mexico border in search of a better life, Armando finds himself locked in a life-or-death struggle with the most terrifying villain of all: GIGANTE! (Dir. Gigi Saul Guerrero and Luke Bramley)

Invaders (USA)

A pair of home invaders consider their potential character choices just prior to their planned invasion. (Dir. Jason Kupfer)

Lilith (Belgium)

A lone female vampire struggles to survive in a city that doesn't want her. (Dir. Maxim Stollenwerk)

Loose Ends (Belgium)

Henry passes away on his deathbed. He deserves to go to heaven, but he must argue his case with an angel that says his administrative file in the great beyond says otherwise. (Dir. Stephane Everaet)

Massacre at Femur Creek (Canada)

Set in the summer of 1984, Massacre at Femur Creek is a retro-inspired slasher comedy about three stoner friends who embark on a camping trip to the mythical Femur Creek, only to come face to face with a knife wielding maniac bent on blood shed. (Dir. Kyle Hytonen)

Neighbour (Canada)

A husband and wife discover they may not be the only ones living in their house. (Dir. Evan Henderson)

Nester (USA)

A young man must come to terms with the offspring he births after a lustful one night stand. (Dir. Chuck Starzenski)

Ninja Eliminator 4 (France)
A duo of french super cops, Francois and Jean-Baptiste are on the case of Mr Mo, the diabolical leader of a gang of ninja drug traffickers who are trying to expand their influence into the beautiful land of France. (Dir. Mathieu Berthon)

The Outer Darkness (UK)

A young tormented woman in a support group for survivors of the strange and bizarre shares her personal story about a game of chance that sealed the fate of her family… (Dir. Anthony Melton and Ben Franklin)

Pixel Theory: Pandora´s Box (Spain)

In a decadent future ruled by virtual reality, a professional Laserball player is disqualified during a game and forced to disconnected for a few hours. Returning to the real world, he is reunited with his father. The clash between their realities reopens old wounds. (Dir. Daniel Hernández Torrado)

Postpartum (USA)

"Not everyone is meant to be a mother." Good intentions lead to disastrous results when a woman visits a new mom with a secret. (Dir. Izzy Lee)

Say What?! (Canada)

The dead are walking the streets and attacking the living. Lars, armed only with a Smartphone, ducks into the alleyways of his neighborhood on a mad dash to warn his friends. But are his friends too self-obsessed to notice? (Dir. Shane Nasmith)

The Seamstress (USA)

A young woman and her dog encounter something supernatural while she's working in her garage... (Dir. Tyler Mann)

The Spaghetti Massacre (Canada)

Two friends try to stay alive when their zombified roommate interrupts movie night. (Dir. Mike Fardy)

A Special Day (Spain)

David is about to marry Cristina. He thinks she is the perfect woman and nothing can ruin their wedding day. But when Capt.Alpha (a world-famous superhero) crash-lands into the church, things start to get complicated. (Dir. Dani Padró Targarona)

Substance (USA)

An innocent mix-up leads to disaster when two girlfriends encounter an extraterrestrial substance at a winter music festival. (Dir. Barbara Stepansky)

Trajectoires (France)

David, Lucas, and Nina live on the road, doing what they can and taking whatever they must to survive. On a random road while in search of food and cigarettes, their trajectory leads them to a small and almost deserted village..... (Dir. Massoni Philippe and Sébastien Jovellar)

Tully's Time (Canada)

Tully the puppet films his home grown kid's show in front of a captivate studio audience. (Dir. Pat Walton, Nick Wilson, Shaun Ellie)

The Waldgeist & Me (UK)

A dark animated tale of love and dismemberment centered around a man and the monster of the forest. (Dir. Joe Bichard)

The Whisperers (USA)

On a quiet night in October 1995, two young brothers, home alone and grounded for fighting, must uncover the source of strange, unintelligible whispers slowly surrounding their family's isolated country home. (Dir. Jason Miller)

August 08: SILENT RETREAT & SACHA FUNDRAISER

Fright Night Theatre is thrilled to announce the next installment in its competitive screening series: SILENT RETREAT 

After taking home the award for Best Canadian Feature at Toronto After Dark and completing an extended theatrical run, director Tricia Lee's critically acclaimed horror thriller meets creature feature SILENT RETREAT will be making its Hamilton Premiere at Fright Night Theatre on Friday, August 08, 2014! In addition, Fright Night Theatre will be donating all net proceeds from the screening directly to SACHA - the sexual assault centre of Hamilton.

In SILENT RETREAT,  Janey (Chelsea Jenish), an orphaned 

young woman with a troubled past, is sent to a

rehabilitation camp for young girls as an alternative to prison. The doctor overseeing this shady operation  (Robert Nolan) enforces a very strict policy: absolutely no speaking or noise-making whatsoever. No personal items. No direct eye contact with the camp administrators. What looks on the outside to be a rehabilitation camp quickly shows itself to be something far more sinister: a misogynistic experiment in social programming. Failure to comply, however, is punished not at the hands of the administrators but by the tooth and claw of a dangerous creature that stalks the dense, dark woods. The only way to survive the silence...is to SCREAM. Directed by Tricia Lee. Written by Corey Brown. CANADA, 2013, 84 mins. Screening with the short film PITY (dir. John Pata).

Director: Tricia Lee

ONE SCREENING ONLY!
Director and Cast in Attendance for Q&A

Friday, August 8, 2014

8:00pm - The Staircase Theatre (27 Dundurn St. N.)

$10 (advance) / $12 (at the door - cash only) 

Advance Tickets: BUY ONLINE

Door Tickets from: 7:00pm / Seating from: 7:10pm.

Praise for SILENT RETREAT

"[A] tense little beast of a movie that has some powerfully terrifying moments" - Aint It Cool News

"[B]eautifully blends supernatural horror with the terrors of the real world" - Rue Morgue

"[A]n absolute horror winner" - The Man Sphere

"Fans of quieter psychological horror drama as well as blood-soaked monster movies should seek out Silent Retreat" - Horror in the Hammer

Please join us for a night of hair-raising Canadian cinema by one of Canada's rising female genre directors as we raise funds to support services for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.