Horror comes to Montenegro at the first ever MONTIFFF fantastic film festival.
On Friday, the first-ever Montenegro International Fantastic Film Festival or Montifff will kick off in Porto Montenegro, in Tivat. Running from October 9 11, 2015, Montiff is Montenegros newest accommodation to genre fans in that region. Theres literally nothing else like this festival anywhere else in the small, coastal Balkan nation. The brainchild of filmmaker Gala Goliani, Montiff showcases new horror, science fiction, and fantasy films from around the world for eager locals in a setting up against the gorgeous Adriatic coast.
For full disclosure, I must confess I was one of the programmers of Montiff. Golianis short science fiction thriller RED RIDER was one of the 2015 selections of the Etheria Film Night Tour, so naturally I am convinced this lineup is astoundingly amazing. It also includes many Etheria films which we are excited to share with Montenegro for the first time.
Friday the 9th kicks off with a block of local fantastic films from the Balkans; from short and sweet to darkly comedic, these new films are indicative of the burgeoning local filmmaker culture which is transforming the film industry there (and which spurred the creation of this new festival).
On Saturday the 10th at midnight, Shock editor Chris Alexander will greet the audience with a video message before the European premiere screenings of two of his features as director, QUEEN OF BLOOD (the follow-up to BLOOD FOR IRINA) and his latest, FEMALE WEREWOLF. In FEMALE WEREWOLF, which stars Carrie Gemmell, Shauna Henry and Cheryl Singleton, a mentally unstable women lost in a fever of sexual delirium begins to believe she may be turning into a monster.
Another highlight of the festival includes the Eastern European premiere of the brand new horror feature JUNE (read our review HERE) directed by by L.Gustavo Cooper and starring Casper Van Dien. In it, nine-year-old June has been shuffled in and out of foster homes for years. And though she tries to be good, no matter where she goes, a trail of chaos and terror seems to follow. Its only when June is sent to live with a new couple, Lily and Dave, that it looks as if things might finally work out. Except this innocent child with the face of an angel is possessed by an ancient, malevolent entity that has hijacked her soul.
Danish filmmaker Michael Madsen will screen his eerie and starkly gorgeous feature THE VISIT. This documentary-style film shows how government agencies try to cope with humankinds first contact with alien life.
GOODNIGHT MOMMY is a new thriller film making the rounds at fantastic film festivals around the world, but Montifff will be screening it with the directors, Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, <i>in person</i> to take part in an onstage question and answer session about their compelling new horror story.
MYLING: THE MYTH AWAKENS, from new director Astrid Thorvaldsen, is a Norwegian horror feature about a local folktale in which children are left in the woods to die. Adults head into the woods unaware that the ghost story may be more than <i>just a story.</i>
The female-directed Etheria Films that Montiff is showcasing include new science fiction, fantasy, and horror from the international womens genre fests 2015 selections (including Gala Golianis RED RIDER): SLUT (Chloe Okuno), SHEILA SCORNED (Mara Tasker), STALLED (Karen Lam), DE NOCHE Y DE PRONTO (Arantxa Echevarría), SUBSTANCE (Barbara Stepansky), HIDE & SEEK (Kayoko Asakura), ZONE 2 (Anna Elizabeth James), GÖDEL INCOMPLETE (Martha Goddard), HARRIET AND THE MATCHES (Miranda Howard-Williams), RED RIDER (Gala Goliani), and SERPENTS LULLABY (Patricia Chica).
Some of the international shorts that will play include science fiction noir CAPTCHA by Edward Tracy, the horror/dark comedy/absurd film CLOWNTOWN by John Skipp and Andrew Kasch (of TALES OF HALLOWEEN fame), and James Webbers UK horror masterpiece THE PREY.
You can check out Montifff for the complete lineup and more information. Its going to be the next big thing in horror in the Balkans, and we couldnt be more excited about it.
