MONSTER FEST 2017 Second Wave Programming Announcement!
With just over five weeks to go before Australia’s premier genre film festival, MONSTER FEST returns for its seventh year, we’re pleased to announce our second wave of programming for this year’s festival!
Making its Australian Premiere is Rondo Award-winning filmmaker, Steve Mitchell’s debut documentary, KING COHEN, a feature-length retrospective on legendary filmmaker Larry Cohen. This year our world famous ALL-NIGHT MARATHON will accompany KING COHEN with a from dusk till dawn program paying tribute to the one and only cinematic maverick, Larry Cohen.
Joining our growing list of MONSTER FEST 2017 special guests this year is Aussie expat and genre luminary, Mark Savage, who will be in attendance to present the Australian Premiere of his latest film, PURGATORY ROAD.
Rounding out our second wave announcement are three shorts programs, HOME IS WHERE THE HORROR IS, WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE and AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL (Australian Student Shorts).
Here’s the breakdown of session times and ticketing links:
KING COHEN & THE ALL-NIGHT MARATHON | SATURDAY 25TH OF NOVEMBER 11PM
KING COHEN*
Steve Mitchell | USA 2017 | LA LA LAND ENTERTAINMENT | Australian Premiere
Buckle up for KING COHEN, the true story of writer, producer, director, creator and all-around maverick, Larry Cohen (BLACK CAESAR, IT’S ALIVE, Q: THE WINGED SERPENT, THE STUFF). Told through compelling interviews, stills and archival clips, the people who helped fulfil his vision, and industry icons such as Martin Scorsese, John Landis, Michael Moriarty, Fred Williamson and many more, including Larry himself, bring one-of-a-kind insight into the work, process and legacy of a true American film auteur.
THE ALL-NIGHT MARATHON*
After witnessing Steve Mitchell’s fascinating documentary on the legendary Larry Cohen, you’ll want to dive instantaneously into King Cohen’s extensive back catalogue of films and we’ve made it easy for you with THE ALL-NIGHT MARATHON! The only catch is that programming of our marathon is top secret…so the only way to know what five Larry Cohen films we’ll play is to be there on the night/morning!
*KING COHEN & THE ALL-NIGHT MARATHON is offered as an Event Only ticket, $30 (no concessions).
PURGATORY ROAD | SATURDAY 25TH OF NOVEMBER 7PM
Mark Savage | USA 2017 | Delirium | Australian Premiere
w/ Q&A by Writer/Director Mark Savage
On the highways of Mississippi, a psychotic priest and his brother are on a crusade to absolve sinners with their own brand of murder. The only person brave enough to challenge them is a woman more crazed, more deadly, and more insane than they are.
SHORTS PROGRAM 1
HOME IS WHERE THE HORROR IS | FRIDAY 24TH OF NOVEMBER 7PM
Kids, teens, housemates and families; no one is safe from MONSTER FEST’s domestically themed program of terrifying horror shorts.
THE WELCOMING
Russ Gomm | UK | 7 mins
A little girl goes wandering in the woods, but some who wander might find themselves lost in darker places.
GENE
Nick Padley | UK | 10.22 mins
A recently widowed mother has to take drastic action when she discovers her 11 year old son might be a psychopath in the making.
IT BEGAN WITHOUT WARNING
Jessica Curtright, Santiago C. Tapia | USA | 5.35 mins
‘The time has come’, the Walrus said. And all the little Oysters stood and waited in a row.
THE DUWENDE
Odin B. Fernandez | Australia | 10.30 mins
In rural Philippines, a local man searches for his missing daughter while his wife believes she was taken by the mythical duwende.
IN THE DARK DARK WOODS
Jason Bognacki | USA | 4.30 mins
The woods hold a dark secret.
THE LAST LIGHT
Angelita Mendoza | USA | 11.17 mins
A young girl, Izabella, finds a little boy tied up in an abandoned house on her family’s land, she questions the boy to find out who he is and why he’s been left there. Is he being mistreated or has he done something wrong?
TICKLE MONSTER
Remi Weekes | UK | 3.57 mins
When Natalie learns that Elliott is ticklish, things get bad. And then they get worse.
PIGSKIN
Jake Hammond | USA | 13.24 mins
A high school cheerleader faces a grisly manifestation of her self-deprecating inner demons.
PIZZA FACE
Jamie Dwyer | USA | 10.00 mins
A self-absorbed pizza waitress unleashes devastating horror after downloading a sinister mobile app.
THE VEILED
Josh Long | Australia | 12.45 mins
The elderly father is trapped behind the veil of dementia and his daughter is trapped as his caregiver. The grind of day to day life of the forgotten daughter trying to give her forgotten father dignity in a world that has passed both of them by. A sacrificed life to do what’s right. But as cracks start to appear in the veil she must answer one ghastly question. Was it worth it?
YOUR DATE IS HERE
Todd Spence | USA | 6.12 mins
After dusting off an old Mystery-Date style board game, a mother and daughter realise the game holds more evil than amusement.
NOTHING A LITTLE SOAP AND WATER CAN’T FIX
Jen Proctor | USA | 9.15 mins
Using appropriated movies, this experimental found footage work deconstructs the representations of women in this domestic space as historically framed in popular film.
TEDDY BEARS PICNIC
Tom Hodge | UK | 5.26 mins
A mother and daughter are playing games in the forest. Somebody’s watching. Somebody’s waiting. If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a grim surprise.
SHORTS PROGRAM 2
WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE | SATURDAY 25TH OF NOVEMBER 2:30PM
MONSTER FEST’s hybrid-genre shorts program featuring stories of the twisted, bizarre and outright deranged.
HELMINTH
Merinda Staubli | Australia | 6.26 mins
Helminth is an exploration of beauty ideals and the innate abject, grotesque nature of the human body.
FRENCHIES
Kuan-Fu FT Lin | Taiwan/USA | 12.41 mins
A fantasy satire film about how fear turns a nice guy into a judgemental person against his new neighbours, the Frenchy family.
BREATHE
Daniel Anderson | Australia | 14.59 mins
The lives of two space explorers unravel after a life-threatening accident exposes a secret romance.
PANIC ATTACK!
Eileen O’Meara | USA | 3.00 mins
Do you ever wonder “did I leave the coffee on?” or “am I pregnant with a devil-baby?” This 3-minute short explores anxiety, obsession, and one woman’s slippery hold on reality.
DELICIOUS PERSPECTIVE
Antonio Padovani | Italy | 10.49 mins
Anna is coming: finally, a night together, a night awaited for so long, but the anticipation now makes her uneasy and scares her. Something is troubling her. The fear of breaking a taboo? Feelings of inadequacy? Her conscience? An undefined sense of guilt? All things that can kill. Literally.
DON’T EVER CHANGE
Don Swaynos | USA | 9.40 mins
The reunion between a woman and her estranged daughter is interrupted by a man with an unusual request.
HELL FOLLOWS
Brian Harrison | USA | 10.55 mins
Betrayed by his clan and murdered for his past evil deeds, a sadistic killer’s soul possesses his identical twin’s body and sets out onto the road of vengeance for one final crusade of extermination. Everywhere he goes … HELL FOLLOWS.
SOLVED
Michael Bartolomeo | USA | 7.45 mins
A lonely young man dreams of one day becoming a Rubik’s Cube master, but his obsession soon turns deadly.
DON’T TURN ME OFF
Sean van Leijenhorst | Czech Republic | 5.30 mins
When a woman terrified of a scary film she was watching decides to turn it off, the horror becomes all too real when a dark presence is unleashed in the house.
LAST WORDS
Daniel Farmer | Australia | 12.00 mins
After filming carnage for the nightly news a cameraman steps into his own picture for the first time.
PET MONKEY
Eric Maira | USA | 7.57 mins
A date night turns ugly when a persistent boyfriend offers to buy his girlfriend a monkey.
SOL
Carlos G. Gananian | Brazil | 14.00 mins
Sol only listens to one voice. The devil’s voice.
SHORTS PROGRAM 3
AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL | SUNDAY 26TH OF NOVEMBER 12:30PM
MONSTER FEST’s showcase of student shorts from some of the best film schools around the country, featuring the work of current students and 2016 graduates.
WELCOME AND CONGRATULATIONS
Mickey Mason | Flinders University | 6.58 mins
The way to happiness. A “how to” video guide for better living in a dystopian society.
ONE SMALL STEP
Sarah Rackemann | Queensland University of Technology | 2.17 mins
One of humankind’s greatest achievements has been to walk on the moon. It was marked in history as a phenomenal success. What if that first step had turned out a little differently?
THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN
Jason Hooker | Swinburne University | 11.57 mins
The owners of a foster care home venture out to search for the orphan girl in their care who has disappeared into the nearby woods – unaware of the impending threat to their existence.
MAN IN THE MOON
Monique Mulcahy | Victorian College of the Arts | 13.17 mins
When an under appreciated single mother intercepts a strange transmission on her pocket radio she suspects that it may be linked to her teenage sons mysterious homemade gaming headset.
ENID
Maria Severin | Deakin University | 8.00 mins
Joseph is a young male traveler injured in an animal trap accident, he stumbles upon the cabin of a lone woman. She takes him in and heals him. After witnessing some strange behavior, he bravely snoops around for more answers. But this won’t do for the woman, and the young traveler becomes the victim of a dangerous ritual.
PETREL
Charles Broad | Sydney Film School | 12.08 mins
In the middle of rural Australia a man is running away from his past. He soon becomes stuck inside an empty petrol station, hoping to escape. But the station is more certain of his chances than he is.
THE ONLOOKERS
Jason Albury | Victorian College of the Arts | 10.55 mins
In our world time has become fragmented and time holes are appearing anywhere and at any time, revealing either the past or the future in that very location. When George and his apprentice stumble across a timehole revealing their inevitable fate they must now decide what they must do with the life changing information.
THE LEAVING
Michael Smith | Flinders University | 13.10 mins
Ariel is treating herself to a relaxing night with a bath and wine. Upon getting ready to turn in for the night, Ariel realises that she is being hunted by a violent intruder, forcing her to go to any lengths to stay alive.
HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE
Erika Wu | JMC Academy | 3.53 mins
In the middle of the night, Lissy is awoken by something strange lurking behind her closet door. Is it a monster? A ghost? A new friend?
For details on our first wave announcement click here!
SINGLE TICKETS
Adults: $21
Concessions/Members:$16
KING COHEN & THE ALL-NIGHT MARATHON: $30 (no concession)
TICKET PACKAGES
Get the most out of the Monster Fest 2017 experience and save with package passes! When you purchase a pass you will be receive a barcode number which shows up in your booking receipt. This can be used online, over the phone or in person to redeem sessions at the festival in advance. To use this code online, just go on the sessions you wish to attend as though buying tickets, and it will give you the option of entering a redemption code. If for any reason you do not receive a code, please contact the Lido at (03) 8658 0000.
VIP Pass – $120
The VIP Pass gets you all-access to Monster Fest screenings and events at the Lido Cinema Nov 23rd to -26th of November. These VIP pass lanyard will be available for pickup at The Lido on Nov 23rd from 5pm onwards, you will need to keep this lanyard on you at all times as pass-holders need to show their pass at the box office to get tickets to the sessions they wish to attend and or festival staff to check against ticket purchases for entry into cinemas.
5 Film Pass – $60
Get a 5 film pass eligible for Monster Fest sessions on Friday the 24th, Saturday the 25th or Sunday the 26th for a discounted price! The 5 Day Pass is not valid for Opening Night session or the All-Night Marathon.
