Screamfest kicks off its 11th annual event in Los Angeles on October 14 through October 23. The annual festival, honoring the best in horror and fantasy and those who bring it to life, takes place at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood & Highland Center. This year’s films include the world premiere of Victor Salva’s “Rosewood Lane” starring Rose McGowan and the LA premiere of the French film, “Livide”.
Regarded as the preeminent horror festival in the country, “Screamfest features the best of young, innovative and up-and-coming artists in the cinema of fantasy and horror,” says Director Wes Craven (the Scream franchise, A Nightmare On Elm Street). “It scares me, and I’m Wes Craven!”
Screamfest 2011 Highlights
Rosewood Lane (US) – Directed by Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Jeepers Creepers II), starring Rose McGowan (Scream, Grindhouse) and Lauren Velez (“Dexter”). A radio talk show psychiatrist (McGowan) returns to her hometown and notices the unusual behavior or her neighborhood paperboy. World Premiere
Julia X 3D (US) – Directed by P.J. Pettiette in 3D. Julia (Valerie Azlynn) stars as an alluring predator who meets her match on an internet date with a man whose hidden profile is a blend of Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lechter. The man in question is none other than “Hercules” himself, Kevin Sorbo, who The Hollywood Reporter says “he’s a mesmeric nutcase.” The Reporter continues, “The depth is enhanced, as well, by a multi-dimensional plot with doses of cheeky humor and verbal panache, as well as in-your-face visual thrusts that make keen use of the format.”
Livide (France) – The Centerpiece film from Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (A’l’interiur – Inside, which played at Screamfest in 2007). A hunt for a hidden treasure in a desolate house leads a group of friends into a horrifying supernatural series of events.
Vamperifica (US) – “The King is coming out!” A clueless, flamboyant college kid discovers that the soul of a great vampire king lives within him. Now he must choose between his friends and his destiny. Starring Dreama Walker (“Gossip Girl,” “ABC’s “Apartment 23”,The Good Wife”) and Martin Yurkovic.
Stormhouse (UK) – Stars Katherine Flynn (daughter of Jane Seymour) in a tense, supernatural thriller. The military has captured and imprisoned an entity that now wants to come out and “play.” North America Premiere
Dead Heads (US) – The feature debut from Writer/Director siblings Brett and Drew Pierce. Two “level-headed” zombies find themselves amidst a zombie attack and decide to take a road trip to find a lost love, all the while being trailed by special agents.
Cassadaga (US) – Directed by Anthony DiBlasi (Dread). A deaf girl attempts to contact her sister during a séance only to connect with a murdered woman. World Premiere
Rites of Spring (US) – From Executive Producer John Norris (The Help). Fear has a season. A ransom scheme turns into a nightmare for a group of kidnappers who become victims of a horrifying secret that must be paid every spring. World Premiere
Isolation (US) – Directed by Stephen T. Kay (Boogeyman), and starring Eva Amurri (“Californication” and daughter of Susan Sarandon) as a medical student who awakens in hospital isolation room desperately ill with no recollection of how she got there. World Premiere
Enter Nowhere (US) – Starring Scott Eastwood (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D and son of Clint) and Sara Paxton (Shark Night 3D and The Last House on the Left). Three strangers arrive one by one at a mysterious cabin in the middle of nowhere only to learn they’ve been brought together for a reason. World Premiere
Kalevet – Rabies (Israel) – Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado have made Israel’s first slasher film a worthy one in this “beautiful people-tormented in the woods” horror/comedy. Groups of people fall into the clutches of a serial killer in a spooky fox preserve. Kalevet wields a tart wit, several innovative twists on genre conventions and a heaping helping of bloody mayhem.
The Tunnel (Australia) – An investigation into a government cover-up leads to a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney. As a journalist and her crew hunt for the story, it quickly becomes clear the story is hunting them. Rolling Stone says “The Tunnel is a cunningly crafted exercise in suspense!” US Premiere
