This event is sponsored by
the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the University
of Rhode Island, The URI College of Arts & Sciences,
The Film Media Program, and the URI Feinstein College
of Continuing Education, WJAR TV 10, TLA Releasing, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine; Amtrak; The
City of Providence, Clear Channel Communications, NetFilm, The Providence Phoenix and Cox on Demand.
• See full schedule of daily film screenings and event:click here...
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Ghouls,
Goblins, Zombies, and Ghosts will all make an appearance
on the big screen as the Rhode Island International
Film Festival unwraps its ninth annual Rhode
Island International Horror Film Festival October 23-26th .
In addition to its traditional spooky fare, this year’s
festival includes a multi-media concert called "Malice Aforethought," a booksigning with noted author, K. Patrick Malone, and an H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour.
The Horror Festival is an eerie-sistable salute to a
genre often overlooked. It will include numerous world
premieres of shorts and features including the best
horror films submitted in competition from across the
globe. In all, forty seven (47) films will be presented during
a four-day period in Providence, Kingston and Narragansett
To add to the fun, the Festival, much like a witch's
brew, will consist of various ingredients such as giveaways,
celebrity sightings, and awards for Best Feature and
Best Short, plus much more.
Admission is $10.00 per person for most screenings.
Tickets for certain events, as well as festival six-packs,
are available on line. All film tickets will be available
at the door before each screening. You can also order these tickets in advance by calling our office. For more information,
write RIIFF, P.O. Box 162, Newport, RI 02840. Telephone:
401-861-4445. E-mail: info@film-festival.org.
FILMS PLAYING THE FESTIVAL:
(Alpha Listing)
• See full schedule of film screenings and events;click here...
A Hood in the Woods, (2007, 12 min., Australia) dir. by Michael Kennedy
A retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story, told with a definite twist.
Advantage (2008, 18 min., AUSTRALIA) dir. By Sean Byrne
A young couple stumble home after a big night out. Their frisky interlude at a suburban tennis club lands them a role in a far more sinister game and their opponents have a distinct home court advantage.
AM 1200 (2007, 40 min. USA ) dir. by David Prior Cast: Eric Lange, Ray Wise, and John Billingsley
Cocky investment analyst Sam Larson has a lot on his mind. After a financial scam goes horribly wrong, he hits the road in a desperate bid to outrun his guilt.
A fragment of a radio broadcast, that may or may not be a distress call, lures him to an isolated transmitting station and into a terrifying mystery of murder, madness and the insatiable hunger of a power beyond his comprehension.
aQua ad lavandum - in brevi (2008, 16 min., Germany) dir. by Florian Metzner and Helge Balzer Outside a metaphorical door representing society, a minor scuffle turns sour resulting in violence. With blood on his hands and clothes, Debitus is unable to regain admittance until a voice offers him a well to cleanse himself. But operating the well to draw the water also opens a gate from which the diabolical voice originates.
Debitus must decide it he takes the risk to free whatever is behind that gate by getting the water from the well to clean himself.
His wish to return to the happy place behind the door is stronger than his fear. He operates the well and washes the blood from his body.
Just as he wants to pass the door, Impedim - the being behind the gate - shows himself...
At Night (2007, 10 min., USA) dir. by Max Landes
A man and a woman watch a sexy mystery film on the TV. Soon their world and the world in the glowing box begin to merge and no one seems to be responsible for their actions, begging the question: who is in remote control?
Awakened (10 min. New Zealand) dir. by Dale Stewart
Mild-mannered office worker Herb (Tim Hammersley) is a dedicated employee working the lonesome Monday night shift. After hearing a strange rattling in the office, Herb mentions it to fellow co-worker, Lucy (Jennifer Lopesi) the following morning. Unfortunately for Herb, office antagonizer Shaun (Omar Al-Sobky) overhears the conversation and starts blackmailing Herb with threats to tell everyone in the workplace. Herb is determined to prove that sinister is taking place in the office and will go to any extent to get answers.
Bendito el fruto de tu vientre (2007, 17 min., Mexico) dir. by Sara Seligman
Ester and Teresa a Mexican family run a B&B by the countryside of Pennsylvania. As they try to get along, Mother and Daughter find out the horrible secret of their last guest, when it’s just a little too late.
Blackspot (2008, 80 min., New Zealand) dir. by Ben Hawker
A young man asleep on a late night road trip through rural New Zealand is ripped from his dream into a near head on collision. He and his friend at the wheel hastily decide to take a short cut and our journey into darkness begins. The ride through the night is paralleled with our hero’s journey inward- to fleeting relationships and distant friends. Relaxed and self-reflective, the boys settle in for a long drive. However, the trip is abruptly cut short when their 1970 Valiant station wagon breaks down. Exhausted and alone the friends finally decide to try sleeping through the night. Back-to-back on the roadside they await the dawn. When dawn still fails to arrive, frightening questions surface and through the ensuing horrific confrontation, the presumed nature of their shadowy friendship is finally brought to light.
The director, Ben Hawker works for the WETA studios in New Zealand. Previous work includes the effects for 30 Days of Night, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Breast Pump and Blender (2007, 11 min., USA) dir. by Elizabeth Gorcey
As a new mom with a loving husband, Lizzie seems to have everything until her reality seems to become warped. More info: www.elizabethgorcey.com
Call of Cthulu, The (2006, 47 min., USA) dir. by Andrew Leman
A young man is charged with sorting out the estate of his much-whispered-about uncle. What he discovers includes mysterious cults, long-buried civilizations, and a malevolent galactic beastie or two. The unimaginable, tentacle-intensive horrors of Rhode Island’s own, H.P. Lovecraft receive an impressively faithful, faux-silent film treatment with a dazzling symphonic score.
“Cheerbleeders” (2008, 11 min., USA) dir. by Peter Podgursky
Penny and Devon, a pair of high school outcasts, are best friends in their isolation in the small town of Blackfoot, Idaho. But things take a turn for the worst when Penny inadvertently turns Devon into an unspeakable evil...the most popular boy in school.
Christian Vampires from Beyond Suburbia (2008, 86 min., USA) dir. by Jacquie Schnabel
Christian Vampires from Beyond Suburbia is a feature length comedy horror flick about an ominous big box store, called “VampMart,” run by the Vampires for Jesus that try to take over the post industrial mill town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Their blood drinking, soul saving, bargain discount ways almost literally suck this town dry.
The cast features a great collection of local Pawtucket artists, including Mark Fogarty, president of the RI Film Collaborative, Mike Ryan, producer of the RI 48 HR film festival, Jason Hair-Wynn, Aids Activist, active member in the New England Gay and Lesbian Community, and recipient of the Best Male Actor Award by Motif Magazine 2007, Will Luera, the Artistic Director of Improv Boston and composer/singer/songwriter, Jeff Gaynor, who wrote and performed all of the film's music.
Conjurer (2008, 86m, U.S.A.) dir. by Clint Hutchison Cast: Andrew Bowen, John Schneider, Maxine Bahns
Art photographer Shawn Burnett reluctantly agrees to move to an isolated country farmhouse to help his wife, Helen, recover from the loss of their stillborn baby. At first skeptical of a local legend regarding the property's past, Shawn soon becomes convinced that the farm is haunted. As fragile Helen recovers from her grief and again becomes pregnant, Shawn keeps the strange occurrences to himself to avoid disrupting her emotional balance. Misinterpreting Shawn's suggestion to move as a selfish desire to return to the city, Helen becomes estranged from her on-edge husband, as the ghostly presence manifests itself in increasingly horrific and deadly ways.
"The Curse of Micah Rood" (2008, 30 min., USA) dir. by Alec Asten
Based on a Connecticut legend, this 1700 ghost story is about a bizarre haunting which involves a reclusive apple farmer who commits a wicked act against a traveling peddler.
From Film Stew:
It wasn't that long after graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1972 that actor Ron Palillo found his most famous role, that of Arnold Horshak on the TV series Welcome Back, Kotter. Now, all these years later, he's playing the lead in a short film written by Nicholas Checker, who graduated from the same institution smack dab in the middle of the ABC-TV show's four-year run from 1975 to 1979.
Fittingly, this pair's collaboration The Curse of Micah Rood brings to life a Norwich, Connecticut urban legend, one which claims that after murdering a 1728 equivalent of today's door-to-door solicitors, the 70-year-old apple farmer of the title was cursed, first by the apparition of blood drops in the apple cores of the tree in question, and then by even more bothersome events. Last year, after having wrapped the film, Palillo told TV Guide he considered it the best work he's ever done.
Dead West, (2005, 29 min., USA) dir. Eli Joseph Sasich
The Old West, late 1800’s, Elizabeth has just been thrown from her horse. Injured and disoriented she wanders into a deserted town where she passes out from exhaustion. She awakens to find herself amongst a small group of people. Together they soon realize that they aren’t alone and this is no ordinary town. When the sun goes down they must confront a dark force and the ghosts of their sinful pasts. Has fate led them here? Combining elements of the western with suspense and gothic horror, Dead West is a journey into darkness that must be experienced. The film was shot on location at the Johnson Canyon movie set, now an actual Ghost Town in Southern Utah.
Death in Charge (2008, 15 min., USA) dir. by Devi Snively
The Grim Reaper is mistaken for a babysitter and learns a thing or two about life.
DETOUR (2008, 12 min., United Kingdom) dir. by K. Akeseh Tsakpo
A motorist struggles to lay the past to rest after picking up a hitchhiker who claims to know the future.
Eel Girl (2008, 5 min., New Zealand) dir. by Paul Campion
When a scientist is left alone in a military research facility, his emotions for the research subject overcome him. More info: www.eelgirl.net
"EPITAPH" ( 2007, 98 min., South Korea) dir. by the Jung Brothers
A chill is in their air as unrequited, obsessive love is swept up in a sea of blood in this South Korean box office sensation that takes Asian horror in a new direction. EPITAPH begins in the year 1942: the Korean capital of Kyung Sung is occupied by the Japanese and the Anseng Hospital lies in the center of the city, representing the twin glories of Japanese Imperialism and western modernization. But mysterious things are happening at the hospital: An intern is bound by his parents to marry a girl whom he never met, but instead is romantically drawn to a corpse; A traumatized little girl, the lone survivor of a horrific car crash, is tortured by bloody visions and a married couple, who are doctors, desperately try to manage their colleagues’ behaviors but find themselves investigating a series of brutal murders. As the stories unfold and obsessive loves are revealed, the hospital and its staff descend into a darker abyss which they may never return from.
Ergotism (2008, 12 min., New Zealand) dir. by Stefan Rochfort
The psychedelic powers of a rare fungus, ergot, take over the perceptions of three young friends as they drive down a deserted New Zealand back road.
EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS
(aka "EKUSUTE") --- this latest fright film from master J-Horror director Sion Sono (STRANGE CIRCUS, SUICIDE CLUB) shows what happens to vain girls who make extensions out of a murder victim's revenge-seeking hair. The film stars Chiaki Kuriyama (the schoolgirl-assassin "GoGo" in KILL BILL, VOL. I) and Ren Osugi (a regular in 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano's yakuza gangster movies). The RIIFF will screen the English-language "dubbed" version of EXTE, followed by a Q & A session with dubbing co-directors Joe DiGiorgi and Anthony Salerno of Headline Studio.
The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow (2008, 5 min., CANADA) dir. by Rodrigo Gudino
A single image that tells an entire story, THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MISTER HOLLOW is the groundbreaking new film by Rue Morgue founding editor Rodrigo Gudiño (The Demonology of Desire, The Eyes of Edward James) and award-winning visual artist Vincent Marcone (MyPetSkeleton.com, Johnny Hollow). The visually stunning film centers on an unusual photograph dating back to the 1930s. An investigation of its particulars reveals a tapestry of secrets hidden in the details, and a tale of kidnapping and murder captured in a haunting moment.
Family Affair (2008, 7 min., USA) dir. by Rafael de Leon Jr
When a family trip takes a traumatic turn as a father and son cope with the consequences. But, by the end of the night, they will realize that even a damaged family stays together no matter what.
FRIGHT SITE (2008, USA) dir. by Bill Timoney
A horror short written and directed by SEA OF DUST cast member Bill Timoney to promote www.netstudio.tv, an online screenwriting contest. Starring Bryan Cranston, the Emmy Award-nominated actor of TV's MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and recent Emmy Award winner for BREAKING BAD.
Harvest Moon (2008, 9min., U.S.A.) dir. by Micah Ranum
In this dark comedy, a couple on the brink of divorce struggle to rekindle their relationship. As they are arguing about whether to go out or stay in for dinner, a van full of would-be burglars show up to rob them. The struggle that ensues gives us a deeper insight into the character of this couple and how they may be able to rekindle whay drew them together in the first place.
Hugo(2008, 15 min., Australia) dir. byNicholas Verso
Fifteen year old Desma, determined to win the school science competition, is elated when she finds a human-sized chrysalis and will stop at nothing to claim victory. More info: www.hugothefilm.com
In Twlight’s Shadow (2007, 12 min., USA) dir. by T.M. Scorzafava
IN TWILIGHT’S SHADOW introduces the adventure of a female immortal caught between two worlds. Unable to continue watching those she loves die, Carlisle Braedon lies in a self-imposed state of suspension between light and dark. But when an enemy takes revenge, Carlisle is called to rise, to face what lurks inside in order to rescue the mortal she loves.
Kirksdale (2008, 22 min., U.S.A.) dir. by Ryan Spindell
'I'm not crazy!' This is what we tell ourselves, time and time again. But what really lies behind the Chesire smile? In the deep south of 1960s Florida, down canopy roads, amongst blooming live oaks, rests a quiet hospital. Kirksdale Hospital, a plantation turned mental asylum, provides patients with a calm environment to ease their inner turmoil. At least on the surface, but things are not as they appear to be. when a tormented mental patient escapes the facility, Molly Walker, a misunderstood teenage girl, and Darryl Pearl, a young Sheriff's deputy, must face their inner demons in a fight for their sanity and their lives.
Last Night (2008, 7 min., Australia) dir. by Ed Park
The final moments in a relationship take on a fuller meaning for Nick and Evie.
The Living and the Dead (2006, 84 min., UK) dir. by Simon Rumley Cast: Roger Lloyd-Pack, Leo Bill, Kate Fahy, Sarah Ball, Neil Conrich A furiously original meld of madness and pathos, The Living and the Dead is family dysfunction at its most shocking and grotesque. With bankruptcy looming, desperate Donald Brocklebank (Roger Lloyd Pack, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) must leave his bedridden wife alone with their son James - a schizophrenic man-child. In a horrific fit of dementia James abandons his medication, locks the doors, and plays nurse. As his ability to distinguish morbid fantasy from reality decays, he plunges into a mental labyrinth so violent and deranged none of them may survive it.
Mirror, Mirror (2008, 14 min., USA) dir. by Valerie Champagne
Estranged from her mother and failing to cope with her father’s terminal illness, ten year-old Tanya indulges in an imagined fantasy world. She believes that by offering a sacrifice to a Guardian living in her bathroom mirror, she will be granted a wish to save her father’s life. When the sacrifice becomes too high a price to pay, Tanya must have the courage to face reality and her demons - those both real and imagined.
Next Floor (2008, 12 min., CANADA) dir. by Denis Villeneuve
During an opulent and luxurious banquet, complete with contingents of servers and valets, eleven pampered guests participate in what appears to be a ritualistic culinary carnage. In this phantasmagoric, otherwordly universe an unexpected sequence of events destabilises the endless symphony of abundance.
"Nightlife" (2008, 82 min. USA) dir. by Tim Sanderson
CAST: James Brownlee, Maria Collins, Jessica Dill, Paul Evans, Avi Hartman, Brandon Hayes, John Hilbun, Adam Langley, Korey Simeone, Jason Small, Alex Tosspon, Frank Weysos & J.R. Zambrano
Being a vampire kinda sucks. At least that's the premise of this mockumentary comedy in which a small film crew follows six of the undead in their night-to-night lives. Forget about capes, they dress just like us. They watch a lot of bad TV. They're more concerned with paying the rent on time than they are with crossing Van Helsing. However, everyone has enemies, and our subjects are no exception. Enter the vampire hunters; comic book loving geeks who have made it their mission to vanquish these demons of the night with signature homemade weapons. When these two sides come fang to face things get pretty ugly, but for all concerned parties it's just another day in the everlasting battle between good and evil.
Pickman’s Model (2007, 19 min., USA) dir. by Gary Fierro
When two estranged friends, Thurber and Eliot, meet for drinks, Eliot finds that Thurber is not the person he once knew. Thurber reveals that Pickman, a man he was using as a source for a paper on Weird art, is linked to his change in demeanor. It begins with a simple invitation to view Pickman's work at his isolated studio in Boston's North End. And ends with the apprehension that what lurks in the foreground of Pickman's work is far more sinister than the art itself. Adapted from the original story 'Pickman's Model' by H.P. Lovecraft.
Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre (2007, 17 min., USA) dir. by Robert Cosnahan
Sophie is an innocent college girl who wants to be in an Ivy League Secret Society, mainly because she has a crush on Spencer, an elite member. During an initiation ritual deep in the woods, Sophie, Spencer and the affluent society kids, Brad and Gillian, take a detour and encounter an ominous hillbilly cabin. When an angry, shotgun-wielding hillbilly threatens them, a bloodbath erupts the likes of which Sophie has never seen. Sophie must face a terrible enemy if she wants to make it out of the woods alive in this chilling, dark-humored chronicle of evil made in the best “grindhouse” horror tradition.
Pumpkin Hell (2007, 21 min., USA) dir. By Max Finneran
'Pumpkin Hell' is a short coming-of-age horror film about sons, fathers and the roles they play and imagine for one another. Abandoned by his father at a highway-side pumpkin patch, an eleven year-old boy spends a peculiar and life changing night with the misfit proprietor of the patch.
SEA OF DUST (2008, 90 min. USA) dir. by Scott Bunt
A 19th century medical student battles an otherworldly evil that threatens to possess his beloved from beyond the grave. "A bizarre and surreal tribute to the European horror cinema of the 1960s, especially the Gothic horrors made by England's Hammer Studio and Italy's Mario Bava." Starring Horror icons Tom Savini (FROM DUSK TIL DAWN, GRINDHOUSE) and "Hammer Queen of Horror" Ingrid Pitt (THE VAMPIRE LOVERS, COUNTESS DRACULA, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD). Also starring Troy Holland, Darby Lynn Totten, Sarah Dauber, Bill Timoney, Edward X. Young, Pete Barker, and John Correll. Special appearances by Stuart "Multiple Miggs" Rudin and scream queen Suzi Lorraine. Written & directed by Scott Bunt, produced by Pauline Bunt, Patrick Rousseau and Noah Workman. Special makeup effects by Josh Turi of "Saturday Night Live." Filmed almost entirely in New Jersey!
Post-screening discussion with writer/director Scott Bunt and producer Pauline Bunt.
Sebastian’s Voodoo (2008, 4 min., USA) dir. By Joaquin Baldwin
A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death. A 3D animated film created at the UCLA Animation Workshop by award-winning filmmaker Joaquin Baldwin.
Snip (2008, 10 min, France, Spain) dir. Julien Zenier
Glued to his TV set, a man channel-surfs frenetically, zapping from one stultifyingshow to the other. As he grows more and more indifferent to the constant stream of violent and crude images, he stands up and engages himself in an unspeakable act of self-liberation.
Soulmates (2008, 18 min,. USA) dir. By Tom Flynn
Barry is a hapless couples-therapist with a lot of heart and no talent. He goes on a blind date only to find out that his date is Claudina, a strange old hag with an over-active libido. It is not long before Barry is drugged and ends up tied to a massage chair in the attic of Claudina's spooky house. He regains consciousness in the middle of a spirit-possession ceremony. After a narrow escape, Barry soon meets the ghost who plans to take over his body - Jimmy, Claudina's old flame; however, Barry soon discovers that Claudina and Jimmy have different expectations regarding their relationship. Barry must rely on his shoddy couples-therapy skills to make it through the night with his body and soul intact.
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2008, 86m, U.S.A.) dir. by Jeffrey Schwarz
"Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story" chronicles the last great American showman, filmmaker William Castle, a master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks. In the 1950s and 60s, Castle treated delighted moviegoers to buzzing seats, flying skeletons, luminescent ghosts and life insurance policies. His is a rags to riches tale of a larger than life showman who climbed his way up the Hollywood ladder by reinventing himself as a modern P.T. Barnum, all the while driven by a fear of failure and a longing to be respected among his peers.
This Way Up (2007, 9 min., United Kingdom) dir. by Alan Smith & Adam Foulkes
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
Trailer Park of Terror (2008, 89 min., USA) dir. by Steven Goldmann
Based on the Imperium Comics series, Trailer Park of Terror. Six troubled high school students and their chaperon, an optimistic youth ministries Pastor, return from an outdoor character building retreat in the mountains. During a raging storm, their bus crashes, hopelessly stranding them in the middle of the Trucker's Triangle, a forgotten locus of consummate evil in the middle of nowhere. The hapless group seeks shelter for the night in a seemingly abandoned trailer park they find down the road. However, when the sun sets, it's not refuge they find. Instead, terror finds them in the form of Norma, a damned redneck reaper with a killer body who dispenses vengeance and death aided by her cursed companions, a bloodthirsty brood of Undead trailer trash.
Vanished Acres (2006, 31 min., USA) dir. by Adam Bolt
Jerod Grot is trapped in the past. On his neglected farm, each day is the same - until a lost love letter changes everything. The letter is from his deceased wife to someone else: Jerod’s living scarecrow. As Jerod confronts the scarecrow, buried secrets surface, shattering the uneasy peace that once existed on this haunted land and forcing him to finally face the truths he long ignored.
VÍCTOR Y LA MÁQUINA (Victor and the Machine) (2007, 9 min., Spain) dir. Carlos Talamanca
A story between fantasy and reality. Inspired in the romantic myth of Frankestein, it tells us about struggle for life, fear of lonelyness and desire to trick death.
A little boy who lives in a shack and has just lost his father imagines a mechanism to get him into life again replacing his vital organs with parts of an old motorcycle. The boy, called Víctor, believes in the power of his dreams and works paciently to make them come true... Will the boy make his fantasy real? Maybe not, but his innocence is the only way to achieve it.
Voigtkampff (2008, 14 min., Germany) dir. by Tobias Suhm
Using surreal and bizarre images, VOIGTKAMPFF deals with a disenchanted man, whose only reason for staying alive is his exorbitant hatred towards his tormentors. When the day of revenge has finally come, his vast detestation will make him even put up with the deaths of 6.519 million people. Persecuted by nightmares continuously reminding him of the terrible events of his childhood, he is driven to his payback, resulting in an immensely destructive showdown. Always hoping to be able to return to peace and quiet...
VON HASEN UND SCHNITZELN(About Rabbits and Schnitzels) (2008, 15 min., Germany) dir. by Thorsten Wassermeyer
Charlotte tries to get her husband to visit their newly born grandchild but nothing can arouse his attention, let alone compete with his rabbits. More info: www.userpage.fuberlin.de/~tzuern/hasen.html
$40.00 (a $60 value)
Good year-round at all RIIFF events except for special
openings. Six tickets for the price
of four. Can be used during the Main RIIFF in August;
the annual Rl lnternational Horror
Festival in October, plus any special year-round film
series we sponsor.
RIIFF Festival Six Packs
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2008 Rhode Island International
Film Festival®. All Rights Reserved.
Our Sponsors for 2008:
The URI College of Arts &
Sciences, The Film Media Program, and the URI Feinstein
College of Continuing Education are proud sponsors of
the RI International Horror Film Festival.
"EPITAPH" ( 2007, 98 min., South Korea) dir. by the Jung Brothers 
Hugo (2008, 15 min., Australia) dir. by Nicholas Verso
The Living and the Dead (2006, 84 min., UK) dir. by Simon Rumley
