Horror Highlights: COLD HELL Coming to Shudder, LIVING SPACE Screenings, Production Begins on MAKING MONSTERS

Directed by Academy Award-winner Stefan Ruzowitzky, Cold Hell is coming to the streaming service Shudder in the US on March 15th, and we have the official details and trailer in today's Horror Highlights, which also includes Australia and New Zealand screening details for the horror film Living Space, as well as the announcement for the start of production on the new movie Making Monsters.

Cold Hell Coming to Shudder: "This Thursday, March 15th, COLD HELL debuts exclusively on Shudder.

Özge (Violetta Schurawlow, HEAD FULL OF HONEY) is a young Turkish-born taxi driver, who attends evening classes and is an ambitious Thai-boxer. She trains hard and rarely speaks.

One day, Özge witnesses a brutal murder. The suspect is an unhinged serial killer, inspired by extremist Islam. Convinced that the woman has seen him, the two enter a tense life-and-death struggle that will leave neither unscathed.

In his job at the Vienna Police Department, Christian Steiner (Tobias Moretti, THE DARK VALLEY) is often contacted by people of immigrant backgrounds. Years ago, his wife left him - taking their child with her. Since then, he's been living with his father and caring for him as best he can.

Steiner finds it very difficult to trust other people, especially women... but now, one desperately needs his help.

COLD HELL also stars Sammy Sheik (AMERICAN SNIPER), Friedrich von Thun (SCHINDLER'S LIST), and Robert Palfrader. It is directed by Academy Award-winner Stefan Ruzowitzky (THE COUNTERFEITERS) and written by Martin Ambrosch."

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Living Space Screenings: Press Release: "A romantic holiday takes a sinister turn when Brad & Ashley’s car breaks down in the German countryside. Forced to take refuge in an isolated farmhouse they thought to be abandoned, the couple quickly learn that the house holds a dark past. Thrust into a supernatural nightmare, the pair must battle malevolent forces lead by an undead Nazi general if they wish to survive the night.

LIVING SPACE stars Leigh Scully (Deep Water, Home & Away), Georgia Chara (Wentworth, Home & Away), Andy McPhee (Sons of Anarchy, Saving Mr Banks), Jolene Anderson (All Saints, Rush), Emma Leonard (800 Words), Charlotte McLeod and Amelia Ayres.

Monster Pictures have acquired Australian/New Zealand distribution rights to Tru Dot Films’ feature LIVING SPACE. Written and directed by Steven Spiel, this supernatural horror will play a series of Monster Fest Presents screenings across Australia this March.

Producer Natalie Forward said "the film is a horror fan’s delight. It really seeps into your psyche and will have you thinking about it for days. The set was terrifying. The house we used lent itself perfectly to a horror film and really is a character of its own in the film. For an independent film to receive a theatrical release in Australia is tough and it truly shows the quality we were able to achieve.”

Writer/director Steven Spiel explains that LIVING SPACE was solely written to entertain audiences. “I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve by creating this film. I was wanting to excite the audience from the very start. I wanted to send the audience on a rollercoaster ride of different emotions to ensure that people could escape their daily lives even if just for 80 minutes. LIVING SPACE is a horror/thriller based on an ideology but not rooted in reality. I feel it’s perfect for someone new to horror as well as seasoned fans ."

The deal was negotiated between Tru Dot Films and Monster Pictures with international sales being handled by Jinga Films."

ADDITIONAL SCREENINGS

BRISBANE
Tuesday the 14th March 7pm
Event Cinemas Myer Centre
Filmmaker Q&A with writer/director Steven Spiel, producer Natalie Forward, cinematographer Branco Grabovac and SFX artist Steven Boyle.
TICKETS

MELBOURNE
Thursday the 15th of March 7pm
Cinema Nova
Filmmaker Q&A with actors Leigh Scully & Georgia Chara, writer/director Steven Spiel, producer Natalie Forward and cinematographer Branco Grabovac.
TICKETS

ADELAIDE
Friday the 16th of March 7pm
GU Film House (Hindley Street)
Filmmaker Q&A with writer/director Steven Spiel, producer Natalie Forward and cinematographer Branco Grabovac.
TICKETS

GEELONG
Monday the 19th of March 7pm
Village Cinemas (Ryrie Street)
Filmmaker Q&A with writer/director Steven Spiel, producer Natalie Forward, cinematographer Branco Grabovac and actors Leigh Scully & Georgia Chara.
TICKETS"

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Making Monsters Begins Production: Press Release: "Toronto, ON (March 12, 2018) - Buck Productions’ CEO Sean Buckley announced that production has begun on its new horror film MAKING MONSTERS with award-winning horror short film creative team Justin Harding (LATCHED, KOOKIE, POINT OF VIEW), Rob Brunner (LATCHED, KOOKIE) and Dale Andrews (LATCHED, KOOKIE). The film is a joint production between Buck Productions, the Bokeh Collective and Ginger Cat Studios. Production on the feature film is taking place in Northern Ontario.

Written and co-directed by Harding and co-directed by Brunner, MAKING MONSTERS marks their first feature film together with Buck Productions. Currently, Harding and Brunner are working with Sean Buckley and his company on four 10-part TV series for U.S. cable network REELZ. The first of the four series, Stalker Files, premiered in January 2018. Buckley is now helping the talented short film and television duo transition into feature films.

“We’re always looking to support rising talent at Buck, and because of our longstanding relationship with Justin and Rob, and the quality of content they’ve delivered for Buck as co-showrunners, not to mention their proven track record in the horror film space, I immediately jumped on to partner with them when they told me about the project,” said Sean Buckley, CEO, Buck Productions.

MAKING MONSTERS is also the first feature film from Harding and Brunner’s company, the Bokeh Collective. The duo are behind the critically acclaimed horror short film KOOKIE that screened at SXSW 2017 and received 30 awards at festivals across the world. Most recently, their short film LATCHED world premiered at TIFF 2017 and has garnered multiple awards.

Writer and Co-Director, Justin Harding added: "As filmmakers, Rob and I are thrilled to direct our debut feature film with the guidance and support of so many industry friends and partners. After many years working in television and directing short films, the timing couldn’t be better for us to assemble a team of close collaborators who all share the same level of enthusiasm to produce a bold and imaginative horror film with stunning production quality. MAKING MONSTERS, in many ways, is a love letter to the genre but at the same time feels unlike anything else on the market. Working with Buck Productions and Ginger Cat Studios has been a filmmaker’s dream come true because we have been fully encouraged to take bold creative risks while bringing our vision to life in a way that will prove to deliver big laughs and genuine scares in equal measure."

Co-Director, Rob Brunner added: “Justin and I formed the Bokeh Collective last year with a very specific mission statement in mind and this feature film is the first project that perfectly fulfills what we set out to do. The dream was to create a media studio that is committed to telling stories that excite our creative spirits and to bring together a group of likeminded artists and partners to create something genuine that we can all feel proud of. Justin and I truly love filmmaking! We are crazy for it. Every detail, every performance and every frame excites us beyond words. We believe that MAKING MONSTERS will be an exact reflection of that pure and simple love. The script is designed to terrify audiences with a unique style while delivering incredible comedy and suspense. There is nothing quite like it and that makes us very happy. At some point in life you have to take a creative leap and MAKING MONSTERS is exactly that. I’m so proud to take that leap alongside Justin, our partners and the rest of the Bokeh Collective”.

Sean Buckley will produce the film while Dale Andrews of Ginger Cat Studios will executive produce.

MAKING MONSTERS stars Tim Loden (No Ordinary Family, Bloodlines), Alana Elmer (LATCHED), Jarrett Siddall (LATCHED) and Peter Higginson (PLAY THE FILM, TRANSMISSION).

Synopsis: A celebrity couple famed for their popular prank-scare channel retreat for a relaxing vacation to a friend’s converted church in the countryside when a series of mysterious events unfold that spiral them into an unexpected nightmare."