More Toronto world premieres including genre anthology The ABCs of Death [pictured].
Midnight Madness
The ABCs Of Death (US-NZ)
Dirs various
In this ambitious anthology film, 25 leading genre directors - including Ben Wheatley, Jorge Michel Grau, Noboru Iguchi and Adam Wingard - and one, Lee Hardcastle, who won an online competition, were each given a letter to inspire a short of around five minutes, centred on a tale of mortality. The result is a 26-chapter compendium of horror.
Contact Magnolia Pictures - international@magpictures.com
Aftershock (US)
Dir Nicolas Lopez
A US tourist’s vacation in Chile turns into a hellish ordeal when he picks the wrong night to visit an underground nightclub. After an earthquake, he and fellow hedonists fight their way to the surface where further chaos awaits them. Horror film-maker Eli Roth, who co-wrote the screenplay, dips back into acting alongside Selena Gomez.
Contact FilmNation - info@wearefilmnation.com
The Bay (US)
Dir Barry Levinson
Levinson returns with a mock-documentary chiller. The Bay, which has been described as an eco-horror film, is set in a small seaside town in Maryland that becomes a breeding ground for parasites. Lionsgate is the US distributor.
Contact IM Global - jonathan_deckter@imglobalfilm.com
Come Out And Play (Mex)
Dir Makinov
Originally titled Child’s Play, Makinov’s remake of the 1976 Spanish horror Who Can Kill A Child? stars Vinessa Shaw, Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and focuses on a young couple expecting their first baby who must escape from an island overrun by killer children.
Contact US: Cinetic Media - sales@cineticmedia.com
Dredd 3D (US-UK-Ind)
Dir Pete Travis
A 3D reboot of 2000ad comic-book character Judge Dredd, Travis’ film sees Karl Urban don the iconic helmet to take on Lena Headey’s drug empress Ma-Ma. Dredd 3D received strong acclaim out of its recent Comic-Con screening, and Travis won the Discovery Award at Toronto with Omagh in 2004.
Contact IM Global - jonathan_deckter@imglobalfilm.com
Hellbenders (US)
Dir JT Petty
This tongue-in-cheek 3D exorcism romp follows an order of foul-mouthed, lecherous priests. The gang must swing into action to battle demonic forces the Vatican’s holy warriors would prefer to leave alone. Clancy Brown, Clifton Collins Jr, Robyn Rikoon and Andre Royo join the fun.
Contact Preferred Content - kevin@preferredcontent.com
The Lords Of Salem (US-UK-Can)
Dir Rob Zombie
Few recent horror directors have carved such a disturbing oeuvre as the former hard rocker, and Zombie’s new offering promises to stay true to form. When a radio DJ plays a mysterious record, it resurrects the town of Salem’s vicious past and threatens to usher in a vengeful force - or is the DJ going mad?
Contact US: Submarine Entertainment, Int’l: IM Global - jonathan_deckter@imglobalfilm.com
No One Lives (US)
Dir Ryuhei Kitamura
A kidnapping goes horribly wrong after a criminal gang imprison a young couple in an isolated house and the girl dies. But the bandits discover their latest victims are not what they seem, and the dying continues. Kitamura’s credits include Midnight Meat Train. The cast features Luke Evans and Adelaide Clemens from the upcoming Silent Hill: Revelation 3D.
Contact Pathé International - www.patheinternational.com
Seven Psychopaths (US-UK)
Dir Martin McDonagh
Writer-director McDonagh’s anticipated follow-up to acclaimed 2008 comedy In Bruges - his screenplay was Oscar-nominated - stars Colin Farrell as a struggling screenwriter who becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his friends kidnap a gangster’s dog. The Blueprint Pictures dark comedy also features Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Gabourey Sidibe.
Contact HanWay Films - info@hanwayfilms.com
Discovery
Blackbird (Can)
Dir Jason Buxton
The feature debut of Buxton, Blackbird is the story of a troubled teen who is falsely accused of planning a high-school shooting. Connor Jessup stars alongside Michael Buie, Alex Ozerov and Alexia Fast.
Contact Films Boutique - info@filmsboutique.com
Blancanieves (Sp-Fr)
Dir Pablo Berger
Maribel Verdu, Macarena Garcia and Daniel Gimenez Cacho star in this black-and-white homage to silent cinema, set among the bullfighting community of 1920s Spain. Berger previously directed Torremolinos 73.
Contact Marina Fuentes, Dreamcatchers/6Sales - marina@6sales.es
The Brass Teapot (US)
Dir Ramaa Mosley
This darkly funny satire adapted from a comic-book series stars Juno Temple and Michael Angarano as a broke young couple who find a teapot that magically dispenses cash when they feel pain.
Contact US: Gersh Agency - www.gershagency.com; Int’l: TF1 - TF1 sales@tf1.fr
Burn It Up Djassa (Ivory Coast-Fr)
Dir Lonesome Solo
The story of a young man who turns to violence. Burn It Up Djassa (Le Djassa a Pris Feu) was shot in 11 days in the busy streets of Abidjan in Ivory Coast.
Contact TBC
Call Girl (Swe-Ire-Nor-Fin)
Dir Mikael Marcimain
This debut feature is a thriller about the prostitution scandal that rocked the Swedish government in the 1970s. Pernilla August leads the cast.
Contact TrustNordisk - trustnordisk.com
Krivina (Can-Bos Herz)
Dir Igor Drljaca
A film about a Bosnian immigrant returning to his homeland from Canada in search of a missing friend. Produced by TimeLapse Pictures, the film’s Canadian distributor is College Street Pictures.
Contact TimeLapse Pictures - www.timelapsepictures.com
Picture Day (Can)
Dir Kate Melville
The feature debut of writer-director Melville is a brutally comic coming-of-age film produced by Snitch Pictures. Tatiana Maslany - one of the 2012 TIFF Rising Stars - joins Spencer Van Wyck, Steven McCarthy, Mark DeBonis and Susan Coyne.
Contact Daniel Iron - daniel.iron@sympatico.ca
Satellite Boy (Aus)
Dir Catriona McKenzie
This debut feature is an uplifting drama about a 12-year-old Aboriginal boy who journies through the bush to stop city developers from demolishing his grandfather’s home. Ivan Sen collaborator David Jowsey produces.
Contact Celluloid Dreams - celluloid-dreams.com
Wasteland (UK)
Dir Rowan Athale
Athale, a 2011 Screen Star of Tomorrow, makes his feature directorial debut with this heist tale described as Ocean’s Eleven set on a council estate in northern England. Luke Treadaway, Iwan Rheon, Matthew Lewis and Gerard Kearns star.
Contact Bankside Films - bankside-films.com
TIFF Docs
9.79* (UK)
Dir Daniel Gordon
An investigation into the 1988 Olympic men’s 100m race that ended in disgrace for sprinter Ben Johnson.
Contact VeryMuchSo - dan@verymuchso.co.uk
Artifact (US)
Dir Bartholomew Cubbins
Thirty Seconds To Mars and the band’s lead singer Jared Leto battle their record label while recording their album This Is War.
Contact US: CAA - filmsales@caa.com
A World Not Ours (UK-Leb-Den)
Dir Mahdi Fleifel
A study of belonging, friendship and family in the Ain El Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon.
Contact Nakba Filmworks - patrick@nakbafilmworks.com
The Act Of Killing (Den-Nor-UK)
Dir Joshua Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer’s surreal cinematic journey sees former members of Indonesian death-squads challenged to dramatise their role in genocide.
Contact Cinephil - info@cinephil.il
As If We Were Catching A Cobra (Syr)
Dir Hala Alabdalla
A documentary examining how comic books and caricatures are becoming a vehicle for dissent in the Arab World.
Contact Wide Management - infos@widemanagement.com
Fidai (Fr-Alg-Kuwait-Qatar-Chi-Ger)
Dir Damien Ounouri
A portrait of El Hadi, a 70-year-old former fighter for Algerian independence.
Contact Kafard Films - matmullier@kafardfilms.fr
First Comes Love (US)
Dir Nina Davenport
New York film-maker Davenport chronicles her quest to have a child as a single mother over 40 years of age.
Contact nina.davenport@gmail.com
How To Make Money Selling Drugs (US)
Dir Matthew Cooke
A satirical look at getting rich in the shadow economy, featuring interviews with 50 Cent, Eminem and The Wire producer David Simon. Produced by Bert Marcus.
Contact Bert Marcus - bert@bertmarcus.com
Iceberg Slim: Portrait Of A Pimp (US)
Dir Jorge Hinojosa
A stylish portrait of legendary pimp and author Iceberg Slim. Interviewees include Chris Rock and Ice-T
Contact US: UTA - IndependentFilmGroup@unitedtalent.com
Lunarcy! (Can)
Dir Simon Ennis
A disparate group of dreamers and schemers share one thing in common: they have devoted their lives to the Moon.
Contact Global Screen - sonia.mehandjiyska@globalscreen.de
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God (US)
Dir Alex Gibney
Taxi To The Dark Side director Gibney explores the issue of paedophilia in the Catholic Church.
Contact Content Media Corp - london@contentmediacorp.com
No Place On Earth (US-UK-Ger)
Dir Janet Tobias
The story of five Jewish families who survived the Second World War by living in caves for 18 months.
Contact Global Screen - info@globalscreen.de
Reincarnated (US)
Dir Andy Capper
Hip-hop star Snoop Dogg travels to Jamaica seeking a more spiritual path.
Contact WME - gkruger@wme entertainment.com, Paradigm - bweiss@paradigmagency.com
Revolution (Can)
Dir Rob Stewart
The director of Sharkwater returns with this film about the destruction of marine life.
Contact Big Screen Entertainment - info@sharkwater.ca
Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out (US)
Dir Marina Zenovich
Zenovich follows up Wanted And Desired with a film exploring Roman Polanski’s arrest in 2009.
Contact Films Distribution - fry@filmsdistribution.com
The Secret Disco Revolution (Can)
Dir Jamie Kastner
A cheeky, sexy documentary-hybrid that wraps revealing interviews with The Village People, Gloria Gaynor and Kool and the Gang with glitter-era footage and music.
Contact eOne Films International - cmickie@entonegroup.com
Shepard & Dark (US)
Dir Treva Wurmfeld
A portrait of the relationship between Sam Shepard and his close friend Johnny Dark as they prepare to publish 40 years of their correspondence.
Contact Treva Wurmfeld - treva.wurmfeld@gmail.com
Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life Of Garth Drabinsky (Can)
Dir Barry Avrich
The story of mogul Garth Drabinsky, who reshaped the Canadian entertainment industry.
Contact Melbar Entertainment Group - melbargroup@live.ca
State 194 (Isr-Pal-US)
Dir Dan Setton
Produced by SET Productions and Participant Media, State 194 chronicles Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayaad’s quest to have Palestine recognised by the United Nations as an independent state.
Contact Submarine Entertainment - info@submarine.com
Vanguard
90 Minutes (Nor)
Dir Eva Sorhaug
Contact LevelK - tine.klint@levelk.dk
Beijing Flickers (Chi)
Dir Zhang Yuan
Contact Fortissimo Films - info@fortissimo.nl
Here Comes The Devil (Mex-Arg)
Dir Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Contact MPI - info@mpimedia.com
I Declare War (Can)
Dirs Jason Lapeyre, Robert Wilson
Contact US: The Film Sales Company - contact@filmsalescorp.com; Int’l: Moviehouse Entertainment - info@moviehouseent.com
Painless (Sp-Fr-Por)
Dir Juan Carlos Medina
Contact Elle Driver - www.elledriver.fr
Peaches Does Herself (Ger)
Dir Peaches
Contact HAU - www.hebbel-am-ufer.de
Film profiles by Leon Forde, Jeremy Kay, Wendy Mitchell, Ian Sandwell and Andreas Wiseman
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