Monster Fest Melbourne Complete Program
Friday, 5th September
With a month to go before MONSTER FEST returns to Cinema Nova from October 3 to 11, we’re thrilled to share the final programming for our 2025 Festival in Melbourne, with a host of world & local premieres of the freshest and most fearless genre cinema from Australian shores and abroad.
From international waters, our final programming includes: director Colin Minihan’s satirical eco-horror come survival thriller COYOTES with Justin Long & Kate Bosworth; visionary filmmaker Luc Besson’s take on Bram Stoker’s legendary source with DRACULA: A LOVE TALE, starring Caleb Landry Jones & Christoph Waltz; filmmaking family and Monster Fest alumni John Adams, Zelda Adams & Toby Poser’s folk horror offering MOTHER OF FLIES; director Max Minghella’s satirical body-horror SHELL, with Elisabeth Moss, Kate Hudson and Elizabeth Berkley; the unsettling and unflinchingly brutal DISFORIA, directed by Christopher Cartagena; filmmakers Lauris & Raitis Ābele’s perversely animated and disturbingly delightful DOG OF GOD; Emilio Portes’ hallucinatory and haunting children-in-peril fable DON’T LEAVE THE KIDS ALONE and Monster Fest award-winner David Gregory’s latest documentary THEATRE OF HORRORS: THE SORDID STORY OF PARIS’ GRAND GUIGNOL.
From local shores, our final programming features the world premieres of three films by Monster Fest alumni, including Michael Anthony Kratochvil’s masterfully crafted and deeply engaging documentary LAKE MUNGO REVISITED, Jasmine Jakupi & Addison Heath’s sinister and sensual urban vampire outing HAUNTED & DEVOTED and Clint Cure’s biting meta comedy-horror DRACULA REVAMPED.
Batten down the hatches and brace for impact as two classic nautical nasties leap from sea to screen with Barbara Peeters’ HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (aka MONSTER, 1980) and Stephen Traxler’s SLITHIS (aka SPAWN OF SLITHIS, 1978), tying in with the theme of our 2025 festival artwork. Rounding out our feature programming is a Monster Presents preview screening of Daniel J. Phillips’ cabin-in-the-woods demonic horror DIABOLIC. As always, we’re showcasing the art of short-form storytelling with five dedicated Short Film Programmes: Bloody Funny Shorts, Nightmare Fuel Shorts, Sinister Visions Shorts, Fresh Cuts – Student Shorts and Dick Dale’s TRASHARAMA. Calling all gorehounds and genre junkies — think you know your Argento from your Aster? Your slashers from your splatter? It’s time to put your knowledge to the test at Monster Fest Horror Movie Trivia, presented by the Melbourne Horror Film Society and with a treasure trove of prizes to be won. Finally, we are excited to reveal that our Monster Fest Closing Night Awards & After Party will be a free event and held in partnership with SOMA and GRINDHEAD PRODUCTIONS at BAD DECISIONS in Fitzroy, with live entertainment throughout the night until morning tide.
The aforementioned programming and events join our already announced features: DEATHGASM II: GOREMAGEDDON, DEATHSTALKER, JIMMY AND STIGGS, BONE LAKE, PSYCHO THERAPY: THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER, TEST SCREENING, ROTTEN, RESIDENCE and FREAKED [4K RESTORATION].
For programming, sessions and ticketing, visit: monsterfest.com.au/australia
