Fantastic Fest is excited to announce the short film lineup for the seventh edition of Fantastic Fest, happening September 22-29 in Austin, Texas. Fantastic Fest loves its short films – they provide a fertile ground for new and exciting filmmaking talent to show off their genre goods in an unrestrained format. Here is the lineup for Fantastic Fest 2011:nnALL MEN ARE CALLED ROBERT (2011)nU.S. PremierenDirector: Marc-Henri Boulier, France, 6 minutesnA naked, terribly bruised man is running through the woods. He stops suddenly. Who is this mysterious woman calling for help? And why are men trying to shoot him?nnBEDTIME FOR TIMMY (2010)nRegional PremierenDirector: Thomas Nicol and Becky Griesheimer, USA, 3 minutesnNight falls, shadows creep out, and the time has come for little Timmy to go to bed. But can he brave the ominous gaze of his closet door?nnBLACK DOLL (2011)nU.S. PremierenDirector: Sofia Carrillo, Mexico, 8 minutesnTwo sisters share their life imprisoned in a strange place. The mundane routine, along with their curiosity, will cause them to break their boundaries.nnBRUTAL RELAX (2010)nTexas PremierenDirector: David Munoz, Rafa Dengra & Adrian Cardona, Spain, 15 minutesnHaving recently recovered from a mental breakdown, Mr. Oliveras is in need of a relaxing vacation but things don’t go exactly as planned.nnTHE CANDIDATE (2010)nTexas PremierenDirector: David Karlak, USA, 19 minutesnAn underhanded company man is offered assistance by a secret organization that immerses him in forces beyond his control.nnTHE COLDEST CALLER (2011)nRegional PremierenDirector: Joe Tucker, United Kingdom, 4 minutesnMrs. Evans wasn’t expecting any visitors today… A short, comic film about the banality and randomness of death.nnCOP HARD (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Charles C. Custer, Australia, 30 minutesnHard cop. Tough cop. Detective Larry Hard is more cop than an old doughnut next to a dead hooker.nnCOST OF LIVING (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Ben David Grabinski, USA, 8 minutesnSilas (Brandon Routh) and Jerry (Bret Harrison) work for a very interesting corporation. One day things go wrong… Scary things.nnCOLOURBLEED (2011)nRegional PremierenDirector: Peter Szewczyk, Poland, 9 minutesnA young girl’s fate is inextricably sealed when she crosses paths with a scheming and enigmatic old woman, who harbors a dark secret.nnCREATE (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Dan MacKenzie, USA, 2 minutesnA young mad scientist sets out to create a pet monster within the parallel worlds of an imaginary laboratory and the reality of the boy’s bedroom.nnCTIN! (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Cyrille Drevon, France, 15 minutesnAt midnight, a man wakes up at a bizarre dinner party, surrounded by strangers speaking a curious language …nnCURTAIN (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Dennis Widmyer, USA, 13 minutesnAn unemployed deadbeat runs into a heap of girl trouble when he’s forced to choose the lesser of two evils: the succubus haunting his bathtub or the psychotic girlfriend lying in his bedroom.nnDEAD ON TIME (2010)nRegional PremierenDirector: Andreas Lambropoulos and Kostas Skiftas, Greece, 12 minutesnA young woman tries to escape from murderous criminals, but soon discovers death to be the least of her troubles.nnDECAPODA SHOCK (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Javier Chillon, Spain, 9 minutesnAn astronaut returns to Earth after a fatal accident on a distant planet.nnDICKFACE (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Eric Vogel and Thomas Seeberg Torjussen, Norway, 2 minutesnPortrait of the artist as a young man…if he had no hands and a dick for a nose.nnDIRTY SILVERWARE (2011)nRegional PremierenDirector: Steve Daniels, USA, 16 minutesnIn this dark, whimsical fantasy, a man travels deep into the forest to stop an ancient creature from creating cursed silverware that brings unhappiness to the world.nnTHE DUNGEON MASTER (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Rider Strong and Shiloh Strong, USA, 13 minutesnAfter they discover they were both fantasy geeks as kids, Shane and Cooper decide to spend a night playing Dungeons & Dragons. But they can’t remember the rules, so they invite a true gamer to help them. When he shows up in a cape, things get awkward very quickly…nnEXIT (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Daniel S. Zimbler, United Kingdom, 13 minutesnA Christmas party in the countryside. As a parlor trick becomes a bewitching, one of the guests gets his darkest desire.nnFAMILY UNIT (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Blackmagic Rollercoaster, USA, 3 minutesnCelebrate the death anniversary of your wife and share a stainless breast milk picnic with your little boy.nnTHE HOLE CHICKEN OF LIFE AND MUSIC (2010)nRegional PremierenDirector: Nomint, Greece, 3 minutesnThis is the story of the Holy Chicken, a magnificent beast, worshiped and exploited, in a tale of love and regret, art and science, life and music.nnTHE HUMAN NATURE (2010)nWorld PremierenDirector: Tore Frandsen, Denmark, 3 minutesnSet in the 1970’s, this brief tale is centered around the classic horror theme of man vs. nature. Needless to say, in this battle, man will suffer.nnTHE HUNTER AND THE SWAN DISCUSS THEIR MEETING (2010)nAustin PremierenDirector: Emily Carmichael, USA, 8 minutesnA Brooklyn couple has dinner with a hunter and his girlfriend, a magical swan woman.nnINCUBATOR (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Jimmy Weber, USA, 7 minutesnA young man wakes up in a bathtub full of ice in a dingy motel room only to discover his problems have just begun. You’ve heard the urban legend. This is worse.nnINFERNAL NUNS (2011)nU.S. PremierenDirector: Roland Petrizza, Germany, 3 minutesnWhen Pope Innocentius VIII is doomed to die, Marie Claire, a devoted nun, is willing to sacrifice everything to save him. But her undying love for the Holy Father will be her downfall.nnINNERCITY (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Alain Fournier, Canada, 8 minutesnIn a lonely, gray city, a young boy has only pigeons for company. When he spies a pretty neighbor, he tries all manner of inventions to catch her eye and heart.nnLADY CRUSH (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Hanna Skold, Sweden, 11 minutesnAn absurd, associative tale about love, role-playing and the longing to be seen.nnTHE LADY PARANORMA (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Vincent Marcone, Canada, 6 minutesnEstranged from the rest of the townsfolk, an eccentric lady is haunted by ghostly whispers, and follows an eerie call to an unusual happily-ever-after.nnTHE LAST NORWEGIAN TROLL (2011)nRegional PremierenDirector: Pjotr Sapegin, Norway, 13 minutesnIn the old days, Norway used to be a safe heaven for Trolls, but not anymore. One day three young goats decide to get rid of an old Troll who lives under a bridge. Little do they know that he is the last survivor of his species, the very last Troll of Norway…nnLAZAROV (2010)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Nietov, France, 5 minutesnRefusing to accept the decline of the USSR, a handful of Russian scientists work secretly to resurrect the Soviet power. Here are some new images of the mysterious program Lazarov.nnTHE LEGEND OF THE MIGHTY SOAP (2009)nWorld PremierenDirector: Andrew Bond, Estonia, 24 minutesnDirtpeople are living in misery until the Mighty Soap arrives, who washes them clean.nnMY DAD (2010)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Patrice Gablin, France, 13 minutesnWhat is behind the door at the end of the corridor? A secret, a family under pressure, and an unforeseen event which might change everything.nnNIGHT OF THE DEVIL (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Florian Puchert and Wolfgang Bohm, Germany, 15 minutesnWhen charlatan Paul pretends to exorcise a ghost from an old Bavarian farmhouse, he encounters the impossible – an actual supernatural presence. Attempting to save this lost soul, he unleashes Hell…nnNO REST FOR THE WICKED (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Ryan Schifrin, USA, 16 minutesnBasil and Moebius are badass partners-in-crime who work for the mysterious and supernatural Collector. They pull a daring heist during an illegal gambling party thrown by an underworld kingpin.nnNO WAY OUT (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Aaron Morgan, USA, 8 minutesnIsolated in a place where twisted creatures torment him from the dark, a man desperately tries to find an escape. But there may be no way out.nnPATH OF BLOOD: DEMON AT THE CROSSROAD OF DESTINY (2011)nAustin PremierenDirector: Eric Power, USA, 4 minutesnA lone samurai sets his course towards the path of blood, where unknown dangers and terrors await. Will his great swordsmanship be enough to combat the treacherous demon lord and his minions?nnPROFILE (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Timo Pierre Rositzki, Germany, 7 minutesnCaro is approached by Thomas, and she has no idea about the surprises the encounter will bring…nnA RIVER IN THE WOODS (2011)nU.S. PremierenDirector: Christian Sparkes, Canada, 12 minutesnA fable about a group of children who befriend a monster they meet while playing in the woods.nnSHIFTER (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Ben Parker, United Kingdom, 8 minutesnA woman, trapped inside a building, tries to evade armed soldiers who want her as bait to entrap her uniquely skilled mentor.nnSK8RZ (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Robin Todd, United Kingdom, 8 minutesnSet in a world where love exists as forward momentum, sk8rz carry each other over precarious obstacles until they crash in bitter disagreement.nnSPOON WARS (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Richard Gale, USA, 8 minutesnThe latest installment of Richard Gale’s viral hit THE HORRIBLY SLOW MURDERER WITH THE EXTREMELY INEFFICIENT WEAPON, this epic interstellar battle features the Spoonkiller vs. Jack “Obi-Wan” Cucchiaio.nnSUFFER (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Kimani Ray Smith, Canada, 18 minutesnA professional fighter risks his life to save a beautiful stranger in Hell’s kitchen.nnTHANK YOU JESUS! (2010)nWorld PremierenDirector: Free, USA, 6 minutesnYoung lovers are cruelly used by malevolent creatures who live within the woods. A bloody supernatural battle ensues, pitting a dead man against his killer.nnTUNE FOR TWO (2011)nNorth American PremierenDirector: Gunnar A K Jarvstad, Sweden, 3 minutesnAn execution takes an unexpected turn…nnTWO DREAMS (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Meredith Hama-Brown, Canada, 5 minutesnJune and Marc sleep in a bed and dream separate dreams of their lives together. Each dream eventually becomes the other person’s nightmare.nnTWO FRIENDS (2010)nAustin PremierenDirector: Paw Charlie Ravn, Denmark, 8 minutesnAlbert and his best friend Jonas are orphans. They live in the future in a harsh dystopia where the women and children are all dead and the men have begun to change.nnTHE UNLIVING (2010)nTexas PremierenDirector: Hugo Lijia, Sweden, 28 minutesnThirty years after a zombie outbreak, people have started taming the creatures and using them as a cheap work force. Young couple Katrine and Mark struggle with the duties of dirty zombie-catching, bloody lobotomy experiments and a relationship on the verge of collapse.nnVILE BEAST (2011)nU.S. PremierenDirector: William Crooks, Australia, 4 minutesnLuke and Susan are enjoying a nice, boring evening at home until they are interrupted by a vile and implacable monster.nnWATER LILIES IN BLOOM (2011)nRegional PremierenDirector: Emil Stang Lund, Norway, 15 minutesnThe suspended synchronized swimming guru Labanosov entices overweight women to join him in his mission to prove Isaac Newton wrong at the Championships.nnWE, TIME MACHINE (2011)nTexas PremierenDirector: Raul Navarro, Spain, 8 minutesnTime traveler Carlos uses his unique skill to take advantage of women…until he meets fellow traveler Laura. This is the story of a love beyond the space-time continuum.nnYUICHI: THE BEGINNING OF THE END (2011)nWorld PremierenDirector: Aaron Guadamuz, USA, 9 minutesnAfter the planet is decimated, Yuichi and his dog venture into the charred landscape of cult film artifacts in search of a television tube.nn
nnAbout Fantastic FestnFantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. In years past the festival has been home to world premieres of THERE WILL BE BLOOD, APOCALYPTO, ZOMBIELAND and RED while the guest roster has included such talent as Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Ryan Reynolds, Karl Urban, Josh Hartnett, The RZA, Dolph Lundgren, Jemaine Clement, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky and Mike Judge. FantasticFest also features world, national and regional premieres of new, up-and-coming genre films. The festival has launched and propelled the buzz for international genre hits like THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE, MONSTERS, TIMECRIMES and TROLLHUNTER. Fantastic Fest is held each year at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar in Austin, Texas. The Alamo Drafthouse was named the best cinema in America by Entertainment Weekly and features food and drink served to your seat without any disruption of the movie experience.nnDuring his Keynote Address at the International film Festival Summit in Las Vegas, Variety president and publisher Charlie Koones listed Fantastic Fest in a list of “10 Film Festivals We Love,” a list which included industry heavy-hitters such as Cannes, Toronto and Telluride. We’ve also been named as one of the “25 coolest film festivals” and the “25 film festivals worth the entry fee” by Moviemaker Magazine.nnOur PartnersnPresenting Sponsor Ambhar Tequila is returning as the official tequila of Fantastic Fest. A variety of delicious tequila cocktails will be featured at festival parties taking place at The Highball throughout the week, curated by Alamo Drafthouse Beverage Director Bill Norris.nnFEARnet is also returning as a Presenting Sponsor. This year, they are the exclusive sponsor of our new outdoor-tented pavilion. FEARnet is the premier cable television channel for fans of horror, thriller and suspense entertainment. Featuring original series and movies, its unrivaled modern horror library unites Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate, the two top studios producing and distributing the genre, and Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. FEARnet is also available online at FEARnet.com and On Demand.nnWe are proud to announce new partnerships with fellow Texas brands Shiner Beer and Well Go USA Entertainment as Presenting Sponsors. Shiner will be the official beer of this year’s festival, with Shiner specials offered throughout the week. Well Go USA Entertainment will present the Japanese content at this year’s festival, including our annual Japanese Karaoke Party.nnFantastic Fest partners with presenting sponsor Fandango, the nation’s leading movie ticketing destination, for exclusive video content, showtime info and ticketing for this year’s festival. Fandango will be a one-stop shop for all things Fantastic Fest — daily interviews, plus video and photo content from the largest genre festival in the United States. Additionally, Fandango will be the exclusive showtime and ticketing partner for all Fantastic Fest screenings that are available for advance purchase via its online and mobile sites.nnAbout Alamo DrafthousenThe Alamo Drafthouse is a lifestyle entertainment brand with an acclaimed cinema-eatery, the largest genre film festival in the United Sates and an online collectible art store. Named “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high-profile, star studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse Founder & CEO, Tim League, created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. The Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art boutique, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding its brand in new and exciting ways, including the launch of Drafthouse Films, a new film distribution label and plans to extend its theaters and unique programming philosophy to additional markets across the United States. More information about Alamo Drafthouse franchise opportunities are available on the official website.nnFor more details regarding Fantastic Fest visit www.fantasticfest.com.Brandy Fons Director of Publicity (310) 809-8882 Contact Brandy via email
ABC Fine Wine and Spirits Embraces Dry January With Cheeky New Ad Campaign
Bacon & Eggs, the creative shop known for its witty, imaginative and disruptive advertising, has created an innovative campaign for ABC Fine Wine and Spirits that playfully tackles the Dry January's impact on its business head-on. Through the campaign, Florida's largest family-owned wine and spirits retailer proudly proclaims its support for Dry January even as it shares its extensive selection of wines, spirits, premixed cocktails and beers found within 127 stores across the state. In the campaign's signature spot, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits cheekily announces its enthusiastic support for Dry January, then proceeds to describe its tantalizing array of velvety cabernets, perfectly frosted IPAs, and smooth whiskeys — all while insisting, of course, that viewers "definitely shouldn't" indulge in these libations during the month. "Most alcohol retailers either push non-alcoholic alternatives or go quiet during Dry January," explains Kia Zomorrodi, founder and chief creative officer of Bacon & Eggs. "We wanted to flip the script and create something that would resonate with both those participating in Dry January and those who aren't. The campaign's reverse psychology approach lets ABC own the conversation while showcasing its impressive selection in an entertaining way." The campaign arrives as ABC Fine Wine and Spirits aims to maintain brand engagement during a traditionally quiet period for alcohol sales. "This campaign perfectly captures our brand personality while acknowledging the reality of Dry... Read More