On a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in 1846, three survivors of a shipwreck row ashore. They soon discover that the shrouded isle is almost abandoned except for four sole residents....with no way off. When they begin to investigate the myth of a ghostly siren haunting the island, they are lead to uncover a truth that may cost them their lives.
Nature spawns a creature driven by vengeance to destroy a group of cold-blooded cannibals who have been kidnapping people and keeping them imprisoned in the forest. The latest from Hamilton filmmaker John Migliore! FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE
Despite hanging up his boots, JTRO, the legendary Beat-Beat Revelation warrior, must return to the deadly dance sport one last time. JTRO will quest deep into The Wastes, a land decimated by the Beat Wars, to compete in the ancient Beat-Beat tournament, "Beats of Rage," and face AK-47 the sole stealer, JTRO's most powerful and personal foe yet.
At Alex’s farewell party with his friends, three psychopaths descend on the house with the intent to kidnap and torture them. Their goal: to broadcast the violence via a controversial, uncensored streaming platform and become viral sensations.
Buenos Aires, 1985: It's the first anniversary of the tragic death of supermodel Alexis Carpenter, and a haute couture magazine is planning a shoot to commemorate her death. However, the night before the shoot is to take place, Alexis's original dresses are stolen and soon important members of the fashion magazine industry begin to disappear or turn up dead. Has Alexis returned from the grave for revenge?
Rebellious high school senior Johnny Grissom is murdered while on a drunken joyride. Soon, Johnny's classmates turn up dead, murdered by an unknown assailant. Johnny's best friend Eric begins to suspect Johnny has returned from the grave to wreak havoc on those who wronged him.
This heartfelt documentary explores the power of cult film told through the lens of the 1987 classic The Monster Squad and the impact it has on fans, cast and crew, and the industry.
2019 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Hexploitation Film Festival. What began in 2009 as a monthly horror film screening series called Fright Night Theatre eventually evolved into the annual film festival that the Hexploitation Film Festival is today. In recognition of a decade devoted to cinematic thrills, chills, and kills, our 2019 festival will be a fusion of our past and present in which we honor both our local roots and continue to seek out the best in new and exciting horror, cult, and exploitation films.
The Hexploitation Film Festival will celebrate 10 years of screenings with our next festival, running Thursday, February 21 to Saturday, February 23, 2019 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The festival’s full lineup of 7 features and approx. 15 shorts will be announced in early January, but in the meantime, we are exited to reveal our first wave of officially selected features and shorts to show you the gore we have in store.
FIRST WAVE - FEATURE FILMS
CRYSTAL EYES Mirada de Cristal
|| CANADIAN PREMIERE ||
2017, DIR. EZEQUIEL ENDELMAN AND LEANDRO MONTEJANO, 82 MIN. ARG
Official Selection: FrightFest London 2018 Mordibo Film Festival 2018
Buenos Aires, 1985.
It's the first anniversary of the tragic death of supermodel Alexis Carpenter, who went out in blaze of glory when she was accidentally set on fire while closing an upscale runway show. Lucia L'uccello, the Editor-in-Chief of the most important fashion magazine in Buenos Aires, chooses two rival supermodels as cover girls for the next issue in memory of Alexis's death. The night before the photo shoot is to take place, Alexis's original dresses that were going to be used for the shoot are stolen. From that moment, members of the important fashion magazine and agency begin to disappear, one by one, at the hands of a stealthy, sinister female silhouette in a long black leather raincoat. Is someone seeking revenge? Or has Alexis returned from the grave?
Slasher fans won't want to miss Crystal Eyes. Argentinan writers/directors Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano drink deep at the well of Dario Argento and Mario Bava to deliver a Spanish-language neo-Giallo dripping in neon style and the horrors of high-fashion.
***
JOHNNY GRUESOME
|| CANADIAN PREMIERE ||
2018, DIR. GREGORY LAMBERSON, 90 MIN. USA
Gregory Lamberson (KILLER RACK, SLIME CITY MASSACRE) will be in attendance to brings his award-winning novel JOHNNY GRUESOME to the HXFF, starring Anthony De La Torre (Young Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN) and Michael De Lorenzo (NEW YORK UNDERCOVER).
While on a drunken joy-ride with his friends, rebellious high school rocker Johnny Grissom is murdered. After those involved cover up his death to make it look like an accident, Johnny's classmates start to turn up dead. Johnny's best friend Eric begins to suspect Johnny has returned from the grave to wreak havoc on those who wronged him.
We are thrilled to welcome back Gregory Lamberson to the HXFF for the Canadian debut of his Tales From the Crypt styled slice of undead revenge. Lamberson is no stranger to the HXFF. In 2015 we hosted the Canadian Premiere of his cult comedy KILLER RACK and he was a special commentator at our 2017 screening of RAWHEAD REX. Expect a lively post-film Q&A about the making of the film, how they scored an original song by Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls, and the long road from novel to screen.
***
CREATURE FROM CANNIBAL CREEK
|| WORLD PREMIERE || MADE IN HAMILTON
2018, DIR. JOHN MIGLIORE, 80 MIN. CAN
It Came From Hamilton! Locally made creature feature to receive World Premiere at HXFF
Nature spawns a creature driven by vengeance to destroy a group of cold-blooded cannibals in Creature from Cannibal Creek! From the director of Exorcism of the Dead and Poltergeist Encounters comes a film that recalls the dingy reels of low-budget exploitation and monster movies of the seventies. Creature from Cannibal Creek combines the cannibal horror like The Hills Have Eyes with the monster mayhem of Swampthing.
Creature from Cannibal Creek concerns itself with a family of deranged cannibals who make their meals out of unsuspecting people they capture in the woods, keep in cages, and then tenderize for supper. However, when one of their captives escapes only to die in the surrounding forest, nature takes a perverse turn to resurrect their victim as a shaggy beast made of forest and fury that gives the cannibals a taste of their own medicine.
John Migliore, the film's writer and director, is a familiar face at the HXFF. As a mainstay of the local horror scene, Migliore's films are imbued with a passion for low-budget horror, a dedication to do-it-yourself film-making, and a commitment to following your dreams, no matter how bizarre. With a score by Juno Award-winning musician Mike Trebilcock, CREATURE FROM CANNIBAL CREEK is a not-so-serious romp full of local Hamilton talent in front and behind the camera.
FIRST WAVE - SHORT FILMS
BINGE
||HAMILTON PREMIERE|| MADE IN HAMILTON
2018, DIR. DAVID J. FERNANDES, 13 MIN. CAN
Official Selection:
Blood in the Snow Film Festival 2018
A mysterious envelope arrives at Jen's door, sending her on an increasingly dangerous hunt to discover its intent. Written, directed, and produced by Hamilton filmmaker David J. Fernandes, the eerie and tense Binge is an exercise in minimalism that delivers lush images, compelling music, and rich sound design.
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BITTEN
||CANADIAN PREMIERE||
2018, DIR. SARAH K REIMERS, 11 MIN. USA
A mysterious & violent encounter in the dark of night visits a peculiar curse upon a neighborhood dog. The curse sends him on a wild night of adventure, strange new encounters, and many ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. BITTEN has been an official selection over 10 international film festivals, and director Sarah K. Reimers' career includes editorial credits on hit Pixar films such as Brave, Findy Dory, and Coco.
***
THE BLOODY BALLAD OF SQUIRT REYNOLDS
||HAMILTON PREMIERE||
2018, DIR. ANTHONY COUSINS, 7 MIN. USA
The kids at Camp Nawgonamakit are about to find out the tragic tale of Squirt Reynolds is more than just a legend in this outrageous new horror comedy by writer/director Anthony Cousins. Cousins returns to the HXFF after winning our 2017 award for MOST SHOCKING SHORT with WHEN SUSURRUS STIRS.
***
TIME HEALS NO WOUNDS ||HAMILTON PREMIERE||
2018, DIR. JORDAN BARNES-CROUSE, 11 MIN. CAN
Toiling away in a makeshift lab, Dr. Barry Slater has finally made a breakthrough: THE CHRONOSPHERIC RE-OSCILLATOR, a device able to transmit artifacts across time. But when he materializes a recording from his future self, he decides to become his next test subject, despite the cautioning of his young wife Georgina. When the experiment goes awry, Georgina suddenly finds herself transported to another time, and the man resembling her husband may no longer be who, or what, he seems. Fantastic practical effects highlight this tale of time travel and terror from west coast filmmaker Jordan Barnes-Crouse.
FULL LINEUP & SCHEDULE TO BE REVEALED JANUARY 7, 2019
This weekend, the Fright Night Theatre Film Festival launches the first edition of its twice-a-year horror, cult, and exploitation film festival in Hamilton, ON at the Staircase Cafe Theatre for two nights of thrills, chills, and cinematic kills.
From sexually-charged monster movies, to classic 1980s-style horror fun, gut wrenching socially-minded thrillers, disturbing survival horror, and the ultimate in juvenile midnight movie exploitation carnage, we offer something socking, sexy, and silly for genre fans of all tastes.
Acclaimed indie filmmaker Scott Schirmer (FOUND) teams with producer and cinematographer Brian K. Williams (TIME TO KILL) to produce this sexually-charged and boundary-pushing horror film about a group of vacationing campers who fall under the spell of a carnal, otherworldly presence in the woods. Stars Tristan Risk (THE EDITOR, AMERICAN MARY) and Ellie Church (TIME TO KILL, HEADLESS). Trailer | Poster
Screens with short film HEIR (Dir. Richard Powell) Recommended for fans of * Body Horror * H.P. Lovecraft *Artful Booty Shots * INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS * David Cronenberg (SHIVERS, RABID)
9.45 PM: IDYLL (SLOVENIA) - || CANADIAN PREMIERE ||
*Backwoods Redneck Horror*
After a night of carousing, amateur photo model Zina heads for a fashion shoot in the idyllic vistas of rural Slovenia, accompanied by ambitious model Mia and their snobby photographer Blitcz. On their way to the wooded location, they cross paths with a group of hideously disfigured and violent redneck moonshiners. Thus, an ordinary fashion shoot in the woods turns into a fierce fight for survival. Slovenia's answer to Wrong Turn is a sleazy slice of redneck horror exploitation. Trailer | Poster
Screens with short film DIE! SITTER! DIE!: RUPERT (Dir. Sam Boxleitner & Lee Boxleitner) Recommended for fans of * Torture and Survival Horror * Euro Horror * Cannibal Movies * WRONG TURN * TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE * HOSTEL * THE HILLS HAVE EYES
A group of Finnish and British partygoers get stuck at a snowy cabin when they are attacked by a horny creature that is a half human, half rabbit. A brilliant send-up of monster movie conventions or a depraved excuse for gratuitous gore, sex, violence, nudity, and penis jokes? Either way, BUNNY THE KILLER THING is the perfect midnight movie for lovers of exploitation trash and what-the-fuck filmmaking. Trailer | Poster
Screens with short film DICKPROOF 2 (Dir. Sam McGlynn) Recommended for fans of * Gore * Gratutious Nudity * Exploitation * Trashy Movies * Political Incorrectness * Horror Comedies * Satire * DEAD SNOW * TROMA
A freaky and fun showcase of local and international horror, cult, and genre shorts representing outstanding achievements in cinematography, animation, special effects, makeup, and script-writing.
7:00 PM: SHE WHO MUST BURN(CANADA) - || HAMILTON PREMIERE || *Award-Winning Horror Thriller*
The Baarkers, a family group of religious fanatics who believe they are God's chosen ones, polarize a small mining town and force its residents to fight for their lives as their zeal turns murderous and the rule of law decays into brutish mob mentality. A controversial and timely look at the horrific results of religious zealotry from esteemed Canadian filmmaker Larry Kent. Trailer | Poster
Screens with short film THE HERD (Dir. Melanie Light) || CANADIAN PREMIERE || Recommended for fans of * Character-Driven Thrillers * Politically-Minded Horror * Ti West's THE SACRAMENT * Kevin Smith's RED STATE
9:30 PM: THE BARN(USA) - || CANADIAN PREMIERE || *1980s-inspired Halloween Horror* FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE.
It’s Halloween 1989, and best friends Sam and Josh are trying to enjoy what's left of their final Devil's Night before graduating high school. But the two pals and a group of their friends get more trick than treat when they take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening a trio of Halloween demons inside. Now it's up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the flesh-hungry creatures that lurk within "The Barn." Featuring a rocking cameo by Ari Lehman, the first Jason Voorhees, THE BARN is the perfect retro throwback to classic 80s VHS horror like The Monster Squad, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Full Moon's direct to video features. Trailer | Poster
Screens with short film LARRY GONE DEMON (Dir. Matthew John Lawrence)
Fright Night Theatre is thrilled to announce the launch of its 2015 competitive screening with the Hamilton Premiere of THE BABADOOK and the World Premiere of THE SHUTTERBUG MAN.
Fright Night Theatre returns to the beautiful Staircase Cafe Theatre for its seventh sin-sational season of horror movie and genre film screenings, beginning with one of the hottest supernatural horror thrillers of the year: THE BABADOOK.
Fans, audiences, filmmakers, and critics around the world are all raving about THE BABADOOK, the acclaimed debut horror feature from Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent. Following a phenomenal festival run including two sold-out screenings at the 2014 Toronto After Dark Film Festival, THE BABADOOK is our first official selection of 2015. THE BABADOOK comes to the big screen on Saturday, February 7th, 2015. Advance tickets are now available for purchase online. Order early to avoid disappointment. BUY TICKETS
We've paired up this highly anticipated Australian hit with the World Premiere of THE SHUTTERBUG MAN, the new short from Canadian animator Chris Walsh narrated by Barbara Steele (Black Sunday).
For a night of thrilling terror tales, spine-chilling cinematic specters, and good-old-fashioned horror movie scares, look no further than FRIGHT NIGHT THEATRE!
Door Tickets from: 7:00pm. Seating from 7:15pm
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FEATURE: DESCRIPTION
Amelia, a single mother haunted by the death of her husband, struggles to discipline her ‘out of control' 6-year-old son who is plagued by dreams of sinister monsters. When a disturbing storybook called Mister Babadook mysteriously appears in their home, his hallucinations spiral out of control and as he becomes more unpredictable and violent. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing her son has been warning her about may be real. Praised by critics and filmmakers around the world, The Babadook is a beautifully spooky, richly metaphorical, and intensely terrifying achievement in cinematic terror. Without a doubt, an unforgettable film experience not to be missed!
SHORT: DESCRIPTION
Horror movie legend Barbara Steele (Black Sunday) narrates this dark and creepy stop-motion horror film about a twisted photographer whose passion for taking morbid photos transforms him into a disfigured child-like nightmare. Featuring horrifying hand-crafted stop-motion animation and a spooky score by Fangoria's Chris Alexander.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!Praise for THE BABADOOK
"I've never seen a more terrifying film than THE BABADOOK." - William Friedkin (director of The Exorcist)
"A flat-out masterpeice" - Indiewire
"One of the strongest, most effective, horror films of recent years" - Empire
"Truly frightening" - Total Film
"An intensely emotional white-knuckle shocker" - Radio Times
"There goes your peaceful night's sleep" - Time Out NY
"Intelligent, unsettling, classic" - Stylist
"Horror at its very best" - The Sunday Mirror
"Beautiful and petrifying" - Daily Telegraph
Calling all Zombie fans! Fright Night Theatre is as giddy as a ghoul at a brain buffet to finally announce the official lineup of the 2014 Hamilton Zombie Short Film Festival.
This year, the Hamilton Zombie Short Film Festival celebrates the best in Canadian and International zombie films with a premiere-studded brain-blasting programme of zombie shorts with filmmakers in attendance.
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
PERIOD PIECE (dir. James McLellan) || WORLD PREMIERE!
12 mins. Canada
If you thought making a movie was difficult now, try it as the world is crumbling around you. Sweeping and majestic romance crashes headlong into apocalyptic violence in this beautiful short about a film director struggling to use movie magic to bring the power of love back to a brutal and uncaring world.
LINCOLN WITH A KNIFE 2: THE DECAPITATION PROCLAMATION(dir. Todd Lazlow) || WORLD PREMIERE!
3 mins. Canada
Lincoln is back from the grave and out for blood. This time he has only one thing on his mind: To liberate your head!
YOU MIGHT BE WEARING PYJAMAS WHEN THE ZOMBIES ATTACK(dir. Kevin McMillan) || WORLD PREMIERE!
3 mins. Canada
Imagine you are called upon to fight for your life against your family, friends, and loved-ones who have suddenly been turned into shambling, moaning, flesh-eating ghouls. Are you prepared for the zombie apocalypse?
O COME ALL YE ZOMBIES (dir. Greg Kovacs) || CANADIAN PREMIERE!
10 mins. Canada
The zombie gang from THE POST-LIFERS reunites for a holiday feast only to discover that their meal has a bit more life in it than they thought. Hilarious squabbling quickly ensues. It may just take an X-Mas miracle to make things right.
A woman loses her dress but gains a chainsaw in this greasy and cheesy throwback to 1970s grindhouse and exploitation shockers filled with blood, gore, and nudity.
ANGER OF THE DEAD (dir. Francesco Picone)
15 mins. Italy.
subtitled in English
Alice and Nicholas survived an epidemic that ravaged the world, now only inhabited by the undead. But the nightmare is not over...
DEAD RUSH (dir. Zach Ramelan)
9 mins. Canada
Filmed from the point of view of a single survivor, experience the horror of waking up in the middle of a zombie uprising and fighting up close with the undead for your very survival.
CARGO (dir. Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke)
7 mins. Australia
Stranded in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, a man sets in motion an unlikely plan to protect the precious cargo he carries: his infant daughter.
FARM GIRL STRONG (dir. David Briggs)
10 mins. Canada
A beautiful farm girl's country bliss is threatened when a big-city tax collector comes a' knocking. With no money, what's an innocent farm girl to do? The tax-collector has some ideas...but little does he realize this farm girl has some naughty ideas of her own! A genre-bending lesson in expecting the unexpected from Distant Field Productions.
FODDER (dir. David Dollard)
9 mins. Canada.
In a post-apocalyptic undead world, a mysterious young woman must stand-up to her captors and horrible medical experiments in an underground military lab.
Audience members will also participate in our Zombie Choice Awards by voting for their favorite films in categories such as BEST FILM, BEST KILLS, and BEST GORE.
If you have a problem with vampires, you call the badass mofo in the killer fro: BLOODSUCKA JONES!
Bloodsucka Jones, the indie vampire comedy which had its world premiere at Fright Night Theatre in 2013, is now available on DVD from Amazon.com! Take a bite out of this hilarious film that Horror in the Hammer raves is "the Anchorman of horror comedies: irreverent, unpredictable, goofball, chaotic, supremely quotable, and completely hilarious."
Written and directed by Justin Armao, Bloodsucka Jones stars Preston Gant as the afro'd vampire hunter who teams up with bumbling friends David (Armao) and Tony (Travis Woods) when David discovers that his new girlfriend is a sexy nosferatu. Together they take on hot vampire babes and a gang of collar-popping douche bag undead with the help of Bloodsucka Jones's sultry sidekick Vanessa (Maria Canapino). Bloodsucka Jones is an irreverent, unpredictable, goofball, chaotic, supremely quotable, and completely hilarious fresh new horror comedy guaranteed to slay your funny bone!
