News

Grimmfest have today announced the launch of their Grimmfest Easter Edition, a new annual event taking place over the Easter Weekend, and complimenting the long-established festival in October.

Easter is traditionally a time for rebirth, renewal, resurrection. But as the Pandemic continues to rage, and the world remains on lockdown for the foreseeable future, it is also a time for rethinking. Thus, while the Grimmfest team had hoped to be hosting a ‘live’ Easter event, instead, the Grimmfest Easter Edition will be taking place online, and will build on the success of Grimmfest 2020 online experience.

The festival will open on Thursday April 1st with our preview night that will feature the UK premiere of Kourosh Ahari’s surreal and sulphurous Iranian American haunted hotel horror The Night, which has already earned deserved comparisons to Kubrick’s The Shining, alongside the UK premiere of Lluis Danes’ visually ravishing reimagining of the...

Kourosh Ahari’s ‘The Night’ and Lluís Danés’ ‘The Barcelona Vampiress’ to open genre festival.

UK genre film festival Grimmfest has revealed the line-up for its first Easter edition, which will open with Kourosh Ahari’s The Night and Lluís Danés’ The Barcelona Vampiress.

The spin-off event to Grimmfest was established after its traditional October festival was moved online, due to the pandemic, and was meant to mark a return to physical screenings for the organisation. But ongoing cinema closures and restrictions will also see the Grimmfest Easter Edition go virtual from April 1-5.

The festival will open with psychological horror The Night,...

To Sleep, Perchance to Scream: Khvaleev Gets Re-creative with Mind Control

Mind control is the name of the game in Sleepless Beauty, the fourth feature from Russian director Pavel Khvaleev, reuniting with screenwriter Aleksandra Khvaleeva for the third time.

Serving as his own editor and cinematographer, Khvaleev once again proves to insinuate an ambitious myriad of fantastical, shifting palettes upon an otherwise simplistic core narrative, perhaps utilizing more cohesive parameters than, say, his 2015 breakout title III: The Ritual. Formulating a familiar odyssey of the insidious uses of sensory deprivation on the human mind and body, there are choice elements which leave a lasting impression despite some of the significant faults which hobble its tonal effectiveness.…...

Directed by: Pavel Khvaleev Starring: Polina Davydova Sleepless Beauty tells a twisted story about a young woman, Mila, who is kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as Recreation. Her unknown abductors talk to her through a loudspeaker and set strict rules: she cannot sleep and has to fulfill bizarre and violent tasks if she hopes to stay …

The post Sleepless Beauty – Available on VOD + Digital, Bluray November appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

"If we kidnap you, and forbid you to sleep, what happens with your mind?" Epic Pictures has released an official US trailer for a dark psychological thriller titled Sleepless Beauty, from Russian filmmaker Pavel Khvaleev. It just premiered at the Imagine Film Festival, and arrives on VOD in the US in November. A girl named Mila doesn't notice she is under surveillance 24/7. As she comes home one day, she is kidnapped. The unknown abductors keep her in an old garage, talk to her through a loudspeaker and set strict rules: she must not sleep but has to fulfill weird tasks that they've prepared for her. It all looks like someone's sick ideas and gloomy entertainment. Still, she doesn't suspect that she's part of a ruthless experiment. Sleepless Beauty stars Polina Davydova as Mila, with Evgeniy Gagarin and Sergey Topkov. This looks like Saw infused with VR, going even deeper into...

We've got such sights to show you. Russian horror film Sleepless Beauty is coming home in November and we've got your first look at an exclusive trailer for the movie.

Sleepless Beauty tells a twisted story about a young woman, Mila, who is kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as Recreation. Her unknown abductors talk to her through a loudspeaker and set strict rules: she cannot sleep and has to fulfill bizarre and violent tasks if she hopes to stay alive. At first, it looks like someone's sick idea of entertainment but as the demands become more intense, Mila begins to realize that she is losing control of her own mind and instead, may be a pawn in a twisted and deadly psychological experiment.

Directed by Pavel Khvaleev and starring Polina Davydova, Sleepless Beauty made its world premiere at the 2020 Imagine Film Festival and was an official selection for the 2020 Sitges Film Festival,...

Lo and behold: despite the limitations brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Amsterdam-based Imagine Film Festival managed to get itself two theatrical world premieres for its 2020 edition. One of them was Peet Gelderblom's poetic collage film When Forever Dies, reviewed here, but the other one, Pavel Khvaleev's new film Sleepless Beauty, could hardly be more different: a brutal conspiracy thriller from Russia with a strong torture-horror slant. Briefly released online, Amsterdam actually got the first theatrical screening, and the film will continue to Sitges soon. Sleepless Beauty starts with the failed assassination of an ambassador. "Not to worry," say the people who ordered the hit, "we have a plan-b...". Shortly after that we follow Mila, a young woman who gets abducted and who...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

When I caught Russian musician-cum-director Pavel Khvaleev’s III back in 2014 at the Fant Bilbao Festival, considering the film’s absolutely stainless high concept visuals that put most Hollywood blockbusters to shame, I was totally taken aback when the helmer told me he’d… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive: Pavel Khvaleev Talks Involution and Serves Up Explosive Promo Teaser appeared first on Dread Central.

Four feature films from today’s notices are looking to cast everything from background talent to lead actors! Get all the details below! “Involution”This thrilling science fiction feature from director Pavel Khvaleev is set in a dark, dystopian future where a “cruel and inhuman mechanism” has turned back Darwin’s theory of evolution. The film, which will shoot later this year into 2017 between Germany and Russia, is seeking its leading lady, Liv, and its leading man, Hamming. Liv is described as woman aged 18–28 who’s emotional, dreamy, and prone to mood swings; Hamming is an introverted psychologist, aged 25–35. In addition to pay, travel, accommodation, and meals will also be provided for hired talent. A share of the budget plus a share of the revenues will also be provided. “Underworld Minus Love”This independent feature is casting two male leads and a female lead, as well as day players for speaking supporting roles.

It's All Hallows' Eve, and we begin today's roundup with the New Yorker's Richard Brody declaring that Edgar G. Ulmer's The Black Cat with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff is his "favorite Halloween movie." We're also pointing to pieces on Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Pavel Khvaleev's III, Nicolas Roeg's The Witches and Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire. Plus interviews with Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Charles Burnett and Jenni Olson. And Spike Lee's got a warning for you. » - David Hudson...

It's All Hallows' Eve, and we begin today's roundup with the New Yorker's Richard Brody declaring that Edgar G. Ulmer's The Black Cat with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff is his "favorite Halloween movie." We're also pointing to pieces on Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, Victor Halperin's White Zombie, Roman Polanski's Repulsion, Pavel Khvaleev's III, Nicolas Roeg's The Witches and Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire. Plus interviews with Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Charles Burnett and Jenni Olson. And Spike Lee's got a warning for you. » - David Hudson...

Lionsgate has revealed two new clips from The Last Witch Hunter ahead of its release on October 23rd. Also in this morning's round-up: details on the New York City Horror Film Festival and the Colorado Horror Convention, as well as information on how to watch The Walking Dead online and release details for Eli Morgan Gesner's Condemned.

The Last Witch Hunter: "The modern world holds many secrets, but the most astounding secret of all is that witches still live amongst us; vicious supernatural creatures intent on unleashing the Black Death upon the world. Armies of witch hunters battled the unnatural enemy across the globe for centuries, including Kaulder, a valiant warrior who managed to slay the all-powerful Queen Witch, decimating her followers in the process. In the moments right before her death, the Queen curses Kaulder with her own immortality, forever separating him from his beloved wife and daughter in the afterlife.

"They all float down here". Cavity Colors' Pennywise sweater / shirt is available for pre-order now. Also in this round-up: details on the Telluride Horror Show, The Cutting Room, and new horror apparel from TeeFury.

Cavity Colors' Pennywise Shirt: "'World Eater' Crewneck Sweater ($37.00)

Limited Edition of only 100 (this item will never be reprinted) 80% cotton 20% polyester blend Fleece Split stitch double needle sewing on all seams Designed by Coki Greenway (art direction by Aaron Crawford) Pre-order - Ships in Mid-October

"World Eater" T-shirt / Girl T-shirt ($25.00)

Limited Edition of only 200 (this item will never be reprinted) Printed on our ultra soft Black 100% cotton T-shirts Designed by Coki Greenway (art direction by Aaron Crawford) Pre-order - Ships in Mid-October"

To learn more about the Pennywise collection, visit the Cavity Colors online shop.

---------

Telluride Horror Show: Press Release: "Telluride, Co - The Telluride Horror Show has announced its second wave of films and a...

Stars: Polina Davydova, Lyubov Ignatushko, Evgeniy Gagarin | Written by Aleksandra Khvaleeva | Directed by Pavel Khvaleev

III is the second feature film by Russian director Pavel Khvaleev. Khvaleev is also a member of the trance act Moonbeam and the aesthetic of the film holds true to this background, at times reminiscent of some high-concept music video. This is a compliment.

III opens with a disturbing sequence in which we see man slowly headbutting himself to death against a wall. It’s simple and very eerie. After a short series of events following this, we are introduced to two sisters, Ayia (Polina Davydova) and Mirra (Lyubov Ignatushko), living in an unspecified time in an unspecified European town. A sickness is plaguing their hometown and their mother succumbs to it. Shortly afterwards, Mirra falls ill too. In desperation, Ayia turns to Father Herman (Evgeniy Gagarin) who after giving up on prayer, offers some rather more supernatural aid.

Fanny Ardant attached to 19th century feature; Vincent Cassel and Vladimir Mashkov eyed for lead role.

Alexander Rodnyansky, producer of Cannes and Golden Globe winner Leviathan, is travelling back to the mid-19th century for his next project, Duellist, to be made by Non Stop Productions.

Speaking at the Russian Cinema Fund’s public pitching for new projects from Russia’s leading production studios, Rodynansky revealed that Alexey Mizgirev (The Convoy) would direct the $12.5m (Rub 720m) genre mix of adventure, drama and action.

The cast already includes French actress Fanny Ardant and Russia’s Ekaterina Vilkova, who played Milady in the local adaptation of The Three Musketeers (2013).

French actor Vincent Cassel or the Russian actor Vladimir Mashkov - known recently to Western audiences for his appearance in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol - are being considered for the title role of the duellist who takes on duels for money in a bid to clear his name...