A Night of Horror International Film Festival

Last updated

A Night of Horror International Film Festival
Location Eau Claire, Wisconsin
LanguageEnglish
Website anightofhorror.com

A Night of Horror International Film Festival is a horror genre film festival that was based in Sydney, Australia from 2006 to 2023, and from 2024 onwards in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States. [1]

Contents

There seems to be some consensus that the event was Australia's premiere horror film festival. In his monthly column in Encore Magazine, columnist Harvey Shore referred to the festival as "Australia's first horror film festival [it] recognises the past and gives the horror genre a platform for the future." [2] In an article in Sydney's Drum Media magazine, journalist Liz Guiffre refers to the horror festival as "a one of a kind in our parts". [3]

Festival history

The festival was founded in 2006, by Dean Bertram, Lisa Mitchell, and Grant Bertram. [4] It was originally a short film festival, but has since expanded to include feature films and horror themed music videos. Indeed, now that the festival runs for a longer duration, the festival's name, "A Night of Horror", is actually something of a misnomer (the 2008 festival actually ran for ten days and nights). The principal screening venue for the 2008 festival was the Dendy Newtown Cinema. Additional special events included a horror filmmaking forum, a zombie walk, and a number of horror-themed parties. [3]

In addition to the principal annual event in Sydney, a "best of" program of films from the festival tours within Australia and internationally. Some of these screenings take place at other festivals under the "A Night of Horror" banner, and have included programs at: It Came From Lake Michigan Film Festival, [5] Weekend de la Peur, [6] and Revelation Perth International Film Festival. [7]

In 2007, A Night of Horror International Film Festival also programmed a special selection of Canadian produced horror films for Possible Worlds: Sydney's Canadian Film Festival (which took place at the Chauvel Cinema, Paddington). [8]

Festival Judges and Winning Films

The festival is competitive and films compete for several awards and prizes. A panel of judges decide these winners. 2009 judges included: Antony I. Ginnane (IFM World Releasing, SPAA), Jon Dalgaard (International Coordinator, Lionsgate), Jason Di Rosso (ABC Radio National Movietime), Lewis Alsamari (actor UNITED 93, GREEN ZONE and writer). Previous year's judges have included film author and curator Jack Sargeant, People magazine editor Martin Vine, television and radio personalities Jaimie Leonarder and Aspasia Leonarder, and FBi Radio presenter and journalist Chris Ruhle.

2007 Winning films

Best of Fest: The Ancient Rite of Corey McGillis (AUS)

Best Film: Happy Birthday 2 You (ESP)

Best Animation: The Tell Tale Heart (LUX/ESP/USA)

Best Lovecraft Film: From Beyond (USA)

Best Zombie Film: Love is a Shotgun (AUS)

Best Director: Paul Campion, Night of the Hell Hamsters (UK/NZ)

Best Performance: Emma Caulfield, Hollow (USA)

Best Scream Queen: Kaja Trøa, The New Life (AUS)

Best Special Effects: Stuart Rowsell, The Ancient Rite of Corey McGillis (AUS)

Best Score: Milan Rusko, Nazdravicko! (SVK)

2008 Winning Films

Best Film: Brain Dead (USA)

Best Foreign Film: La Antena (ARG)

Best Short Film: Pumpkin Hell (USA)

Best Australian Film: When Sally Met Frank (AUS)

Best Lovecraft Film: The Call of Cthulhu (USA)

Best Animation: Egg Ghost (KOR/USA)

Best Music Video: Torture Device, featuring Dawn of Ashes (USA)

Best Director: Paco Limon, ( Doctor Infierno ) (ESP)

Best Performance: Sammi Davis, The Double Born (USA)

Best Scream Queen: Tess McVicker, Brain Dead (USA)

Best Special Make-Up Effects: Brain Dead (USA)

Best Special Visual Effects: Eel Girl (NZ/UK)

Directors' Choice Award (Best Feature Film): Murder Loves Killers Too (USA)

Directors' Choice Award (Best Short Film): Kirksdale (USA)

2009 Winning Films

Best Film: Splinter (USA)

Best Foreign Language Film: No Morire Sola (I'll Never Die Alone) (ARG)

Best Australian Film: I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (AUS)

Best Director: Adrián García Bogliano ( I'll Never Die Alone ) (ARG)

Best Australian Director: Ursula Dabrowsky ( Family Demons ) (AUS)

Best Female Performance: Olga Fedori ( Mum & Dad ) (UK)

Best Male Performance: Shea Whigham ( Splinter ) (USA)

Best Special Effects: Splinter (USA)

Best Special Effects (Short Film): Treevenge (CAN)

Best Short Film: Una Storia Di Lupi ( A Wolf's Tale ) (ITA)

Best Short Animation: The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow [9] (CAN)

Best Lovecraft Film: AM 1200 (USA)

Best Short Australian Film: A Break in the Monotony (AUS)

Best Music Video: More Control - The Heist and the Accomplice (Dir: Steve Daniels) (USA)

Directors' Choice (BEST FEATURE): Reel Zombies (CAN)

Directors' Choice (BEST SHORT): Allure (USA)

Independent Spirit Award (FEATURE FILM): Finale (USA)

Independent Spirit Award (SHORT): The Red Hours (CAN)

Independent Spirit Award (AUSTRALIA): Taber Corn (AUS)

2009 Festival

The 2009 Sydney festival is scheduled for 25 March to 3 April 2009.

On 2 June 2008, the festival announced its call for entries for the 2009 festival. The festival accepts films in several different categories, including: feature films, short films, animations, films inspired by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and horror-themed music videos.

It has also introduced a screenplay competition to take place in conjunction with the 2009 festival, and is calling for unproduced feature length and short horror scripts.

2009 Feature Screenplay Winners:

1st - Terminal - (Paul Campion & Elisabeth Pinto)

2nd - Children of the Night - (Harry Basil)

3rd - Footage - (Duncan Samarasinghe)

2009 Short Screenplay Winners:

1st - Brother Moose's Broken Shorts - (A.J. Mitchler)

2nd - Fragments of Normal - (Gwyn Duffy)

3rd - Mr. Roach - (Franck Zuanic)

Related Research Articles

Sarah Ann Watt was an Australian film director, writer and animator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Horror Film Festival</span>

The New York City Horror Film Festival is an international film festival based in New York City that screens films from the horror genre. It was founded by Michael J. Hein in 2001. It takes place each year in New York City for a week in November.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoram Gross</span> Polish-Australian animation producer and director (1926–2015)

Yoram Jerzy Gross was a Polish-born, Australian film and television producer, animation director, and writer of children's and family entertainment. He founded the animation studio Flying Bark Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto After Dark Film Festival</span> Film festival

Toronto After Dark Film Festival is a showcase of horror, sci-fi, action and cult cinema held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival premieres a diverse selection of feature-length and short-films from around the world including new works from Asia, Europe and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volatile Works</span>

Volatile Works is a five-member film and new media art collective in Montreal, Quebec established in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantastic Fest</span> Annual film festival held in Austin, Texas, US

Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Harry Knowles of Ain't It Cool News, Paul Alvarado-Dykstra, and Tim McCanlies, writer of The Iron Giant and Secondhand Lions.

The People's Republic of Animation (PRA) is an animation studio based in Adelaide, Australia. It began as a creator of music videos for Australian bands in 2003, and has since created award-winning short films and TV commercials, and developed feature films.

Night of the Hell Hamsters is a 2006 comedy horror short film in which demonic possessed hamsters terrorize a young babysitter and her boyfriend.

Paul Campion is an English/New Zealand film director, and screenwriter.

<i>Eel Girl</i> 2008 New Zealand film

Eel Girl is a 2008 horror science fiction short film written and directed by Paul Campion, in which what appears to be a sort of human-eel hybrid woman, being studied by scientists in a Naval research facility, takes revenge on one of the scientists who is studying her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoshihiro Nishimura</span> Japanese film director

Yoshihiro Nishimura is a Japanese film director, special effects and makeup effects artist, and a screenwriter who has worked predominantly in the horror genre. Nishimura has been described as "a legendary director and effects artist" and "the Tom Savini of Japan" with "talent to burn".

The Science Fiction Fantasy Short Film Festival (SFFSFF) is an international genre film festival devoted to fantasy and science fiction cinema from across the globe. The SFFSFF takes place annually every winter in Seattle, Washington at the world-renowned Seattle Cinerama Theater. The festival brings together industry professionals in filmmaking and the genres of science fiction and fantasy to encourage and support new, creative additions to science fiction and fantasy cinema arts. The (SFFSFF) is a co-production of the EMP Museum and SIFF.

Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (BARS) is an international film festival devoted to the genres of science fiction, horror and fantasy. It began in 2000 with a focus on independent films in those genres, and since 2004 in the form of a competitive festival, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre is well attended with over 200 films shown and 12.000 public and industry admissions each year. BARS is declared of national interest by the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts, sponsored by the Film Museum of the City of Buenos Aires and declared of cultural interest by the legislature of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires.

<i>I Love Sarah Jane</i> 2008 Australian film

I Love Sarah Jane is a 2008 Australian zombie horror short film directed by Spencer Susser and written by David Michôd and Spencer Susser. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 15 January 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fright Night Film Fest</span> Horror film festival

Fright Night Film Fest, also known as Louisville Fright Night Film Fest, is an annual horror film festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was first founded in 2005 by Ken Daniels and is typically held in July at the Galt House, which is famous for housing guests for the Kentucky Derby. The focus of the Fright Night Film Fest focuses on genre films such as horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, and cult from around the world including new films from Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, Europe and North America.

Shadow of the Unnamable is a multi award winning short film by German director Sascha Alexander Renninger. It is based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Unnamable (1923). It had its premiere in 2011 at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, USA. There it won its first award, Best Short Lovecraft Adaptation.

The Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Providence, Rhode Island, which features a wide variety of horror, sci-fi, and thriller films, as well as documentaries, from the United States and around the world. Founded in 2000, as one of several "festival sidebars" of the Rhode Island International Film Festival, it is the largest and longest-running horror film festival in New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Web Series Festival</span> Award

The Vancouver Web Series Festival, also known as the Vancouver Web Fest, is a web series festival based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is known as the first ever Canadian festival dedicated solely to entertainment and programming created exclusively for the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster Fest</span> Film festival

Monster Fest is an annual genre film festival held in Melbourne, Australia, dedicated to cult and horror cinema. As of 2017 it is the only genre film festival held in Australia to be supported by the federal screen agency, Screen Australia.

References

  1. Filmfreeway.com
  2. Encore Magazine, September 2007, p. 46
  3. 1 2 Drum Media, 1 April, no. 899, p. 71
  4. Encore Magazine, June 2008, p. 46
  5. Itcamefromlakemichigan.com Archived 13 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Weekenddelapeur.cs.cx Archived 7 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Revelationfilmfest.org Archived 20 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Possibleworlds.net.au Archived 31 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "2009 Festival Award Winners". Lovecraft 21C Productions. 3 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.