HORRORFEST returns Halloween season

The continent’s ultimate horror event, the annual South African HORRORFEST returns over Halloween season (24 Oct – 2 Nov) for its 8th chapter in its hometown of Cape Town (at The Labia Theatre, the Book Lounge, the Company Gardens) – with plans underway to (hopefully) do a kick-start of the event in Johannesburg with a Best Of event screening highlights from the festival since its inception.

This all-encompassing event embraces all aspects of Horror / Chiller entertainment, its serious and lighter sides.  Plans for the theme and another stunner of an event poster has been finalized and will be executed & revealed soon. All info and updates at www.HORRORFEST.info

MOVIES
Entertaining movies from around the globe will include invigorating, scary, creepy and wild feature films (with rare indies, classics and fan favourites), genre-related documentaries and amazingly original, innovative and diverse short films (with a prize from Visual Impact and other sponsors tbc, for the best short).  Closing date for submissions was 21 July, but late extensions were granted. Click Here for more info. Most of these motion pictures won’t be seen in any other South African cinemas.
A special free pre-release screening of a brand new 3D release will also be incorporated!

MUSIC
At this year’s Celludroid Sci-Fi / Anime / Fantasy Film Festival (June/July 2012), The Makabra Ensemble performed an original soundtrack to the screening of the legendary Metropolis – their 7th movie to date(!)  Past soundtrack performances at the HorrorFest have included Nosferatu, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, The Phantom Of The Opera, Haxan, Maciste In Hell and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.  For this year’s HorrorFest performance two options are being considered.  Updates to follow.
www.terminatryx.com/makabra

LITERATURE
The Bloody Parchment literary chapter has grown into a force of its own. As is customary, the festival will open at The Book Lounge with a live fiction reading evening by local Horror / Fantasy / Thriller writers. The short story competition is now open. Click Here for more info Random House / Struik imprint eKhaya has picked up the next chapter in the Bloody Parchment collection, “Hidden Things, Lost Things And Other Stories”. This exciting e-book is available at various retailers, and can be purchased from Amazon at this link. (Also available at Exclus1ves.co.za and Kalahari.com) The first Bloody Parchment Anthology was released last year – Download Here for FREE.
www.SHADOWREALMinc.com/bloodyparchment

ALTERNATIVE MARKET
2011 saw the kick-start of the Alternative Market, featuring a range of exciting stalls. This year it’s back! Anyone with interesting, rare, strange, Halloween-related or simply super-cool merchandise or products, contact us.

DARK ART & PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
Finally most of the bats are in a row for the dark art and photography exhibition, adding these essential mediums and its expression to the event’s all-encompassing exploration and celebration of the not-so-conventional. HorrorFest organizers met with curator Andrew Lamprecht about hosting this (hopefully at Michaelis School Of Fine Art, literally across the road from The Labia Theatre in Gardens). More info coming soon!

SHADOW REALM SHORT FILM DVD COLLECTION
Another plan many years in the works is the DVD series featuring the best and most memorable short films screened at the Shadow Realm short film chapters across the festival history (since 2005).
The mammoth task of selecting from the vast library of great short films is currently underway, and ENT Entertainment is set to release it in conjunction with Flamedrop Productions and ShadowRealm, inc. The HorrorFest event will act as launch-pad for this first DVD in the series.

INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER GUEST
To get high profile international filmmakers to visit the festival and impart their knowledge, experience and first hand anecdotes takes more than good intentions. For info on how you can help to make it happen, please contact us for more info.

HALLOWEEN DRESS-UP
What is Halloween without a dress-up get-together?  Each year the Halloween dress-up competition happens at the Makabra Ensemble live soundtrack performance. Great prizes to be won.

ZOMBIE WALK
The HorrorFest will link up with the Cape Town Zombie Walk again (kicking off in the Company Gardens, also nearby The Labia, staggering down to the V&A Waterfront).

SPONSORS / AFFILIATES
Interested parties can contact us for info on how to get involved via sponsorship, advertising (print & on-line), trade deals etc.

HORRORFEST EXPANSION
With plans to extend the HorrorFest beyond Cape Town always on the agenda, it seems like this year it may very well spread its tentacles to Johannesburg with an introductory Best Of HorrorFest being planned! Stay tuned for more info.

EXTRAS
News on extra peripheral events are pending, as well as the plan for another extravagant addition to the HorrorFest, and a whole lot more.
Drink specials at the licensed Labia Theatre bar (drinks can be taken into the cinema).
All updates in due course.

HORRORFEST TRAILER
Watch the S.A. HorrorFest trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFh62j-3IpI Feel free to post and share.

HorrorFest:
www.HORRORFEST.info