Festivals And Events

DARK WHISPERS

Your Next Viewing: DARK WHISPERS (Final Girls Berlin 2020)

Christina Ortega

The 2020 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival runs from February 6 through 9 and we here at Film Combat Syndicate were lucky enough to have remote access to some of the feature films and shorts. My first film to view for the Film Fest was the Australian film Dark Whispers. This one was unique as there was an overall story that moved forward in between short tales. Here is the official synopsis: When Clara discovers her deceased mother’s revered Book of Dark Whispers, she can’t stop reading the strange stories within its mystical pages. Each weird tale reveals a new facet of the twisted human psyche…or, in this case, the not-so-human. From the horror of grief to roommate living disasters, from existential dread to right-swiping vampires, there’s something for all tastes. The horror anthology is brought to you by eleven female directors from across Australia. Each of the strange stories […]

Cinepocalyse IV Announces Senior Programmer, Open Submissions

Lee B. Golden III

Katie Rife, Senior Writer for The A.V. Club, will serve as Senior Programmer of this year’s fourth installation of the Cinepocalypse Genre Film Festival. The event will return once more to the Music Box Theater in Chicago, Illinois where the festival will commence from June 4 through 7. Rife’s promotion comes after previously taking the reigns on the festival’s shorts programming, wherein she will also steer the feature programming for the festival. “Genre festivals have been my home as a critic for many years, and it’s thrilling to get the opportunity to be more deeply involved as a festival programmer,” says Rife. Cinepocalypse has been host to Music Box audiences with a slate of dynamic and entertaining sections, accomodating guests such Lana Wachowski (The Matrix Trilogy, Sense8) Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange), celebrated auteur and Spike Lee collaborator Ernest Dickerson (Tales From The Crypt) the late Larry Cohen, and horror […]

Image: Slumber Party Massacre

FINAL GIRLS V: Four Days Of Variety Horror And Genre Talk To Explore Next Month In Berlin

Lee B. Golden III

The fifth installation of the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival kicks off on February 6 at City Kino Wedding. Attendees will get to bask in a four-day adventure into female centric and non-binary horror from notable and emerging directors and producers, in what festival co-director Eli Lewy calls the “most expansive and international yet, presenting a wide array of films by visionary filmmakers that represent the diversity and originality that can be found in the current horror landscape.” Below are several galleries highlighting the festival’s landscape consisting of eight curated short film blocks, nine feature films, a horror-inspired self-defense workshop, an exhibition, a festival party with multimedia drag performances, and specialist talks on horror martyrs, made-for-TV horror, ‘female monsters,’ and ‘bad mothers’ in Mexican horror cinema. “Horror is a very elastic term,” adds fellow co-director Sara Neidorf, “and we’re excited to discover films that make us question and expand our […]

TADFF XIV: CONTRACTS, MUTANT BLAST, THE ODD FAMILY Among Winners Of The 14th Festival

Lee B. Golden III

Toronto After Dark Film Festival made its announcement this weekend after the closure of its 14th annual installment. Among the winning recipients from the 5000+ votes from attendees and fans are Lee Min-jae’s zombie comedy, The Odd Family: Zombie On Sale, in addition to Alex Chung’s tenaciously-produced independent action endeavor, Contracts, crowdfunded sci-fi oddysey, Blood Machines, and Fernando Alle’s Bucheon fave, Mutant Blast. Check out the roster below and stay tuned for more updates! THE MORTUARY COLLECTION, the creepy new horror anthology directed Ryan Spindell took Top Prize, the Audience Choice Award for BEST FEATURE FILM GOLD plus three other Specialty Awards including BEST HORROR FILM. BEST FEATURE FILM SILVER went to THE ODD FAMILY: ZOMBIE ON SALE, Lee Min-jae’s zombie comedy which also took home BEST ENSEMBLE CAST. Time travel comedy JAMES VS HIS FUTURE SELF, directed by Jeremy LaLonde took home BEST FEATURE FILM BRONZE as well as […]

KIKYO: THE RETURN: Shigemichi Sugita’s 8K Trailblazer Announces November 4 Tokyo Screening

Lee B. Golden III

Director Shigemichi Sugita’s latest costume drama, Kikyo: The Return, is reportedly off to an amazing start since screening for MIPCOM at the French resort at Cannes earlier this month. Nihon Eiga Broadcasting Corporation’s Samurai Drama Channel is now on deck to screen the project for audiences on Monday, November 4 for the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival. Screening at MIPCOM is but one achievement out of several for the new samurai drama which was also shot using 8K technology. Sugita directs from a script he wrote alongside Masahiro Kobayashi, and stars actor Tatsuya Nakadai in the role of a man who falls ill at the end of his thirty year journey and returns to his hometown where he decides to save a girl in dire straits. Kikyo: The Return, which opens in Japan, is based on the novel “Kikyo” by Shuhei Fujisawa, which sits among a collection of his short […]

LINE OF DESCENT: Delhi-Set Pic Heads Features Among Dozens Of Long And Short Form Screenings For First NYC South Asian Film Festival

Lee B. Golden III

Writer and director Rohit Karn Batra’s new thriller, Line Of Descent, is getting its U.S. theatrical and VoD premiere from GravitasVentures beginning December 13. Before then, the new crime pic starring Abhay Deol and Brendan Fraser will get its opening night premiere when the three-day inaugural NYC South Asian Film Festival kicks off Friday, November 15. The festival’s totaling line-up of 24 shorts, documentaries and trio of feature films were announced earlier this week with the announcement signaling the festival’s choices would explore timely and relevant themes: immigration, surrogacy, police brutality and the aftermath of HIV/AIDS, as well as under-represented communities such as transgenders, deaf and hard-of-hearing and outcasts. “Our programming team has worked incredibly hard to strike the right balance and showcase the most current, ground-breaking, topical independent cinema from various parts of South Asia at our inaugural festival,” said Jitin Hingorani, Founder and Festival Director. “We have focused […]

BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL IV Closes With A Bang, Winners Announced!

Lee B. Golden III and 1 more

The fourth-annual Brooklyn Horror Film Festival closed out its events with a sold-out screening of Joe Begos’ VFW at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park this month. The film is one of 100 films and events hosted across Brooklyn with other active venues like Cobble Hill Cinema, IFP Made in NY Media Center and Long Island University’s Kumble Theater. The annual New York City festival was launched in partnership with ALTER, Blood Manor, IFC Midnight, Spamflix and VFW producer and horror magazine Fangoria who also shepherded the closing night events. The festival was recognized by Vulture as after reportedly welcoming more festival attendees, film guests and putting on more events than ever before. One of fest’s more key moments went to the horror jury who awarded Adam Egypt best director and best picture for his latest thriller, Daniel Isn’t Real which Samuel Goldwyn Films is releasing theatrically and on VOD December 6. […]

UASE 2019 Spotlight: Final Round Of Titles For This Year’s Seventh Action-Packed Event

Lee B. Golden III

There’s more to come as the latest installation of the Urban Action Showcase & Expo readies fans for its explosive ceremony in the next several weeks. A number of shorts will be screen at the event, and Joey Min’s Art School Dropouts is no exception with most of its work this year getting some screentime at the festival, including the Robert Samuels/Sharif Bey two-part tete-a-tete, Duel, a zany retro tokusatsu spoof titled Mizu Sentai Scubaranger and Stephanie Pham’s explosively violent sequel outing in Lady 2. Next to Silverback for Rising Tiger Films, Leroy Nguyen will be sure to thrill the crowd in November with Dropkick To The Chest, while Juan Manuel Olmedo will unleash his Fist Of Fire (more on Olmedo later) with co-directed with Diego Fraga, James Cotton will unleash UK action comedy, Tiger Claw, action comedy Solar will illuminate green energy with Mark Cheng and Jean Goto, and […]

The Age Of Success (LKFF 2019)

LKFF 2019: 100 Years Of Worldly Korean Cinema Outline The Official Festival Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Last month’s official line-up of titles for the 14th edition London Korean Film Festival (LKFF) revealed a worldly collection of films spanning its various segments to comprise the twenty four-day event. Seven cities and over fifty films will screen throughout London and with the promise of what is expected to be nothing short of an immersive cultural film experiemce. For this, we now have an official trailer for the annual festival which shares the theme, A Century Of Korean Cinema, culminating a mix of UK and International premieres comprising the industry’s 100-year milestone. The stands included are Cinema Now, Women’s Voices, Documentary, Hidden Figures: Ha Gil-jong, Artist Video, Animation and Mise-en-scène Shorts. The guests confirmed on Friday for the festival’s Q&As include Kim Soo-yong (The Seashore Village, Bloodline), Kim Sol (Scattered Night), Chung Ji-young (North Korean Partisan in South Korea), Chang Yoon-hyun (The Contact), Lee Byeong-Heon (Extreme Job), Shim Hyejung […]

Contracts (2020)

CONTRACTS Outlines The Brutal Rules Of Engagement In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

There are only several more days left before the next Toronto After Dark Film Festival reveals director and actor Alex Chung’s latest cinematic arrival, Contracts. Film Combat Syndicate debuted an exclusive inaugural festival trailer a few weeks ago to whet the appetite prior to composing a first-hand review, and now we have an official trailer to set things further in stone. Fight choreographer Alex Chung channels JOHN WICK and JASON BOURNE with this hard-hitting action packed crime thriller about a jaded hitman who finds himself in a fight to the death with a group of vicious assassins. Packed with jaw-breaking fights, intense duels and dangerous stunts, CONTRACTS is a hardcore action movie fan’s delight! Chung and select cast and crew will also be on hand to answer questions for attendees. Tickets are still on sale for the next few days so click here and get yours if you’re going!

‘Hollow Point’ Director Daniel Zirilli Shares A Brief Ceremonial Highlight Reel From Jackie Chan Int’l Action Week [Exclusive]

Lee B. Golden III

Just a ways from the release of his next film, Acceleration, director Daniel Zirilli is sharing with us a small highlight reel from the star-studded fifth annual Jackie Chan International Action Film Week. The director was invited by the legendary action star himself to screen action thriller Hollow Point following its multiple wins at the NOIDENTITY International Action Film Festival Spain (NIAFFS), and the Iron Dragon TV Action Fest in Austin, Texas. The reel above showcases the red carpet/closing cermonies for the event in Datong, China with Zirilli, accompanied by Wu Assassins co-star JuJu Chan who also headlines the film. Chan joins action star Luke Goss, Jay Mohr, Michael Pare, Bill Duke, Roger Guenveur Smith, Natalie Burn, and award-winning lead debut actor Dilan Jay who also produces the film with Adel Nur. Hollow Point centers on a college professor whose wife and daughter are killed in the crossfire of a […]

INTO THE NIGHT: Kate Li’s No-Budget Murder Mystery Feature Debut To Screen In Los Angeles And Cardiff This Month

Lee B. Golden III

Harvard and Boston Uni graduate, actress and filmmaker Kate Li’s feature debut, Into The Night, is the latest recipient of Sunrise 45’s Best Feature Film award. The $6,000-budgeted, skeletal-crewed murder mystery noir will now take to screens in Los Angeles, California and in Wales, United Kingdom this month. The film depicts the story of a young woman, following the mysterious murder of her fiancé, who is forced to sift through facts and lies to arrive at the truth and escape from the web of manipulation she is caught in. Shot in black and white and presented in a non-linear fashion, the film breaks a few boundaries of traditional gender roles and human morality in classic detective stories and brings a contemporary narrative and characters to the iconic film noir style. Into The Night is scheduled to premiere at LA Femme International Film Festival on Saturday, October 19 at 10am at […]

Bento Harassment - Japan Cuts Hollywood Opening Premiere

BENTO HARASSMENT: Renpei Tsukamoto’s Appetizing Family Dramedy Inaugurates Three-Day Japan Cuts Hollywood November 1

Lee B. Golden III

Japan Cuts Hollywood is kicking off its first year event with the West Coast opening night premiere of family dramedy, Bento Harrassment which opened in Japan back in June. The film is written and directed by Renpei Tsukamoto who will also partake as a special guest next to actress Ryoko Shinohara. A true, universal tale – full of laughter and tears – about a single mother and her high school daughter. The girl who used to call her mommy now totally ignores her. Exasperated, the mother seeks revenge by using ‘bentos’ (home-made boxed lunches) as her ‘weapon’. Regardless of what’s going on in her own life, she never fails to make her daughter a bento lunch that embarrasses her with its sugar-coated messages of love. After three long years, the final ‘bento’ message is a ‘thank you letter’ from mother to daughter. This story of a mother’s love will ring […]

ENHANCED: Don’t Miss The First Teaser For ‘Kill Order’ Director’s New Action Sci-Fi

Lee B. Golden III

The next Toronto After Dark Film Festival rounded out its line-up last week with Enhanced among the numerous more titles included. Stunt professional and filmmaker James Mark follows up his previous sci-fi feats with a cast, among which actor and stunt performer Chris Mark follows-up his freshman lead in last year’s Kill Order. Packed with kick-ass action and super-powered throw downs, James Mark’s ENHANCED is a thrilling new sci-fi action flick set to delight fans. In the vein of X-MEN, when a sinister government organization declares them illegal, a group of ‘enhanced’ mutant outcasts including a young woman (CARDINAL’S Alanna Bale) go on the run. But when a super-enhanced serial killer emerges on the scene, the dynamics between hunter and prey changes. Adding extra action to the cast is Canadian Olympic icon and martial artist Elvis Stojko! The Toronto After Dark Film Festival kicks off on October 17 with a […]

Contracts (2020)

CONTRACTS: Watch The Exclusive, All-New Trailer For Alex Chung’s Action-Packed Feature Debut

Lee B. Golden III

The last twelve years have been a pivotal period of growth for actor, stunt performer and filmmaker Alex Chung. From his birth into stunts and independent cinema to a full-fledged resumè in the field, his latest endeavor, Contracts, stands on its own as a true testament of his dedication to the craft. “The existence of this film is ironically not a result of a clear ambition to make a feature-length chaotic martial arts action film with no funding, yet that is what we ended up with.” says Chung, whose earlier evolution of the project was intended to be a 45-minute prequel to a small string of independent action shorts from 2009 and onward. “I had always imagined attempting my first feature once I had a script that was perfect, the desired amount of funding, and basically all of the planets lining up. I realized the naiveté of that and decided […]

Shanghai Film Week in Liverpool 2019 - Poster banner.jpg

SHANGHAI FILM WEEK Lights Up Liverpool Beginning October 14

Lee B. Golden III

Four films will mark the forthcoming inaugural Shanghai Film Week, running fron October 14 through 17 during the Liverpool-Shanghai 20th Sister Cities Anniversary Celebration. The films will screen at Liverpool Hope University and Everyman Cinema along with a raft of other activities and events per the celebration. The films are hosted by Shanghai in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Hope University and the UK-China Film Collaboration Project funded by the AHRC. The titles listed below were specially curated by the Shanghai Art Film Federation (part of the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association). “I very much look forward to presenting four Shanghai produced films to the audience in Liverpool this fall.” said Jin Hui, Secretary-General, Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association in a statement. “Shanghai is the birthplace of Chinese cinema, apart from our historical film and cinema culture, we have also produced many high-quality films (both commercial and […]

SHE NEVER DIED: Don’t Miss The Trailer For Audrey Cummings’ Dark Action Horror Follow-Up To ‘He Never Died’

Lee B. Golden III

She Never Died, Audrey Cummings’ own sister sequel to Jason Krawczyk’s He Never Died with Henry Rollins, will be taking a bite of her own out of the crowd at next month’s Screamfest in Los Angeles. Lacey, a socially detached loner is cursed with immortality and her never-ending tedium of existence. In her attempts to keep her compulsions in check, she seeks out the darkest souls humanity has to offer. Lacey must now face her own inner demons while simultaneously finding her next meal. Upcoming Chaos Walking co-star, actress Olunike Adeliyi leads the narrative this time around and also stars Peter MacNeill, Kiana Madeira, Michelle Nolden and Noah Danby. Click here to get your tickets now!.

WELCOME TO JAPAN Invites A Cultural Cuisine Of Violence In The First Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Yoshihiro Nishimura‘s recent endeavors saw him serving in a producer capacity for Noboru Iguchi’s latest reboot, Rise Of The Machine Girls. That one is already off to a festive start for audiences abroad while the noted Meatball Machine Kodoku and Mutant Girl Squad helmer’s newest, Welcome To Japan, brings a trailer of late that pretty much fires on all cylinders from the start. The film is described as a tale centered on female assassins and Japanese food culture, and stars singer and songwriter Ena Fujita whose own music video in 2018 apparently serves as the source of inspiration for this latest endeavor from Nishimura. Audiences at Sitges Film Festival next month will get to catch this latest violent, stellar and worldly odyssey which should present a more readable output of the plot summary by then. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer above, and endulge accordingly.

A CLEAR SHOT: Mario Van Peebles Hostage Drama Unfolds At TCL Chinese Theater October 5

Lee B. Golden III

Janitors director Nick Leisure is making way for the Hollywood premiere of his latest, A Clear Shot. The Mario Van Peebles and Marshall Hilton-led crime drama will screen at the TCL Chinese Theater on October 5. The film marks the latest iteration of the suspenseful and historically tragic events that unfolded in 1991 in Sacremento, California as a hostage negotiator is forced to mitigate a sea of diplomacy between eager law enforcement officials, and a gang of armed Vietnamese gunmen holding 41 people hostage in a Good Guys Electronics store. Filmed on location at Foxploration Studios in Baja Mexico, the film also hails a first as a feature film take on the incident following previous observations in both TV, as well as a 2000 stage play. Also starring are Glenn Plummer, Jes Meza, Sandra Gutierrez and Mandela Van Peebles with David Fernandez Jr., Tony Dew, Hao Do, Kevin Bach and […]

Premiering at Fantasia XXIII

A GOOD WOMAN IS HARD TO FIND, Yet Found In The Latest International Poster

Lee B. Golden III

Road Games director Abner Pastoll’s Fantasia favorite, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, previously found distro in the UK for October, and is now ready to make its next premiere in Hollywood, California in time for the 18th installment of Screamfest. What’s more is we also have our latest look at the film’s international poster which you can view just below. Sarah Bolger stars along with Andrew Simpson and Edward Hogg for its premiere on October 14 at 7:00pm PST at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. A dynamic killer thriller, with its finger firmly on the pulse of stark social commentary and shattering suspense. Recently widowed mother of two Sarah is desperate to know who murdered her husband in front of her young son, rendering him mute. Coerced into helping a low-life drug dealer stash narcotics stolen from the local Mr Big, she’s forced into taking drastic action to […]