Ritz Cinemas
Dark Nights Film Fest 2024
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Volume One
Friday, October 11 – Sunday, October 13
“Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.” – Edgar Allan Poe
Dark Nights Film Fest is an exciting new, ritualistic celebration of independent horror and dark genre cinema from Australia and around the world, helmed by Bryn Tilly, the former director and programmer of international film festival A Night of Horror.
The inaugural program – Volume One – is full of fresh twists and takes on classic monsters; zombies, vampires, ghosts, demons, psychos, spread across nine feature films and eighteen short films, from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, France, Turkey, Canada, United States, Mexico, Argentina, New Zealand, and, of course, Australia.
Alongside the new features and shorts is a special double anniversary presentation of two landmark, award-winning New Zealand films; the splatterpunk insanity of David Blyth’s DEATH WARMED UP (1984), paired with the nightmarish brilliance of Alison Maclean’s KITCHEN SINK (1989). A high art & deep trash Friday night extravaganza!
Friday’s Opening Night session has the highly-acclaimed new “family” zombie epic PÁRVULOS from Mexican indie favourite Isaac Ezban.
Saturday sees the very best of emerging and established local talent – including three World Premieres – in the AUSSIE SHORTS SHOWCASE. From the streets of Denmark comes the brutal vampirism of Kasper Juhl’s BLOODSUCKER, romance is given the darkest treatment by Elric Kane in THE DEAD THING, and Turkey’s Can Evrenol slaps us into the middle of next week with his extreme revenge flick, SAYARA.
Sunday service begins with the disturbing Swedish priest-turned-serial killer thriller GUDSTJÄNST from Ludwig Gür, followed by a plunge into the depths of Hell from Argentina’s Onetti brothers that is 1978, then a nightmarish quest into the haunting shadows of Nazi history, SOLVENT, from Austria’s bonkers-brilliant Johannes Gerzfurthner, and finally, the Closing Night session, South Australian Paul Evans Thomas’ WITHIN THE PINES, a riveting, nail-biting debut thriller.
Let’s not forget the Dark Nights Film Fest – Volume One Awards Presentation decided by a jury that includes award-winning filmmakers Gigi Saul Guerrero (BINGO HELL), Andrew Traucki (BLACK WATER), and Sylvia Caminer (FOLLOW HER), film academic Tara Lomax, Bloodfest director Natalie Richards, and Film Frak podcaster Adam Lovett.
Exciting, carefully curated, new international short films – several of them having their World or International Premieres – have been selected to screen with the features; Cuckoo (NZ), The Noonday Demon (Canada), Get Away (US), No Violent Man (Germany), Cardinal Virtues (US), La Croix (France), and, in a co-presentation with Etheria Film Festival, Inked (US).
Saturday and Sunday will feature an exclusive movie stall boutique on the mezzanine with merchants Tony Michas (Imprint Cast), John Matthews (Imprint cast and Indicator Cast), Nick Nicolaou (Make-up Effects Group), and Brett Garten (Maximum Daddy-O International), selling all manner of horror and dark genre collectible wares (Blu-rays, DVDs, books, mags, posters, vinyl, etc).
Dark Nights Film Fest is the perfect weekender for filmmakers and film lovers passionate about horror movies and other dark genres to indulge and rejoice in, offering an important platform for first-time, emerging, and experienced filmmakers, to enjoy the essential cinema experience in the fabulous and iconic Ritz Cinemas.
For more information on Dark Nights Film Fest and its 2024 program please visit: darknightsfilmfest.com
