Arthouse Quarterly Autumn 2020

THE IMPOSSIBLY PERSONAL EFFECTS OF

THE UNCANNY THE FINE ART OF ARTHOUSE HORROR

BY ROB MCNEIL

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY SPOTLIGHTS:

FEMALE VOICES + EXPERIENCES IN ARTHOUSE HORROR AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURED FILMMAKERS: AJ SMITH BRANDON WILSON DOR PE'ER MYRIAM KHAMMASSI LUCAS MCCUTCHEN + KOLBY JACOBS GAIA ALARI BRIAN SEPANZYK BÉLA BAPTISTE

Ghost Nursery Dir. Brandon Wilson

COMPULSION Dir. Brian Sepanzyk

PLEASURES Dir. Dor Pe'er

ABOUT US AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL + THE ARTHOUSE CHALLENGE

THE IMPOSSIBLY PERSONAL EFFECTS OF

THE UNCANNY

ESSAY THE FINE ART OF ARTHOUSE HORROR

BY ROB MCNEIL

FROM THE EDITORS

SPOTLIGHT FEMALE VOICES + EXPERIENCES IN ARTHOUSE HORROR

CATHARSIS IN ARTHOUSE HORROR

PLEASURES GHOST NURSERY

HERE AND GONE INTERVIEW AJ SMITH

FEATURED FILMMAKERS

CREATED IN POST-COVID ISOLATION, AN EXPRESSIONISTIC PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

INTERVIEW BRANDON WILSON

INTERVIEW DOR PE'ER

A MISERABLE MAN DESCENDS INTO A WORLD OF DARK HALLUCINATIONS

A GHOST IS BORN IN THE FOREST IN THIS HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL MEDITATION

HORROR FILMMAKERS FROM AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

MAGNUM OPUS INTERVIEW MYRIAM KHAMMASSI ART MEETS DEATH AND BEAUTY MEETS BRUTALITY IN THIS EXPRESSIONISTIC NIGHTMARE

COMPULSION CATA

TERMINUS INTERVIEW GAIA ALARI CLAYMATION ZOMBIES EXPLORING ANXIETY + JUDGEMENT IN SOCIETY

INTERVIEW LUCAS MCCUTCHEN + KOLBY JACOBS FAUX DOCUMENTARY EXPLORING ART, ADDICTION AND ALTERED STATES.

INTERVIEW BRIAN SEPANZYK A NOD TO CLASSIC 80'S SLASHER FILMS FROM A MODERN, ARTHOUSE PERSPECTIVE

PERCHT INTERVIEW

BÉLA BAPTISTE IT’S CHRISTMAS SEASON IN A SMALL TOWN SOMEWHERE IN THE AUSTRIAN COUNTRYSIDE...

EDITOR'S PICKS : TOP 10 ARTHOUSE HORROR

Editor in Chief, Art Director Elizabeth Tabish Senior Editor, Community Director Giselle Marie Muñoz Guest Writers Rob McNeil, Janet Travis, Gabriel Mendez, Carly Christopher, Adam Mark Brown, Molly Stuart, Stephanie Vela Anderson, Ashley James We are seeking guest writers and reviewers who are passionate and knowledgable about arthouse cinema. For inquiries, email us at arthousequarterly@gmail.com ADVERTISE WITH US arthousequarterly@gmail.com

FREUD DESCRIBED THE UNCANNY AS A RETURN OF THE REPRESSED AND AS ARTHOUSE CINEMA OFTEN DELVES DEEP INTO THE SUBCONSCIOUS, IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT IT ALSO STEPS INTO UNCANNY TERRITORY.

arthousequarterly.com

Welcome to the second issue of Arthouse Quarterly, brought to you by the directors of Austin Arthouse Film Festival. This season we are exploring Arthouse Horror in conjunction with our first ever month-long Arthouse Challenge, an expansion of our 48 Hour Film Contest. During the month of October, filmmakers from across the world will have three weeks to create a short arthouse horror film under our newly posted guidelines exploring the concept of the Uncanny.

Freud described the uncanny as a return of the repressed and as arthouse cinema often delves deep into the subconscious, it is no surprise that it also steps into uncanny territory. We'll explore the facets of the concept from the doppelgänger to the oddly familiar as well as ways to utilize the uncanny in your storytelling.

We will also be exploring female voices and experiences in arthouse horror and the many commentaries they bring concerning domesticity, social roles and expectations.

These motifs coalesce into what may be a general and overarching theme in arthouse horror and perhaps a patriarchal society’s deepest fear: That women have finally had enough.

And finally we announce the first five official selections to Austin Arthouse Year 3 whose truly unique work in the arthouse horror genre is unforgettable along with alumni from Austin Arthouse Film Festival, whose work in arthouse horror continues to impress.

Enjoy the issue!

Photo by Ned Dymoke

ONE OF THE BEST FESTIVAL EXPERIENCES WE'VE EVER HAD. THRILLED TO BE INCLUDED AMONG SUCH AMAZING TALENT." BEN GILBERT

AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL Approaching its third year, Austin Arthouse Film Festival has developed a growing and supportive community of arthouse filmmakers and cinephiles from across the world.

Screening a diverse array of arthouse films, from narrative to documentary, animation to surrealism, the festival features an international selection of impressive work featuring works associated with David Bowie, Daniel Johnston, the Polish Theater Dance Company and countless independent filmmakers. Join us February 2021 for our third year of celebrating these rarely seen gems of cinematic achievement.

FILMFREEWAY.COM/AUSTINARTHOUSE

Photo by Ned Dymoke

"THE CORE OF THE FESTIVAL REMAINS THE EFFORT TO BUILD SOMETHING VERY REAL: A GROWING COMMUNITY SPACE FOR ARTHOUSE FILMMAKERS AND THE FANS WHO APPRECIATE THEIR WORK." - AUSTIN CHRONICLE

THE ARTHOUSE CHALLENGE

Films due October 23 Voting October 24-30 Winners announced October 31 $500 JURY PRIZE $100 AUDIENCE FAVORITE Jury Prize winners are automatically accepted into Austin Arthouse Film Festival, Year 3.

FILMFREEWAY.COM/THEARTHOUSECHALLENGE

Alice Jan Svankmajer

CHOOSE ONE, TWO OR ALL EFFECTS: 1. Use of split screen with a mirror in the frame. What we see in the mirror should be slightly different from reality.

Example on how to create this effect here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7vlP8PKA-Q 2. Stop-motion used only once to suggest that an inanimate object has taken on life.

3. Character breaks the fourth wall and looks and/or speaks directly to camera only once.

Les Bonnes Femme Claude Chabrol

REQUIRED LINE: "I know this is impossible. I know this is impossible.

But it's happening and it's happening to me."

Black Swan Derren Aronofsky

Create an arthouse horror film under 10 minutes exploring the concept of THE UNCANNY.

If the deeper purpose of the horror genre is to confront fears held by the individual and collective, then creating a film in which to explore those fears in a safe and protected way suggests that the horror genre actually brings us a sense of power through the formula: Stare the monster in the face = Overcome the fear.

Not so in the case of the uncanny.

The uncanny reminds us that it is not the monster we are afraid of.

The monster merely stands in for the real, faceless, unseen terror-the vast, utterly neutral plane of the unknown which is not merely threatening but also possibly rewarding and impossibly personal.

The uncanny challenges our perceptions not of our fears but of our complete understanding of existence, consciousness, the time and space continuum, identity, individuality.

In the same breath the uncanny insists: 1. There are many of you.

2. Perhaps there is only you.

3. You are out there and not here.

4. You have been here forever.

The Uncanny is not directly threatening but it is impossible and so directly threatening if only we could grasp the meaning of it. It is remembering the truth and so doing, decimating the false world we've built no matter how complex and realistic it appears. But what is that truth? It is almost human, almost inhuman. Almost scary. Almost comforting. It is the nebulous space in between states, not fully committed to any reality. And after all what is more terrifying than the unknown? The Uncanny Answers: Suddenly realizing that the unknown is alive and responsive. Suddenly realizing that the unknown is you.

THE UNCANNY MARKS THE RETURN OF THAT WHICH HAS BEEN REPRESSED: WHETHER THAT IS A MEMORY, AN ELEMENT TO ONE'S PERSONALITY OR A RECOLLECTION OF THE TRUE NATURE OF REALITY. IN STORYTELLING, THE TRUE NATURE OF REALITY MAY BE SO TRAUMATIC, TRAGIC OR SURPRISING THAT THE CHARACTER HAS COVERED IT UP WITH A FANTASY WORLD. IT IS WHEN REALITY BREAKS THROUGH AND THREATENS THE SECURITY OF THIS FANTASY THAT WE EXPERIENCE THE UNCANNY. HOW TO UTILIZE THE UNCANNY IN STORYTELLING: 1. Inanimate objects suddenly take on life (is it alive?)

2. Locations that feel too familiar (have I been here before?)

3. Deja vu, or the sense of having lived this very moment before (have I done this before?)

4. Meeting or seeing one's doppelgänger (is that me?)

5. Something is just slightly off-kilter in your normal world, rendering it almost entirely unfamiliar (who/what/where am I?)

When an object that is not human (robot, doll, puppet, CGI character) bears an uncomfortable resemblance to being human.

We see this often in CGI and video games but the effect can be utilized in the horror genre to a great effect. .

07

ARTHOUSE HORROR The

Fine

Art

of

WHAT MAKES ARTHOUSE HORROR SO DIFFERENT FROM MAINSTRAM HORROR LIES WITHIN THE WORD ITSELF.

BY ROB MCNEIL

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY Â | Â PAGE 08

Arthouse and mainstream films in general have long been debated as genres, but really it's about how they're made and who they're made for.

First, it will be important to define them as genres. Arthouse as a genre is simply focused on the look and feel of the film. Arthouse will, in the most literal sense, primarily use its medium for the art of the experience; meaning an arthouse film will prioritize experimenting with interpretive devices such as metaphor or dreamlike/surreal sequences over a linear plot or popcorn entertainment. Mainstream as a genre is meant to entertain its audience. Its focus primarily is on keeping viewers engaged throughout, however that can be done. Whether it is through the visuals, quippy dialogue, or a high concept hook/premise.

Mainstream horror films have long been a cinematic staple for casual audiences across the globe. Why do people enjoy this? Why do we return to the theater knowing we're going in to be scared? Theater goers and casual horror viewers alike enjoy the feeling of suspense, dread, and the adrenaline rush that comes with it. It's why we go to films: to feel. There are many feelings to be felt when experiencing a horror film. Mainstream horror delivers on multiple levels. The visceral thrills of a slasher, the heart jumping in your throat from a jumpscare, the palpable dread felt from a suspenseful 'ghost-down-the-hallway' supernatural horror. As I mentioned before, mainstream horror has the goal of constantly entertaining its audience. The viewers cannot afford to be bored for a second, and they must have an idea of what they're getting into. They say to never let your audience get ahead of you, even for one second. The predictability factor plays in, and your film is doomed. This is the trouble with a formulaic genre. If we can feel when the usual beats are coming, when the jumpscare is about to happen, the scare is gone.

Is Arthouse any better at achieving this for its audience?

Arthouse horror aims to subvert the genre to remove the predictability factor. Remove the typical formula from the equation, and you leave audiences on their toes, rather than leaned back in their seats.

Arthouse horror can still be character-driven even if Arthouse as a whole might sacrifice classic narrative structure. The audience needs someone to root for despite the fact that the film may be more artfully done than plot focused. Some recent examples of Arthouse Horror include: The Lighthouse, Midsommar, Under the Skin, She Dies Tomorrow, the Suspiria (2018) remake, Gaspar Noe's Climax, and Lars Von Trier's controversial The House That Jack Built. What do all these have in common? They are all experimental, character-driven, artfully done, and quite possibly most important of all, they rely on a different form of horror.

What do I mean by a different form of horror? Arthouse horror tends to rely on getting underneath the viewer's skin, instead of falling back on cheap jump scares just to startle the audience. It's an important distinction in the horror world as far as scaring the audience is concerned. Now, are these films scary? That's subjective to the person. I would argue that they may not be scary, but they are complexly disturbing, unnerving, and are cringe/squirm in your seat inducing. This, to me, is far more effective than a split second scare. A film that can make your skin crawl will leave you deeply disturbed long after the credits roll. In addition, arthouse horror tends to focus on hyperrealism which I believe is more effective than supernatural scares. Anything that can feasibly happen in real life situations can be more easily burned into the audience's memory than a scenario that is not likely to happen.

Again, even this is subjective to the person. To me, something that deeply unsettles me is more likely to prevent sleep than seeing a horrific image of an undead nun on-screen.

"ARTHOUSE HORROR AIMS TO SUBVERT THE GENRE TO REMOVE THE PREDICTABILITYÂ FACTOR." Cinematography and score are also exceedingly important for the arthouse horror genre at large. There is a greater focus on how the film looks and feels when taking it in. The use of light and shadow have always been important to the genre as a whole, however, arthouse means to take that to another level. Each frame could be its own painting with its subtle beauty and unsettling nature. The film scores in arhouse horror are also more well thought out as mainstream horror tends to rely on the same types of instruments with little to no variation. Arthouse horror scores aim to haunt and to bury within the psyche of the viewer whereas a mainstream horror score tends to tell you when you should be scared.

Arthouse horror lets the scene play out and leave you to decide when to be scared. Mainstream horror only wants to get the job done without thoughtful details behind how it's framed. Arthouse horror films tend to be moody or atmospheric. An introduction into the world you're about to occupy using slow building, understated musical scores and cinematography that implies impending doom. An Arthouse horror film might hang on a frame or an image longer to allow the viewer to take in the moment or visual and let the story breathe for a bit has been a hallmark of the genre for years. How the camera moves and what occupies the frame typically is important to the plot or how it builds its worlds.

The world building is more effective with arthouse horror as it really sets the stage for what's to come, rather than the world building being nothing more than a haunted house as the setting. An interesting use of cinematography and color is Ari Aster's Midsommar from last year. The vast majority of horror films use darkness to frighten the viewer. Aster meant to subvert the genre by setting most of the film in daylight. The horror is in plain sight, almost nothing hidden from the viewer.

While it might seem I am heavily biased towards arthouse horror, both have their own audiences. Mainstream horror is lucrative and Hollywood will continue to crank out formulaic horror films that have been known to work to continue making money. Arthouse horror uses fear to explore deeper ideas, mainstream horror produces films to scare and keep audiences returning for more. Some audiences consume cinema as art, and some as entertainment. Art as entertainment has been a long debate, but why can't it be both?

A happy marriage of the two creates a genre in and of itself. The entertainment value of a mainstream horror film and the quality of filmmaking from an Arthouse horror film, a merging of those two ideas or ways of crafting a piece of art proves a film can be born of love and the desire to please an audience.

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IN ARTHOUSE HORROR

FEMALE VOICES & EXPERIENCES

09

THESE MOTIFS COALESCE INTO A GENERAL AND OVERARCHING THEME THAT MAY BETRAY SOCIETY'S DEEPER FEAR:

THE AUTONOMY OF WOMAN.

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THE ARTHOUSE HORROR FILMS DIRECTED

BY WOMEN REINFORCES THIS CONCEPT AS THEY EXPLORE AND EXPRESS THIS SOCIAL FEAR FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE TO REVEAL THE DIRE AND OFTEN TRAGIC RAMIFICATIONS OF REPRESSING WOMAN'S SEXUALITY AND OWNERSHIP OF HERSELF, THINLY VEILED

BY HORROR NARRATIVE DEVICES.

10

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THE UNFAMILIAR WIFE THE REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER THE TREACHEROUS LOVER

FEMALE VOICES & EXPERIENCES

WE EXPLORE THIS DYNAMIC IN OUR RECOMMENDED ARTHOUSE FILMS ON THE FEMALE EXPERIENCE IN ARTHOUSE HORROR AND THE MANY COMMENTARIES THEY BRING CONCERNING DOMESTICITY, SOCIAL ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS. THE CHARACTERS THAT ARISE ARE INTRODUCED AS FAMILIAR, SOOTHING, PERHAPS EVEN VICTIMIZED BUT SLOWLY TAKE SHAPE INTO...

IN ARTHOUSE HORROR

HORROR FILMS NOTORIOUSLY CENTER THEIR STORIES ON WOMEN: THEIR BODIES, EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES, THE MOTHER, THE DAUGHTER, THE LAST GIRL STANDING. FILMS LIKE THESE COMING FROM MALE DIRECTORS REVEALS A FASCINATING DYNAMIC: PERHAPS THESE DIRECTORS ARE WORKING OUT SOCIETY'S FEARS SURROUNDING WOMEN.

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY | PAGE 11

Ana Lily Amirpour

A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, 2015

STYLISH, ROMANTIC AND CHARMINGLY GOTHIC, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT ENCAPSULATES ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A VAMPIRE STORY BUT WITH MODERN AND FEMINIST TOUCHES. A YOUNG WOMAN ROAMS THE STREETS AT NIGHT CONFRONTING DANGEROUS SCENARIOS WITH THE KIND OF FEARLESSNESS MOST WOMEN DREAM OF. HER VICTIMS ARE CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIR CRUELTY, THUS MAKING HER SOMETHING MORE OF A VIGILANTE HERO THAN THE MONSTER IN A HORROR FILM. WHEN SHE MEETS A SWEET AND DARLING MAN, SHE IS CONFRONTED WITH HER OWN NATURE AND MUST CONTROL IT IN THE HOPES OF PROTECTING LOVE.

Anna Biller

THE LOVE WITCH, 2017

REVIEW BY JANET TRAVIS

THE LOVE WITCH IS A CAMPY, PLAYFUL HOMAGE TO 1960’S HORROR AND TECHNICOLOR FILMS THAT IS NOT ONLY ENTERTAINING BUT TAKES A STRONG LOOK AT GENDER ROLES IN MODERN SOCIETY, WRITTEN BY FEMINIST FILMMAKER ANNA BILLER. BILLER’S EXPLORATION OF THE FEMME FATALE ARCHETYPE REVOLVES AROUND ELAINE PARKS, A YOUNG BEAUTIFUL WITCH WHO CREDITS THE PRACTICE OF WITCHCRAFT WITH SAVING HER AFTER THE DEMISE OF HER MARRIAGE TO JERRY. ELAINE USES LOVE MAGIC TO GET WHAT SHE WANTS, WHICH IS TO BE A MAN’S ULTIMATE FANTASY AND TO MAKE THE MAN FALL MADLY IN LOVE WITH HER. THE DILEMMA IS THAT HER LOVE POTIONS TURN THE MEN INTO EXACTLY WHAT SHE DOES NOT WANT--FAWNING ATTENTION AND DEEP EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT. THROUGH ELAINE’S ESCAPADES IN FINDING TRUE LOVE, BILLER EXPLORES THEMES SUCH AS WOMEN’S INTUITION, FEMALE AUTONOMY, DESIRE, NARCISSISM, AND THE ESSENCE OF WHAT ACTUALLY CONSTITUTES LOVE. IN THE END WE ARE LEFT WONDERING IF WITCHCRAFT WAS ACTUALLY SALVATION FOR ELAINE, AS HER DESIRE FOR LOVE DRIVES HER TO THE BRINK OF INSANITY.

derren aronofsky

MOTHER!, 2017

ARONOFSKY’S BIZARRE AND SURREAL HOME INVASION FILM EXPLORES THE BIRTH AND DEATH CYCLE IN A SHOCKINGLY ORIGINAL TALE OF ETERNAL RETURN AS A HORRIFIC AND INTIMATE ALLEGORY OF HUMANITY ITSELF AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE. BARDEM PLAYS AN EMBODIMENT OF THE CREATOR WHILE LAWRENCE REPRESENTS A TYPE OF MOTHER NATURE WHOSE HOME IS INVADED, STAMPEDED AND DEGRADED BY THE FLOCK OF FANS AND WORSHIPPERS OF THE CREATOR. WE WATCH HELPLESSLY IN RECOGNITION OF THE INEVITABLE DESTRUCTION THAT ENSUES, FAMILIAR WITH MOMENTS AS SYMBOLIC EPOCHS AND CHAPTERS IN HUMAN HISTORY, SWIFTLY DEVELOPING INTO SOMETHING SO OUT OF CONTROL THAT THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO START AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING.

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY | PAGE 12

jordan peele

US, 2019

REVIEW BY GABRIEL MENDEZ

CINEMA HAS ALWAYS PLAYED A SYMBIOTIC ROLE OF MASS COMMUNICATION AND THE ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS OF ITS AUTEURS. MANY OF THE WELL-ACCLAIMED MOVIE PICTURES IN AMERICAN HISTORY SHARE THIS ASPECT OF BALANCING ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIOPOLITICAL COMMENTARY. US (2019), DIRECTED BY JORDAN PEELE, FOLLOWS THE FOOTSTEPS OF SUCH TRADITION. THE MOVIE TELLS THE STORY OF ADELAIDE WILSON (LUPITA NYONG’O) IN A FAMILY TRIP TO SANTA CRUZ WITH HER HUSBAND GABE (WINSTON DUKE), HER DAUGHTER ZORA (SHAHADI WRIGHT JOSEPH) AND SON JASON (EVAN ALEX), WHERE SHE HAS HAD A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER. AFTER SOME OMINOUS EVENTS, THE FAMILY IS TAKEN HOSTAGE BY A FAMILY OF FOUR, DRESSED ALL IN RED JUMPSUITS, AND EXACTLY LIKE ADELAIDE AND HER FAMILY. THE WILSONS WILL HAVE TO FACE THEIR DOPPELGANGERS IN A LIFE-OR-DEATH STRUGGLE. AFTER HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT AND OSCAR-WINNING FILM GET OUT (2017), THE COMEDIAN-TURNED-DIRECTOR GAINED NOTORIETY FOR HIS TAKE ON RACISM THROUGH THE HORROR GENRE LENSES. IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT BLACKNESS PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE HERE, WITH OFTEN WITTY COMMENTS EXPOSING THE TRADITIONAL WHITE] HORROR CLICHES THAT MOST VIEWERS ARE FAMILIAR BUT UNAWARE OF. PEELE SEEMS TO EXPAND HIS TAKE ON SEGREGATION TO A MORE METAPHORICAL PERSPECTIVE, DISCUSSING THE JUNGIAN CONCEPT OF SHADOW AND WHETHER THE EVIL, OBSCURE SOULLESSNESS IS EMBEDDED IN OTHERS OR IN OURSELVES, WITH THE HANDS ACROSS AMERICA 1980S CAMPAIGN MENTIONED AND USED AS AN ALLEGORY FOR THE DARK PAST THAT HOLDS AMERICAN CULTURE TOGETHER - SOME CRITICS EVEN POINT OUT THE PLAY ON WORDS IN THE TITLE AS IT BEING THE FIRST PERSON PLURAL OR THE INITIALS OF ITS HOME COUNTRY. BUT WHETHER HIS FIRST FILM IS MORE OF A SLOW-BURN THAT BUILDS THE TENSION, US IS DIRECT IN ITS SCARY APPROACH, USING TRADITIONAL AND VERY WELL-EXECUTED FILMMAKING TECHNIQUES TO PROVOKE UNEASINESS AND MAKE SURE YOU’LL GASP AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. WHEREAS PEELE’S METICULOUS PACING, COMBINED WITH MICHAEL ABELS NUANCED SCORE AND MICHAEL GIOULAKIS WELL-CRAFTED CINEMATOGRAPHY ARE ADMIRABLE. IT IS UNQUESTIONABLE THAT US, WITH ITS POWERFUL COMBINATION OF GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM, ITALIAN GIALLO AND JOHN CARPENTER, IS A FINE WORK ON THE HORROR GENRE, A STRIKING EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN ENTERTAINMENT AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE.

Małgorzata Szumowska

THE OTHER LAMB, 2019

REVIEW BY CARLY CHRISTOPHER

CULTS. THEY’RE ENDLESSLY FASCINATING AND HORRIFYING, AND THIS ONE IS NO EXCEPTION. YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF LEANING IN BUT VERY MUCH TERRIFIED AT WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE NEXT. SZUMOWSKA’S FILM EXPLORES FAITH, FEMININITY, THE DYNAMICS OF POWER AND THE “SINS” OF WOMANHOOD. THE FILM CENTERS ON A YOUNG DAUGHTER SELAH (PLAYED BY RAFFEY CASSIDY) AND THE PUSH-AND-PULL OF HER CULT LEADER FATHER, REFERRED TO AS THE SHEPARD (PLAYED BY MICHIEL HUISMAN). THE CULT CONSISTS OF THE DAUGHTERS, THEIR MOTHERS AND THE LONE MALE PATRIARCH, THE SHEPARD. IN TRUE CULT FASHION, THIS ONE ISN’T LACKING IN FUCKED-UP-NESS. WE QUICKLY LEARN THAT THE WOMEN HYSTERICALLY WORSHIP SHEPARD, BUT EXACTLY WHY REMAINS A MYSTERY. FAVOR COMES AND GOES WITH THEIR LEADER, RESULTING IN INTIMIDATING STARES, SHAMEFUL EXILES AND LOADED WORDS. AS THE FILM PROGRESSES, WE SEE SELAH SLOWLY AWAKEN TO THE ACTIONS OF HER FATHER BUT STILL PARALYZED BY HER FAITH AND HER DESIRE TO PLEASE. PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST FRIGHTENING MOMENTS ARE TECHNIQUES IMPLEMENTED BY CINEMATOGRAPHER MICHAL ENGLERT. HIS USE OF SLOW ZOOM ON SELAH’S FACE CONFUSES OUR SENSE OF PAST AND PRESENT, HER CERULEAN BLUE EYES AND BERRY-STAINED LIPS PIERCING THROUGH THE SCREEN. SHE IS THE EPITOME OF YOUTH, VITALITY AND BEAUTY. WHILE SHE STARES WE GROW IN ANTICIPATING DREAD AND HORROR AT THE REALIZATION OF WHAT HER EYES REST UPON. VISUALLY HYPNOTIC, MOST FRAMES FEEL AS THOUGH THEY COULD BE PRINTED AND HUNG ON A WALL. THE PRIMAL BEAUTY OF THE IRISH COUNTRYSIDE WALKS HAND IN HAND WITH MODERN SET DESIGN, MOST NOTABLY AN INTRIGUING WEBBED MATRIX OF STRINGS THAT LOOM OVERHEAD AS THE WOMEN WALK THROUGH THEIR CAMP, A GENTLE REMINDER THAT THIS “FLOCK” IS MOST DEFINITELY CAGED. WE WATCH DESPERATELY AS THE CULT FACES NEW CHALLENGES AND SHEPARD BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPULSIVE AND UNPREDICTABLE. ALTHOUGH SELAH’S GROWING STRENGTH DOESN’T DISAPPOINT, THE FILM ENDS ON SOMEWHAT OF A FLAT NOTE ON AN IMPORTANT THEME: GIVING THE MIDDLE FINGER TO THE PATRIARCHY AND EMBRACING ONE’S FEMININE RAGE AND POWER. DON’T EXPECT ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT LOOK FORWARD TO FEVER-DREAM VISUAL SEQUENCES THAT MELD PRESENT, PAST, FEARFUL HALLUCINATIONS AND DARKEST DESIRES INTO BREATHS OF FRESH AIR THAT FRIGHTEN AND THRILL.

REVIEW BY ADAM MARK BROWN

CLOAKED BENEATH THE SKIN OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, AN ALIEN CREATURE FROM AN UNKNOWN ORIGIN HUNTS THE ROADS OF SCOTLAND FOR ISOLATED, LONELY, AND OUTSIDER MEN. SEDUCING THEM TO A DILAPIDATED HOME, HER VICTIMS FOLLOW HER INTO AN ABYSSAL VOID FROM WHICH THERE IS NO RETURN. AS SHE CONTINUES HER HUNT, SUBTLE HUMAN INTERACTIONS INTONED WITH VARYING DEGREES OF SURVEILLANCE-LIKE AUDIO SEEM TO PENETRATE HER SHELL THROUGH TO THE CORE OF HER BEING. AFTER A MOMENT OF SELF-REALIZATION (SEEING HERSELF IN A MIRROR) SHE SPARES HER FINAL VICTIM, AS IF CONSCIOUS OF HER OWN VULNERABILITY. BEYOND A SHORT LIVED, “REAL” ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH A MAN WHO COMES TO HER AID, SHE ULTIMATELY DISCOVERS THE TRUE VOID EXISTS WITHIN HER OWN FLESH, AND SHE SETS ABOUT AS A DRIFTING OUTSIDER. ON HER OWN SHE ENTERS A NATURAL FOREST, LIKE A LOST CHILD CRADLED BY AN EARTHLY ATMOSPHERE. WHEN SHE COMES ACROSS AN ILLINTENTIONED LOGGER, HE MOLESTS HER AND INCIDENTALLY TEARS THE SYNTHETIC FLESH OFF HER BACK, REVEALING THE DARK LAYERS BENEATH. SEEING HER AS A “FREAK OF NATURE,” HE SETS HER ON FIRE. ABLAZE, SHE STARES INTO THE FACE THAT SHE ONCE WORE AS A MASK TO SEDUCE HER VICTIMS, AS IF FOR A FINAL FEW MOMENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. BLACK SMOKE RISES FROM HER BODY LIKE A DARK SOUL INTO A THICK WINTERY SKY, PURIFIED BY WHITE SNOWFALL. THE FILM IS BASED ON THE NOVEL BY MICHEL FABER.

REVIEW BY MOLLY STUART

AT THE HEART OF ARI ASTER’S MIDSOMMAR IS A RETELLING OF THE WICKER MAN BUT WITH A HAPPY ENDING. WHILE MIDSOMMAR IS A BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED FILM IT FALLS INTO A NUMBER OF HORROR TROPES THAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING TO MOVE BEYOND. IT STIGMATIZES MENTAL ILLNESS WITH A DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC PORTRAYAL OF BIPOLAR DISORDER. IT STIGMATIZES VISIBLE DISABILITIES IN AN EQUALLY PROBLEMATIC WAY. WHILE THE BLACK DUDE DIDN’T EXPLICITLY DIE FIRST, ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF COLOR DEFINITELY DIE. MIDSOMMAR FOLLOWS DANI (FLORENCE PUGH) THROUGH THE ACT OF MOURNING FOR HER PARENTS AND SISTER, ALL OF WHOM RECENTLY DIED TRAGICALLY AS A RESULT OF HER SISTER’S BIPOLAR DISORDER. DANI TRAVELS TO AN IDYLLIC SWEDISH COMMUNE WITH CHRISTIAN (JACK REYNOR), AN IMPULSIVE LIAR AND A SHINING EXAMPLE OF A BAD BOYFRIEND, JOSH (WILLIAM JACKSON HARPER), WHO IS WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR THE PERFECT DISSERTATION, MARK (WILL POULTER), WHOSE ONLY PURPOSE IS TO MAKE YOU HATE HIM, AND PELLE (VILHELM BLOMGREN), WHO IS BRINGING HIS FRIENDS TO SEE HIS HOME. PELLE’S HOME IS AN OBSCURE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY SOMEWHERE IN THE FORESTS OF SWEDEN. THIS YEAR THEY WILL BE HOLDING A MULTI-DAY MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL OBSERVED ONLY ONCE EVERY 90 YEARS. EVERYONE IN THE GROUP HAS A SPECIAL ROLE TO PLAY, AND THEY PLAY THEIR ROLES WELL. MIDSOMMAR BASES ITS HORROR ON IS THE FEAR OF THE OTHER, WHICH IS ALSO PROBLEMATIC, THOUGH INTERESTINGLY PORTRAYED BY A GROUP MOST EASILY RECOGNIZED BY THEIR SAMENESS. ASTER DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF TELLING YOU EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEN FOLLOWING THROUGH, SOMETIMES THROUGH THE USE OF ART, AND SOMETIMES BY SIMPLY SAYING IT. THIS HELPS TO CREATE A SURREALITY AND A SENSE OF FATE. THE STORY OF DANI’S MOURNING IS TOLD IN WAVES OF REPETITION, SLOWLY GROWING CIRCLES WRAPPING BACK TO TELL THE STORY AGAIN, UNTIL DANI FINALLY FINDS RELEASE WITHIN THE FAMILY OF THE COMMUNITY. IN THE END WE FIND OUT THAT THE OLD MAGICS WORKED BY THE COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS WELL AS THEY EVER DID. EVERY SPELL CAST GIVES A BOUNTIFUL RETURN. EVERY TAPESTRY WOVEN KNOWS EXACTLY HOW THIS WILL PLAY OUT - EVERYTHING JUST MECHANICALLY DOING ITS PART. THE FINAL SPELL RELEASES DANI FROM HER GRIEF, FROM THE DEAD WEIGHT OF HER BOYFRIEND, AND FROM HER OWN EMOTIONAL SUFFERING AS SHE IS WELCOMED BY THE COMMUNITY AS A SISTER, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WE SEE HER TRULY HAPPY. IT’S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ASTER’S INTENT WAS TO DISTURB THE AUDIENCE, BUT I THINK THAT ONLY WORKS IF YOU RELATE TO THE GUY IN THE BEAR SUIT.

REVIEW BY STEPHANIE VELA ANDERSON

WAS BILLY IDOL'S "EYES WITHOUT A FACE" (A MELLOW DIP INTO ETHEREAL ELECTRIC POP) BASED ON GEORGES FRANJU'S "LES YEUX SANS VISAGE"? NOT REALLY BUT THE OLD, WORN-OUT TROPE OF "A MAN MAKING IT ABOUT HIMSELF" IS RESONATED IN THE DRY, UNPROLIFIC LYRICS. MY MIND FEELS ASSAULTED AS I IMAGINE A HETERO MAKE OUT SESSION IN THE BACK OF AN '84 MUSTANG TO THIS SONG. DR. GÉNESSIER (PIERRE BRASSEUR) SOCIOPATHIC OBSESSION WITH FACIAL RESTORATION TURNS HIS BEST WORK (HIS ASSISTANT LOUISE WHOSE FACE HE RESTORED) INTO A PREDATOR AND HIS DAUGHTER, CHRISTIANE, INTO A PRISONER AFTER SHE "LOSES HER FACE" IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE CONTROVERSY THE FILM STIRRED CENTERED ON THE GORE AND LESS ON LOUISE AND CHRISTIANE'S TREATMENT BY THE DOCTOR. THE ONLY TIME I EXPERIENCE HORROR WAS WATCHING LOUISE PLAY A GHISLAINE TO DR. GÉNESSIER, GROOMING ANOTHER YOUNG GIRL TO BE SACRIFICED FOR "WORK", WHICH APPEARED TO BE MORE OF A PRIORITY THAN HIS DAUGHTER'S EMOTIONAL WELL BEING. IN THE END, CHRISTIANE TAKES CONTROL OF HER FATE AND ACCEPTS HER LIFE "SANS VISAGE". SHE RELEASES THE CAGED DOGS AND BIRDS AND WALKS OUT INTO THE WORLD WITH A PEACEFUL STRIDE. HAD CHRISTIANE LIVED NOW, SHE'D BE AN INSTAGRAM STAR AND A PIVOTAL PLAYER IN THE BODY POSITIVITY MOVEMENT.

EGGERS SEEPS US INTO A DREADFUL WORLD THAT OUGHT TO BE SOOTHING BY ALL TRADITIONAL MEANS: AN OLD FASHIONED FAMILY MOVES AWAY FROM SOCIETY INTO NATURE TO LIVE OFF THE LAND: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE STYLE. BUT INSTEAD OF A RETURN TO EDEN, IT IS A DESCENT INTO A NIGHTMARE THAT INSIDIOUSLY GROWS TO AN UNFORGETTABLE CLIMAX. DESPITE THE FOCUS ON THOMASIN, IT IS THE SINS OF THE FATHER THAT HANG OVER THE FAMILY LIKE A BLACK CLOUD UP TO THE FINAL POINT OF THOMASIN’S RESISTANT REBELLION IN WHICH WE CELEBRATE HER LIBERATION FROM HER FAMILY (IRONICALLY IN WHATEVER FORM IT MAY TAKE).

REVIEW BY JANET TRAVIS

DARIO ARGENTO’S USAGE OF VIBRANT COLORS--IN PARTICULAR RED--ALONG WITH THE SPINE-TINGLING SOUNDTRACK FROM ITALIAN PROG ROCK BAND GOBLIN MAKE ARGENTO’S GIALLO HORROR MOVIE SUSPIRIA A SENSUAL NIGHTMARE THAT CANNOT BE ESCAPED. FROM THE MOMENT WE MEET SUZY, WHO HAS JUST ARRIVED IN GERMANY TO ATTEND THE PRESTIGIOUS TANZ DANCE ACADEMY, WE ARE IMMEDIATELY ON EDGE. ARGENTO DELIVERS A RIOT OF SOUND, FURY AND IMAGERY THAT IS BOTH VISCERALLY HORRIFYING AND AESTHETICALLY BEAUTIFUL. THIS IS NO NORMAL BALLET ACADEMY. AS SUZY SLOWLY DISCOVERS THAT THE ACADEMY IS IN REALITY A FRONT FOR A DANGEROUS COVEN, WE ARE SWEPT UP IN A DREAM-LIKE JOURNEY THAT IS ALTOGETHER POETIC AND STUNNING AT EVERY TURN.

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TODD HAYNES

SAFE, 1995

REVIEW BY ASHLEY JAMES

ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE AN EXPLORATION OF ANXIETY AND ILLNESS INDUCED BY EVER GROWING POLLUTION, MATERIALISM, AND BOREDOM, 1995'S "SAFE" UNINTENTIONALLY FINDS A REBIRTH IN TONE SURROUNDING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC WE ARE AMIDST. HAYNES WEAVES AN EERIE, ALL TOO FAMILIAR, STORY OF CAROL, A WOMAN OVERWHELMED BY HER SEEMINGLY PERFECT LIFE. A DEEP DIVE INTO THEMES OF PATRIARCHAL ABUSE, LOSS OF IDENTITY, AND BOTH CHEMICAL AND CULTURAL POLLUTION, "SAFE" LEAVES US, THE VIEWER, TO REFLECT ON OURSELVES AND THE WORLD WE FIND OURSELVES IN, THEN AND NOW.

Luca Guadagnino

SUSPIRIA, 2018

MORE OF AN HOMAGE THAN A REMAKE, WITH ITS OWN BRAND OF DEEPLY TROUBLING SCARES AND A POIGNANT PARALLEL TO THE HORRORS OF NAZI GERMANY. THE MORE SUBLIMINAL PLOT OF THE FILM EXPLORES THE DISRUPTIVE, DRAMATIC AND DANGEROUS MEANS NECESSARY TO UPEND A VIOLENT AND OPPRESSIVE REGIME IN FAVOR OF A NEW CHAPTER OF UNEXPECTED MERCY. FURTHER PARALLELS ABOUND IN THE FILM'S REPRESENTATION OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS, WITH ITS UNTOLD HORRORS THAT MUST BE CONFRONTED TO OVERCOME ITS DARKNESS..

derren aronofsky

BLACK SWAN, 2010

REVIEW BY JANET TRAVIS

DARREN ARONOFSKY’S CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE, BLACK SWAN, IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER THAT TAKES THE AUDIENCE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF A YOUNG WOMAN STRUGGLING WITH PERFECTIONISM AND A MENTAL DISORDER. NINA IS A YOUNG BALLERINA WHO HAS BEEN DISCIPLINED TO THE POINT OF GIVING UP HER ENTIRE LIFE IN ORDER TO LAND THE LEAD IN THE NEXT BALLET. ALTHOUGH IN HER LATE 20’S, SHE LIVES WITH HER MOTHER IN AN APARTMENT AND HER ROOM IS STRANGELY CHILDLIKE, AS IS NINA. SHE SEEMS DETACHED FROM HER SURROUNDINGS AS SHE FOCUSES ON BEING A PERFECT BALLERINA, AS WELL AS BEING DETACHED FROM THE NORMAL SEXUAL URGES OF A WOMAN HER AGE. AS SHE PURSUES THE LEAD ROLE IN SWAN LAKE, WHICH REQUIRES HER TO INHABIT BOTH THE WHITE SWAN AND THE BLACK SWAN, WE WATCH HER STRUGGLE TO FULLY EMBODY THE UNABASHED SEXUALITY AND FREEDOM OF THE BLACK SWAN. HER STUNTED SEXUALITY HINTS AT A DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER OVERBEARING AND DOMINEERING MOTHER AND LEADS HER TO SEEK SOLACE IN A NEW FRIEND IN THE BALLET TROUPE WHO PROVES TO BE HER BIGGEST COMPETITION FOR THE ROLE OF BLACK SWAN. THIS PRESSURE, COMBINED WITH HER ABSOLUTE DISCIPLINE AND CONTROL OVER EVERYTHING SHE EATS AND THE RIGOROUS MANNER IN WHICH SHE REHEARSES, HURLS HER INTO A DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF MENTAL ILLNESS THAT CULMINATES WITH NINA OBTAINING PERFECTION AT THE ULTIMATE PRICE. COURTESY OF ARONOFSKY’S DIRECTION, THE AUDIENCE IS CONTINUOUSLY UNCOMFORTABLE, WAITING FOR WHATEVER EVIL IS LURKING TO REAR ITS UGLY HEAD, UP UNTIL THE FINAL MOMENTS OF NINA’S UNDOING, AS WE GLORIOUSLY WATCH HER ACCOMPLISH THE TASK FOR WHICH SHE HAS WORKED SO HARD. BUT WE ULTIMATELY KNOW IT IS HER OWN UNDOING THAT UNDOES US ALL.

FOLLOWS A PIOUS NURSE WHO BECOMES DANGEROUSLY OBSESSED WITH SAVING THE SOUL OF HER DYING PATIENT.

A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR FILMS AND THE ROLE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE FILM GENRE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR VERONICA HENLEY FINDS HERSELF TRAPPED IN A HORRIFYING REALITY AND MUST UNCOVER THE MIND-BENDING MYSTERY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

A NEWLY PREGNANT HOUSEWIFE, FINDS HERSELF INCREASINGLY COMPELLED TO CONSUME DANGEROUS OBJECTS. AS HER HUSBAND AND HIS FAMILY TIGHTEN THEIR CONTROL OVER HER LIFE, SHE MUST CONFRONT THE DARK SECRET BEHIND HER NEW OBSESSION.

A YOUNG COUPLE LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT HOME FIND THEMSELVES TRAPPED IN A MYSTERIOUS LABYRINTH-LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD OF IDENTICAL HOUSES. DESCRIPTIONS FROM IMDB

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AJ Smith Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography Lucas Ford Producer Leo Lee, Susie Park Key Cast, Producers Dan Blanck Sound Editor Joel Ides Colorist

HERE AND GONE GHOST NURSERY Brandon Wilson Director, Sound

PLEASURES

Dor Pe'er Director, Writer Adi Rotem Producer Tomer Sharon, Lilach Shachar, Elisheva Weil Key Cast

MAGNUM OPUS

Myriam Khammassi Director, Writer Higher School of Audiovisual and Cinema Producer Aymen Ben Hamida Key Cast

CATA

Kolby jacobs Director, Producer, Writer, Cast Lucas McCutchen Director, Producer, Writer

FEATURED FILMMAKERS Gaia Alari Director, Producer, Writer, Marco Mazzoni Sound designer He Can Jog Music

Brian Sepanzyk Director, Writer, Music Sasha Proctor Director of Photography Geoff Anderson, Shelly Murray Producer Eva Bourne, Andrew Roy Drury, Elizabeth Weinstein, Kevin Keegan, Bill Croft Key Cast Nick Yacyshyn Music Bernhard Kimbacher Visual Effects

Béla Baptiste Director, Writer Andi Widmer Cinematography Jakob Widmann Producer Sebastian von Malfèr, Elisabeth Wabitsch, Lukas Watzl, Lilian Klebow, Georg Duffek Key Cast Johannes Schellhorn Editor Matthias Kassmannhuber Sound Design

U S N T I A T T ED E S

AJ Smith Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematography Lucas Ford Producer Leo Lee, Susie Park Key Cast, Producers Dan Blanck Sound Editor Joel Ides Colorist

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"FILM ALLOWS ME TO SEE THE WORLD FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHER RACES GENDERS AND CREEDS THROUGH A TONAL AND EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE LIKE NONE OTHER." HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO WATCHING AND MAKING HORROR FILMS AND WHY?

What led me to horror was I had a small body of psychological thriller shorts I could show off after graduating film school and moving to LA. One editing job led to another where I found myself in front of producer Mario Kassar who was collaborating with a film company in Jakarta, Indonesia and developing horror films for their market. As a result, for the past two years I’ve helped develop, write and sell four feature length horror films and have been very blessed to do so. I didn’t set out to make horror films yet felt compelled by the genre because, for me, the real enemy often comes from within. It is our own internalized fear, anger, and ego that creates the ‘monster’.

It’s been such a beautiful gift and discipline to be able to work for hire, learn the conventions of the horror genre, and develop characters in an environment that is both fun and rewarding. So by learning from the horror genre and working within it and being a student of films like Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and Hereditary, I started to have an extreme passion for horror films. Knowing all of this I was left thinking, “what scares me?” and “what would I want to make for myself?” and “how could I go against the expectations of the genre and make something unique?” Here & Gone is a result of that.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? I love experimental, surrealistic horror because it places me in the mind of the character and I get to experience life from someone else’s point of view. It’s like being in a dream or a nightmare depending on how you look at it. For my short Here & Gone, the three biggest influences were Meshes of the Afternoon by Maya Daren, Hour of the Wolf by Ingmar Bergman and The Lighthouse by Robert Eggers.

Those three films combined with my own sense of style and tone set the stage for my short.

Meshes of the Afternoon has always inspired me to be independent and believe in my own creativity. It taught me that all you need is a camera and an idea to tell a great story. I’m drawn to characters that feel stuck in a psychological, kafkaesque maze. Navigating life can feel the same way, and sometimes the solution to getting out of the maze can be so simple but getting there isn’t easy.

HOW DID THE PROCESS OF WRITING THE STORY FOR YOUR FILM BEGIN? The script started while I was isolated in quarantine due to COVID-19. For me, days seemed to repeat on loop and time felt irrelevant. I wanted to take advantage of my situation and make a short with the resources I had on hand. I took inspiration from what was happening in the zeitgeist of the world and I read news articles about how the the rate of domestic violence was rising due to isolation. So I started thinking, “how long is this quarantine going to last?” and “how many domestic incidences are going unreported?” I then imagined a world where this crisis lasted for years, and started building a not-too-distant future in my head that felt post apocalyptic.

I pictured a woman trapped in a toxic relationship standing over the body of her dead husband, reliving the moments that lead up to her committing murder. I imagined she didn’t mean to go so far but had been provoked. I imagined she was afraid and full of remorse. I really felt for her character and related to her fear of being trapped in a toxic relationship. I imagined her trying to convince herself none of the violence had ever happened; that he was really alive.

But every time she tried to imagine all of this, reality would sink back in. She was stuck in a loop. Just like how I felt being in quarantine.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN CREATING YOUR CHARACTERS? I am looking for a primal fear that has universal relatability.

Fear has no prejudice. We all have the capacity to be afraid and are affected by fear. In terms of my short Here & Gone, my protagonist’s fear is of a toxic relationship. Everyone wants to find the right partner in life, and everyone fears being with the wrong person. Now what if you were trapped with that wrong person in isolation for two years going mad?

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF BRINGING THIS STORY TO LIFE? I made this short during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic so the entire LA area was shut down. The biggest and most rewarding challenge in creating this short was distilling all the roles of a normal film crew down to just myself. I was not only the writer/director but also the producer, production manager, art director, cinematographer, editor, and sound designer. With my lights and camera equipment and my garage as the set, I utilized this wonderful opportunity to make a film with absolutely no budget and asked the family around me for assistance.

I live in a home on the same property as my aunt and uncle who are both actors in Hollywood and devised a script that was tailored to their acting strengths. It was the perfect opportunity to make a short starring a woman of color and dive into her perspective and collaborate on a creative level.

Listening to my actress’ interpretation of the lines and incorporating her ideas and perspectives was an essential part of the process. Over the years, I’ve learned how to communicate with my actors on an open and collaborative level – to hear them out in a spirit of partnership in order to get the best performance. This sense of intimate collaboration is critical especially on a smaller set.

Film allows me to see the world from the perspective of other races, genders and creeds through a tonal and emotional experience like none other. The entire process offered me the opportunity to be unreserved and creatively free with absolute control over the filmmaking process. To be honest, it was the most fun I’ve had so far in making a film and am excited to see where it goes and what opportunities come next.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? Currently I’m writing and working on several scripts to be made into feature films for my directorial debut. Being halfAsian and bi-racial, it is important for me to tell stories from my own perspective. While I cannot say too much, I’m working to make Here & Gone into a feature as well as working on an Asian-centered horror short designed to showcase my unique style and strong voice.

@AJSMITH_FILMS

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Brandon Wilson Director, Sound

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ARE THERE CERTAIN TECHNIQUES OR KINDS OF MENTAL FRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE YOU? I’m primarily drawn to filmmaking because of the medium’s hypnotic potential. I try to facilitate in myself, and hopefully in others, an experience of inner spaciousness and mindstates that are not often encountered or not fully acknowledged in routine living. I think this goal of pointing inwards is best achieved when the experience of the film is carried solely through images and sound, without traditional story or dialog. A friend of mine described this as “dealing with narrative in the form of presence, the presence of images, like paintings.”

ANY OTHER PIECES OF ART OR LIFE THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR PROCESS? The phantoms in the beginning of the film were made by manipulating images of myself that were taken when I was a brand new baby, in some cases minutes old, a few months old at most. I had been given a family photo album that contained these pictures just before starting work on this film. I had also recently gone through some difficult experiences with my family and looking at images of my former nascent self made me want to run them through a blender.

The waterfall in the film is a special place for me. It has appeared in several of my films and I have spent a lot of time there, sometimes at night in the cave behind the cascade in pitch blackness listening to the roar, barely able to see the faint outline of the water on its way down.

The paintings of Zdzisław Beksiński are also a big inspiration.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO WATCHING AND MAKING HORROR FILMS? I’m drawn to watching and making dark, ominous films but I don’t think of them as traditional horror because there is not necessarily a threat of specific external violence being acted out on characters. I am interested in dread and gloom and the nebulous threat of the unknown.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? Takashi Makino, Sandy Ding, Scott Barley, Philippe Grandrieux, Sharunas Bartas, Jordan Belson Their work illuminates things and places that are familiar to me but only in a dim, rough way. Then I see their work and there it is, much clearer than before.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? I’m working on a film that visualizes a dream as well as the state between sleep and wakefulness. It’s nightmarish at times, blissful at others.

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"I STARTED LETTING IMAGES JUST COME TO MY MIND AND I SKETCHED THE IMAGES THAT STUCK WITH ME MOST." HOW DID THE PROCESS OF WRITING THE STORY FOR YOUR FILM BEGIN? The idea didn't start with a specific story or character.

Instead It started with a specific feeling that I wanted the film to have. In order to articulate that feeling, I started writing journals and essays, writing on what that feeling may suggest, where that feeling comes from in my personal life, and what connotations I had with that feeling. I also started collecting images that gave a similar feeling, like paintings from artists that inspire me. The two biggest inspirations from the world of painting were Edward Munch and Egon Schiele.

That process went on for a few months. I tried a few storyline ideas but none of them felt right. However the big break came when a friend from school called me and asked if I'd like to storyboard his short film, because he knew I have decent sketching skills. His question sparked a thought in my mind: "I don't have a story yet, but I can imagine at least a few frames that could be in the movie." So I started letting images just come to my mind and I sketched the images that stuck with me most.

After sketching roughly 7 frames, I decided to try and quickly sketch an entire "storyboard" from beginning to end, very roughly, working on each frame for no more than a couple of minutes. I've made up a story that goes through the frames I drew earlier. It felt like taking a string and passing it through beads to make a necklace. So eventually I developed the story through making the storyboard. Every single shot that exists in the final film was initially storyboarded.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF BRINGING THIS STORY TO LIFE? The biggest challenge was actually figuring out how the concept of "illusion vs reality" would play out in the film.

During the film, the main character undergoes a horrible experience. But that experience probably isn't real. But then again, the entire world of the film isn't very real and is more like a bad dream. So how do you approach this threshold between what is real and what is a hallucination? During the entire film, the line between real and fake stays pretty blurry.

And to me that actually helps to emphasize the only real thing in the movie: The emotions of the main characters.

ARE THERE CERTAIN TECHNIQUES OR KINDS OF MENTAL FRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE YOU? The main thing that I've learned from the creative process of Pleasures, and that I kept with me ever since, is that the basis of cinema is: Images that convey emotion, that when put together, begin to tell a story. Even before there is a story, I let my imagination flow and I try to grab images that already convey a specific feelings or emotions. Images that convey emotion are the basis. When you connect one image to the next, a story is starting to emerge. And that is the magic of cinema. When people just treat cinematography as "coverage", I think it misses a lot of potential.

DORPEER.COM

ANY OTHER PIECES OF ART OR LIFE THAT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN YOUR PROCESS? The fact that I have decent drawing skills really helped articulate and develop the idea. I feel like for this film specifically, the storyboard is the screenplay. I don't think that if you make films then you have to know how to draw, but you do have to understand what an image is, and how to use an image to tell your story. I think that studying sketching and art has taught me a lot about how composition, color, light, etc. can help you to tell a story and convey emotion.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO WATCHING AND MAKING HORROR FILMS AND WHY?!

When it comes to horror films my favorites are The Exorcist and The Shining, and lately Ari Aster's Midsommar and Luca Guadagnino's version of Suspiria really blew my mind.

The first movies I made as a kid with my parents' camera were always genre films, like westerns, and dumb action movies. We also made a few horror shorts inspired by the actual horror films we saw at the time, like the Grudge and The Ring.

When I went to film school, at first I was making these small short dramas. But after a while, I was getting kind of sick of it, and I started looking for ideas that are darker, scarier, and more exciting.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? The biggest inspiration for this movie was Eraserhead by David Lynch. I loved the way he created a world that feels and looks like a horrible nightmare, without ever explaining to you the rules of this world. It forces you to just get sucked into this nightmarish hell. This is the kind of experience that I wanted to try to create with Pleasures.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? Right now I'm working on a short suspenseful drama, about a young jewish mother who decides not to give her new born son a Bris, and therefore gets into a huge battle with her entire family. The subject of the Bris is a big taboo in Jewish and Israeli culture, and I thought it could be an interesting way to talk about that and about the power and danger of tribalism.

Recently I have also made another horror short called Bordo, about a secretly gay man, that is starting to become afraid that his wife is going to murder him.

While I don't think that I will just keep making dark films forever, nothing excites me more than creating dark, disturbing images and tales.

@DORPEER91

Myriam Khammassi Director, Writer Higher School of Audiovisual and Cinema Producer Aymen Ben Hamida Key Cast

AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR

ART MEETS DEATH AND BEAUTY MEETS BRUTALITY IN THIS EXPRESSIONISTIC NIGHTMARE

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WHAT FILM DID YOU SEE IN YOUR PAST THAT MADE YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN? Lost Highway, by David Lynch. It was the first movie that made me want to become a director.

HOW DID THE PROCESS OF WRITING THE STORY FOR YOUR FILM BEGIN? I was always attracted by the story of murderers like Ted Bundy. I think that that moment when everything is broken and when you kill another human is very important. I think that this kind of story is the scariest ones, that's why I've decided to talk about a murderer.

WHAT ARE YOU READING OR LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Right now I am reading A Room To Dream by David Lynch and am listening to some Stoner Rock, especially Offblast, their last album.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO WATCHING AND MAKING HORROR FILMS? Yes, since I was a child, I loved that feeling of fear, so I think it was evidence for me to make horror movies.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? David Lynch was an essential inspiration for me. Robert Eggers also, with his masterpiece The Lighthouse.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? Right now, I am writing a thriller.

WATCH A SNEAK PEEK AT

ARTHOUSEQUARTERLY.COM

/KHAMMASSI.MYRIAM

@LUSTHIGHWAY

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Kolby jacobs Director, Producer, Writer, Cast Lucas McCutchen Director, Producer, Writer

WINNER OF JURY AWARD 48 HOUR ARTHOSUE FILM CONTEST AUGUST, 2020 WATCH NOW AT

ARTHOUSEQUARTERLY.COM

LUCAS MCCUTCHEN + KOLBY JACOBS

SPECIFICALLY WITH HORROR, WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? We have been more inspired by art from the late 60s -70s when dipping into the horror genre. We became fascinated with the concept “in what space can art live”? which was something thoroughly explored during these two decades. So using this, we naturally stumbled upon our “subconsciousness” which we found can be quite a scary place. I think as humans, we’re quite infatuated with how our minds and other people’s minds work, and it can be quite scary to explore parts of the mind that we hadn’t really questioned just yet.

HAVE YOU WORKED ON A FILM PROJECT TOGETHER BEFORE? WAS THIS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT? HOW? We have worked together for years now but never on a project that was actually just the two of us. It definitely had it’s challenges only being able to really have one actor on screen at a time but we still had a blast making it.

HOW MANY CONCEPTS DID YOU COME UP WITH BEFORE DECIDING TO TAKE ACTION? We did allow ourselves some time to brainstorm and build on ideas, but ultimately once an idea popped up that fit the criteria and we felt like we could execute, we went for it.

I’m not sure if it was because we made the smart decision to not waste too much time, or if it was because we were just so excited and eager to begin the process….

WERE YOUR IDEAS REALIZED BY THE TIME YOU WERE EDITING OR WAS THERE FLEXIBILITY IN WHAT YOU WERE CREATING DURING THE PROCESS THAT ALLOWED YOU TO MAKE CHANGES ALONG THE WAY? Thankfully most of our vision actually made it past editing although there were several shots/ideas that didn’t live up to their initial hype while filming. We had to look at shots objectively, even if some took a ton of time to light and block, they didn’t fit the film’s pacing so we had to let them go.

WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU IMAGINED TO BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT REALLY WAS? IF SO, WHAT WAS IT? This was the first time we ever put in the effort to have some cinematic lighting so that probably ate up most of our time. While we had a lot of equipment it was finding that right balance with the fill and the shadows. I’m glad we spent so much time on it because I think it heavily benefited the film.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? We are quite thrilled about our next project. I can’t give away too much, but It is a documentary that follows and reflects the journey of a man who’s been in the system. We are hoping to get this documentary entered into film festivals where it can then be viewed. But our main goal is for as many people as possible to be able to watch and witness this story. Because it’s important.

@KOLBYJACOBS

@LUCASMCCUTCHEN

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Gaia Alari Director, Producer, Writer, Marco Mazzoni Sound designer He Can Jog Music

AND INTERVIEW WITH

GAIA ALARI

"I FOCUSED ON THE SYMBOLIC POTENTIAL OF THE [ZOMBIE] GENRE, EXPLORING ... ANXIETY, JUDGEMENT AND ULTIMATELY OUR INVOLVEMENT IN ATTRIBUTING APPEARANCE AS A CRUCIAL VALUE IN EVERYDAY LIFE..."

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY Â | Â PAGE 30

GAIA ALARI

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE THIS PIECE?

Horror is a genre that lately has been successfully tackled by amazing female filmmakers who managed to bring to it a whole new level of depth and perspective. I decided to take on this challenge myself, directing a zombie movie, pretty classic, but with a final twist. I tried to focus on the symbolic potential of the genre, exploring a few broader concepts such as anxiety, judgement and ultimately our involvement in attributing appearance as a crucial value in everyday life, especially in the social media era.

WILL YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE FILMMAKERS? WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU?

If I stick to the genre, I think that I'd definitely mention American Psycho by Mary Harron, and more recently, Karyn Kusama (especially The invitation), Jennifer Kent (the Babadook) and Julia Ducournau (Raw). Also, since i am not properly a filmmaker, I am actually a visual artist who works with moving image (Terminus has been exhibited at the Monnaie de Paris for Galerie Incognito) I'd also like to mention two visual artists who can be considered the main influences in my clay animated work: swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg and african-american artist Lauren Kelley. Their short claymations can definitely be considered as tiny psychedelic horror movies, combining a very intuitive and aesthetically child-friendly animation technique with dark, violent, political themes.

But to be fair, putting the horror genre aside, I must mention amongst my absolute favourite filmmakers Andrea Arnold and Alice Rohrwacher.

ARE THERE CERTAIN TECHNIQUES OR KINDS OF MENTAL FRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE YOU?

Being a one woman only crew, I am inspired by visual artists (Nathalie Djurberg above all) and cinema in general and I tend to pay attention to cinematography in my clay animation while keeping it raw and naive.

Conceptually, I am interested in portraying women and how they relate to society, as it is a subject I am familiar with. So this is my main guide in the process of creating an animation.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT ANXIETY, JUDGEMENT AND ATTRIBUTING TO APPEARANCE HAS CHANGED, GOTTEN WORSE OR SUBSIDED TO OTHER CONCEPTS - ESPECIALLY SINCE SOCIAL MEDIA MAY BE THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON OUT ON THE STREETS?

I do believe that social media, especially after COVID19 and the forceful isolation that followed, became even more important in sharing news, information and point of views.

Social media's role in my opinion is ambivalent: it is incredibily useful to spread information that might otherwise collect less resonance but at the same time, they tend to polarize any discussion and over-simplify it.

Sometimes, especially during these times of important political events, with the fight for civil -in general human- rights and equality being brought back to the spotlight as it should, entrusting the debate exclusively to social media, could lead to a performative kind of activism, that doesn't reflect on a person's behaviour in everyday life (once the computer is shut off). I personally find myself agreeing with the intersectional feminism and activism proposed by fundamental historical figures such as Audre Lord and Angela Davis, just to mention two of them, especially when they point out that education and inclusion are key instruments to build an organised radical movement that could bring an effective change to society (constitution, police system, communities) as we've known it so far.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE?

GAIAALARI.COM

At the moment I am working on a personal project (in progress, that will enter the festival circuit once finished) and a few music videos (which is something i love doing) in a different animation technique that is traditional hand drawn frame per frame animation.

One of the music video I made commissioned

by UK label Full Time Hobby for serbiancanadian singer songwriter Dana Gavanski has just been released.

OFFICIAL SELECTION OF AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL YEAR 2 WATCH NOW AT

ARTHOUSEQUARTERLY.COM

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY | PAGE 31

BRIAN SEPANZYK A NOD TO CLASSIC 80'S SLASHER FILMS FROM A MODERN, ARTHOUSE PERSPECTIVE

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AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR

ARTHOUSE QUARTERLY | PAGE 32 BRIAN

SEPANZYK

"WE RELIED HEAVILY ON ANDREW’S ABILITY TO EMOTE WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEAK...I WANTED THE AUDIENCE..TO BE IN THE PRESENT WITH HIM AS HE TRIES TO DEAL WITH THESE IMPULSES."

WHAT EXCITED YOU ABOUT THE IDEA OF WORKING ON THIS PROJECT? I'd say that it was the unconventional way in which it was conceived: my friend Nick came to me with this music as another idea for a band to play live, but then I thought it would be great to have this amazing visuals behind us as we played. From there it turned into a short film after I spent time writing it all out to the music. Then once we got Eva involved, that really got everyone excited and gave it traction. After seeing her in Beyond the Black Rainbow, it was amazing to have her involved.

AFTER RECEIVING THE ARONOFSKY AWARD FOR BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER AT OUR INAUGURAL FESTIVAL IT IS EVIDENT THAT YOU NAILED THE ARTHOUSE HORROR GENRE. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU EXECUTED YOUR CHOICES ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THIS BEING YOUR FIRST WRITTEN + DIRECTED PROJECT? We were so happy to receive the Aronofsky award - it was a huge honour, so thank you for that. For the film, we chose to show a lot of the shots from behind our main character so we would only be informed by his posture as he moved through the world he didn’t have a place in. We relied heavily on Andrew’s ability to emote without having to speak as I didn’t want his character to have any lines. I didn’t want to give the audience any clues as to why or a ‘tortured past’ for the way he was, but just be in the present with him as he tries to deal with these impulses. For this to work we wanted the score to drive a lot of the story along with the visuals, so I had written the script around the score that Nick Yacyshyn was coming up with which was a really cool process. As well, I wanted something that was striking visually but also had a certain grit to it, so our DP was able to beg his way into some old Russian lomo anamorphic lenses that had great character to them which added to the whole aesthetic. I still owe him huge for that one…

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS? I think just seeing how many people have connected with the film so far. Its really cool to see the chances that you took when you were filming resonate with people and ended up being effective. Because creating a film and then showing people for the first few times is the most terrifying thing.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU? Kubrick always is at the forefront for inspiration for me. His work has always been arthouse that had the ability to land with a wide audience. He’s able to balance the two perfectly which I have a huge admiration for. With COMPULSION in particular, a couple films helped inform decisions. Lighting wise, Neon Demon, by Nicolas Winding Refn, was great reference. Beyond the Black Rainbow, by Panos Cosmatos, overall was a great showcase of visuals, score and mood that was an adrenaline shot of inspiration.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE? Currently I’m prepping a drama with supernatural elements to it. I wanted to see if I could use something formulaic and try my take on it, so it’s going to be a fun experiment. We’re shooting at the end of September with some fantastic actors so really excited to get back at it. COMPULSION is playing on Alter, and my Vimeo channel, as well as Instagram, under ‘Briantologist’ is the best way to see the work I have coming up.

WINNER OF ARONOFSKY AWARD FOR BEST PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER AT AUSTIN ARTHOUSE YEAR 1 WATCH NOW AT

ARTHOUSEQUARTERLY.COM

/BRIANTOLOGIST

/COMPULSIONHORROR

@BRIANTOLOGIST

AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR

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Béla Baptiste Director, Writer Andi Widmer Cinematography Jakob Widmann Producer Sebastian von Malfèr, Elisabeth Wabitsch, Lukas Watzl, Lilian Klebow, Georg Duffek Key Cast Johannes Schellhorn Editor Matthias Kassmannhuber Sounddesign

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ARE THERE CERTAIN TECHNIQUES OR KINDS OF MENTALFRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE YOU?

There is at least one and I'll have to quoteTarkovsky (that suits well to an Arthouse Festivaldoesn't it?)"Search as a process . . . has the same bearingon the complete work as wandering through theforest with a basket in search of mushrooms hason the basket full of mushrooms when you havefound them."I had an Idea of picking up some "Mushrooms"in Styria and I am glad I had good friendscoming with me on that journey.

WILL YOU EXPOUND ON HOW USING FOLKLORE BEST INFORMED THE THRILLER/HORROR ASPECT OF PERCHT?

My family on my mother's side comes from the alpine moutains in central Austria where I saw those deamons evey winter. My sister was even so traumatized that they were used as a threat if she wouldn't clean up her room!

Canetti says that man's biggest fear is the unknown - ultimatly it is not the folklore that should be scary, it is how we recieve it. Seeing burning crosses on the mountains during Easter will definetly be seen and understood differently from someone from Texas than a central European. I hope that audience is fascinated by the beautiful costumes - I think if young men in normal clothings would be harrassing our protagonist it would feel at least as uncomfortable.

WHAT FILMS OR FILMMAKERS HAVE YOU LOOKED TO FOR INSPIRATION AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORK THAT MOVES YOU?

For this particular movie it was really just the opening that is directly coming from The Shining.

The music I was just obsessed with Jóhann Jóhannsson. The rest is a product of all kind of influences - we collect ingredients on our life path, don't we?

There are just too many - just like with drinks it depends on the mood: Sparkling Water which I can always drink would be Buñuel who is just my personal Master of nothing is what it seems, I wish I can make something like Le Phantôme de la liberté. Sometimes I feel like a beer and I'm down for a Nolan, other times you want to be depressed with a heavy red wine and you go for some Haneke (Or any dose of Austrian Tristesse), or I need a full menu with a nice steak and desert and I diving into Sergei Bondarchuk's War and Peace.

Then I want to discover a great Whiskey and I ask my critique friend Dustin Chang for a tip and he'll send me enjoy Lucrecia Martel. Redbull and I will watch Rick and Morty. Oh and David Lynch is just like air - it's always there even when I don't think about him.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW AND HOW CAN WE SEE MORE OF YOUR WORK IN THE FUTURE?

I just finished shooting an absurd mystery about an art appraiser from Austrian and his big mistake was to step foot on american soil. An other short is also finalized yesterday: in the future people can't feel fear no more, so they buy pills to get a little kick out of different phobias.... Let's see how the festival circuit will go!

WINNER OF THE ARONOFSKY AWARD FOR BEST PSYCHOGOLICAL THRILLER AUSTIN ARTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL, YEAR 2 WATCH NOW AT

ARTHOUSEQUARTERLY.COM /PERCHTSHORTFILM

HORROR FILMS

ESUOHTRA

EDITOR'S PICKS : TOP 10

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THE VVITCH

GET OUT

EGGERS, 2015 A HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL SLOW BURN OF A HORROR FILM THAT GROWS IN ITS INTENSITY AND CALAMITOUS IMPLICATIONS

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VIDEODROME

CRONENBERG, 1983 IN SIGNATURE STYLE, A SURREALIST BODY HORROR FILM DOUBLING AS TIMELY SOCIAL COMMENTARY

PEELE, 2017 A BLACK MAN IS HORRENDOUSLY OBJECTIFIED WHEN THE INTENTIONS OF HIS GIRLFRIEND’S RACIST FAMILY IS REVEALED

7 ERASERHEAD LYNCH, 1977 LYNCH'S FIRST, A BLEAK EXPRESSIONIST NIGHTMARE STEEPED IN PRIMORDIAL HORRORS

MANDY

ROSEMARY'S BABY

COSMATOS, 2018 A STORY OF DEEP LOVE TURNS INTO A STORY OF ULTIMATE BLOODY REVENGE AFTER A CRAZY EVIL CULT COMES THROUGH TOWN.

POLANSKI, 1968 A NERVOUS AND PARANOID SENSE OF CONSPIRACY AND BETRAYAL UNDERLIE THIS SURREAL SHOCKER.

THE SHINING KUBRICK, 1980 A CLASSIC FOR SO MANY REASONS: PERFORMANCES, SCORE, ART DESIGN, YOU NAME IT. BUT WHAT LINGERS IS THE MASTERFUL EDITING MIMICKING PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA

JACOB'S LADDER

IN FABRIC

NOSFERATU

LYNE, 1990 A SMART, PSYCHEDELIC SURREALIST FILM THAT DESPITE DRAGGING VIEWERS THROUGH HELL, ESPOUSES A DEEPLY SPIRITUAL MESSAGE

STRICKLAND, 2019 AFTER FINALLY SUCCUMBING TO A PURCHASE OF A RED DRESS, A WOMAN (AND THOSE AFTER HER) SOON LEARNS OF IT’S THE EVIL WAYS.

MURNAU, 1922 SILENT BUT DEADLY, THIS CLASSIC WAS AN UNAUTHORIZED ADAPTATION OF BRAM STOKER'S "DRACULA"

FILMFREEWAY.COM/AUSTINARTHOUSEFILMFESTIVAL

CATEGORY AWARDS Q&A WITH VISITING FILMMAKERS FEBRUARY 2021 LATE DEADLINE: NOV 1 EXTENDED DEADLINE DEC 31

FILMFREEWAY.COM/THEARTHOUSECHALLENGE $500 JURY PRIZE | $100 AUDIENCE FAVORITE AWARDÂ GUIDELINES POSTED OCTOBER 1 FILMS DUE OCTOBER 25 WINNERS ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 31

October Fall Issue of Arthouse Quarterly Released October 1 The Arthouse Challenge Rules Announced October 23 Films Due for The Arthouse Challenge October 24-30 Voting October 31 The Arthouse Challange Winners Announced

November 1 Austin Arthouse Film Festival :: Late Deadline

December 31 Austin Arthouse Film Festival -Extended Deadline

January 1 Austin Arthouse Film Festival, Year 3 Official Selections Notified

Austin Arthouse Film Festival Event Date TBA

ARTHOUSE Quarterly