Horror Highlights: Ithaca Fantastik Festival 2017, Bram Stoker Busts, TERROR AT STATION 13, SHORTWAVE, 2-HEADED SHARK ATTACK, PRODIGY

Ithaca Fantastik Festival 2017 returns this November in Ithaca, New York, and we have details on what will be screening at the festival, including the new horror comedy Tragedy Girls. Also in today's Highlights: Bram Stoker busts, details on the short film Terror at Station 13, a look at a new teaser trailer for Shortwave, information on 2-Headed Shark Attack screenings, and a new Prodigy teaser trailer.

Ithaca Fantastik Festival 2017 Lineup Announced: Press Release: "Ithaca, NY, September 19, 2017 - The Ithaca Fantastik (IF) festival returns to Ithaca, New York, November 3-12, 2017 with a carefully curated selection of new and classic genre films. With less than a month and a half to go, IF is announcing exciting changes, its first wave of titles, and a truly inspired retrospective!

Returning audiences will notice an expanded schedule as the festival grows from half a week to a full nine days. The festival’s two weekends will be dedicated to the best in current genre and festival cinema, with the week between featuring classic retrospective selections.

Our first weekend begins with the return of the CINEMA PUR miniseries, with gems that genre fans won’t want to miss! From Finnish action comedy SAMURAI RAUNI (Mika Ratto, Finland) to the hyper-real dark fairy tale TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (Issa Lopez, Mexico), audiences will be delighted by the variety the IF programmers are bringing to Central New York. Turkey and Canada are well-represented again this year, with the SXSW award-winner INFLAME (Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik, Turkey), and the TIFF midnight madness selection THE CRESCENT (Seth A. Smith, Canada). The lineup wouldn't be complete without a little witchcraft—the IF team promises HAGAZUSSA: A Heathen’s Curse (Lukas Feigelfeld, Germany) will haunt viewers long after the screening. Rounding out CINEMA PUR, the documentary BIGHT OF THE TWIN (Hazel McCarthy, US), about the personal journey of avant-garde performance artist Genesis Breyer P-Oridge, interlaces belief and grief in a beautiful and unexpected way.

The 40th Anniversary of the Giallo masterpiece SUSPIRIA (Dario Argento, 1977) provides an excellent occasion to revisit Italian exploitation classics with fresh eyes. The festival retrospective, ITALIANO PSICHEDELICO, will focus on the amazing visuals these inspired directors put on-screen. Selections include late 60s to mid 70s Italian films SUSPIRIA (Dario Argento, 1977), AUTOPSY (Armando Crispino, 1975), LE ORME (Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, 1975), BABA YAGA (Corrado Farina, 1973), DEADLY SWEET (Tinto Brass, 1967), as well as more titles to be announced in wave two!

Continuing our weekend lineup we have slasher comedy TRAGEDY GIRLS (Tyler McIntyre, UK), Tribeca award winner THE ENDLESS (Benson and Moorhead, USA), Graham Skipper’s directorial debut SEQUENCE BREAK (USA), Nordic ghost tale I REMEMBER YOU (Oskar Thor Axelsson, Iceland), and a twisted take on the time loop trope A DAY (Sun-Ho Cho, South Korea). From start to finish, there will be plenty to captivate audiences whose tastes lie across the horror spectrum and beyond!

Ithaca Fantastik would not be complete without its midnight series, featuring the riveting zombie comedy ZOMBIOLOGY (Alan Lo, Japan) and the surprising BRAVE STORM (Junya Okabe, Japan), which can be best described as an inventive and improbable mix between Terminator and Evangelion.

Visit the IF website (www.ithacafilmfestival.com) and stay tuned for more Fantastik announcements and title waves soon!

Local artist Steve Ellis (The Walking Dead, The Only Living Boy, High Moon), once again perfectly captures the spirit of the IF retrospective with a custom illustrated poster.

BIGHT OF THE TWIN (Ithaca Premiere)

Hazel Hill McCarthy III, US

BRAVE STORM (North American premiere)

Junya Okabe, Japan

THE CRESCENT (Ithaca Premiere)

Seth A. Smith, Canada

A DAY (East Coast Premiere)

Sun-Ho Cho, South Korea

THE ENDLESS (Ithaca Premiere)

Benson and Moorhead, USA

HAGAZUSSA (Ithaca Premiere)

Lukas Feigelfeld, Germany

INFLAME (East Coast Premiere)

Ceylan Ozgun Ozcelik, Turkey

I REMEMBER YOU (Ithaca Premiere)

Oskar Thor Axelsson, Iceland

SAMURAI RAUNI (North American Premiere)

Mika Ratto, Finland

SEQUENCE BREAK (Ithaca Premiere)

Graham Skipper, USA

TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (East Coast Premiere)

Issa Lopez, Mexico

TRAGEDY GIRLS (Ithaca Premiere)

Tyler McIntyre, UK

ZOMBIOLOGY: ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT (Ithaca Premiere)

Alan Lo, Hong Kong

Retrospective ITALIANO PSICHEDELIKO

AUTOPSY

Armando Crispino, 1975

BABA YAGA

Corrado Farina, 1973

DEADLY SWEET

Tinto Brass, 1967

LE ORME

Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, 1975

SUSPIRIA

Dario Argento, 1977"

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Bram Stoker Busts Coming to Dublin Writing Museum and MoPOP: Press Release: "Bram Stoker is finally coming home!

After two years of crowdfunding campaigns, constant promotion and endless hours of burning the midnight oil, the Bram Stoker bronze bust will not only be placed at the Dublin Writers Museum in Ireland but also at The Museum of Popular Culture, known as MoPOP, in Seattle, WA.

The bust's sculptor Bryan Moore teamed up with author Dacre Stoker of the Bram Stoker Estate to pay tribute to Dublin's gothic son who penned the immortal classic tale "Dracula" in an effort to memorialize Bram Stoker not only in his hometown of Dublin, but to also be displayed inside MoPOP’s original exhibition, Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film.

"As great, grand nephew of Bram Stoker and a representative of the Bram Stoker Estate I am thrilled to be partnering with Bryan Moore in presenting a bronze bust of Bram Stoker to MoPoP as well as on his native soil of Ireland." says Dacre Stoker.

One of the two Bram Stoker busts scheduled for public display will be shipped to the Dublin Writers Museum to arrive in the first week of November, just in time for Stoker's 170th birthday. The second Stoker bust will be unveiled during a special opening celebration for MoPOP’s new exhibit on September 29,2017.

Sculptor Bryan Moore states "I am ecstatic to be working with MoPOP on several bronze busts of authors including Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley for next years 200th publication anniversary of "Frankenstein" which fills me a gratitude that cannot be measured. To actually pair the Godfather and Godmother of horror fiction in the gothic tradition together in one donor location is a point of pride in my career."

“Our fascination with the vampire and its spread across all media can be traced back to Bram Stoker’s Dracula." imparts Jacob McMurray, Senior Curator at MoPOP. "Stoker took elements of folklore and his own inventions and created a monster that is seductive, deadly, and continually feeding on the lifeblood of our popular culture. We are very excited to display artist Bryan Moore’s sculpture of Stoker within the Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film exhibition, and we thank Moore and Dacre Stoker for generously donating it to our permanent collection.”

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Terror at Station 13 Short Film: Press Release: "On the heels of wrapping the feature horror film Lake of Shadows: Legend of Avocado lake, Indie director Michael S. Rodriguez does not wait long to dive headfirst into another project. This time around Rodriguez has decided to tackle the subgenre of Sci-fi thriller with his ode to Roger Corman classics. Add a pinch of John Carpenter a touch of Ridley Scott and you get Terror At Station 13.

Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of deep space in the year 3017 a mobile salvage unit named SAL-2 docks at abandoned station 13 when its mother computer detects something wedged in its cargo doors. The ship’s crew made up of a mix of former marines and scientists bring aboard something which to the likes that they’ve never seen before.

Prepare for an encounter of the closest kind.

Terror At Station 13 is a short film that will run a total of 7 mins long and debut for free on Facebook this October 31st. The director promises practical makeup/special FX as well as old-school scale modeling and camera tricks.

Quote from Michael S. Rodriguez: “I plan to give Sci-Fi and Horror fans a wonderful treat this Halloween. Imagine The Thing, Galaxy of Terror and Alien presented to you in 7 chest bursting, tentacle grabbing, face-hugging fu**ed up minutes… You’re Welcome.”

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Check Out the New Shortwave Teaser Trailer and Release Details: “Josh and Isabel Harris, after suffering the loss of their only child, relocate to a secluded hillside research facility with the hopes of repairing their broken family. After years of trying, Josh and his research partner, Thomas, have a breakthrough involving a cryptic shortwave radio signal and its universal origins. Something within the signal resonates with Isabel and she begins experiencing seeming hallucinations and visions of distant memories. Upon further investigation into the phenomenon, the scientists fear for Isabel’s health while Isabel fears the signal has attracted something sinister to their new home.

SHORTWAVE will be available on DVD October 3rd and VOD October 24 via Vega Baby Releasing and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.”

Written and directed by Ryan Gregory Phillips, Shortwave stars Juanita Ringeling, Cristobal Tapia Montt, Sara Malakul Lane, Jay Ellis, and Kyle Davis. To learn more, visit the film’s official website.

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Details on the 2-Headed Shark Attack Screenings: Press Release: “Cinemark Theaters and The Asylum (the studio behind Sharknado) have joined forces to present fans with THURSDAY NIGHTS AT THE ASYLUM, a weekly series offering exclusive access to the very best in underground and homegrown horror, thriller, sci-fi and cult cinema.

When a college educational ship is sunk by a mutated two-headed shark, the survivors escape to a deserted atoll. But when it starts flooding, the coeds are no longer safe from the double jaws of the monster.

THEATER LISTINGS: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH (ONE NIGHT ONLY!)

Movies 16 + XD (Lubbock, TX)

Hollywood 17 (Mcallen, TX)

College Station + XD (College Station, TX)

Tinseltown 17 (Erie, PA)

Cinemark Movies 16 + XD (Somerdale, NJ)

Movies 14 (Mishawaka, IN)

Cinemark Tinseltown 17 + XD (Grapevine, TX)

Tinseltown 20 + XD (El Paso, TX)

Tinseltown 20 + XD (Pflugerville, TX)

Cinemark Tinseltown + XD (Louisville, KY)

Tinseltown 14 (Oak Ridge, TN)

Tinseltown 14 (Pueblo, CO)

Legacy 24 + XD (Plano, TX)

Cinemark Tinseltown 20 + XD (Oklahoma City, OK)

Cinemark Tinseltown 20 + XD (Merriam, KS)

Tinseltown 20 + XD (Jacksonville, FL)

Tinseltown 17 (Fayetteville, GA)

Cinemark 17 + IMAX (Tulsa, OK)

Cinemark 19 + XD (Katy, TX)

Tinseltown 14 (Bristol, VA)

Moosic 20 + XD (Moosic, PA)

Valley View 24 + XD (Valley View, OH)

Cinemark Orlando + XD (Orlando, FL)

Cinemark 24 + XD (West Jordan, UT)

Cinemark 18 + XD (Webster, TX)

Carefree Circle 16 + IMAX (Colorado Springs, CO)

Cinemark 16 (Fort Collins, CO)

Cinemark 15 + XD (Hadley, MA)

Cinemark 14 @ The Pike + XD (Long Beach, CA)

Cinemark 14 + XD (Lake Charles, LA)

Pittsburgh Mills Mall 18 + IMAX (Tarentum, PA)

Cinemark 16 (Mesa, AZ)

Cinemark Perkins Rowe + XD (Baton Rouge, LA)

Cinemark Fayette Mall 16 + XD (Lexington, KY)

Mountain View Cinema 16 (Mountain View, CA)

Albuquerque Rio 24 + XD (Albuquerque, NM)

Orange Stadium Promenade 25 + XD (Orange, CA)

Century Parklane (Reno, NV)

Portland Eastport Plaza (Portland, OR)

Anchorage 16 + XD (Anchorage, AK)

Century El Con + XD (Tucson, AZ)

Evanston 18 + XD (Evanston, IL)

Las Vegas Samstown 18 (Las Vegas, NV)

Century Walnut Creek 14 + XD (Walnut Creek, CA)

Sacramento Greenback 16 + XD (Sacramento, CA)

San Jose Oakridge 20 + XD (San Jose, CA)

Century 16 Bel Mar + XD (Lakewood, CO)

W. Des Moines Jordan Creek + XD (West Des Moines, IA)

Huntington Beach Bella Terra 20 + XD (Huntington Beach, CA)

Las Vegas Santa Fe Station 16 + XD (Las Vegas, NV)

Sandy Union Heights 16 (Sandy, UT)

Century 16 (Boulder, CO)

Century Federal Way + XD (Federal Way, WA)

Century River Park 16 + XD (10/26) (Oxnard, CA)

Cinemark Robinson Township + XD (Robinson Township, PA)

Cinemark 14 (5/8) (Joliet, IL)

Cinemark 12 (6/24) (Barboursville, WV)

Paradise 24 + XD (Davie, FL)

Egyptian 24 + XD (Hanover, MD)

Cinemark Farmington + XD (Farmington, UT)

Christiana + XD (Newark, DE)

Cinemark Oakley Station + XD (Cincinnati, OH)

Cinemark North Hills + XD (Pittsburgh, PA)

Colonel Glenn 18 + XD (Little Rock, AR)

Cinemark 18 and XD (Los Angeles, CA)

Buckland Hills 18 IMAX (Manchester, CT)

Preston Crossings 16 (Louisville, KY)

Flint West 14 (Flint, MI)

Ann Arbor 20 IMAX (Ypsilanti, MI)

Hazlet 12 (Hazlet, NJ)

Dayton South 16 + XD (West Carrollton, OH)

Milford 16 (Milford, OH)

Fallen Timbers 14 + XD (Maumee, OH)

Franklin Park 16 + XD (Toledo, OH)

Northeast Mall 18 + XD (Hurst, TX)

Cuyahoga Falls + XD (Cuyahoga Falls, OH)”

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Watch a New Teaser Trailer for Prodigy: “Prodigy is a rousing Science Fiction film that seamlessly combines the intimacy of a personal drama with the excitement of a psychological thriller. The film premiered at Cinequest and is in the midst of a festival run. For more information, please see the IMDb page.

Synopsis: Prodigy pits an unconventional psychologist against a miniature Hannibal Lector in a dangerous battle of wits. Only as their session progresses does the psychologist begin to peel back the layers of mystery, and uncover just how desperate and dangerous this situation really is...”

Prodigy will screen at this year's Buffalo International Film Festival in October. To learn more about the film, visit its official website.