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South Korean actor Song Yoo-jung has died age 26. The causes are currently unknown.

The information was confirmed by Song’s representatives at the Sublime Artist Agency. The agency also posted the news on Instagram.

Song began as a model and debuted as an actor in Mbc’s Golden Rainbow.” She was best known for her recurring role in Mbc TV series “Make A Wish” where she appeared in 120 episodes between 2014 and 2015 as the character Han Da-won. More recently Song also appeared in another series “School 2017,” broadcast by KBS2, and “Dear My Name.”

“Actress Song Yoo-jung has left us,” the notice said. “Yoo Jung was always a friend who gave happiness with a bright smile. She was a wonderful actor who played with passion bigger than anyone else. Thank you for joining us as an actor at the Sublime Artist Agency.”

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Marge Champion, a dancer and actor who served as the real-life model for Disney’s 1937 animated classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” died on Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to The New York Times. She was 101.

Champion and her husband, Gower Champion, also had great success as dance partners and choreographers for Broadway musicals, films and television shows. Champion won an Emmy award in 1975 for choreographing the television movie “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.”

Marge and Gower Champion most notably danced together in multiple MGM musicals, including the 1951 remake of “Show Boat” starring Howard Keel, Kathryn Grayson and Ava Gardner.

In addition to “Snow White,” Champion’s elegant dance moves served as the inspiration for the Blue Fairy in “Pinocchio” and the tutu-wearing hippo ballerinas in the “Dance of the Hours” number in “Fantasia.”

The Champions danced across television screens in the late 1940s and 1950s, first appearing in...

This third week of April has some exciting home entertainment offerings for us genre fans, including the special edition releases of two cult classics I adore, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and The Stuff. An indie film I’ve been hearing about for a while now, Grimewave, also makes its way to DVD this Tuesday and while it may not be traditional horror, Oscar-winner The Revenant certainly has enough badassery contained within its cinematic frames to be worthy of mentioning this week, and it arrives on both Blu-ray and DVD on April 19th.

Other notable releases this week include Smothered (which features a ton of horror icons and was directed by John Schneider of Smallville and Dukes of Hazzard fame), 15 Till Midnight, Classroom 6, Ip Man 3, German Angst and She Wolf Rising.

Grimewave (Wild Eye Raw, DVD)

When the legendary, unstoppable serial killer Cfk stumbles upon a drug deal, he accidentally...

Demonic activity, skinheads, and psychopaths: these are the words one might use to describe the upcoming genre films of 2016. From a possessed painter, to a devilish leg wound, to full-on war waged within the confines of a futuristic apartment complex, blood flies and fingers point in what looks to be one of the most intense, purposely-paced and experimental years for independent films to date.

Traces of David Cronenberg's Videodrome and Scanners, Stuart Rosenberg's The Amityville Horror, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and Nicholas Hytner's The Crucible can be found within these electrifying new entries from promising, emerging artists, proving that pulling from the past can wind up making a project feel fresh and new.

Although many of the films carry similar traits and themes like directorial debuts, single set locations, cult activity, and the ever-present presence of the devil's unholy spirit, each of these features is unique in its own persona.

(But... but... who said I wanted more of this?!) Last year, Arrow UK shocked everyone by announcing a pimped edition of Nekromantik, Jörg Buttgereit's grungy art-horror film about a necrophiliac, his hobbies and his dreams. In fact, that edition was so well done, and included so many great extras about Why the film was made, that it overwon my distaste and I made a gallery about it last year. And of course this year I actually met Jörg Buttgereit, interviewed him as part of the directors of German Angst, and he is an interesting and intelligent guy with interesting and intelligent ideas about cinema, of the horror kind and otherwise. When I congratulated him with the stellar treatment Arrow had given Nekromantik, he said: "I...

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

Tagline: "Love, sex and death." The multi-languaged film German Angst is coming to North American shores. Artsploitation Films will handle the release, which is slated for early 2016. German Angst is an anthology horror feature, which hosts three tales. The three tales are titled: "Final Girl," "Make a Wish" and "Alraune." Fans of foreign fare or of disturbing, shocking content can view all of the available release details, here! The first short, "Final Girl," deals with a lonely woman and her guinea pig, a gagged man. The second short feature, "Make a Wish," starts off as a romantic interlude, until a group of hooligans invade the scene; murder threatens this landscape. In the final short film, "Alraune," events take place in a sex club. Here, a drug heightens sexual experiences, but it also has strange side effects. Each tale promises celluloid terror. The film has played at over 20 film festivals, in the last year alone.

Stars: Lola Gove, Axel Holst, Anika Strauss, Matthan Harris, Denis Lyons, Milton Welsh, Désirée Giorgetti, Kristina Kostiv, Rüdiger Kuhlbrodt | Directed by Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski, Andreas Marschall

Regular readers may know that whenever a new underground horror film gets announced; I can get instantly overtaken by doubt. I have had too many underwhelming and tedious experiences. Every now and then, a film comes around that isn’t a throwback, isn’t a generic slasher or an extreme gorefest with no actual weight. When I first found out that Jörg Buttgereit was teaming up with other creatives to make an anthology, I was pretty damn excited! I have followed the project on and off since I first caught wind of the it and now the film has been screened as part of this years Mayhem Horror Film Festival And Grimmfest, as well as being released in Germany on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Grimmfest, the North Of England’s premier horror, cult and fantastic film festival opens its pre-Halloween doors for the 7th time on Thursday 1st October with a gala screening of The Hallow, starring Oxford born Joseph Mawle (Game Of Thrones). It promises to be a packed four days with more than 20 feature length presentations to choose from. The annual Grimmfest event was born out of the Grimm Up North monthly film screenings and events that scare, astound and entertain Manchester audiences all year round. So, here’s what the Grimmfest team, told us you can specifically look forward to in 2015:

Simeon Halligan

“Landmine Goes Click is a real surprise to me. I thought I knew what I was getting from the title and the trailer but this turned out to be a complex and very dark study of the effects of retribution and revenge on the human psyche. The third act blew me away!

It’s that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the skies are increasingly overcast, the weather is disturbingly unpredictable. There’s something dark coming. Grimmfest 2015 is almost upon us. And as ever, Grimmfest will be welcoming a handful of horror cohorts as guests to the event. This years line-up includes (from the press release):

Thur 1st Oct

For our opening night, we’ll be proving that it really is Grimm Up North, with our showcase of Northern shorts. This will feature the world premiere of The Box, which marks the directorial debut of SFX make-up guru, Shaune Harrison, who has worked on everything from Hellraiser 3, through to Harry Potter, The Avengers, World War Z and Star Wars, and now runs his own Make-Up Academy here in Manchester. Shaune will be joining us, alongside the film’s stars. Dominic Brunt, best known for his role in Emmerdale,...

by Seth Metoyer

MoreHorror.com

The first round of horror films have been announced for the Colorado based horror festival Telluride Horror Show. This years lineup looks sweet and includes premieres and a special screening of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas with director Q&A! Check the list of films below.

From The Press Release

The first wave of films is now live for the 2015 Telluride Horror Show, October 16-18 in picturesque Telluride, Colorado (elevation 8,750 ft.).

Most of the films will make their Colorado premieres at this year's festival or will screen fresh off their Fantastic Fest debuts. The festival will also feature a special screening of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas followed by a director Q&A.

Here's the complete lineup, which can also be found at http://telluridehorrorshow.com/films.html

Guests

Henry Selick

Guest Director

Henry Selick is an American stop-motion director, producer and writer...

Halloween is in less than two months, and Cavity Colors wants to help you get an early start on the festivities. Also: the lineup at the 2015 Telluride Horror Show and four posters from American Backwoods: Slew Hampshire.

Cavity Colors' Halloween Celebration Shirts: "'The Girl Who Dreams Of Halloween' Limited Edition Print ($30.00)

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Designed by Hillary White. Pre-order...

Read More: Drafthouse Films Aquires Karyn Kusama's SXSW Midnight Hit "The Invitation"  The Telluride Horror Show has announced a collection of horror premieres and screenings for its official 2015 lineup. In addition to programming, organizes have also revealed that special guest director Henry Selick ("The Nightmare Before Christmas"), guest host Devin Faraci and musical guest Champagne Charlie will all be in attendance. The film festival takes place in Telluride, Colorado and runs October 16-18. Find the complete lineup of films below.  Features "German Angst", dir: Jörg Buttergeit, Michal Kosakowski, Andreas Marschall  "He Never Died", dir: Jason Krawczyk "Hell House, LLC", dir: Stephen Cognetti "Inner Demon", dir: Ursula Dabrowsky  "The Invitation", dir: Karyn Kusama  "Landmine Goes Click", dir: Levan Bakhia "The Nightmare Before Christmas",...

Exclusive: The Manchester-based horror festival has revealed its 2015 programme.

Grimmfest (Oct 1-4), Manchester’s horror and cult film festival, has revealed its line-up for 2015.

The festival will feature the world premiere of DxM, which stars Sam Neill alongside two former Screen Stars of Tomorrow, Tom Payne and Antonia Campbell-Hughes.

Andrew Goth (Gallowwalkers) directed the film, which had a market screening at Cannes this year.

This year’s opening night gala will be The Hallow, with director Corin Hardy and star Joseph Mawle in attendance. Playing on the same evening will be The Box, the directorial debut of Shaune Harrison (SFX on World War Z and Avengers: Age Of Ultron) and Bloodsucking Bastards, which stars Fran Kranz (Cabin In The Woods) and Pedro Pascal (The Adjustment Bureau).

The festival will also host the European premiere of Antisocial 2, Cody Calahan’s sequel to his 2013 debut, which was a hit at Grimmfest that year.

There will also...

Stare at the magnificent poster, and then read the official announcement of what the greatest film festival in the world is up to at the end of September.

Fantastic Fest announces the first wave programming lineup for its 11th annual celebration of exciting genre-bending films, including the World Premiere of Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox in attendance, a retrospective of Turkish Genre Cinema, and a special Mondo Gallery event and programming series curated by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to celebrate the release of his new book Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing, which profiles Refn’s collection of vintage exploitation-era American movie posters. “We’re very excited about this year’s mix of premieres, unique events and a retrospective theme unlike any other featuring audacious and otherworldly Turkish remakes of classic Hollywood films,” said Fantastic Fest founder Tim League.

See the full list of first...

Exclusive: Wedding-set supernatural tale to premiere in Vanguard section.

Paris-based genre specialist Reel Suspects had picked up world sales to Demon ahead of its premiere in the Vanguard section of the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).

It is the third feature by Polish director Marcin Wrona, whose previous award-winning work The Christening also screened in Vanguard to packed houses and critical acclaim in 2010.

“I’m really exited to work on Marcin’s third film film. It’s a perfect crossover title that fits our line-up perfectly,” said Reel Suspects CEO Matteo Lovadina.

“It combines a well mastered drama base with a supernatural element. Demon should find an audience both among cinephiles and curious genre fans alike,” he added.

ICM Partners is handling North America.

Taking inspiration from the Jewish mythological figure of the dybbuk, a malicious spirit, Demon revolves around a wedding that takes a sinister turn when the groom is possessed just prior to the...

Fantastic Fest is touted as the largest genre film fest, from experience, I can tell you the Austin week-long event still feels like an intimate gathering, for fans who love of horror, sci-fi, experimental, foreign, action, animated and just straight-up gnarly film. The curtain has rolled back on this year's first wave of programming at the Alamo Drafthouse fest, held Sept. 24 through Oct. 1 at the South Lamar location. Highlights include the world premiere of Kurt Russell-starrer "Bone Tomahawk"; a retrospective of Turkish genre cinema; and a programming series from "Drive" and "Only God Forgives" director Nicolas Winding Refn, who will be supporting his new book "Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing." There are a few films that are crossing over with other major film fest lineups, like one-take flick "Victoria" which took home awards from Berlinale International. The initial film lineup for Fantastic Fest 2015 is below it's new poster,...

The day has come. The reminder that Autumn is nearing and the best genre film festival in the Magnited States of America is nigh! We got the poster and the first wave of films listed below. Nicolas Winding Refn comes back and curates some obscure films and motherfuckin’ Kurt F’n Russell is coming with his new film, Bone Tomahawk! Read below and prepare for our coverage of this year’s Fantastic Fest!!!!

From the Press Release:

Austin, TX – Thursday, July 30, 2015 – Fantastic Fest announces the first wave programming lineup for its 11th annual celebration of exciting genre-bending films, including the World Premiere of Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox in attendance, a retrospective of Turkish Genre Cinema, and a special Mondo Gallery event and programming series curated by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to celebrate the release of his new book Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing,...

As genre cinema has found more fans around the world, their place in film festivals have also grown, with genre getting its dedicated sections in acclaimed festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness section. The demand, however, has grown now to allow for festivals dedicated to genre cinema, and one of the more notable stops in the latter group is Fantastic Fest. Running for a decade now, the 2015 incarnation of Fantastic Fest will be held once again in Austin, Texas, running from September 24th to October 1st. The first wave of films that will play at the festival have now been announced.

The Festival’s closing night film will be S. Craig Zahler’s Bone Tomahawk, which will be making its World Premiere. Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox, who star in the feature, will also be in attendance at the festival. The 2015 Festival will also have...

Kurt Russell, Matthew Fox, and more star in the horror Western Bone Tomahawk, the closing film of Fantastic Fest 2015. Karyn Kusama's The Invitation is also included in the first wave of programming for the Austin-based festival that kicks off September 24th.

Press Release: "Austin, TX - Thursday, July 30, 2015 - Fantastic Fest announces the first wave programming lineup for its 11th annual celebration of exciting genre-bending films, including the World Premiere of Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox in attendance, a retrospective of Turkish Genre Cinema, and a special Mondo Gallery event and programming series curated by filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to celebrate the release of his new book Nicolas Winding Refn: The Act of Seeing, which profiles Refn's collection of vintage exploitation-era American movie posters. "We're very excited about this year's mix of premieres, unique events and a retrospective theme unlike any other featuring audacious and...

This weekend, the Berlin-based horror anthology German Angst can be seen at Fantasia. It had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and the next day I was allowed to speak with all three directors. In the picture above (taken during the world premiere's introduction) they are, from left to right: Andreas Marschall, Michal Kosakowski, and Jörg Buttgereit. We published the first half of the interview back in May (read it here), and now that it has landed in the Us, here is the second and last part. Note that in this part, we speak about the stories in the segments, so there are mild spoilers ahead... TwitchFilm: How did the German Angst project as a whole come about? Did you all...

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

Here's some news for North America's edgier horror fans: the Berlin-based horror anthology German Angst has been picked up for distribution by Artsploitation, as Variety reported first. German Angst tells three loosely interlinked stories taking place in present-day Berlin, concerning abuse, right-wing extremism, and addiction. Its writer-directors are Michal Kosakowski, Andreas Marschall and Jörg Buttgereit. These three are not exactly known for pulling punches, and you can rest assured the episodes all reside on the far end of the sex-and-violence spectrum. After its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year (where I saw and reviewed it), the film has had its general domestic release, and is currently touring festivals worldwide. The curious and impatient can check it out tomorrow already at...

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

German Angst, the sure-to-be jaw droppingly grotesque anthology from Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik), Michal Kosakowski and Andreas Marschall (Masks) will hit North America. via strange genre celebrators Artsploitation Films in 2016. With Artsploitation back in full swing, releasing titles like Der Samurai and Cub, their latest acquisition is yet another that fits a commitment to unique and often…

The post German Angst: Artsploitation to Release Anthology from Nekromantik Director and More appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

The 19th Fantasia International Film Festival is right around the corner. Though the full lineup for the festival won't be unveiled until early next month, the second wave of Fantasia titles have been revealed and horror fans have a lot to look forward to.

Press Release: "Montreal, June 11, 2015 – The 19th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival, presented by Ubisoft and Anchor Bay, will soon be stunning Montreal with three weeks of cinematic ingenuity from July 14 until August 4, 2015.

Fantasia's complete lineup of programming and special events will be revealed on July 7th. To tide you over until then, we're thrilled to announce an incredible Second Wave of titles!

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

A little over one month away, the Fantasia Film Festival announced it’s second wave of titles this morning. Fantasia Film Festival holds a special place in the hearts of Sound on Sight and we could not be more excited for their upcoming edition which promises to be bigger and better than ever. Arguably the largest genre film festival in the world, Fantasia will run from July 14th to August 4th this year and feature a large number of world and international premieres. The full-lineup, including special events, will be announced on July 7th.

From the official press release, here are some titles we can now look forward to:

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, Ringo Lam’s Wild City and Miguel Angel Vivas’ Extinction among titles playing at Montreal’s genre film festival.

Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled the second wave of titles for its upcoming 19th edition, taking place in Montreal from July 14-Aug 4.

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen will receive its international premiere at this year’s event, while the festival will also host the world premieres of Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, David Keating’s Cherry Tree, Jacob Gentry’s Synchronicity, Victor Zarcoff’s Slumlord and Bite from Chad Archibald and the team behind Anti-Social.

The world premiere of Miguel Angel Vivas’ English language debut Extinction headlines a heightened focus on Spanish cinema at this year’s Fantasia, with other titles including Marshland and Shrew’s Nest.

Other notable titles in the second wave include Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s [link...

The Berlin-based horror anthology German Angst was among the many world premieres this year at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and all three of its directors were attending in person. The day after, I was lucky enough to get to talk with them about the film, and German horror in general. From left to right in the picture above, they are: Andreas Marschall (of Tears of Kali fame), Michal Kosakowski (of Zero Killed fame, who also has a producer credit), and Jörg Buttgereit (of Nekromantik fame). It became quite a conversation, so I've split the interview in two parts. In this first part, we discuss the film's world premiere, and some of the ideas behind it. Rest assured it is quite spoiler-free. TwitchFilm: Let me...

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

(Not as offending as you might think...) Horror anthologies are doing fine these days, and sometimes allow filmmakers to keep flexing their muscles even when it's hard to get a full feature off the ground. A good example of this is German Angst, a Berlin-based film which gave directors Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski and Andreas Marschall the opportunity to strut their stuff theatrically again. German Angst had its world-premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. While I liked the film, I could see how in many regions this would have some trouble avoiding censorship, as the three stories venture into (un)pretty extreme territories. But lo-and-behold, Germany allowed it to be shown and released uncut. And while the film is still travelling festivals around the world,...

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

by Vic Schiavone

Hosts Nasty Neal and Annabelle Lecter welcomed Jörg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski, and Andreas Marschall, the three directors of the German horror anthology film “German Angst”, to Without Your Head Horror Radio for an over-an-hour-long discussion going over all aspects of this amazing and controversial new film.

Highlights included the following:

• Wyh: How did the three of you get together to start the movie? When did the idea of “German Angst” come about?

Am: “It was my idea when I was touring with my last film “Masks”. I was asked what Jörg Buttgereit is doing, because there were a lot of these anthology movies, like “The Theater Bizarre”, around at this time and no German movies of this kind, and so people were asking. And I’ve known Jörg a very long time, since the 80’s, 1983, when I did the poster art work for “Nekromantik”…Then I asked...

(An Anthology with a capital A for Abuse, Antisocials and Addiction...) This year, the International Film Festival Rotterdam has dedicated a section of its programme to surrealism, and questioning reality in cinema. The horror anthology German Angst is part of this section, and it's a valid choice, as each of the three stories in the film deals with possible alternate explanations of a shown reality. Each of the segments is also very bloody, for most viewers uncomfortably so even. The first segment is called Final Girl and is directed by Jörg Buttgereit, who is (in)famous for Nekromantik and Schramm - Into the Mind of a Serial Killer. Using long takes and extreme close-ups, we follow a girl as she wakes up and takes care of...

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

Sales include Taiwan and Scandinavia.

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21-Feb 1) isn’t known as a genre festival but that hasn’t stopped the programming of portmanteau horror pic German Angst.

The film receives its world premiere in Iffr’s Signals: Really? Really? stand this weekend and marks the return of notorious Berlin punk surrealist Jörg Buttgereit as director of one of the three episodes.

Sold internationally by Reel Suspects, company boss Matteo Lovadina has revealed details of pre-sales on German Angst, which first came onto its slate last year.

The film has gone to Taiwan (Movie Cloud) and to Scandinavia (Njuta Films).

There is considerable interest in the film because of Buttgereit’s involvement. After all, he is the director of controversial 1988 horror picture Nekromantik, about a street sweeper who cleans up after accidents bringing home a full corpse for him and his wife to enjoy sexually. The twist is that the wife prefers the corpse...

A trio of notorious German filmmakers will be bringing the shock value to the International Film Festival Rotterdam with the world premiere of German Angst, a three part anthology from Jörg Buttgereit, Andreas Marschall, and Michal Kosakowski.We've been keeping an eye on this one for a while now and with the premiere just around the corner we've got a look at the first trailer for the picture.Acclaimed writers and directors Jörg Buttgereit, Andreas Marschall, Michal Kosakowski are back behind the camera with a supreme feature film, controversial, mystical and disturbing. With a "fil rouge" of old images of Berlin scariest architecture, the film is built around three tales. The first episode, tells the story of a young girl who lives alone with her guinea pig...

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

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) unveils Signals line-up including a tribute to Korean director Jang Jin and a focus on artist Bruce McClure.

International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has confirmed the Signals programme for its upcoming 44th edition (Jan 21 - Feb 1).

The final programme includes a tribute to Korean director Jang Jin, a focus on artist and filmmaker Bruce McClure and Made in Taiwan, a special addition to the annual Regained section.

Jang Jin is one of South Korea’s most famous modern playwrights and theatre directors and his films have included gangster movies and rom-coms. Iffr will host a 13-strong retrospective of his films including the European premiere of We Are Brothers.

Iffr’s focus on Bruce McClure will see the avant-garde artist present nine different performances on consecutive evenings under the generic title Opposition Brings Reunion. His presentation at Witte de With, Courting Daylight in Saving Darkness, is described as “his most elaborate and expansive...

Roy Andersson’s Golden Lion-winner A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy, Shinya Tsukamoto's "shocking war epic" Nobi, Quentin Dupieux's Reality, Franco Maresco's Belluscone: Una Storia Siciliana "and the world premiere of German Angst, by Jorg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski and Andreas Marschall," are among some of the titles lined up for the first part of the Signals program of the 2015 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, running from January 21 through February 1 (almost the exact same dates as Sundance, by the way). » - David Hudson...

Roy Andersson’s Golden Lion-winner A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's Goodnight Mommy, Shinya Tsukamoto's "shocking war epic" Nobi, Quentin Dupieux's Reality, Franco Maresco's Belluscone: Una Storia Siciliana "and the world premiere of German Angst, by Jorg Buttgereit, Michal Kosakowski and Andreas Marschall," are among some of the titles lined up for the first part of the Signals program of the 2015 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, running from January 21 through February 1 (almost the exact same dates as Sundance, by the way). » - David Hudson...

Rotterdam unveils initial Signals programme focusing on ‘contemporary reality.’

The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has unveiled the first two parts of its Signals programme, which will address the theme of “contemporary reality” through four sections.

They are:

24/7: the attention economy and how we consume informationEveryday Propaganda: the constant exposure to propaganda in our daily livesWhat The F?!: a range of feminist ideologiesReally? Really: surrealism’s comeback

As part of Everyday Propaganda, documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis [pictured] will present his new film Bitter Lake, which is described as about “why the narratives and explanations we are fed by the media and politicians have stopped making sense.” The programme also includes No Country For Young Men by Oleg Mavromatti and PO98, Broken Land from Stéphanie Barbey and Luc Peter, Made In China by Kim Dong-hoo and War Book from Tom Harper plus a selection of short films from Pacho Velez.

Kevin Jerome Everson’s Park...

Our International Sales Agent (Isa) of the Day coverage has resumed for this year's Cannes Film Festival. We will feature successful, upcoming, innovative and trailblazing agents from around the world (during and after the festival) and cover the latest trends in sales and distribution. Beyond the numbers and deals, this segment will also share inspirational and unique stories of how these individuals have evolved and paved their way in the industry, and what they envision for the new waves in global cinema.

Matteo Lovadina is the founder and sole principal of Reel Suspects, a multi-faceted “all rights” distribution company based in Paris, France. He represents "feature films with a twist": films both from first-time and revered directors, including the genres of cult, classic, thriller, horror, fantasy, Lgbt and erotic. His background as a photographer inspires him to choose only the richest quality of cinematography for the Reel Suspects catalog. His aim is to share the most cinematic and innovative stories.

Matteo talks about his reasonably budgeted films, the first Reel Suspects co-productions, and gives realistic advice to first-time filmmakers who are looking for distribution:

When and how did you start Reel Suspects?

I started Reel Suspects in 2011, after ten years in the business as a sales agent. When I started the company, I really wanted to focus on young directors and films by true auteurs. We love independent cinema, and it is our passion to put amazing and visually stunning films into distribution. A twist can be a genre: it can be a very strong drama, or fantasy. We are currently selling some fantasy art house horror, as we did in the past; we always try to find good films that are not purely commercial. This year's selections at Cannes Film Festival reflect our work in numerous ways, and give the sign that we are going in the right direction. The second focus is cinematography; I am a big fan of images and colors. I love when the image speaks for itself. This helps buyers to identify our quality without question.

Where are your buyers?

Over the years, we have developed a wide range of titles that go from youth films to experimental dramas. We have never cared about the country of origin. Being a French company, we obviously carry French films, but we really focus on the entire world. We have films from the Us, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Lithuania, and a catalog of French and Spanish classics.

We like young talents, and are passionate to help their careers takeoff. Two years ago, we had a film called Aurora (Vanishing Waves), a glamorous and sophisticated sci-fi film by first time director Kristina Buozyte. It was a Lithuanian and French co-production, and was a worldwide success. It was selected for all the major international festivals, and won several awards including the “Meliès d’Or”, a sort of “Fantasy Film” award renowned in Europe and abroad. It sold to nearly 25 territories between Cannes and Toronto, and was the first Lithuanian film with a theatrical release in the U.S.

How are sales?

Sales are doing well because of our “twist”. Distributors in our network know what they can find when they come to Reel Suspects. They know they will not find the 20 million dollars films. However, they also know that they will find a carefully chosen, cost-effective selection of quality films that will attract the right audience. This helps our buyers to take smaller risks on reliable niches in film. Luckily, sales are good and constantly growing, even if the competition is hard. Our films are being distributed in many countries. The festival circuit loves us, because we are defending new producers and directors and they appreciate our taste. Germany, Australia, and Japan are big for us, but we really work worldwide.

What is your background?

I was previously in the music and photography worlds. When I realized the music business was dead, I finally made the move to film.

What are some of the challenges of being a young company on the market?

The industry has this thing of labeling people. During the first year of my company, I had an erotic film that was sold to many countries. Many buyers think that I still do erotic films, and I do not. It's a struggle to get identified when you launch your own company. When you have one film that really works, people think you only do that. This year in Cannes, we had two horror films, and I can see people six months from now saying, "Reel Suspects only carries horror films." It's frustrating to be categorized so quickly, and to convince people that we're more than what they assume.

Do you have advice for first time directors who are looking for distribution?

You have to think before you make the film, "Am I able to find a good balance between making a film that will have a commercial success, and making a film that will only travel the festival circuit?" I think this is an essential question that all directors and producers should answer before shooting. Balance is important. With the supremacy of digital shooting nowadays, the production value of your delivery is now essential. Mediocrity is now harder to defend, when digital postproduction can help a film to be finalized in the best conditions.

Please discuss some of the films from the Reel Suspects catalog.

I'm really excited for the market premiere of Cat & Mouse, a psychological drama by Maartje Seyferth & Victor Nieuwenhuijs. It's about a girl who is completely lost between her present and her past. It’s our first co-production. Our expectations are quite high, and we feel it will be equally successful in the commercial market and in the festival scene.

Fièvre (new title: Horsehead) is a French fantasy horror by Romain Basset that follows the story of a student that gets lost in her nightmares.

Wild in Blue, our Cannes best seller, is an intense Us indie that we recently acquired. It features the last performance of Karen Black, in a super graphic psychodrama about a psychopath who kills his girlfriends until he finds real love.

We also have the most anticipated German Angst, a portmanteau film that combines the work of three well-known horror genre directors: Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik), Andreas Marschall (Tears of Kali), and Michal Kosakowski (Zero Killed). It's a shocking horror film, which has already reached cult status with its large fan base.

Learn about the Reel Suspects catalog.

More About Reel Suspects:

Reel Suspects is a multi-faceted “all rights” distribution company, specialized in emerging filmmakers. Reel Suspects is devoted to bring a new cost-effective business model to its partners from all over the world, in the context of an international market changing forever towards new directions, and specialized niches constantly growing and evolving. Promoting films in a new and different way, with an eye on newcomers and focusing on innovative marketing approaches might be the final goals of Reel Suspects.

Extended from first-timers directors to revered cinema masters, the ever growing Reel Suspects‘ catalogue already presents some classic films from better-known directors, such as “Vivre sa Vie” by Jean-Luc Godard, “Une partie de campagne” by Jean Renoir, as well as the “Alain Robbe-Grillet Collection”, restored in HD and the “Chris Marker Collection”.

Exclusive: German horror trilogy German Angst amongst titles sold.

French genre specialist Reel Suspects has been racking up sales on its genre slate.

It has sold German horror trilogy German Angst to Alamode Film / Pierrot Le Fou for Germany speaking Europe.

The portmanteau film combines the work of three well-known horror genre directors: Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik), Andreas Marschall (Tears of Kali) and Michal Kosakowski (Zero Killed).

‘It benefits from their large fan base that should help secure it success worldwide,” said Reel Suspects founding chief Matteo Lovadina.

Craig Goodwill’s Patch Town, which premiered at Palm Springs this year, has been picked up by Kino Lorber for Us and Raven Banner for Canada.

The award-winning comedic fairy revolves around an abandoned child who dreams of being reunited with his adopted mother after he is abandoned in a cabbage patch.

Silvio Nacucchi’s Beyond Lover, which was launched at Berlin, has been sold to Optimale for France and Ariztical...