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RI INT'L HORROR FILM FESTIVAL

Day-By-Day Schedule of Events

October 22-25th, 2009

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, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine; Amtrak; The City of Providence, WBRU Radio, The Providence Phoenix and Cox on Demand.

Thursday, October 22nd

Bell Street Chapel

5 Bell Street , Providence

7:30 p.m.

OPENING NIGHT SPOOKTACULAR

Back to Life
Directed by Mike Salva
2009, 3 min. U S A
Animated Frankenstein monster has a few things to say about being brought back to life. Voiced by Nashville standup comedians Ryan Williams (Monster) Sean Parrott (Doctor).

 

Hector Corp
Directed by Gary Lee
2009, 10 min. U S A
A thriller about a company, Hector Corporation, that must take extreme measures to manage their employees with unexpected executioners. Our righteous hero, Victor, takes us through his experience and shows how justice prevails in the end.

 

I'm Afraid I am Hitler
Directed by Ruchika Lalwani
2008, 23 min. U S A
'I'm Afraid I am Hitler' renders the heartfelt story of a man trapped in two worlds. Adien (Bernhard Forcher) has confined himself to his home for over a year because he guards a secret- a secret so horrifying-that, if exposed, would set the entire world against him. Set in 1976, this psychological drama portrays the frightful journey of a lonely man, believing himself to be the most brutal leader history has ever seen, and his longing for redemption.

 

Seance
Directed by Robin Kasparík
2009, 18 min. Czech Republic
Horror story of three people, who are trying to find fortune of deceased baroness through the spiritualistic séance. But things will go a bit differently, than they planned…

 

Lazarus Taxon
Directed by Denis Rovira
2008, 15 min. Spain
The feared consequences of global warming are at its peak when one man crosses the New Sea trying to save his daughter from the clutches of death. A tale about going beyond the limits of the human race and the survival of the species.

 

Zombies And Cigarettes
Directed by Rafael Martinez and Iñaki San Roman
2009, 17 min. Spain
Four people caught on a Mall. A hordes of the living dead around them. Only one exit... to face them.

 

The Taxidermist
Directed by Bert & Bertie
2009, 20 min. United Kingdom
In the desolate village of Gibworth two shops nestle side-by-side: 'World of Pets' and 'Stiff & Son Taxidermy'. It's the perfect circle of animal life and death, or so you'd think? Pet shop assistant Milly, is infatuated by the mysterious Taxidermist next door. She watches him secretly at night while he creates his dark animal art. But thanks to Pet Pro Formula, it's been 50years since the last animal died in Gibworth. The Taxidermist is going out of business, and when he is threaten with eviction naive Milly makes a decision to save him. But it all goes tragically wrong...

Friday, October 23rd

Bell Street Chapel

5 Bell Street , Providence

7:30 p.m.

Danse Macabre
Directed by Pedro Pires
2009, 9 min. Canada
For a period of time, while we believe it to be perfectly still, lifeless flesh responds, stirs and contorts in a final macabre ballet. Are these spasms merely erratic motions or do they echo the chaotic twists and turns of a past life?

 

Crooked Lane
Directed by Chase Bailey
2009, 20 min. U S A
A paranormal thriller set in New Hampshire and based on a true story passed down over two hundred years, generation to generation, featuring Ann Cusack (“A League of Their Own”) and Brett Cullen (“Lost”).

 

Dawning
Directed by Gregg Holtgrewe
2008, 71 min. U S A
'Dawning', an award-winning psychological horror film, takes place at a Northern Minnesota lake cabin where a brother and sister (Najarra Townsend) visit their father and step-mom.The first night unfolds with uncomfortable small-talk and tension before tragedy strikes as the family dog is killed.

 

Soon, a stranger, potentially under the spell of some un-seen 'presence' appears in the cabin and holds the family hostage, telling them he's there to save them...from what? As the family struggles with the man and his motivations, their own inability to trust each other and make decisions allows the 'presence' to systematically remove each member from the cabin, except for the young daughter, Aurora.

 

Filled with the chaotic and unknown, 'Dawning' takes a cerebral approach to horror which your average hack-and-slash film just doesn't provide. Instead of relying on the action-fueled horror movies and shock gimmicks of the last 30 years, 'Dawning' relies on atmosphere and mood to lend tension to an already troubled family, surrounding them with no answers…except that we all die.

 

9:30 p.m.

Sinkhole
Directed by Eric Scherbarth
2009, 13 min. U S A
A self-serving developer learns that money can't buy everything when he visits an abandoned coalmine shrouded in darkness.

 

Excision
Directed by Richard Bates
2008, 18 min. U S A
A neglected teen takes refuge in the dreams that used to haunt her and orchestrates a shocking plan to prove her worth to her disapproving parents.

 

Bikini Girls on Ice
Directed by Geoff Klein
2009, 82 min, Canada
When a bus-load of women's college soccer players get stranded on their way to a bikini car-wash fundraiser, they decide to set-up shop in front of an abandoned gas station on the edge of town. Little do they know the place is the stalking-grounds for a homicidal maniac mechanic named Moe.

Saturday, October 24th

Providence Public Library

150 Empire Street, Providence

12:00 NOON

Book Signing and Meet the Author: Christopher Rondina

Meet noted local author Christopher Rondina who will speak about his latest book, “Ghost Ships of New England: Mysterious Tales of the Sea from Yankee History & Folklore,” answer questions and sign his book at The Providence Public Library.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: A ghostly schooner glides through the mist off the coast of Maine. Long-dead pirates wander the Rhode Island shoreline in search of salvation. A Connecticut lighthouse keeper continues to guide ships to safe harbor, nearly a century after his death. These are only a sampling of the strange-but-true stories of New England's phantom ships and the spectral seafarers who haunt the shadowy cliffs and moon-lit coves of the Northeast. Some say such ships haunt the dark waters of the North Atlantic even today.

COST: This is a free program and open to the general public.

 

1:00 p.m.

Celeriac
Directed by John D. Reilly
2008, 3 min. U S A
Ce-le-ri-ac, n. An edible variety of celery cultivated for its swollen knobby root. Many claim this type of celery is hard to prepare, so pay attention. A short thriller.

 

Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
Directed by Andrew Monument
2008, 98 min. U S A
'Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film' is a feature length documentary based on the book of the same name by Joe Maddrey. It examines the idea that horror films reflect the times and places in which they are made - illustrating how classic monster movies exploited the anxieties of war-time generations, and how more savage modern horror films stem from the psychic fallout of America's counterculture movement and the subsequent rise of increasingly conservative political forces.

 

From the silent films of Lon Chaney to the box office reign of Hannibal Lector and his peers, the history of the horror film is a story of the individual at odds with any organization that threatens his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

 

'Nightmares in Red, White and Blue' is narrated by horror genre icon Lance Henriksen, and features exclusive interviews with legendary auteurs like John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Joe Dante, Larry Cohen and Roger Corman, as well as film historian John Kenneth Muir and 'Fangoria' Editor Tony Timpone. Their observations are illustrated with clips from more than 100 films - ranging from the classic Universal monster movies to the psychological horrors of film noir, from groundbreaking films like 'Night of the Living Dead', 'Rosemary's Baby', 'The Exorcist' and 'Jaws' to contemporary slasher movies, Torture Porn and beyond. In short, it is the most comprehensive documentary on America's most durable and prolific film genre.

Rhode Island Historical Society

Walking Tour Presentation: Van Wickle Gates at Brown University

1:00 p.m.

Literary Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft
The tour departs from the Van Wickle Gates at Brown University (College Street at Prospect Street). The guide is Morgan Grefe, Director of Education at the Rhode Island Historical Society

Cost: Tickets are $16 per person, and includes a ticket to the Horror Festival for the 4:00 p.m. screening.

The life and work of Providence's best-known fantasy and horror author, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, provide the backdrop for this walking tour. Acknowledged genius of occult and horror fiction, Lovecraft's "Providence stories" (written between 1924 and 1935) provide the basis for this walk. Lovecraft wrote eloquently, and in great detail, about such landmarks as Prospect Terrace, the First Baptist Church, and Benefit Street houses. See the site of his former home, as well as the sights mentioned in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House, and The Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft's own words offer a most amazing literary, historical, and architectural walking tour.

The tour lasts 90 minutes.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ORDER TICKETS, click here

http://www.rihs.org
http://www.hplovecraft.com/creation/sites/walktour.asp
http://www.hplovecraft.com/creation/sites/rhode.asp
http://quahog.org/attractions/index.php?id=3
http://flickr.com/photos/strangeinterlude/sets/980729/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17473607/
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/features/nationworld/4605423.html

Bell Street Chapel

5 Bell Street , Providence

2:00 p.m.
The Taxidermist
Directed by Bert & Bertie
2009, 20 min. United Kingdom
In the desolate village of Gibworth two shops nestle side-by-side: 'World of Pets' and 'Stiff & Son Taxidermy'. It's the perfect circle of animal life and death, or so you'd think? Pet shop assistant Milly, is infatuated by the mysterious Taxidermist next door. She watches him secretly at night while he creates his dark animal art. But thanks to Pet Pro Formula, it's been 50years since the last animal died in Gibworth. The Taxidermist is going out of business, and when he is threatened with eviction naive Milly makes a decision to save him. But it all goes tragically wrong...

 

Cornered
Directed by Daniel Maze
2008, 86 min. U S A
A serial killer with a morbid voyeur fetish is targeting and terrorizing convenience stores. He tortures and murders his victims in creative ways in front of closed-circuit television cameras, then steals the surveillance tapes as personal trophies.

 

With the reward upped to $500,000, the serial killer is the hot topic at a downtown Los Angeles liquor store owned by STEVE (Eduardo Garcia—No Country for Old Men).

When the beer deliveryman, MORTY (Steve Guttenberg—Cocoon, Police Academy, 3 Men and a Baby), shares his concerns about the recent killings, Steve and his motley friends fantasize about their big plans on what to do with the killer and the reward money.

 

Convinced the store is safe, Steve and his buddies, JIMMY (James Duval—Donnie Darko, Independence Day, Gone in 60 Seconds), JESS (Elizabeth Nicole—7th Heaven), DONNY (Peter Story—Ugly Betty, CSI) and MONA (Ellia English—Good Luck Chuck, The Jamie Fox Show), lock themselves in and settle down for their poker game.

 

As the night progresses, drunken fun quickly turns into heinous murder as players begin to disappear. Their only hope for outside help is eliminated when the resident bum, JACKO (David Jean Thomas—G.I. Joe, Star Trek), is gruesomely killed.

 

Is there a way to stop the killer before he finds the basement filled with butcher’s tools and puts them to his demonic use?

 

A suspenseful “who-done-it” with a refreshing spin on the classic horror film, ‘CORNERED!’ will have you squirming. Be warned and watch what you say… someone may be listening!

 

4:00 p.m.
RIIFF BLOODY SHORTS OF HORROR
The Devil’s Wedding
Directed by Dan Cadan
2009, 14 min. United Kingdom
The Devil is caught between a rock and a hot place. His only way out? A soul-searching deal with one more devious than he.

 

Sucker
Directed by Troy Price
2009, 12 min. U S A
A vampire seduces a young woman with the promise of immortality. But after offering herself willingly to his bite, she realizes a terrible truth...

 

Last Tape
Directed by Sarah Frazier
2009, 9 min. Canada
Fay is a reclusive artist who lacks a voice of her own. She works in isolation but is interrupted by people who want to connect with her. Last Tape uses the film medium to create an expressionistic play of light and shadow thus making a world that is both warm and inviting and deeply disturbing.

 

The Ugly File
Directed by Mark Steensland
2009, 10 min. U S A
Photographer Roy Hubbard makes a living taking pictures of hideously deformed children. Just wait until you find out why. . .

 

The Music of Erich Zann
Directed by Jared Skolnick
2009, 40 min. U S A
Based on the short story by legendary author H.P. Lovecraft, this is an atmospheric horror film about a young student's obsession with the strange music being played above his room by an eccentric musician, an obsession that leads him to a terrifying discovery.

 

No Junk Mail
Directed by Chris McHugh
2009, 9 min. Australia
A pensioner with a “No Junk Mail” sticker on his mailbox is annoyed by the appearance of pamphlets advertising a local pizza store. He complains but is met by indifference from the store owner and mounting hostility from the youth who delivered them. Tension rises. Soon it’s all out war!...with a twist.

 

Orla's Song
Directed by Eric Deacon
2008, 20 min. United Kingdom
A sacrificed child calls for revenge from beyond the grave.

 

7:30 p.m.
Roar
Directed by Adam Wimpenny
2009, 16 min. United Kingdom
A socially awkward Londoner is lonely at Christmas. When a cold city girl rejects his gesture of goodwill, he takes drastic action. Roar is a smart and subversive short film that will haunt you for months.

 

The Disappeared
Directed by Johnny Kevorkian
2008, 95 min. United Kingdom
Following the disappearance of his younger brother Tom, Matthew tries to put his life and sanity back together. However the past keeps coming back to haunt him... 'The Disappeared is a compelling drama by turns touching and terrifying with the power of classic horror.

 

9:30 p.m.
RIIFF BLOODY SHORTS OF HORROR
The Babysitter
Directed by Kristen Gray
2008, 5 min. U S A
An unhappily married couple comes home from a Christmas party to find their babysitter frozen in shock and their young daughter missing.

 

Il Diavolo
Directed by Andrea Lodovichetti
2006, 16 min. Italy
 “..have you ever been told, my dear, that the Devil appears a few seconds before one person dies? It always happens, you know? He is awfully looking. He's tall, very tall: taller than the tallest man on earth! He's ugly, as ugly as he can be, my dear lady! He utters frightening noises, he waves the sword of death, and zap! He beheads the dying people and has their heads for dinner…”

 

Roar
Directed by Adam Wimpenny
2009, 16 min. United Kingdom
A socially awkward Londoner is lonely at Christmas. When a cold city girl rejects his gesture of goodwill, he takes drastic action. Roar is a smart and subversive short film that will haunt you for months.

 

Thirsty
Directed by Andrew Kasch
2009, 15 min. U S A
A man's thirst for a frozen beverage leads to chaos on a lonely desert highway.

 

VOID
Directed by Meredith Berg
2009, 20 min. U S A
When Special Agent Liz Metera investigates a series of grisly murders in a small town, she uncovers a little boy's powerful and chilling secret -- one that will change her life, and the town, forever...

 

Happy Face
Directed by Franklin P. Laviola
2009, 15 min. U S A
A Hollywood starlet hides out in a rehab facility on Long Island, but when her agent tracks her down, horror ensues.

 

Corrections
Directed by Bob Franklin
2008, 9 min. Australia
In the waiting room of an isolated run down clinic Amy anxiously anticipates seeing a doctor. When the only other patient is called in, Amy's wait becomes increasingly unsettling

Sunday, October 25th

Bell Street Chapel
5 Bell Street, Providence

2:00 p.m.
RIIFF BLOODY SHORTS OF HORROR

How My Dad Killed Dracula
Directed by Sky Soleil
2008, 14 min. U S A
A Halloween practical joke turns a family tradition into a night of comic terror when two precocious teens don't believe their cousins' dad killed Dracula. Insisting on proving it, Dad picks up a shovel and starts to dig.

 

Broom Ride to Salem
Directed by Amybeth Parravano
2009, 27 min. U S A
A sleuthhound unleashes a haunting on her Halloween quest through historic Salem, MA.

 

Maggots
Directed by Matt Giannini
2009, 10 min. U S A
Ed and Mitch are hiking deep into the woods on a camping trip when suddenly they realize that Ed's body is becoming progressively infected with hundreds of live maggots. Shot entirely in the woods of Cumberland, RI.

 

The Peach Farm (The Veil)
Directed by Wendy Hoopes
2009, 15 min. U S A
Peach Farm is a dream that folds time between three generations of family, demonstrating the thinness of the veil between the natural world and the spiritual world.

 

First Kill
Directed by: Micah Ranum
2008, 15 min. U S A
Rayburn, a reluctant contract killer, faces his own mortality after his latest hit is photographed by a hunter's camera, owned by a different kind of killer.

 

Werewolf Trouble
Directed by: Charlie Anderson
2008, 7 min. U S A
Ryan is a werewolf. Horrified to wake up only partially transformed one morning, he calls upon two friends who don’t have his best interests at heart.

 

4:00 p.m.
Zombies And Cigarettes
Directed by Rafael Martinez and Iñaki San Roman
2009, 17 min. Spain
Four people caught on a Mall. A hordes of the living dead around them. Only one exit... to face them.

 

Circuit
Directed by Andrew Landauro
2009, 76 min. U S A
Circuit is a conceptual science-fiction feature film weaving together five stories, each revealing a struggle with the five physical senses. As the stories evolve, there emerges a mysterious and compelling force uniting them all. Threading through love, desire, paranoia, memory, time, and space, Circuit is moving, funny, and at times disturbing. Shot in Boston and Brookline, MA.

THEATER/EVENT LOCATIONS:

The Bell Street Chapel

5 Bell Street, Providence, RI 02909

401.273.5678

100 seats downstairs

www.bellstreetchapel.org

Map it:

Providence Public Library

150 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903

401.455.8000

200 capacity, www.provlib.org

Map It:

Our Sponsors for 2009:

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.

Local Links for Halloween Events: