We're back with another edition of our Horror Highlights! Today, check out the exclusive clip for 10/31, watch the trailer for Spontaneous, and learn more about the virtual edition of the Hola México Festival:
Watch a Clip from 10/31: "The critic’s choice, horror anthology 10/31: A Halloween Horror Anthology, will finally make its long-awaited digital premiere at the KINGS OF HORROR Youtube Channel, through TERROR FILMS.
TERROR FILMS is set to premiere 10/31 exclusively on the popular KINGS OF HORROR YouTube Channel. Previously released by Scream Team Releasing on DVD, this title will have its premiere on Friday, August 28th at 2pm (PST); this premiere will include a livestream, with several of the filmmakers (including cast) present.
The story has been described by the filmmakers as “a Halloween treat bag full of all the things that go bump in the night with something for everyone.” With segments that feature killers, tricksters, scarecrows and witches, the majority of horror fans will find something entertaining within this release. As well, the stories were developed by some of indie horror's best and brightest, including: Brett DeJager (Bonejangles), Rocky Gray (The Barn), Zane Hershberger (Force to Fear), John William Holt, Hunter Johnson and Justin Seaman.
Both the official trailer and poster have been given an update prior to the digital release, which Terror Films is sharing with the fans in advance of the release. The film will be available exclusively at the KINGS OF HORROR from August 28th until October 9th. After October 9th, the film will be released on multiple digital platforms such as Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Tubi TV and many others.
Founded in 2015, KINGS OF HORROR quickly became the most visited and subscribed channel for full-length horror movies on YouTube, with nearly 1.2 million subscribers and the channel is still growing."
To learn more about 10/31 and Terror Films, visit: https://www.terrorfilms.net/
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Watch the Trailer for SPONTANEOUS: "Get ready for the most outrageous coming-of-age love story about growing up…and blowing up! Starring Katherine Langford (“Cursed,” “13 Reasons Why”), Charlie Plummer (“Looking for Alaska,” Words on Bathroom Walls), Yvonne Orji (“Insecure,” Night School), and Hayley Law (“Riverdale”), with Rob Huebel (“Transparent”) and Piper Perabo (“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”), this satirical comedy will be available for Premium Video-On-Demand and for Digital purchase October 6 from Paramount Home Entertainment.
SYNOPSIS | When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally…), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last. As an unexpected romance blossoms between them, Mara and Dylan discover that when tomorrow is no longer promised, they can finally start living for today!
DIRECTED BY | Brian Duffield
SCREENPLAY BY | Brian Duffield (The Divergent Series: Insurgent, The Babysitter, Underwater)
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY | Aaron Starmer
STARRING | Katherine Langford, Charlie Plummer, Yvonne Orji, Hayley Law, with Rob Huebel and Piper Perabo
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS | Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, Sony PlayStation Video, FandangoNOW and more."
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The 12th annual edition of the largest Mexican film festival outside of Mexico, Hola México Film Festival, will make its virtual debut September 11-20 exclusively via the Spanish-language premium streaming service PANTAYA, a joint venture between Lionsgate and Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. The festival will give viewers an opportunity to see some of the best films that have recently come out of México and serve as a reminder of how much Mexican cinema has grown in the past several decades. In keeping with tradition, the festival will feature 20 films kicking off with Chicuarotes from renowned Mexican actor, director, and producer Gael Garcia Bernal.
"As a result of the current pandemic, we wanted to ensure our industry and filmmaking community continues to connect and develop their careers, even if that cannot happen safely in-person," comments Samuel Douek, Founder & Director of the Hola México Film Festival. "Pantaya is an innovator in the field of Latin cinema and streaming, and we look forward to partnering with them this year to help ensure that Mexican cinema continues to grow."
“We are extremely delighted to partner with Hola México Film Festival this year to provide a new, virtual experience to promote contemporary, Mexican-made films,” remarks Paul Presburger, CEO of PANTAYA. “Although we cannot congregate in-person, it is important for us to stay socially and spiritually connected. Cinema has always been strong in Mexico and has been rapidly growing in recent years. We look forward to contributing to its continued growth.”
Due to the current COVID-19 health crisis, organizers of the Hola México Film Festival have decided to practice safe, social distancing by offering this admired film festival for the first time in a virtual format. The festival will also include Q & A’s, Virtual Red Carpets and will try to mirror the physical festival in an online way as much as possible!
The opening film Chicuarotes centers upon ‘Cagalera’ and ‘El Moloteco’, a pair of young boys who struggle to overcome the poverty that engulfs their community. In order to do this, they perform clown acts on public transportation. Nonetheless, they realize that they do not earn a sufficient living, not even to cover their basic needs. The story takes a radical turn when the young boys begin to rob passengers. The 2019 Mexican drama film was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and it was selected for competition at the 2019 Shanghai International Film Festival.
For the first time ever, to watch the festival, you need to either be an already existing PANTAYA subscriber, or subscribe using this link https://www.pantaya.com/offers?c=aG1mZjIwMjA%3D. Use code HMFF2020 to save $1.00.
The Hola México Film Festival is comprised of the following sections: México Ahora, Documental, Hola Niños, El Otro México, and Nocturno. México Ahora features the best of Mexican films released in recent years, covering every genre. Documental includes top documentary films made by Mexican filmmakers. Hola Niños features Mexican-made animated films for children. El Otro Mexico highlights experiences of Mexicans rarely portrayed on screen, skillfully presenting perceptive narratives that challenge the status quo. The Nocturno section will present audiences with bizarre and purely horrifying films being produced in Mexico.
México Ahora: “Asfixia,” Director Kenia Márquez; “Amores Modernos,” Director Matías Meyer; “Clases De Historia,” Director Marcelino Islas Hernández; “Chicuarotes,” Director Gael García Bernal; “Los Paisajes,” Director Rodrigo Cervantes; “Blanco De Verano,” Director Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson; “El Deseo De Ana,” Director Emilio Santoyo.
Documental: “Retiro,” Director Daniela Alatorre; “Disparo,” Director Rodrigo Hernández; “El Guardián De La Memoria,” Director Marcela Arteaga; “Radio Silencio,” Director Juliana Fanjul; “Erase Una Vez,” Director Juan Carlos Rulfo; “Yermo,” Director Everardo González; “Vaquero De Mediodía,” Director Diego Enrique Osorno; “Oblatos, El Vuelo Que Curco La Noche,” Director Acelo Ruiz Villanueva.
Nocturno: “Club Internacional Aguerridos,” Director Leandro Córdovs; “Desde Tu Infierno” Director Alexis Pérez Montero.
El Otro México: “At’Anii,” Director Antonino Isordia Llamazares; “Tío Yim,” Director Luna Maran.
Hola Niños: “Un Disfraz Para Nicolás,” Director Ximena Beltrán.
The Hola México Festival is also proud to reveal this year’s key art by the México City-based muralist Mauricio Groenewold González. The artwork is a dedication to all Mexicans in the form of a José Guadalupe Posada-style calavera and consists of several Mexican icons that are directed to the heavens, representing their continuous fight to always pursue their dreams. At the top is a film director as well as a cellphone to show its growing importance in media and society. The artwork also includes the classic cinema snack of popcorn as well as the traditional Mexican dance of the viejitos to show the evolution of Mexican dramatic arts.
Supported by some of the most important film organizations in the world, Hola México Film Festival’s prestigious mentor program Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today connects Latino filmmakers based in Los Angeles to resources and industry leaders in order to help develop a creative community of like-minded individuals. The program’s main goal is to increase the Latino workforce in the global filmmaking industry by becoming the bridge that cultivates and develops inclusion, supports the development of Latino content, and fosters meaningful collaborations amongst its participants and the top industry leaders in Los Angeles, México and Latin America.
This year’s TFT is going to be a live online program directed to TFT alumni. TFT alumni can now submit an application with a new short submission. The Hola Mexico Film Festival selection committee is choosing 20 shorts to be screened during the Hola Mexico Film Festival. The 20 participants will also participate in the 6-day online program and will have full access to the festival screenings and events. The selected participants also will serve as jurors for the Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today Film Choice Award given to one of the feature films in competition. For more information about TFT, visit https://www.holamexicoff.com/tomorrows-filmmakers/.
Lastly, the festival will still include an award ceremony. Recognitions will include best director, best short film, and best audience award.
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INTERVIEW : KEVIN DEL PRINCIPE – UP ON THE GLASS
Reminiscent of the thriller THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, UP ON THE GLASS is about a wanderer named Jack DiMercurio who secretly desires the life and wife of his more affluent friend, Andy Shelton. Past tensions surface between the two men during an informal reunion at Andy’s cottage on Lake Michigan. One heinous act allows Jack to draw close to Andy’s wife Liz, but Jack finds living Andy’s life is a dangerous lie. We spoke to director, co-writer and producer Kevin Del Principe about the September 8 release.
Do you remember where you were when the idea for Up on The Glass came to you, Kevin?
I was at Nikki’s parents’ cottage overlooking Lake Michigan, and the sun was starting to go down but there was still a fair amount of light. Back then Nikki was Nikki Brown (Co-Writer, Producer, and Actor in Up on the Glass); now she is Nikki Del Principe (I am a lucky guy). The idea started to come to me in waves of creativity and Nikki grabbed a notebook and wrote everything down as I was pacing.
What was the initial idea?
The original idea was built around Jack… a guy hanging out with his wealthier, college friends at a ten-year reunion of sorts. From the beginning, I had a sense that Jack was from a blue-collar background, that he was smart and had tried to use education as a way to better himself. It was also clear to me that Jack felt let down by relationships and institutions and that expectation of betrayal kept him from self-actualization.
And how did it change of the course of development?
Without revealing too much, originally, I wanted Jack to come clean ultimately and tell the truth to Liz. I wanted that pretty badly, but as we developed the material it was obvious to Nikki and me that Jack had gone too far and that he was not ready to be honest. Even though I still believe Jack is a decent person, his failings, and the choices he made left him further from himself rather than closer to a better version of the person he could be. It became apparent to us that the film was a tragedy.
Based on the film, it would seem telling a smarter, more profound thriller was much more important to you than your standard genre flick?
Yes, I wanted to make the sort of film that I like about the kind of complex character I like that I don’t often see as much as I like. I wanted to tell a story about the people that I know, and to deal with issues of class that are often not dealt with in American cinema. In American entertainment, in my view, class is often glossed over or outright ignored to further the illusion that class does not exist, except for some sort of aspirational acknowledgement about the wealthy, and to further the lie that we are all wealthy with limitless opportunities.
I tend to think people are smart and crave depth in film and otherwise; it’s more the commercial systems that dumb everything down to a more easily digestible, but spiritually and intellectually bereft, commodity. Alternatively, I wanted to make a film that shows human complexity and in so doing strives to tell the truth and ask the audience to ponder their own lives. It’s an uncomfortable film but that’s also the posture required to understand one’s self, others, and to realize any potential change or growth whether personal or societal.
How did you and the writers make sure you pulled that off?
Character came first. Also, Nikki and I sought to show the emotional complexity and contradictions of all our characters.
We all probably know someone a little like Jack DiMercurio is a very interesting man - - he’s a very identifiable character. Can you talk about that?
Jack’s the kind of person who is smart but falls through the cracks. Lots of people are like that, whether they are book smart or just plain smart. Given the fact that the world elevates mediocre to poor ideas more easily as they are not threatening, it’s more like a miracle when intelligent people find their way despite all the pitfalls. When people struggle to find their way, some people point to personal character and others to societal issues. The reality is that it is both and more. Luck is just as relevant a factor, especially when many systems claim to be beneficial to people but mostly serve themselves.
Was it a hard role to cast?
Jack was a hard role to cast in the sense that it was imperative to find a fine actor who could embody Jack’s complexity with the strength to give a material life to Jack’s complicated, yet understated, inner life. But we were very fortunate. My friend Rachel Imbriglio, who ended up casting this film, had been saying to me for a while that I should meet this guy, Chase. She thought we would connect. When I shared the script with her, she mentioned Chase again. Nikki and I met Chase Fein and we both immediately knew he was right for the role. I’m really proud and appreciative of all of his work on the film.
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