Melbourne's annual immersion into horror and exploitation depravity MONSTER FEST is back. Now in its fourth year the festivities have been split over two locations – Cinema Nova in Carlton and Yah Yah’s in Collingwood, where The Monster’s Lair: a festival lounge/bar/event/screening space has been established [ED: And where you'll be able to see my short film UMBRA, screening before Jason Trost's How To Save Us on Weds, November 26th, 5pm!]
This year generous sponsorship has resulted in an impressive lin-up of international guests: American horror icon Bill Moseley, Troma legend Lloyd Kaufman, The Twisted Twins: Jen & Sylvia Soska, Conor Sweeney and Matthew Kennedy of Astron 6, Ashley C. Williams star of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, Tristan Risk star of AMERICAN MARY, Nathan Jones hulking star of CHARLIES FARM, Jessica Cameron star and director of TRUTH OR DARE, Matthew A. Brown director of JULIA, James Cullen-Bressack director of PERNICIOUS, to name just a few.
Additionally to all the screenings there is the introduction of The Monster Fest Academy of Horror and Mayhem: five days of master-classes, presentations and panels from a mixed bag of genre luminaries. The spotlight will be across the whole process of making genre cinema, from concept right through to market place, and everything in between.
Monster Fest's feature programme kicks off with Chris Sun’s slasher reboot, CHARLIES FARM, and finishing with the highly anticipated THE ABCS OF DEATH 2. In between there’s close to forty films, mostly Australian premieres, a smattering of classics - including a Troma retrospective and the FRIDAY THE 13TH All Night Marathon - plus two programs of shorts, Dick Dale’s infamous Trasharama, and the all-new Monster Shorts.
Every evening from 5 ’til 7pm, at The Monster’s Lair we have The Happy Hour Screenings – two hours of cheap booze, food and free movies. And then, glistening like weeping wounds in the moonlight, there’s the Evening Events - The Collingwood Horror Trivia Massacre, Trasharama, and the Chocolate Strawberry Manila DVD Launch & Karaoke Extravaganza. Not to mention the Opening Party and the Closing Party Awards Ceremony. It’s eleven days and nights of madness that should have genre goons licking their lips with anticipation!
For further details and the full programme schedule click here