The spooky season is around the corner, and with it, the 20th annual edition of the South African Horrorfest Festival & Halloween Event!
Seventeen events over twelve thrilling days will feature exciting new feature films, documentaries, and dozens of incredible short films from around the world, making their African and South African premieres at the Horrorfest.
You can also expect special screenings of timeless classics, including the live silent film soundtrack performance to the 1911 Italian silent film “Dante’s Inferno”, a special 16mm projection of the fantastic 1932 movie “Freaks”, an audience participation screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, and a 50th-anniversary screening of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”.
Beyond films, the festival’s 20th edition also includes a special opening night celebration.
The “Bloody Parchment” literature night returns as an in-person event (at Exclusive Books, Cavendish). The live silent film soundtrack night is also the Horrorfest’s Halloween dress-up event, with prizes and giveaways to look forward to, plus much more.
Here’s the full lineup
Wednesday 30 October
8:30pm: The Horrorfest 20th Celebration Opening Night
Guest invitations and limited special public tickets will include Pierre Jourdan champagne, cake by Sweet Lion Heart, Slayer Energy, and Dead Man’s Fingers Rum.
Thursday 31 October (Halloween Night)
8:30pm: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Join for the 50th anniversary of the movie that still creeps audiences out to this day.
Bloody Parchment Literature Event on Halloween Night
This free event with local authors will be held at Exclusive Books, Cavendish.
Friday 1 November
8:30pm: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Audience participation is encouraged at this screening of the fun musical classic.
Saturday 2 November
9pm: Dante’s Inferno (L’Inferno) - 1911
The Makabra Ensemble will perform live music for this classic silent film, with special guests Sara Eksteen and Maxim Starcke.
Sunday 3 November
8:30pm: Chainsaws Were Singing
Monday 4 November
6:15pm: Suzzanna: The Queen Of Black Magic
A documentary on Indonesia’s undisputed scream queen.
8:30pm: The Ghost (An Taibhse)
The first horror movie shot in the Irish Gaelic dialect.
Tuesday 5 November
6:15pm: Children Of The Wicker Man
An emotional documentary about the British folk horror cult film *The Wicker Man*, and the family wreckage it left in its wake.
8:30pm: Tripping The Dark Fantastic
An invigorating documentary on horror film composer Simon Boswell, featuring live performances of his best themes (from filmmakers like Dario Argento, Richard Stanley, and Clive Barker).
Wednesday 6 November
6:15pm: Solvent
An utterly unique found footage film by Austrian filmmaker Johannes Grenzfurthner.
8:30pm: Scared To Death
A horror-comedy starring genre legends Lin Shaye (from the *Insidious* movies) and Bill Moseley (from Rob Zombie films like *The Devil’s Rejects*).
Thursday 7 November
6:15pm: 1978
A dark political thriller mixed with supernatural horror, set during the 1978 Argentina vs Holland soccer World Cup.
8:30pm: Vampire Zombies…From Space!
A wild and crazy homage to 1950s B-movies, mixing horror and sci-fi.
Friday 8 November
8:30pm: Terrifier 3
Art the Clown turns Christmas into a Halloween nightmare! Warning: this third instalment in the horror franchise is not for the squeamish or easily offended.
Saturday 9 November
8:30pm: Freaks
A special old-school 16mm projection from a well-preserved film print of this incredible 1932 cult classic.
Sunday 10 November
8:30pm: Breathing In
The Horrorfest will close with this locally produced moody folk horror film set in 1901. Cast and crew will be in attendance for a discussion about the movie.
Full details are available at: www.horrorfest.info
IOL Entertainment