The days are shrinking, the nights are drawing in, and the dark half of the year is almost upon us. As spooky season gets into full swing, our showcase of short horror films is just one week away!
On the 24th of October, at 17:00 we will present our annual Halloween Horror Showcase at a physical screening for the first time! Taking place at Amsterdam’s Supermercator venue, our seventh annual horror event will feature six short indy chillers – with filmmakers from each participating in a panel discussion at the end of the night. And to close the event, Cinemercator will present a feature film from their vault of cult classics.
Tickets for the programme of seasonal shockers are selling fast – but there is still time to book your seat for all of the events. You can seal your place via the Indy Film Library tickets page, where there is also a breakdown of the event and its films.
Coming up
To whet your appetite for the upcoming feast of films, here’s more information on some of this year’s programme:
Playing in our first slot of films, is Zij. In our review of the Dutch-produced short, we praised the film’s ability to “run the emotional gamut”, as Liva – a woman struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her twin sister – descends into a self-destructive spiral of guilt and regret.
We spoke to writer and star Isis Caljé – who acts opposite her real sister, Selene. She said of the movie:
“Liva feels a lot of grief about what’s happened, and those emotions are taking over… [As a twin myself], the thought behind it was the idea of twin-telepathy, what if you take it further, what if it’s not just a mental thing, but a physical thing?”
The full interview can be found here:
Netherlands-based animator Yannick van den Ende, and composer Largs Hogendoorn have collaborated here to paint a cautionary portrait of a society that has all but abandoned its most vulnerable, with guns remaining the leading cause of death in children in the US.
Our review praised the work, saying, “This may be the most harrowing four-minute watch I have encountered in my time as a critic. But given the subject matter, that is entirely appropriate. This is a story we have heard too many times, but have done far too little to prevent its recurrence.”
Filmed in Australia, this ghost story takes on a very different tone, as spirits attempt to resolve their unfinished business by helping their surviving family. Our review of the movie praised it for engaging audiences with “humour and earned emotional beats”, before “tying stomachs in knots” with its frenetic finale.
Director Dia Taylor spoke to IFL about the film’s production, noting:
“For The Red Lights of Town, I wrote the original script in film school, which was a very long time ago! I grew up in a small town, and I had this dream of going to the big city – a red light, stopping me from trying to fulfil my dreams… A friend of mine gave me some advice, and I did manage to, just having someone who believed in me really helped. So this story is really something that hits home for me.”
The full interview can be found here:
