MEDIA RELEASE: Short films honoured at Stranger With My Face 2014

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Hobart – 28 August 2024 – Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival screened eight short films in competition this year - four in its Australian shorts session and four in its international session. It awarded a prize in both categories and the winning films were announced during the festival last weekend as:

Best International Short Film - Substance, directed by Barbara Stepansky (USA, 2014)

Best Australian Short Film - The Kingdom of Doug, directed by Victoria Thaine (Australia, 2013)

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The judges for the Australian category - filmmaker Mattie Do (Chanthaly, Dear Sister), artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele and horror journalist Michael Helms - opted to also award an Honourable Mention in that category, which went to Little Lamb, directed by Heidi Lee Douglas.

“We only screened a small number of shorts this year,” says festival director Briony Kidd, “And so we are obviously commending all eight of them as being outstanding work.”

“We were particularly thrilled to have a number of world premieres; namely Little Lamb, Substance and the excellent Grace Under Pressure, by UK director Jen Moss. And we had the Australian premiere of Caitlin Koller’s Maid of Horror, which the audience loved.”

DirectorVictoriaThaine

Victoria Thaine

Victoria Thaine, whose film about a strange cult that meets at an ice skating rink has already won numerous awards, including Best Film at the St Kilda Film Festival, had this to say in response to her win for The Kingdom of Doug:

“[Producer] Naomi Mulholland and I are thrilled that The Kingdom of Doug has been recognised by a festival committed to showcasing the work of genre filmmakers with a specific focus on female directors - there should be more festivals like Stranger with My Face and we hope this little powerhouse of a festival continues to thrive.”

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Media release: Tasmanian Gothic Short Script Challenge Winners Announced!

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Hobart – 26 August 2024 – Stranger With My Face announced the winners of its third annual script challenge during the festival weekend.

Registered participants were given 48 hours to write a short horror script inspired by a line from a book. The signature phrase for 2014 was:

“I blame you,” she whispered, “Only you”… from the young adult thriller Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan.

Judges this year were Queensland-based screenwriting partnership Shayne Armstrong and SP Krause, Adelaide-based horror director Ursula Dabrowsky and legendary genre filmmaker Brian Yuzna.

The competition resulted in 48 completed scripts, mainly from within Australia but there were some international entrants also.

“The judges were very impressed with the diversity and quality of submitted scripts,” said Festival Director Briony Kidd. “There were many approaches to the idea of writing horror, from personal autobiographical stories to riffs on familiar tropes. Many of the writers incorporated Tasmanian history or a Tasmanian aesthetic.”

The winners were announced at an Australian Writers Guild panel on horror screenwriting on 23 August at the Founders Room in Salamanca Arts Centre.

BEST SCRIPT OVERALL: The Life and Times of Teddy Whalley by Mike Wedderburn (TAS)

RUNNERS UP: On Wednesdays We Wear Yellow by Michael Halford (NSW) / Blood Sisters by Hannah White (VIC)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Chompey-Changey by Scott McAteer (VIC), Rat Trap by Darren Swanson (TAS), Mrs Chang’s Perfect Teeth by Karen Lam (Canada)

Mike Wedderburn

Tasmanian Gothic Script Challenge 2014 winner Mike Wedderburn.

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Media release: 2nd Annual 48-Hour Tasploitation Challenge Winners Announced!

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Hobart – 22 August 2024 – Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival kicked off last night with the awards night and screening of the very popular 48-Hour Tasploitation Challenge, which returns for a second year (it’s the third year of the fest itself).

Teams were given 48 hours to make a short horror film (6mins or less) with three random prompts given to them at 8 pm on Friday night: an object, a line of dialogue and a horror sub-genre.

The result was 16 short films screened in competition (plus 4 screened out of competition – whose films didn’t quite make the deadline!). They were screened to a packed house at the Grand Poobah in Hobart last night, with a dress up theme and twin choc top sellers adding to the atmosphere.

The prize winners were:

  • Screen Tasmania Prize for Best Film ($500) – Bring The Cat In by RMH Films
  • Wide Angle Tasmania Audience Choice Prize – Living Things For Lively Youngsters by Tripe Productions
  • Cooper Screen Academy Prize for Best Performance – Rob Braslin in Toy Boy by The (Totally) Lost Boys
  • Monster Pictures Prize for the Sickest Film – Shithouse by The Decomposers
  • Special FX/Design Prize – Blood Gen by Play Nice
  • Tasmaniana Award – Lady Garden by Carrie McLean
  • MONA Award for the Most Original Film – Orange Lies by Special Patrol Group (filmmakers Sarah L. Badcock, Isabella J. von Lichtan and Matthew Taylor composer)

Teams included emerging filmmakers and experienced filmmakers and absolute beginners. Many teams, including the winners, RMH Films, involved children as collaborators and performers! As well as a prize from Screen Tasmania, the winning film will screen at the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air Film Festival later this year. Continue reading →

Media release: Night Terrors at Stranger With My Face

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11 August (Hobart) - Melbourne horror synth heavyweights The Night Terrors return to Hobart to launch their brand new album Spiral Vortex at the Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival opening night party on 22 August at the Brisbane Hotel.

Featuring the haunting theremin melodies of Miles Brown, plus an orgy of vintage electronics, Spiral Vortex sees the band build upon their post-prog roots to explore a broader universe of warped psychedelia, thunderous dreamscapes and dark cosmic dance.

Since the release of 2009’s Back To Zero, The Night Terrors have toured the world, playing with the likes of Goblin, Hawkwind, Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson, Black Mountain, Melt-Banana and Serena-Maneesh. In 2012 they performing a 50 minute piece they composed for the Melbourne Town Hall Grand Pipe Organ, supporting Goblin at Melbourne Music Week.

The band have just completed recording an album of this material for a Halloween 2014 release through Andy Votel's UK label Twisted Nerve, and are returning to Hobart to play their horror electronic Spiral Vortex set for you at the Brisbane Hotel on Friday 22 August at the Brisbane Hotel.

The Night Terrors will be supported by Hobart band All The Weathers. Tickets $20, book here or at the door.

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Press for Spiral Vortex:

“Spiral Vortex is brilliant. It is the kind of late night spiral (it can’t be helped) into the black hole of feverish lament and Giallo deconstruction (and dismemberment). And the spectral cinematics are evidently something the band revels in – titles like ‘Lasers For Eyes’, ‘Monster’ and especially ‘The Devil Played Backwards’ serves to drive this heavy theme home.” - Sonic Masala

“Folks you should check out this incredible record by The Night Terrors. It is pretty awesome it’s like Bruno Nicolai meets MBV jamming with a gigantic theremin.” - Spencer Hickman, DeathWaltz Recording Company

“Melbourne’s horror dwellers The Night Terrors continue delving into the darkest recesses of the cinematic nightmare on second LP Spiral Vortex. Walking a tightrope between garishness and genuine tension, albeit in a lush Argento-esque fashion, the trio remain a potent force. Miles Brown’s theremin theatrics continues to amaze, while Damian Coward’s pummelling drums plays like an apocalyptic metronome. The key to Spiral Vortex’s success though is the synth lines devised by Brown and Sarah Lim – at once archaic and futurist (‘Lasers For Eyes’), macabre and sensuous (‘Monster’), with the slightest rays of light piercing through the darkness.”
- Themusic.com.au

Listen to Spiral Vortex here.

http://thenightterrors.com

Media release: Laos’s first female director comes to SWMF!

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Laos’s first female director and first horror director is SWMF 2014’s special international guest!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hobart – 5 August – The Stranger With My Face Horror Film festival is back for a third year from 21 to 24 August in Hobart.

The closing night film on Sunday 24 August in Hobart is Chanthaly, by debut director Mattie Do.

Chantaly has the distinction of being the first horror film made in Laos and only the fourth feature film ever made there.

Chanthaly is a psychological ghost story that reflects on aspects of Laotian society through the vehicle of genre filmmaking. It was produced with a tiny budget, with filming taking place in the director’s own house. Her pet dog even has a starring role.

Mattie Do is currently in pre-production on her second feature film, Dear Sister, following a recent successful crowdfunding campaign. She’s looking forward to arriving in Hobart and sharing ideas and low budget filmmaking tips with the local film community.

“It’s amazing that I can be a part of an event that so strongly promotes women’s talents and stories like the Stranger With My Face Horror Film Festival. Being the only woman to have directed a feature film in my country, I often feel like the odd one out “

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Media release: Opening night film announced

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Cult Australian film Celia announced as opening night film

Director Ann Turner and star Rebecca Smart will take part in a special post-screening discussion and launch of a new book about children in film and television

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hobart - 28 July – The Stranger With My Face Horror Film festival is back for a third year from 21-24 August in Hobart, and has announced its opening night film.

The opening night film on Friday 22 August in Hobart is the 1989 cult film Celia, directed by Ann Turner (Dallas Doll, Irresistible) and starring then child star Rebecca Smart (nominated for an AFI award for Black Rock).

Both Turner and Smart will be attendance at the special screening honouring a film that was widely acclaimed on its release but has steadily grown in reputation since then. In 2009 English Time Out included the film in its “50 Greatest Debut Movies” list.

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Giveaway: genre icon Jane Badler at Festival of Voices

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Talk about great villains…. Diana in V had it all!

Ruthless and highly capable, she was never anything less than glamorous, whether snacking delicately on rodents or attempting to enslave all of humanity.

Diana was brought to life by the fabulous Jane Badler, who is coming to Hobart this July to present her cabaret show Diamond Crimson Blood as part of Festival of Voices.

For a chance to win a ticket to the show and meet Jane afterwards:

Come up with a pitch for a new horror film starring Diana!

Let your imagination run wild (in written or visual form) and email your idea to FOV by clicking here. The best concept, chosen in consultation with Jane, will win. Closes 30 June. Winner will be notified by email.

Festival of Voices

presents

DIAMOND CRIMSON BLOOD

Following sold out shows in Paris and London, internationals songstress and Sci Fi icon Jane Badler brings her
show Diamond Crimson Blood to this year’s Festival.

Accompanied by LA Grammy award winning producer Jeff Bova.

Bookings via the festival’s website.

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