2020 PROGRAM

Thursday, AUGUST 27

3:30 - 5:30

Feature: All Hail the Deadites!
(Canada | Documentary | 78 mins)

Director: Steve Villeneuve

Horror film culture is lovingly explored in this entertaining look at fans of The Evil Dead franchise. Featuring interviews with Bruce Campbell, the late Danny Hicks and more. View Trailer

Animated Micro Short: Lily Goes to the Dogs - (Canada | Animated | 6 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 24 mins

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
(Canada | Documentary | 98 mins)

Director: Justin McConnell

Follow one independent filmmaker as he journeys to film markets and film festivals around the world, seeking funding for his projects. A must see doc for anyone seeking to make indie films, featuring interviews with many filmmakers including Guillermo del Toro, Don Mancini, Todd Holland and Larry Fessenden, as well as distributors, festival programmers, and distributors. View Trailer

Micro Short: Soul Contact (Canada | Horror Comedy | 5 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 42 mins

9:30 - 11:00

World Premiere: The Wilderness Night(
(WNY | Action| Drama | 87 mins)

Director: Jordan Warner

Starring: Michael O’Hear

This local feature also screens Saturday at 3:30 pm and Tuesday at 9:30 pm. A man fights psychological and spiritual torment when his guilty past is shadowed by a cult leader portrayed by the late, legendary local actor (and member of the Buffalo Dreams family) Michael O’Hear. View Trailer

Friday, AUGUST 28

3:30 - 5:30

Shorts:

A Home for Curiosities (USA | Student | Fantasy | 15 mins)
Darling Pet Monkey (USA | 8:38 mins)
Expecting (Canada | Horror | 7:30 mins)
The Dancing Kettle (Japan | Fantasy | 11 mins)
Robert the Robot (UK | 4:00 mins)
Bird/Dog (WNY | 27:30 mins)
Suspense (USA | Thriller | 7 mins)
3:14PM - (China | SciFi | 19:05 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 49 mins

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: The Ventures: Stars on Guitars
(USA | Documentary | 90 mins)

Director: Staci Layne Wilson

Entertaining doc on the fathers of surf guitar music, loaded with guest star interviews. View Trailer

Short: Father: A Short Film - (WNY | 10 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 43 mins

9:30 - 11:30

Feature: Grizzly II: The Revenge
(USA | Horror | 73 mins)

Starring: George Clooney, Charlie Sheen, Laura Dern, Louise Fletcher, John Rhys-Davies, Deborah Freman

A legendary lost film, the Holy Grail of “Bad Movies.” Filmed in 1983, this sequel to the cult classic Grizzly shuttered production when a producer absconded with the remaining budget. 37 years later, after digitally restoring existing footage and shooting new elements, executive producer Suzanne Nagy unveils this eagerly awaited kitsch classic – and Buffalo Dreamers will be the first people to see the final product in its final form! View Trailer

Micro Short: Hostile (Canada | Thriller | 7:25 mins)

Short: The Door (WNY | Fantasy-Western | 14:13 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 35 mins

Saturday, AUGUST 29

3:30 - 5:30

Feature: Encore #1: The Wilderness Night
(WNY | 87 mins)

For description see Thurs. 8/27 at 9:30pm

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: Brain Damage
(USA | Cult Horror | 87 mins)

Director: Frank Henenlotter

Henenlotter’s 1987 “body horror” cult classic about a boy and his talking, brain-eating, chemical injecting parasite. Q&A with festival co-programmer Greg Lamberson, who was the assistant director on the film. View Trailer

Micro Short: The Hands (Iran | Animated | 1:40 mins)

Micro Short: Mama, Don’t Go – (USA | Horror | 5:32 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 35 mins plus Q&A

9:30 - 11:05

Feature: She’s the Eldest
(USA | Comedy-Drama-Supernatural | 90 mins)

Director: Cate Jones

Three eccentric siblings return to their childhood home to reconnect but end up digging up the past of their parents’ mysterious disappearance instead. It’s also about witchcraft… Quirky and offbeat, an auspicious writing and directorial debut by Jones, who co-stars. View trailer

Short: Soaring Beyond Silence (USA | Student | 7:30 mins)

Short: The Lunatic (WNY | Horror | 14:46 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 52 mins

Sunday, AUGUST 30

3:30 - 5:30

Feature: Red Letters
(USA | Horror | 87 mins)

Director: Jim Klock

Two private investigators embark on an assignment which leads them into the hands of darkness. Nether investigator is prepared for what lies in wait for them. From the creators of Massacre on Aisle 12 and 666PM. View Trailer

Micro Short: The Devil’s Harp (USA | 3:49 mins

Micro Short: Midnight - (UK | 7:45 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 39 mins

6:30 - 8:30

World Premier Feature: Seeds: A New England Folk Horror Tale
(USA | Horror | 90 mins)

Director: Skip Shea

A grieving couple is thrown into greater turmoil as they are drawn into a secretive cult targeted by a Cardinal who wants their secrets for his own purposes – secrets found in the “seeds.” View Trailer

Micro Short: Priest Hunter – (USA | Horror | 5 mins)

Total: 1 hr 35 mins

9:30 - 11:17

Feature: Luz: The Flower of Evil
(Columbia | Acid Western, Horror-Thriller | 104 mins)

Director: Juan Diego Esscobar Alzate

A visually mesmerizing and densely layered allegorical thriller you will never forget! When the leader of a secluded spiritual community brings into their midst a young boy he claims to be the messiah, his own deceptions are laid bare with devastating results. View Trailer

Micro Short: Don’t Sneeze (Canada, Comedy, 2:06) Ryan LaPlante

Total: 1 hr. 47 mins

Monday, AUGUST 31

3:30 - 5:30

World Premiere Short Feature: The Purple Dragon
(WNY | Crime | 60 mins)

Director: Timothy A. Coons

Addicts, dealers, schemers and cheats cross paths and plans in this WNY crime thriller. View Trailer

Short Feature: Private Eye (Poland | Crime | 40 mins)

Director: Jan Chalupka
View Trailer

Total: 1 hr. 40 mins

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: 9 Ways to Hell
(USA, Horror Anthology, 1 hr. 40 mins)

Multiple directors.

A collection of genuinely creepy, linked short stories exploring Dante’s nine levels of hell. View trailer

Micro Short: Snapping (WNY, 5:05 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 45 mins

9:30 - 11:15

USA Premiere Feature: Nightmare Symphony
(Italy | Horror-Thriller | 78 mins)

Directors: Domiziano Cristopharo, Daniele Trani

Remake of Fulci’s Nightmare Cocert, starring Rochester native Frank LaLoggia, who directed Fear No Evil and The Lady inn White, this giallo is visually scrumptious, with a theme by the legendary Fabio Frizzi. View Trailer

Short: NOM (Spain, 10:25)

Short: You Will Never Be Back (Spain, 13:35)

Total: 1 hr. 42 mins

Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 1

3:30 - 5:30
The Wilderness Night
(WNY, Action/thriller, 87 mins)

Director: Jordan Warner

Starring: Michael O’Hear

This local feature also screens Saturday at 3:30 pm and Tuesday at 9:30 pm. A man fights psychological and spiritual torment when his guilty past is shadowed by a cult leader portrayed by the late, legendary local actor (and member of the Buffalo Dreams family) Michael O’Hear. View trailer

6:30 - 8:15

Feature: Climate of the Hunter
(USA | Drama-Horror | 81 mins)

Director: Mickey Reece

Two sisters vie for the affections of a man who may or may not be a vampire. View Trailer

Short: Darling, Darling, Wendy (USA | 13:15 mins)
Short: Accomplice (USA | Student | 13 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 48 mins

9:15 - 11:15

Feature Encore #2: The Wilderness Night Encore
See Thursday, 8/28 for details.

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 2

3:30 - 5:30

Shorts:

Perpetuate (USA | Animated | 4:34 mins)
III Floor 14 (2:06 mins)
Lili (Netherlands | 8:35 mins)
Sakatori (WNY | 31:32 mins)
Make a Wish (USA | 8:30 mins)
Captain Tracer Smiles at the Stars (USA| Student |10:22 mins)
Hypernova (Canada | 13:15 mins)
Broken VP2 (USA | 5:00 mins)
Sun (18 mins)

Total: 1 hr 40 mins

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: Weightlessness
(Iran | Drama | 100 mins)

Director: Mehdi Fard Gharderi

Visually stunning drama from the director of Immortality, which we screened a few years ago, employing a single shot/long take style. Several mysteries involving multiple characters unfold when the groom disappears following a lavish wedding. View Trailer

Micro Short: Regret (Iran, 1:40 )

Short: Echo (Iran, 7 mins)

Short: Inversion (Iran, 6 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 55 min

9:10 - 11:15

Feature: Dark Whispers Vol. 1
(Australia | Horror Anthology | 100 mins)

Multiple directors, including Megan Riakos (Crushed)

A young woman inherits her mother’s revered Book of Dark whispers only to discover 10 disturbing tales within its pages, brought to you by 11 female filmmakers from across Australia. View Trailer

Short: Our Boy (NYC/WNY | Horror | 13:32 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 54 mins

Thursday, SEPTEMBER 3

3:30 - 5:30

Shorts:

Meat Lovers (USA | 4:00 mins)
Shadows (USA | 3:34 mins)
Feng Shui Upside Down (Iran | 16:25 mins)
Accomplice (USA | Student | 2:30 mins)
Sleep Tight (UK | 8 mins)
uTransfer (10 mins)
Circle of Stone (USA | 19:29 mins)
Play Along (USA | 13:00 mins)
The Black Baptism (USA | 20 mins)

Total – 1 hr. 48 mins

6:30 - 8:30

Feature: Exit
(UK | Thriller | 81 mins)

Director: Michael Fausti

Events take a sinister turn one night in London, when two very different couples arrive at a double-booked apartment. A stylish thriller with sex, drugs, and violence! View Trailer

Short: Skins (WNY | Horror | 15:00 mins)

Short: Misconception (UK | Comedy-Horror | 7:35 mins)
Director: Richard Rowntree

Total: 1 hr. 44 mins

9:00 - 10:40

Feature: Daddy’s Girl
(UK | Horror-Thriller | 81 mins)

Director: Julian Richards
Starring: Jemma Hallender (I Spit on Your Grave 2), Costas Mandylor (Saw)

A young woman held captive by her stepfather becomes the focus of a female vigilante. The last act will have horror fans cheering! View Trailer

Short: War Game (Iran | Drama | 18:40

Short: Father’s Day (WNY | Drama | 10 mins)

Total: 1 hr. 50 mins