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Protesters disrupted a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) opening night screening Thursday. Their chants targeted Royal Bank of Canada, which is the official bank partner of the fest.

The protest occurred at a screening of David Gordon Green‘s opening movie Nutcrackers, starring Ben Stiller, held at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre ahead of a nearby opening screening attended by the star.

What appeared to be four protesters chanted “From Turtle Island to Palestine, Rbc funds genocide” and raised banners declaring “Rbc is killing our future” and urging: “TIFF, cut ties with Rbc.”

“In an act of solidarity with those fighting to address the climate emergency, as well as end the war in Gaza, and support Indigenous sovereignty, filmmakers and film students disrupted ‘Nutcrackers,'” the protesters later said in a statement.

“Rbc’s ongoing investments devastate the environment, trample Indigenous rights, and contribute to globally recognized war crimes.

An opening night screening at the Toronto Film Festival was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters rallying against the Royal Bank of Canada, which is the official bank partner of TIFF.

The four protesters entered the Princess of Wales Theatre ahead of the 6 p.m. showing of “Nutcrackers,” a dramedy starring Ben Stiller and directed by David Gordon Green, while chanting, “Rbc funds genocide,” in an apparent reference to the bank’s ties to Israel, as the country’s war with Gaza enters its 11th month.

The protesters held signs with messages including “Rbc is killing our future,” as seen in videos posted by New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan. The protesters were escorted out of the theater by security after about five minutes.

As TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey continued through his opening remarks, ignoring the interruption, the audience seated for “Nutcrackers” booed the protesters and shouted back, “Go home!” and “Go away!

Simon Hurdon has joined Curate as a manager, based in both Los Angeles and New York.

The Canadian manager brings with him an international client list that includes filmmakers Ariane Louis-Seize (Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person) Caroline Monnet (Bootlegger), Elza Kephart (Slaxx), Amelia Moses (Bleed with Me, Bloodthirsty) and Yves Christian Fournier (Clean Sweep, Everything is Fine).

Hurdon, who was previously an agent at Montreal based Omada Agency, began his career in corporate law and then later entertainment and IP law, before transitioning into representation.

“This is an exciting milestone for Curate. Our guiding light is to be creator driven as well as having an international focus. The idea of local for local is important to us. Simon’s taste and international reach amplifies both of these goals,” said the Curate partners in a statement.

Added Hurdon: “I am so thrilled to be joining the ranks of such an impressive team.

Deadline reports that Bruce Dickinson of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden has signed on to star in a horror comedy called Bjorn of the Dead, which is set in the world of tribute bands – and centers on a an Abba tribute band! Directed by Elza Kephart (Slaxx), Bjorn of the Dead is expected to start filming sometime next year. As for how and why Dickinson got involved… well, the movie happens to have been written and co-produced by his son, Austin Dickinson.

Austin Dickinson was working from a story crafted by producer Andrew Prendergast when writing the script. Here’s the synopsis: Bjorn, lead singer in Abbatoir, and his band mates Benny, Anni-Frid, and Agnetha spend their weekends covering Abba classics at a variety of increasingly depressing venues, from old folks’ homes to empty pub back rooms. It’s a grind and the band is ready to call it a day when Benny,...

Bruce Dickinson is starring in 'Bjorn of the Dead'.The Iron Maiden frontman has been cast in the new movie that centres on an Abba tribute band who find themselves trapped in a nightclub at the beginning of the apocalypse.The film is being directed by Elza Kephart and has been written by Bruce's son Austin Dickinson. It is based on an original story by Andrew Prendergast, who serves as a producer.The horror comedy takes place in the world of tribute bands as Bjorn, the lead singer of Abbatoir, and bandmates Benny, Anni-Frid and Agnetha spent their weekends performing Abba classics at depressing venues.The band are ready to call it a day when Benny – the oldest and neediest member – hears about a Battle Of The Bands competition for tribute acts at The Niney Dimey.As the band arrives, things begin to go wrong rapidly. Bjorn and his bandmates...

Up next from director Elza Kephart (Slaxx) is the horror movie Bjorn of the Dead, and Deadline reports today that Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson is on board to star.

To make this story even more intriguing, the upcoming horror movie isn’t about Iron Maiden at all. No, it’s about Abba. Specifically, an Abba tribute band?!

Deadline explains that the film “centers around an Abba tribute band who find themselves, along with other tribute acts, trapped in a nightclub at the start of the apocalypse. Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music.”

Deadline also notes, “In addition to Bruce Dickinson, the film will have various cameos from the world of rock and heavy metal.” It’s said to be a “blood-drenched gore fest.”

Here’s the full official plot synopsis…

Bjorn, lead singer in Abbatoir, and his band mates Benny,...

Exclusive: Mamma mia, Bruce Dickinson is starring in a new horror movie.

The Iron Maiden singer has signed on to star in Bjorn of the Dead, which centers around an Abba tribute band who find themselves, along with various other tribute acts, trapped in a nightclub at the start of the apocalypse. Bjorn and his band must work together to save themselves, humanity, and the future of music.

The film comes from director Elza Kephart (Slaxx) and was written by co-producer Austin Dickinson, based on an original story by Andrew Prendergast, who produces, and Austin Dickinson.

In addition to Bruce Dickinson, the film will have various cameos from the world of rock and heavy metal.

Raven Banner will handle worldwide sales for the film, which is slated for production in 2024, and the company’s Michael Paszt, James Fler, and Andrew T. Hunt will exec produce.

The horror comedy is set...

Correction: Andy Samberg was incorrectly listed as being one of the recent signatures on the open letter to TIFF against Rbc.

Update, Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Oscar winner and environmental crusader Leonardo DiCaprio has added his name to the open letter to TIFF calling for the film festival to drop the Royal Bank of Canada as its sponsor given the company’s track record with fossil fuel extraction and enabling of projects on Indigenous lands without consent.

DiCaprio joins Succession Primetime Emmy winner Jeremy Strong as well as Succession‘s Fisher Stevens in adding their names to the letter which was organized by filmmakers Elza Kephart and Jose Luis Guiterrez.

DiCaprio has been active in the climate change movement, producing several documentaries about the environment and donating millions to myriad causes. He is a co-founder of Re:wild, an organization working to protect and restore the diversity of life on Earth,...

Reminiscent of the Quentin Tarantino / Robert Rodriguez collaboration Grindhouse with its throwback features and faux trailers for non-existent movies, filmmaker and artist Pat Tremblay’s new book Terror in the Ailien Realms: Transdimensional Horror Movie Posters & Their Film Reviews consists of posters for and reviews of movies that have never existed!

An explanation of what this book is all about was provided in a press release (via Variety), “Drawn by the deep nostalgia of roaming video rental stores to find cool movies to watch by judging what its VHS box’s artwork would entice or beguile, filmmaker & artist Pat Tremblay has created a series of horror movie posters with the assistance of AI. He then proposed to talented individuals within the horror movie scene to write imaginary reviews for them. The result is a captivating mixture of styles, ranging from the enigmatic and alluring to the outrageously hilarious. The dimensional...

HBO’s The Last of Us from creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann was named program of the year at the Rockie Awards gala at the Banff World Media Festival on Tuesday night.

The first season of the post-apocalyptic hit was shot in Alberta. Jason Loftus’ Canadian documentary Eternal Spring picked up the Grand Jury Prize for the highest-scoring project in the Rockies program.

“This is a culmination of a lot of work we’ve done related to human rights in China,” Loftus said as he accepted a trophy for the animated documentary about Falun Gong practitioners in China persecuted for their activism.

The Buffalo Rock Award went to the Star Trek franchise for its endurance with global fans.

In other prize-giving, The Office star Craig Robinson received the Peter Ustinov Comedy Award. Robinson, who is also executive producer and star of Peacock’s Killing It, hosted the Rockie Awards at the Banff festival.

It was a good day to be bad at Fantasia, as the Cheval Noir Award went to Karim Ouelhaj’s “Megalomaniac,” loosely inspired by the horrifying true story of the “Butcher of Mons.” The Belgian serial killer is believed to have murdered at least five women in the 1990s. He was never captured and his identity was never revealed.

The jury of the event’s 26th edition, including Charles Bramesco, Elza Kephart, Maitland McDonagh and Heather O’Neill, presided over by C. Robert Cargill, fell for its unapologetic darkness, calling “Megalomaniac” “the very sort of film that festivals exist to share.”

“[It’s] an astonishing, brutal piece of art that challenges the audience while simultaneously saying something deeply profound. It is a lush piece of cinema whose intent is to disturb and it succeeds at every turn,” they stated, also awarding Eline Schumacher for her committed performance as the killer’s daughter Martha,...

2021 was another chaotic up and down year, but at least we had movies! Somehow as I look back on this past year, it’s more of a fog than 2020 was. Or maybe they just merge together into one big extended fog. Either way, the high points were where I could lose myself in stories, connect with my friends in the horror community and celebrate something new and exciting that we could all enjoy. Here are a few of my favorites:

Saint Maud

This film was one of my favorites out of Fantastic Fest 2019. It was supposed to come out at Easter 2020 but got bumped, like a lot of things did, and finally finally hit VOD in early 2021. Not really the journey it deserved, but I was thrilled to finally have the chance to see it again. The story of a young woman’s twisted relationship with her religion and with...

If you didn't have a chance to catch Slaxx when it originally premiered on Shudder, now is the perfect time to watch it, as it's available today on VOD, digital, and DVD! This intentionally outrageous concept might be the first thing that draws you into the film, but it's packed with great performances, some excellent social commentary, and it's a lot of fun as well. I recently had a chance to catch up with director Elza Kephart, who talked all about the making of this movie:

What can you tell our readers about the origins of Slaxx?

It started as a joke! In 2001 was on a road trip from Gainesville, Florida, to New Orleans, with Patricia Gomez Zlatar (co-writer and producer of Slaxx), and another friend. Because it was such a long road trip, we started to go a bit bonkers. To pass the time we would tease each other...

““The Best Movie About Killer Jeans You Could Hope For” – Nerdist​“

Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, has picked up select rights to the horror film, Slaxx fromShudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural. Rlje Films will release Slaxx on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on September 7, 2021.

Check out the trailer:

Now you can win the Win the DVD of Slaxx . We Are Movie Geeks has two to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite horror movie set in a store or mall is (I’d say Dawn Of The Dead. It’s so easy!)

1. You Must Be A US Resident. Prize Will Only Be Shipped To US Addresses. No P.O. Boxes. No Duplicate Addresses.

2. Winner Will Be Chosen From All Qualifying Entries. No Purchase Necessary

Directed by Elza Kephart who co-wrote the film with Patricia Gomez...

Gory and fun, Slaxx is about a possessed pair of jeans that is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, the killer jeans proceed to wreak carnage on staff who are locked in overnight to set up the new collection.

The film comes from the produces of Turbo Kid and Rlj will release the film on VOD, Digital HD, and DVD on September 7, 2021.

Directed by Elza Kephart who co-wrote the film with Patricia Gomez Zlatar (Graveyard Alive), Slaxx stars Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way), Brett...

You Fit Me Better Than My Favorite Sweater: Kephart Gets Hemmed in by Killer Jeans

Who doesn’t like a pair of perfectly fitted blue jeans? Montreal based director Elza Kephart commits a crime of fashion in her third feature Slaxx, a department store thriller about killer jeans which tends to feel a bit washed out in its statements about capitalism, false advertising, cultural appropriations and industrialized privilege.

Still, there’s some fun to be had, especially with the special effects, the zaniness of which begs for more exaggerated tones than Kephart sticks to, especially in a third act stride which limps to an inevitable finish line.…...

Stars: Romane Denis , Sehar Bhojani, Stephen Bogaert, Brett Donahue, Kenny Wong, Tianna Nori, Erica Anderson | Written by Patricia Gomez, Elza Kephart | Directed by Elza Kephart

[Note: With the film debuting on Shudder today, here’s a reposting of our review of horror comedy Slaxx, from its festival run last year]

Back in 2010 writer/director Quentin Dupieux brought forth Rubber on an unsuspecting genre audience. That film, about a tyre that killed people – not by running them over but by using telekinesis… I mention Rubber as it seems that film now has a cinematic sibling in Slaxx. A film about another homicidal inanimate object… a killer pair of jeans. Literally.

At Canadian Cotton Clothiers the flagship store staff is preparing for ‘Monday Madness’. For joining the range of supposedly organic, Gmo-free, fair-trade, ethically sourced tops and bottoms is the eagerly awaited new line of Super Shaper designer jeans – thermally activated denim that adapts to any body size.

Denim turns deadly in Elza Kephart’s silly but fun skewering of developing-world fashion exploitation

The spirit of Roger Corman’s original Little Shop of Horrors lives again in this entirely ridiculous but often amusing and sharp horror-satire from Canadian film-maker Elza Kephart, set in an unbearably cool clothes shop, in which the sales assistants cruise around talking to each other with mic-headsets, but hardly deign to communicate with the customers.

Romaine Denis plays Libby, a starry-eyed young woman who is thrilled to have got a job at this store, awed by its visionary CEO and by the company’s commitment to non-exploitative practices and its ethical attitude to the developing-world communities where the clothes are made and where the cotton is grown. But of course it is all nonsense. The company cuts costs with sweatshop contractors in south Asia, and the super-cool jeans that it is bringing in for...

"Are you afraid there's a killer... out there?" Shudder has unveiled a super bloody trailer for the Canadian horror comedy film titled Slaxx, about a possessed pair of jeans. This premiered at last year's Fantasia Film Festival, and we featured a promo trailer back then. "From the producers of Turbo Kid comes a new type of killer, a pair of jeans, in this raucous horror-comedy." When a possessed pair of jeans begins to kill the staff of a trendy clothing store, it is up to Libby, an idealistic young salesclerk and a hew hire, to stop its bloody rampage. Starring Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani, Kenny Wong, Tianna Nori, and Hanneke Talbot. I was already looking forward to this last year with the first trailer, now I'm double sold! I'll take two pairs, please! This is an extra bloody, gory trailer so don't watch it with any kids around,...

Following its world premiere at Fantasia, and ahead of its March 18th release on Shudder, Elza Kephart's horror comedy Slaxx is featured in a new trailer that showcases the film's killer pair of possessed jeans.

"A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company’s flagship store, Slaxx proceeds to wreak carnage on staff locked in overnight to set up the new collection.

Starring Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way), Brett Donahue (Private Eyes), Sehar Bhojani (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Stephen Bogaert (The Umbrella Academy).

The third feature from Canadian director Elza Kephart, Slaxx is co-written by Kephart and Patricia Gomez (Graveyard Alive), and produced by Gomez alongside Anne-Marie Gélinas, and executive produced by Shaked Berenson.

Blood Brothers FX, the special effects company behind Turbo Kid, Blood Quantum, and Ravenous, brought the unique titular villain to life,...

Well now. Winter has been a thing, hasn't it? Everything was fine until this past week. What the hell, February? We look to March with fear and trepedation, but also hope because here is the lineup for Shudder next Month and there is a bunch of goodness that will at least warm our horror hearts while staving off frostbite in our toes.    Shudder has some great horror flicks from the ladies next month. The Shudder Original lineup includes Lucky from Natasha Kermani, Violation from Madeleine Sims-Fewer (and her co-director Dusty Mancinelli) and Slaxx from Elza Kephart. They join Stay Out of the Attic, Koko-Di Koko-Da and the popular series A Discovery of Witches next month.    Check out March 16th! Four horror classics -...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Shudder, AMC’s horror and thriller-focused streaming platform, announced a lineup of 11 films set to premiere over the next 11 weeks.

The selection of Shudder Originals coming to Shudder include Sundance Film Festival selections, as well as Tribeca Film Festival selections and a host of new content, as well. The first project to join the streaming site will be “Hunted,” a take on the Little Red Riding Hood story that is set to premiere Jan. 14.

Other movies joining Shudder hail from the genres of psychological horror to thriller, with themes exploring technology, nature, gender and betrayal. “Lucky,” coming on March 4, will detail the difficulties one woman faces after discovering that she has a stalker. And “A Nightmare Wakes” will give life to Mary Shelley in a period piece about the famous author.

The final film in the 11-week lineup is “Violation,” which both ran at Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Stars: Romane Denis , Sehar Bhojani, Stephen Bogaert, Brett Donahue, Kenny Wong, Tianna Nori, Erica Anderson | Written by Patricia Gomez, Elza Kephart | Directed by Elza Kephart

Back in 2010 writer/director Quentin Dupieux brought forth Rubber on an unsuspecting genre audience. That film, about a tyre that killed people – not by running them over but by using telekinesis… I mention Rubber as it seems that film now has a cinematic sibling in Slaxx. A film about another homicidal inanimate object… a killer pair of jeans. Literally.

At Canadian Cotton Clothiers the flagship store staff is preparing for ‘Monday Madness’. For joining the range of supposedly organic, Gmo-free, fair-trade, ethically sourced tops and bottoms is the eagerly awaited new line of Super Shaper designer jeans – thermally activated denim that adapts to any body size. But one pair has been accidentally soaked in sweatshop blood and wants revenge on the hipster that work at...

Our friends at the Celluloid Screams Horror Film Festival in Sheffield, UK, are preparing for their annual weekend of horror delights. They are planning to run a physical edition this year, with reduced capacity and social distancing measures in place. Good luck to them.    The lone representative for the home team this year is Chris Baugh's Boys From County Hell which has begun its festival run this month. Familiar titles in the lineup include Psycho Goreman, Jill Gervargizian's The Stylist, which will premiere in a couple weeks, Natalie Erika James' Relic, Elza Kephart's Canadian horror flick Slaxx, and Korean zombie flick Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula.    Despite the circumstances our friends at Celluloid Screams are doing their very best to provide a weekend of distraction...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Genre festival to open with ‘Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula’.

South Korean zombie thriller Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula will open UK genre festival FrightFest on October 22 ahead of its UK release by Studiocanal on November 6.

The festival will host 34 features in central London from October 22-25 and has secured seven world premieres and two European premieres.

It will close with the world premiere of US horror Held, directed by Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff, the filmmaking duo behind The Gallows franchise.

Further world premieres include Will Jewell’s Concrete Plans; Leroy Kincaide’s The Last Rite; and Dune Drifter from Marc Price,...

We've received word that Slaxx, which is having its world premiere at Fantasia this weekend, has been picked up by Shudder and will be released by the streaming service next year:

AMC Networks’ premium subscription streaming service for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, announced today on The Hollywood Reporter the acquisition of Slaxx. Produced by The Horror Collective's parent company Entertainment Squad, Slaxx will be making its world premiere at this year’s prestigious Fantasia Film Festival.

Slaxx is the latest collaboration between Anne-Marie Gélinas’s Ema Films and Shaked Berenson’s Entertainment Squad’s genre label The Horror Collective. Gélinas and Berenson previously collaborated on the cult hit Turbo Kid, which is also available on Shudder.

In the outrageous horror-comedy Slaxx is the third feature from Canadian director Elza Kephart, who co-wrote with Patricia Gomez, and stars Romane Denis (Slut in a Good Way). In the film, a...

Elza Kephart working with cinematographer Steve Asselin Photo: B Calmeau

When you watch a film about a murderous pair of jeans you don’t expect to be impressed by the structure or the acting. You don’t expect complex characters and you certainly don’t expect political comment. Elza Kephart’s Slaxx has all of these and more, making it a real treat for fans at this year’s Fantasia. Chatting to Elza in the run-up to the festival, I asked her which came first – the killer jeans or the critique of the fashion industry.

“It was actually the idea of killer jeans,” she says definitively. “It was a totally different first draft. It was just a silly high school slasher, and then over the years as I grew more and more aware of the grotesque nature of fast fashion – and my co-writer, Patricia Gomez, worked at the Gap, so...

When you're a programmer and/or film critic, you often hear about films months, if not years, before they are finally unleashed upon the public. In the case of Slaxx, I've been following its progress since early 2018. Needless to say, I'm thrilled that it will finally have its world premiere next month at Fantasia's digital edition. Produced by The Horror Collective's parent company Entertainment Squad, directed by Elza Kephart, and co-written by Kephart and Patricia Gomez, the film is sure to be making the rounds on the genre festival circuit over the coming months. Set in an ultra-trendy clothing store,one new young employee picked the wrong...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The second wave of titles for this year's virtual edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival were announced an hour ago. As expected there is a tonne of genre goodness coming to our screens at the end of August.   First we need to start with a bit of hometown pride. There are a number of Canadian titles having their world premieres during the festival. Bleed With Me from Amelia Moses, For The Sake of Vicious from Gabriel Carrer & Reese Eveneshen, The Oak Room from Cody Calahan and Slaxx from Elza Kephart. Kephart's film was presented during the Frontieres Coproduction Market in Montreal. It's always nice to see successful projects return to where it wall began.    The U.S. may be on figurative fire...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Canadian festival will run a virtual event from August 20 to September 2.

Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed a second wave of titles – including eight world premieres - for this year’s virtual ediion which is taking place from August 20 to September 2.

The Montreal-based festival will offer live screenings, a programme library, panels and workshops which will be accessible across Canada and geo-locked to prevent access from elsewhere.

World premieres now set for Fantasia include The Block Island Sound, the latest horror outing from Kevin and Matthew McManus; The Oak Room, a fourth feature from Canadian filmmaker Cody Calahan; and Minor Premise,...

Exclusive: Producer Shaked Berenson has teamed with former Dread Central Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Barkan to launch the new genre distribution label The Horror Collective. The banner will be under Berenson’s production/distribution outfit Entertainment Squad and Barkan will head the venture which plans to release 10-12 films per year.

Like the name of the distribution label suggests, The Horror Collective is building itself to become a destination that fosters independent horror filmmakers and connect their films to fans. It will also finance and produce original content. The outfit’s inaugural film will be Elza Kephart’s Slaxx, which was the first project financed Entertainment Squad and will be released by The Horror Collective and enter the festival circuit in Q1 2020. Berenson financed and executive produced the Slaxx with long collaborator, Anne-Marie Gélinas of Ema Films.

“I want to make a home for genre creators...

The Cannes’ Film Market – in co-operation with the Fantasia International Film Festival will, for the third year, present the Frontières Platform for genre film projects and works in progress, running May 18-19.

Over the two days, Cannes Film Market will host two platforms for the 14 selected productions: Proof of Concept presentations for those still in financing stages, and a Buyers Showcase for films in post-production or recently completed.

Six features will participate in this year’s Buyer’s Showcase, where representatives will screen footage to sales agents, distributors and festival programmers. Meanwhile, eight projects which participated in the Frontières Finance & Packaging Forum in Helsinki this past February will offer up teasers at the Proof of Concept Presentations.

This year the event will also give out two new awards, the Frontières Warner Music Supervision Award and the Frontières Post Control VFX Boost Award.

“We can’t wait to introduce this year...

Romane Denis is set to star in Elza Kephart's slasher film Slaxx from EMAfilms and Filmoption International.

Sehar Bhojani (The Handmaid's Tale), Brett Donahue and Stephen Bogaert (It) have also joined the pic, which is slated to start shooting Tuesday in Montreal.

In Slaxx, Denis, who starred in Slut in a Good Way, Les Salopes or The Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin and Les pays d'en haut, will play a cashier in a trendy clothing store where her co-workers are killed by a possessed pair of designer jeans and who must stop the slaughter.

Turbo Kid producer Anne-Marie Gelinas and ...

Romane Denis is set to star in Elza Kephart's slasher film Slaxx from EMAfilms and Filmoption International.

Sehar Bhojani (The Handmaid's Tale), Brett Donahue and Stephen Bogaert (It) have also joined the pic, which is slated to start shooting Tuesday in Montreal.

In Slaxx, Denis, who starred in Slut in a Good Way, Les Salopes or The Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin and Les pays d'en haut, will play a cashier in a trendy clothing store where her co-workers are killed by a possessed pair of designer jeans and who must stop the slaughter.

Turbo Kid producer Anne-Marie Gelinas and ...

When Philippe McKie was seven years old in 1996, his cinephile father took him to a screening of the Japanese anime “The End of Evangelian” at the very first edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. “It blew my mind,” said McKie in a recent interview. “It created this love for international cinema — and this love for Japanese cinema.”

That passion continued through his teen years, as he continued watching movies at the three-week genre festival and eventually went to film school at Montreal’s Mel-Hoppenheim School of Cinema, before leaving the city to make movies in Japan. Now he’s back in an entirely new context, as a filmmaker with two short films in competition, both made abroad. “It hasn’t even fully dawned on me that I’m part of it now,” he said.

“I know the programmers by reputation but it’s my first time being a part of the fest.

You never know what will be waiting for you in the woods... In today's Horror Highlights, we have two clips from the upcoming thriller Without Name, as well as details on the Nitehawk Shorts Festival Selects program, Frontières returning to the Fantasia International Film Festival, and the official trailer for The Passing.

Without Name Clips: Press Release: "Los Angeles, California (June 16, 2017) - Global Digital Releasing has set a distribution date for the award winning dramatic thriller Without Name. The North American release will be across multiple digital and VOD platforms, beginning Tuesday, June 20.

The story follows land surveyor Eric (Alan McKenna). He travels to a remote, unnamed Irish woodland to assess its suitability for a new development project. However, the assignment it is not as simple as it could be. Intrigued by the woods’ foreboding mysticism, Eric finds himself drawn into a dangerous game that could lead to him becoming...

With the release of Jonathan Levine’s Warm Bodies, I decided to compile a list of my favourite films that take a non-traditional approach to the living-dead canon. More specifically, they all blend romance and zombies, in their own unique and twisted ways.

This is the first of what will be a two part article.

****

1: Dance of the Dead

Directed by Gregg Bishop

Written by Joe Ballarini

2008, USA

Dance of The Dead may seem like another lowbrow, low budget horror film, but in fact, it offers sharp writing, terrific characterizations, likeable performances, and a real affection for geek culture. Imagine the humour of Night of the Living Dorks but powered by the central plot behind Night of the Creeps. Sure Dance uses every rule from the official zombie handbook, but for a movie that seems equally inspired by a John Hughes coming of age flick, Dance of the Dead...

With the release of Jonathan Levine’s Warm Bodies, I decided to compile a list of my favourite films that take a non-traditional approach to the living-dead canon. More specifically, they all blend romance and zombies, in their own unique and twisted ways.

This is the first of what will be a two part article.

****

1: Dance of the Dead

Directed by Gregg Bishop

Written by Joe Ballarini

2008, USA

Dance of The Dead may seem like another lowbrow, low budget horror film, but in fact, it offers sharp writing, terrific characterizations, likeable performances, and a real affection for geek culture. Imagine the humour of Night of the Living Dorks but powered by the central plot behind Night of the Creeps. Sure Dance uses every rule from the official zombie handbook, but for a movie that seems equally inspired by a John Hughes coming of age flick, Dance of the Dead...

Thanks to your votes, the story of one of the story of Lilith, "Go in the Wilderness," won this weekend's Project of the Week contest! Congratulations to director Elza Kephart ! The filmmaker will receive a digital distribution consultation with SnagFilms, and the film is now officially a candidate for Project of the Month, the winner of which will receive a consultation with the Tribeca Film Institute. "Go in the Wilderness" reinterprets the myth of Lilith, Adam’s rebellious first mate. After escaping the Garden of Eden Lilith meets a mysterious guardian bound to return her home. The two set out, neither knowing the way, and forge an uneasy alliance on their journey. Once back in the Garden, they meet Adam and his new mate Eve, and realise that all is not as it seems in Paradise... Shot against the striking backdrop of Quebec’s remote North Coast, "Go in the...

Years back I discovered a little-known zombie flick titled Graveyard Alive: A Zombie Nurse in Love from producer-director-team Elza Kephart and Patricia Gomez. The film earned the Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography at the 2004 Slamdance Film Festival, Best Crossover Genre Film at the 2004 Rhode Island Horror Film Festival, and was nominated for multiple awards at the 2005 Cinevegas Film Festival. Graveyard Alive showcased great potential in the female-horror filmmaking duo and now they are back with their second feature, Go In The Wilderness, a film based on the little-known myth of Lilith, Adam’s rebellious first mate.

The film has been shot and edited, with only the sound and music left to complete and they are looking for help via Indiegogo, an internet platform which enables projects to accept online financial contributions. Their goal is to finish the film by April 2013 in time to apply to the Toronto International Film Festival.

More. And I'm probably missing some, still.

Larysa Kondracki's thriller The Whistleblower is out in theaters in August, as is Miranda July's fantasy The Future, but there are also two different modern female-directed Sleeping Beauty adaptations. Have you heard?

Erotic French Filmmaker Catherine Breillat's deconstruction of the classic fairy tale is out in some Us theaters already, while Julia Leigh's Sleeping Beauty, which is presented by Jane Campion, is coming out later this Fall in Us theaters. Check out the two films:

Briellat's:

Leigh's:

Beth Dewey's noir thriller The Agency and Lola Rocknrolla's exploitation action Nefertitty are making the rounds at film festivals. You can see a teaser for The Agency (aka Pimp Girl) right here, and check out the trailer to Nefertitty:

The L.A. Shorts Fest is happening July 21st through July 29th in Los Angeles, of course, and there are shorts by...