Images
LAFF ’15 Announces Nightfall Genre Selections!
Today the Los Angeles Film Festival announced the addition of two new sections for the 2015 Festival, Zeitgeist and Nightfall (which we revealed exclusively last night).
The Los Angeles Film Festival runs June 10 through June 18 and the full Festival line up will be announced on May 5.
“We created Nightfall to celebrate films that will make audiences squirm,” Jennifer Cochis, Senior Programmer had this to say about the Nightfall section. “Ranging from the creepy to the sinister, homages to 80s and 90s era horror, psychodramas and waking nightmares.”
Films premiering for the first time in the U.S. are nominated for the Nightfall Award!
From the bizarre to the horrifying, these are films to watch after dark.
Caught, dir. Maggie Kiley, USA, World Premiere
“A desperate housewife discovers her husband is having an affair and kidnaps his unsuspecting mistress, but what starts as a prank quickly spirals out of control.”
The Confines, dir. Eytan Rockaway, USA, World Premiere
“Set in a vast vacant residential complex amidst a recession, the shops and rooms have all been abandoned and the underbelly of the building has been left to decay. A struggling single mother, works as a security guard for the corporation that owns the structure, along with her brusque, rent a cop partner, COOPER (Jason Patrick). As the night progresses, the building, Cooper, and a vagrant in the area (Mark Margolis) toy with her sadistically. Her curiosity to find the truth leads her on a dangerous path into the depths of the building, where she becomes trapped in the dark catacombs of the structure and her sanity is terrorized.”
Crumbs, dir. Miguel Llansó, Spain/Ethiopia/Finland, North American Premiere
“‘Crumbs’ is set against the background of spectacular post-apocalyptic Ethiopian landscapes, where the film finds a strange-looking scrap collector, Gagano (played by the charismatic Daniel Tadesse). Alternately gripped by daydreams and constant fears, the diminutive Gagano has had enough of collecting the priceless crumbs of decayed civilization, including the most valuable: merchandise from Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan. When a spaceship that has been hovering high in the sky for years starts showing signs of activity, Gagano has to overcome his fears – as well as a witch, Santa Claus and second-generation Nazis — to discover things aren’t quite the way he thought.”
Crush the Skull, dir. Viet Nguyen, USA, World Premiere
“The feature follows the story of Ollie and Blair – a young couple who happen to be burglars for a living. In an attempt to pay off their debts, Blair and Ollie decide to do one last job at a secluded house in the mountains. However, once the couple and their burglary crew break in, they discover that the house is a vicious death trap and find themselves trapped inside with an unseen serial killer.”
Dude Bro Party Massacre III, dir. Tomm Jacobsen, Michael Rousselet, Jon Salmon, USA, World Premiere
“In the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico’s frat row, loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to investigate his twin brother’s murder at the hands of the serial killer known as “Motherface.””
Plan Sexenal, dir. Santiago Cendejas, Mexico, North American Premiere
“Mercedes’ fantasy becomes a nightmare. Juan’s greatest fear takes the shape of in a strange man that comes to his house. The city has fallen into chaos and anarchy, so getting ice for the drinks is going to be hard; but tonight, Mercedes is an object of desire to men, so nothing else matters.”
Ratter, dir. Branden Kramer, USA, LA Premiere
“Emma, A graduate student living alone in NYC, becomes the focus of a growing obsession when a stalker hacks into her personal technology and records her most intimate moments.”
Shut In, dir. Adam Schindler, USA, World Premiere
“Anna Rook is isolated from human contact in nearly every way, which is exactly how she likes it. Suffering from crippling agoraphobia and holed up in an old Victorian on the outskirts of town, the people in Anna’s life can be counted on two fingers: her terminally-ill love, Conrad, and the charismatic Meals-on-Wheels driver, Dan. Until her home is invaded by a trio of small-time criminals.”
We have an exclusive first look at A Man in the Woods With an Axe, a blood-soaked, genre-twisting homage to 1980s slasher films.
Spanning four decades, A Man in the Woods With an Axe begins in the summer of 1987 before pushing into the modern era, weaving together timelines and perspectives in a way that builds both dread and intrigue.
Drawing inspiration from genre standouts like Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Hatchet, and The Cabin in the Woods, the film blends visceral horror with moments of dark humor, creating a uniquely balanced experience that honors tradition while carving its own identity.
Writer-director Dillon Brown (Primal Darkness) aims to deliver everything fans crave from a slasher while boldly subverting expectations with a mid-film twist that redefines the story.
“This is an unapologetic love letter to the films that made me fall in love with horror,” Brown tells Bloody Disgusting. “But I didn’t just want to recreate that feeling; I wanted to challenge it. About halfway through, the film takes a turn that completely changes how you view not only this story, but the genre itself.”
Brown describes the vintage-inspired production as “far and away the bloodiest film I’ve ever made,” with practical effects helmed by Cody Ruch (The Mill, Pig Hill), an instructor at Tom Savini’s Special Make-Up Effects Program.
From Horror Dadz Productions, A Man in the Woods With an Axe is currently in production and targeting an early 2027 release.
You must be logged in to post a comment.