11th Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival's announces full programme
The 11th Haapsalu Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (HÕFF) organised by Black Nights Film Festival will take place from April 29th until May 1st in the scenic little coastal town of Haapsalu, a former czarist summer resort renowned for it’s medical mud treatment traditions and facilities. The programme consists of 23 feature films and 18 short films. Two of the features are having European premieres and four directors will be introducing their films in person.
The festival opens with the Jordanian-UK co-produced atmospheric supernatural thriller, an acclaimed hit from Sundance from Jordania Under the Shadow (European premiere), with the debuting director Babak Anvari attending to introduce the film in person.
The main programme of the festival consists of 9 features with the Turkish hardcore horror, Toronto midnight hit Baskin (director Can Evrenol also visiting the festival) and Jeremy Saulnier’s Cannes-premiering Green Room leading the way. Also presenting their films in person are Simon Rumley, director of the courtroom thriller Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word (European premiere) and Dane Bo Mikkelsen with zombie thriller What We Become. Other films in the programme are Darling (USA; dir Mickey Keating), Devil’s Candy (USA, dir Sean Byrne), Schneider vs Bax (Netherlands, dir Alex van Warmerdamm), Southbound (USA, dir Roxanne Benjamin, David Bruckner, Patrick Horvath, Radio Silence) and The Invitation (USA; dir Karyn Kusama).
The Freak Film Programme consists of five little gems: AAAAAAAAAH! (UK, dir Steve Oram), Atomic Eden (Germany-USA-Ukraine, dir Nico Senter), Cat Sick Blues (Australia, dir Dave Jackson), In the Search of the Ultra-Sex (France, dir Nicolas Charlet, Bruno Cavaine) and The Black Fables (Brazil, dir Rodrigo Aragão, Petter Baiestorf, Joel Caetano, José Mojica Marins).
As being part of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation, HÕFF continues to organize the Méliès d’Argent Short Film Competition with seven films competing for the Silver Méliès and the winner, selected by an international jury, moving to the final round to compete for the Golden Méliès award at the end of the festival season in autumn. The festival also holds the non-competitive short film programme Little Nightmares with a selection of 6 films.
The festival’s retrsopective programme showcases three films by the legendary Czech animator Karel Zeman, who has inspired numerous visionary filmmakers such as Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton. The films shown at HÕFF are The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958), The Fabulous Baron Munchhausen and Two Years’ Vacation (1966). In addition, the Soviet sci-fi classic Kind-dza-dza! (1986) directed by Georgiy Daneliya will be screened.
The 1980’s Retro Programme will see double-bill screenings of James Cameron’s cult classic The Terminator (1984) and it’s Indonesian offspring Lady Terminator (1989) adding feminine and campy, mystic folklore elements to the original story.
As the festival takes place during the historic Walpurg night celebrated in many European countries, there will be a special night screening of the cult horror film Alucarda (1977), directed by Juan Lopez Moctezuma, known for his work as a producer on Alejandro Jodorowski’s films El Topo and Fando and Lis.
HÕFF has a busy side events and after hours programme as volunteers can enter the Escape Room, a specially designed environment from which the entering team has to break out in a set time, participate in a night-time orienteering contest or film quiz, buy comic and fantasy books at the special fair or dance the night away with some of Estonia's finest DJ-s playing tunes.
Contact
Hannes Aava - press officer of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
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