1980s psycho-thriller ANGST - Screening at London's Austrian Film Festival

Influential 1980s psycho-thriller ANGST (Dir: Gerald Kargl, 1983) will be screening as part of the upcoming 3rd edition of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival, which will take place at Cine Lumiere and the ICA Cinemas in London 13-16 March.

Banned in many European countries for its depictions of violence, and based on real-life Austrian mass murderer Werner Kniesek, ANGST follows a troubled man who is released from prison after serving ten years for murdering an elderly woman. 

Feeling the compulsion to kill again, he chances upon a secluded rural home where a young woman lives with her sick mother and disabled brother, and he immediately begins enacting his sadistic fantasies on them. 

Shocking and significant in equal measures, notable filmmakers including Gaspar Noé cite Angst as an influence, and The Brutalist writer/director Brady Corbet recently selected ANGST in his list of “5 films for challenging times”.

Other films in the programme include the London Premiere of savage pitch-black satire VENI VIDI VICI and the UK Premiere of tense mystery MOON. 

ANGST will screen as part of watchAUT Austrian Film Festival at the  ICA, Saturday 15 March, 8:30pm: https://www.ica.art/films/angst

For info on other films at the festival, visit https://www.ica.art/films/watchaut

 

 

Gore-filled supernatural horror DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS - Arrives on Digital, March

Beware of what’s lurking in the dark in DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, a thrillingly gory new supernatural horror from Anaconda producer Andy Fickman (Race to Witch Mountain, Heathers: The Musical), which arrives on digital 17 March 2025 courtesy of 101 Films.
 
With their bags packed and the excitement building, a group of friends set off in their camper van for a wild time at a music festival… but as they embark on what’s supposed to be the road trip of a lifetime, they find themselves on a highway to hell.
 
Their hopes of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll come crashing down when they find themselves lost in the middle of nowhere, with no signal and as it gets dark, their RV adventure becomes a horrific nightmare… Unbeknownst to the young group, sinister supernatural forces are lurking in the darkness and one by one the friends meet their grisly demise, in a blood-filled gore fest.
 
This is one bad trip they won’t recover from.  
 
Gather your friends for this blood-thirsty horror thrill-ride… just remember, whatever you do, DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS. On Digital, 17 March 2025, courtesy of 101 Films. 

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

 

Yiddish Folk Horror SEED OF DOUBT – Screening at Romford Film Festival

Dan Daniel's short horror film SEED OF DOUBT, will be screening at this year’s Romford Film Festival

SEED OF DOUBT is a Yiddish-language folk horror film rooted in Eastern European Jewish folklore - something that hasn’t really been explored in horror cinema since the early 1930s Yiddish film movement (except perhaps the opening of A Serious Man by the Coen Brothers). 

 The film blends supernatural horror with psychological terror, exploring themes of faith, fear, and paranoia within a close-knit shtetl community.

With its historically authentic setting, eerie period atmosphere, and an approach to horror that draws from Jewish mysticism and superstition, SEED OF DOUBT offers something distinct in the folk horror landscape. I’d love to discuss the film further and explore any opportunities for coverage.

For more info on this and other films at the festival, and to get tickets, visit the official website at http://www.romfordhorrorfestival.com/

Twisted thriller THE RULE OF JENNY PEN - In UK cinemas 14 March

Shudder and Vertigo Releasing are thrilled to confirm the release of the twisted thriller THE RULE OF JENNY PEN. The film will be in UK and Ireland cinemas from 14 March.

Arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen (Rush) suffers a near-fatal stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed and confined to a retirement home. Resistant to the staff and distant from his friendly roommate, Mortensen soon clashes with seemingly gentle resident Dave Crealy (Lithgow) who secretly terrorizes the home with a sadistic game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen” while wielding his dementia doll as an instrument of cruelty. 

What begins as childish torment quickly escalates into far more sinister and disturbing incidents. When Mortensen's pleas to the staff go unanswered, he takes it upon himself to put an end to Crealy's reign of terror.

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN is directed by James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark) and has played at Sitges Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, where it won Best Actor (Geoffrey Rush) and Best Director (James Ashcroft)

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN is in UK and Ireland cinemas 14 March from Vertigo Releasing. IFC Films and Shudder will release the film in the US on 7 March.

 View the Trailer on YouTube.

Horror short IVI ELV - Screening at Romford Horror Festival

Director Luigi Scarpa got in touch to tell us about his horror short IVI ELV, which will be screening at this years Romford Horror Festival.

Synopsis:
A man regains consciousness somewhere unknown and claustrophobic. Dazed and confused, he begins to wander its dark corridors, but a series of visions will force him to deal with a far worse reality

Director's Statement:
This film is a reflection on people's fears. We all are afraid of something and feel it in many different ways: from phobias to obsessions. I wanted to tell a story. To give a clear vision of what fear is to me. 

It is a film without dialogue, so it is the images that have to speak. Everything that happens in the main location of the film acquires much more strength. Even in the strongest scenes, I wanted "presence" not to be shown right away. To reveal only details and then leave it to the viewer's mind to build and imagine. It is a very psychological discourse. 

 

View the Trailer on YouTube.

Visit the Director's Official Website at http://www.luigiscarpa.com

IVI ELV screens at this years Romford Horror Festival, for more and to buy tickets and passes visit http://www.romfordhorrorfestival.com/

Fantasy horror RUMPELSTILTSKIN - Coming to Digital, following its FrightFest Premiere...

Say his name say his name…  RUMPELSTILTSKIN is back in a wickedly entertaining new update on the terrifying fairy tale from acclaimed writer-director Andy Edwards (Punch, Graphic Desires). 

His ambitious new fantasy horror feature is set for its World Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow on 8 March 2025, followed by its home release on 7 April 2025 thanks to Miracle Media.

The film breathes new life into the age-old children’s story, with eye-popping, gnarly special effects and a potty mouthed female protagonist who isn’t your typical damsel in distress. With bawdy humour and devilishly delightful visuals, this new incarnation certainly packs a punch and is sure to permeate your dreams with nightmare fuel.

Once upon a time a greedy miller (Mark Cook) promises to marry off his beautiful daughter Evaline (Hannah Baxter-Eve) to the King (Colin Malone). But things don’t quite go to plan when his lies are uncovered and the pair are about to be locked up in a tower forever.

So, they make a bold promise to the King, that Evalina will spin straw into gold using a spinning wheel… but that’s easier said than done and they realise that they’ve made a promise they can’t keep. That is until a mischievous masked creature (Joss Carter) appears from nowhere with the offer of help. But help comes with a cost…

When the woman fulfills the task, the King becomes seduced by greed and wants more gold, so in an act of desperation she pleads with the fiendish imp and they make a deal… her firstborn child for more gold.

But everyone ends up getting more than they bargained for when the Devil gets involved and all hell breaks loose.

Who said spinning straw into gold wouldn’t come without a few problems?

World Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow 8 March 2025
On digital 7 April 2025 from Miracle Media

 

 

Australian sci-fi thriller IN VITRO - Coming to Digital...

Plaion Pictures have confirmed that the Australian sci-fi thriller IN VITRO is set for its UK Premiere at Glasgow Film Festival on 27th February. The film will be released across Digital Platforms later this year. 

Layla lives on a remote cattle property with her husband, Jack, who has developed a new process for breeding livestock. 

But the farm is struggling and the isolated existence is not the life Layla dreamed of, especially when a number of unsettling events occur on the property. 

As Layla starts to question her life with Jack, she discovers that there is a disturbing presence with them on the farm.

IN VITRO is co-directed by Will Howarth and Tom McKeith, with Howarth making his feature-length directorial debut. Star of the film Talia Zucker (Lake Mungo) collaborated with the duo as co-writers. The film also features stand out performances from Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Apple Cider Vinegar), as well as Will Howarth (Beast).

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

IN VITRO will have its UK Premiere on 27th February at Glasgow Film Festival. Tickets available HERE.