SXSW 2015: Metal, Necrophilia, Nightmares, Cannibals and Cults in Midnighters

Following a hefty features announcement last week, SXSW has revealed the Midnight slate, one likely most exciting for its potential of new discovery. 

Accompanying the previously announced World Premiere of Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation and a new film from the often harsh Adam Mason (Broken, Pig) is an international slate of new films and filmmakers including heavy metal horror from New Zealand (Deathgasm), necrophilic Spanish feature The Corpse of Anna Fritz, confined body horror Excess Flesh, the Larry Fessenden and Barbara Crampton-starring We Are Still Here and Mickey Keating’s Ritual follow-up, Pod.

Find the full slate of Midnighters and Midnight Shorts, below. SXSW Film runs March 13-21 in Austin, TX. For more on its horror lineup, see Shock’s first news story here. Expect much more on the horrors of SXSW here at Shock in the coming weeks.

MIDNIGHTERS – Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.

• The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)

Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus

Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó  (World Premiere)

• Deathgasm (New Zealand), Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden

New kid in town Brodie and bad-boy Zakk quickly bond over their mutual admiration of heavy metal. But when these two metal thrashing losers unwittingly summon malevolent forces, their dreams of stardom may just have to be put on hold. Cast: Milo Cawthorne, James Blake, Kimberley Crossman, Stephen Ure (World Premiere)

• The Diabolical, Director: Alistair Legrand, Screenwriters: Alistair Legrand, Luke Harvis

When a single mother and her two young children are tormented by an increasingly strange and intense presence, she turns to her science teacher boyfriend to help take on the violent forces that paranormal experts are too frightened to face. Cast: Ali Larter, Arjun Gupta, Max Rose, Merrin Dungey, Chloe Perrin, Kurt Carley, Patrick Fischler, Wilmer Calderon, Tom Wright, Laura Margolis (World Premiere)

• Excess Flesh, Director: Patrick Kennelly, Screenwriters: Sigrid Gilmer, Patrick Kennelly

Obsessed with her sexy roommate, Jill violently imprisons Jennifer in their apartment in a twisted attempt to bring them closer together. Cast: Bethany Orr, Mary Loveless, Wes McGee, Sheresade Poblet, Jill Jacobson, Dana L. Wilson, Kristin Minter, Robert Maffia, Jules Bruff, Juan Riedinger (World Premiere)

• HANGMAN, Director: Adam Mason, Screenwriters: Adam Mason, Simon Boyes

Returning from vacation, the Miller family find their home has been broken into. After cleaning up the mess they continue with their lives, shaking off the feeling of being violated. But little do they know the nightmare has just begun. Cast: Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield, Ty Simpkins, Ryan Simpkins, Amy Smart, Ross Partridge, Vince Ventresca, Bruno Acalinas, Ethan Harris-Riggs, Jamie Lee (World Premiere)

• He Never Died, Director/Screenwriter: Jason Krawczyk

Jack is a man battling his eternal struggle with cannibalism. There are very few reasons to live when you can’t die. Cast: Henry Rollins, Steven Ogg, Kate Greenhouse, BooBoo Stewart, Jordan Todosey (World Premiere)

• The Invitation, Director: Karyn Kusama, Screenwriters: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi

While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intention for their guests. Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge, John Carroll Lynch, Mike Doyle, Michelle Krusiec, Karl Yune, Jordi Vilasuso (World Premiere)

• The Nightmare, Director: Rodney Ascher

The Nightmare is an original horror documentary from the Oscar winning producer of Undefeated, the producer of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and the producer of The Pact and is directed by Rodney Ascher, the acclaimed director of the Room 237.

• Pod, Director/Screenwriter: Mickey Keating

A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house. Cast: Lauren Ashley Carter, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant, Larry Fessenden, John Weselcouch (World Premiere)

• Turbo Kid (Canada / New Zealand), Director/Screenwriter: RKSS Collective

In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, a young solitary scavenger obsessed with comic books must face his fears and become a hero when he meets a mysterious girl named APPLE.

Cast: Michael Ironside, Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffrey

• We Are Still Here, Director/Screenwriter: Ted Geoghegan (pictured, top)

In the cold, winter fields of New England, there sits a house that wakes up every 30 years and demands a sacrifice. Cast: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Larry Fessenden, Lisa Marie, Monte Markham (World Premiere)

 

MIDNIGHT SHORTS

Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, genre, and hilarity needs.

• ANAL JUKE?-anal juice- (Japan), Director: Sawako Kabuki

A dream about my ex-boyfriend and the uneasy atmosphere of Japan after the earthquake are remixed.

BAG MAN from (a) TWIN (thing). on Vimeo.

• Bag Man, Directors: Josh Baker, Jonathan Baker

Bag Man is the understated story of a 12 year old African American boy, who takes us on an introspective journey out of the city and into the remote countryside of upstate New York, with a mysterious duffle bag in hand. (World Premiere)

• CROW HAND!!!, Director: Brian Lonano

A “CAW”tionary tale!!! (North American Premiere)

Interesting Ball from DANIELS on Vimeo.

• Interesting Ball (USA/UK), Director: DANIELS

A red ball bounces past a cafe and a couple folks’ houses and then goes to the beach.

• Kiss Kiss Fingerbang, Director: Gillian Wallace Horvat

A nice guy discovers a darker side of his personality when his girlfriend reveals her hidden weakness. (World Premiere)

• Knock Knock, Director: Jeff Betancourt

Val and her friends play a game that allows them to communicate with the dead. The Knock Knock Game turns any doorway into a portal to the hereafter, but the girls soon learn that there are rules that should never be broken. (World Premiere)

Le Pedophile (trailer 2014) from Les Enfants Terribles Home Video on Vimeo.

• Le Pédophile (Canada), Director: Ara Ball

Le Pédophile tells the hard hitting story of a woman coping with a history of being sexually abused, and the violence and tenderness which helps her leave it behind. (World Premiere)

Welcome to Willits: After Sundown from Welcome to Willits on Vimeo.

• WELCOME to WILLITS: AFTER SUNDOWN, Director: Trevor Ryan

Some deals go wrong. Some deals go very wrong. (World Premiere)

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