Q&A with A NIGHT OF HORROR film festival directors Dean Bertram and Lisa Mitchell
June 29th 2009 01:19
In its first year A Night Of Horror ran for just three nights, now it runs for ten glorious days. It’s a modestly-mounted showcase that is steadily building a reputable name for itself, as well as providing a forum for filmmakers to meet and discuss the genre and the industry. Thank God for the festival team; Dean Dertram, Lisa Mitchell, Grant Bertram, Shane K, Dalibor Backovic, Bryant Johnston, Jack Sargeant, and others, for their dedicated work.
There were some truly astonishing movies, especially within the multitude of shorts (AM1200, Snip, The Red Room were a few memorable examples). Unfortunately I only got to see a clutch of the features (The Broken, Left Bank, I Will Never Die Alone, and Splinter were the stand-outs), but I plan to catch up with others further down the track. I did however become acquainted with the festival’s two lovely founders and directors, and I was keen to pry some juicy tidbits from them to share with my readers.
Lisa Mitchell is a graduate of Sydney’s Actors College of Theatre & Television and is also a filmmaker having written, produced and starred in several short films, most recently co-producing and starring in Dean Bertram’s Sick Day. With Dean she shared his frustration and co-founded A Night Of Horror.
Has the ambitious job of putting on A Night of Horror - without any major corporate backing - got any easier? What are the most difficult aspects?
As with most endeavours, a lot of the work associated with the festival gets easier with experience. However, as the festival continues to expand there are always new challenges to deal with. But these types of challenges are usually exciting. The most difficult aspects are probably the mundane administrational duties attached to the fest: paperwork, invoicing, taxes, etc. Just because of the tedium. We particularly despise having to fill in classification reports for the OFLC each year.
The festival does get some corporate sponsorship of course, although, significantly, no government support. We believe - but would welcome someone to correct us if we are wrong - that A Night of Horror is the largest film festival in NSW, which relies entirely on private funding. This is something that we are proud of. To paraphrase Doug Turner, writer/co-director of I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer, which had its Australian premiere at ANOH 2009: “No tax-payer was harmed in the making of this film festival”.
Do you manage to screen all or most of the movies you pursue? What are your criteria for selection?
We screen a combination of features submitted to us directly by filmmakers, and features that we source. We strongly believe that talented independent filmmakers, who submit their films to the festival unsolicited, deserve the best possible chance of having their work screened. So unlike a lot of festivals, we actually reserve about two thirds of our feature slots for submitted films. It is worth mentioning that these films are often some of the audience’s favourites as well.
In regards to feature films that we pursue: we get most, but not all, of the titles that we want. There were only two films that we wanted for the 2009 fest that we were unable to screen. In one case, a sales agent wanted to charge us more for the Australian premiere of the film than we were prepared to pay (and it was quite frankly an unreasonable amount). So we had to let it go. The other film that we missed out on was almost locked in, but there was a last minute disagreement between that film's foreign sales agent and the soon to be Australian distributor over finances. The result was a gridlock - that had nothing to do with the festival and which we were powerless to solve - that meant we were unable to screen the film. Crazy really.
As far as the selection process goes, a film has to pass most of the following criteria: Is it a good story well told? Is the film original? Or at least, does it deal with genre conventions in an original way? Are the performances solid? Is it entertaining? Does it work as a horror film? Particularly, does it work as the type of horror film it is attempting to be? Is it: Scary? Disturbing? Funny? Thought-provoking? Would we be excited if we saw the film at a festival/cinema? Do we think it would appeal to the festival's audience?
The Lovecraftian shorts, the Ozploitation shorts, and the midnight movie screening have become staples of the festival, are you looking at introducing other regular showcases or spotlights?
Well, the filmmaking forums are probably also becoming expected of the festival now. They always tend to sell out, and are very rewarding for everyone involved as they provide a fabulous opportunity for interaction between the festival's filmmakers and local aspiring filmmakers and horror fans. So the festival will most likely keep hosting these. As far as specific showcases, we really do like to let the submissions themselves help guide the program. So say, for example, that the festival received several incredibly strong short films about ghosts and/or paranormal phenomena: This might beg for a special “supernatural” shorts block. Or maybe we are aware of two feature films that compliment each other: Perhaps a double feature would be in order. We really do try and remain flexible.
What directors make the hairs bristle on your back in excitement? If you could programme a retrospective of any director, who would that be?
We both still get excited whenever Romero, Carpenter, or Argento make a film.
Dean: A Fulci retrospective would be a lot of fun. Maybe one day ...
Lisa: Yeah, Fulci would be cool... but for me I think it would be a toss up between Bava and Argento!
Dean: The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Howling, Romero’s Dawn or Day (alternates depending on which of the two I've most recently seen), Carpenter's Halloween.
Lisa: Todd Browning's Dracula, An American Werewolf in London, Dawn or Day [laughs], Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
With the recent glut of “torture porn” has it become more difficult finding truly scary movies? [Not that I’m against gratuitous gore mind you!] What movie (taking into account the age you first saw it) frightened you the most and what recent movie genuinely unnerved you?
Of the hundreds of films we watched when programming the 2009 fest, a very small percentage were torture porn (well less than 10%). So there is still an awful lot of diversity in the genre, particularly at the indie level.
Dean: John Carpenter's Halloween was the first film that really scared me. I saw it when I was ten years old, while on vacation with my family in Fiji. The resort ran these video nights and there was no sense of a ratings system or that little kids shouldn't watch adult/horror content (actually I think it was mainly kids who went to those screenings as all of the adults were usually getting pissed at the bar). Man, I didn't sleep the night they screened Halloween!
Lisa: I first saw The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in my early teens. It freaked me out – truly it did! It actually took me a few attempts until I could watch the film all the way through. Now it's one of my all time favourites.
Dean: Ironically, given the above question, a film that I recently found unnerving was a “torture porn” piece: Martyrs. Some of the scenes, and imagery really bothered me. I think the concept of one person being entirely at the mercy of one or more people whose prime goal is to make their victim suffer is abjectly horrifying. And while the “torture porn” sub-genre has taken a lot of heat, when films of that type work, they really work.
Lisa: I actually had nightmares after watching William Friedkin's Bug. So that must have gotten under my skin.
What are the key elements/ingredients that make a great horror movie stand out from the rest?
As with all cinema, a great horror movie usually results from a good story well told, so most start with an exceptional screenplay, which is then realised through solid direction, performances, etc. An original concept, or a genre staple realised in a particularly original way, also helps. Of course, the horror genre also has its own specific demands: The importance of special effects for example. In addition, cinematography, editing, sound design, score etc should compliment each other in creating an unsettling, disturbing, or horrifying mood. So there are some cases where story takes a back seat to atmosphere, and the film is still spectacular. For example, some of the great Italian horror filmmakers - Bava, Argento, Fulci - excelled at this type of filmmaking. Their films remind us of nightmares, wherein narrative cohesion fractures beneath the oppressive weight of dread.
What have been some of the festival highlights of the past three years?
Anything involving an interaction between filmmakers and the festival audience is always a highpoint. Be it at parties, forums, Q&As, or just hanging around with audience members and filmmakers in a foyer or a bar after a screening. The horror community is unlike any other filmmaking community. No pretension.
As far as specifics: In 2009, Ian Hunter's visual effects lecture at International Film School Sydney was amazing (Ian was visual effects supervisor on a plethora of films including: The Dark Knight, The Chronicles Of Narnia, Spider-Man 3, and War of the Worlds). The horror feature fimmaking forum at Metro Screen with Mike Masters (Reel Zombies), Ursula Darbrowsky (Family Demons), Stacey Edmonds and Doug Turner (I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer) and chaired by Jason Di Rosso (ABC Radio National, Movietime) was another highpoint. Also, of course, having Antony I. Ginnane as one of the fest's judges was almost surreal – we had grown up on the fantastic Ozploitation classics that he produced in the 70s and 80s.
In 2008, the “How to Make a Short Horror Film” seminar at the Mu-Meson Archives was also great (with local, multiple award winning, short filmmakers: Dalibor Backovic, Daniel Giambruno, and Shane K.) It was particularly gratifying when filmmakers who had been inspired by that forum actually made short films and submitted to the following year's fest; nice to know that the festival also inspires people to get out there and shoot their own horror flicks.
Of course, opening night in 2007 was a buzz as well. Being the fest's first ever screening, both of us had no idea if anyone would even show. So to see the cinema's foyer fill up with a couple of hundred horror fans, and then, after this audience had been ushered inside the cinema, to stand up in front of them and introduce some of the best short horror films in the world was a memorable beginning.
If you could invite a legendary horror star (including the guise of a horror character) as a celebrity guest to the festival, who would that be?
If only we could resurrect Lugosi or Karloff ...
What’s your favourite Australian horror movie?
Dean: Howling 3: The Marsupials, isn't it everyone's? Seriously though, in the last two decades: Wolf Creek. Patrick was always a favourite back in the day.
Lisa: People still debate whether or not it is a horror film, but I've always found Picnic at Hanging Rock particularly haunting.
Can you tell me a little about where you find the movies that you screen, especially the shorts? Do you attend overseas film festivals or do you have contacts and/or agents who source stuff for you?
The festival is open for submissions for about 7 months each year (from early June to end of December) and we receive 100s of films from all around the world. In 2009, we screened 70 short films. Around 90% of these were submissions from filmmakers: in other words they were unsolicited entries that we hadn't seen before they arrived at the festival's office. The remaining 10% might be short films that already have a buzz on the international festival circuit, or something that a director or programmer from another festival recommends that we take a look at.
Does censorship present much of a problem when it comes to programming the festival?
It is a national embarrassment that this country has a censorship board. On a practical level, the major problem for ANOH is the incredible number of man hours that we have to waste each year in preparing the detailed classification reports for each and every film that we intend to screen. But in fairness, our actual dealings with the OFLC have always run smoothly. The staff are friendly and accommodating, and we have never had a film refused ... yet ...
That is a tough question! There are so many. And every film that we screen we're obviously committed to, or they wouldn't get programmed. But just some of the short highlights have been:
2007: Addiction is Murder (dir. Adam Brooks), The Ancient Rite of Corey McGillis (dir. Dalibor Backovic), By Appointment Only (dir. John Faust), Criticized (dir. Richard Gale), The New Life (dir. Daniel Giambruno), The Tell Tale Heart (dir. Raul Garcia – and narrated by Bela Lugosi!), From Beyond (dir. Michael Granberry).
2008: Kirksdale (dir. Ryan Spindell), The Call of Cthulhu (dir. Andrew Leman), The Eyes of Edward James (dir. Rodrigo Gudino), Peekers (dir: Mark Steensland), Eel Girl (dir. Paul Campion).
2009: AM1200 (dir. David Prior), A Wolves' Tale (dir. Christiano Donzelli), Excision (dir. Richard Bates), Snip (dir. Julien Zenier), Treevenge (dir. Jason Eisener), Allure (dir. Ian Hunter), The Facts in the Case of Mr. Hollow (dir. Rodrigo Gudino), and A Break in the Monotony (dir. Damien Slevin).
Dean can you tell us a little about your feature Sick Day and will it premiere at next year's festival or elsewhere at an earlier date?
Thanks for asking Bryn. I co-directed Sick Day with my brother Grant. Lisa co-produced and stars. The Hollywood-style logline for the film would be something like: When a talented young woman who works in the pharmaceutical industry is abused by her co-workers, her sweet persona crumbles and she enacts a sicking revenge.
Lisa Mitchell in Dean Bertram's Sick Day
The film is still in post. It won’t premiere at A Night of Horror 2010, although it will possibly screen in a future year after it has played some other festivals. Folks who are interested can stay updated by becoming a fan of the film on Facebook or by befriending the film on MySpace. The official site for the film is here
And Bryn, we’d both like to thank you for all of your thoughtful questions. Keep up the great work at Horrorphile! [Yes, well, any horrorphiles who name Possession as one of their favourites are bloody good friends of mine!]
4th Annual A Night Of Horror International Film Festival screens in Sydney March 25th – April 3rd, 2010. For more information, archives and submission details visit the site.
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Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Damo
Interesting points about the paperwork over classification.
We ran into that "little" issue when presenting an upcoming doco for consideration. So I can fully sympathize with his plight.
Torture porn down to 10%.
Are we going to keep a tab on the torture porn ratio?
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I'm anticipating an underground movie that will actually be revealed to be a real snuff movie. The ante is heading that way ...
Comment by Damo
Anyway there is still that video on YouTube of the Girl in Iran dying. Very disturbing to watch.
I think when it is about real people there seems to be a difference.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Damo
Too much empathy I think.
There you go, I just proved that I am not a replicant.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Damo
Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog
"...the serpent that once corrupted man" indeed. You fellas better get there before the Confidential Committee on Moral Abuses shows up!
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog