Final Girls Film Festival February 2020 Program

Horror fans!
In two weeks time (February 6th - 9th) it is the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival again and wow, what a program! NINE shorts blocks, NINE features, international talk guests and, as usual, one self defense workshop! Not only is this the first full packed regular fest taking place at the City Kino in Wedding, it is also the first time that the final girls go full international! I'm all excited and can't wait. The shorts selection looks amazing as always and their features and talks sound really exciting too.
Find below their announcement and see you there maybe!




Final Girls Berlin Film Festival showcases horror cinema that’s directed, written, or produced by
women*. We are committed to creating space for female voices and visions — whether
monstrous, heroic, or some messy combination of the two — in the horror genre.

Greetings, horror lovers! It's time for the 2020 edition of Final Girls Berlin!

The fifth edition of Final Girls Berlin Film Festival will take place between February 6 - 9, 2020 at City Kino Wedding continuing to raise the bar by showcasing horror written directed, and/or produced by women and non-binary filmmakers.

Festival co-director Eli Lewy calls this year's festival edition the "most expansive and international yet, presenting a wide array of films by visionary filmmakers that represent the diversity and originality that can be found in the current horror landscape." The exciting program features eight curated short blocks and nine feature films, a horror-inspired self-defense workshop, an exhibition, a festival party with multimedia drag performances, and specialist talks on horror martyrs, made-for-TV horror, 'female monsters,' and 'bad mothers' in Mexican horror cinema.

"Horror is a very elastic term," adds fellow co-director Sara Neidorf, "and we're excited to discover films that make us question and expand our conceptions of what horror can be, both in ways that are distant from and uncannily near our own realities."

Feb. 6,

6 - 8 pm

I. BAD ROMANCE (SHORTS)

SOMETIMES, I THINK ABOUT DYING (Dir. Stephanie Abel Horowitz, USA, 2019)
ATTACHMENT (Dir. Katarzyna Babicz, Poland, 2019)
CRUST (Dir. Isabella Avery, UK, 2019)
SPORTS DAY (Dir. Lin Tu, China, 2019)
IT'S EASIER TO RAISE CATTLE (Dir. Amanda Nell Eu, Malaysia, 2017)
FOYER (Dir. Sophie B. Jacques, Canada, 2019)
DEEP TISSUE (Dir. Meredith Alloway, USA, 2019)

8 - 10 pm
CHARLIE SAYS (FEATURE)
Three young women were sentenced to death in the infamous Manson murders case. Their sentences became life imprisonment when the death penalty was lifted in California. One young graduate student was sent in to teach them. Through her, we witness their transformation as they face the reality of their horrific crimes.
(Dir. Mary Harron, USA, 2019)

10pm - 12am
THE FATHER'S SHADOW (FEATURE)
Having lost her mother, a girl turns to a dubious form of magic to make her wishes come true. In the meantime, her depressed father fights to keep his job as things take a strange turn in this unique, spiritual drama with a touch of horror.
(Dir. Gabriela Amaral Almeida, Brazil, 2018)


Feb. 7

4 - 5.30 p
HORROR COMES HOME: WOMEN AND THE MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE 1964-1999 (TALK)

The birth of the made for television movie just happened to coincide with the second wave feminist movement that was erupting along the streets of the United States. Television, which has always been interested in the female demographic, represented this movement in different ways, and the telefilm became a prime space for interrogating issues that were important to women. The genre telefilms of the golden age of the seventies and well beyond also challenged common stereotypes that have afflicted female characters for years. However, the action didn’t always happen on screen. Several women worked behind the scenes and had their hand in the production of some of the most memorable television genre films. Horror Comes Home: Women and the Made for Television Movie is a retrospective on the oft-maligned made for TV genre movie, exploring how these films spoke to its female audience in a way no other medium has.
Amanda Reyes is an archivist, author, film and television historian and academic. She edited and co-wrote Are You in the House Alone? A TV Movie Compendium: 1964-1999 (Headpress, 2017) which celebrates the made for television film, and was featured on Barnes and Noble’s Best of Horror list for 2017. She's been a guest speaker at international film festivals, TV movie screenings, and conferences in such places as the UK, Australia, and the United States. She's also contributed commentary tracks for several made for television Blu-Ray releases and curated a series of made for TV mystery screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse.

6 - 8 pm

II. SOCIAL ILLS (SHORTS)

RE-HOME (Dir. Izzy Lee, USA, 2019)
WHITE GIRL (Dir. Nadia Latif, UK, 2019)
EXAM (Dir. Sonia K. Hadad, Iran, 2019)
SNOWFLAKES (Dir. Faye Jackson, UK, 2019)
TORCHING THE DUSTIES (Dir. Marlene Goldman, Canada, 2019)
TINGLE MONSTERS (Alexandra Serio, USA, 2019
 REFORMED (Dir. Samantha Timms, Australia, 2019)

7 - 8 pm TALK
INDUSTRY TALK - ANDREA SUBISSATI
Join Rue Morgue executive editor Andrea Subissati for an intimate chat on the business of horror journalism. Whether you’re looking for coverage for your latest project or to cut your teeth as a writer, don’t miss this rare opportunity for an insider look at what editors want and how to put your best foot forward.

8 - 10 pm
THE DEEPER YOU DIG (FEATURE)
Fourteen-year-old Echo and her mother Ivy, a tarot card reader, live a quiet life in a rural area. When reclusive Kurt moves down the road to restore an abandoned farmhouse, an accident leads to Echo's murder, and suddenly three lives collide in wicked ways. Kurt assumes he can hide his secret under the ground, but Echo burrows into his head until he can feel her in his bones. As she haunts his every move, trying to reach her mother from beyond,Ivy must dig deep to see the signs and prove that love won't stay buried.
(Dirs. Toby Poser & John Adams, USA, 2019)

10 pm-12 am
III. GRAVEYARD SHIFT (SHORTS)
NEUROTICA EPISODE 1: EUREKA!(Dir. Laura Moss, USA, 2019)
PLAYTIME'S OVER (Dir. Tony Reames, Written by Haley Reams, USA, 2019)
THE VAMPIRE OF SOHO (Dir. Andy Edwards, Produced by Patricia Rybarczyk & Tansi Inayat, UK, 2019)
ALTITUDE (Dir. Nicole Scherer, Austria, 2019) PEPPER (Dir. Kate Felix, Canada, 2019)


11.30 pm - 2 am
FINAL GIRLS PARTY
We will be screening experimental films and a music video followed by drag performances and DJs playing spooky music at our festival party.
TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR
PRICED ON A SLIDING SCALE FROM 4-8€

Feb.8

5 - 7pm
DARK WHISPERS (FEATURE)
When Clara discovers her deceased mother's revered Book of Dark Whispers, she can't stop reading the strange stories within its mystical pages. Each weird tale reveals a new facet of the twisted human psyche...or, in this case, the not-so-human. From the horror of grief to roommate living disasters, from existential dread to right-swiping vampires, there's something for all tastes. The horror anthology is brought to you by eleven female directors from across Australia. (Various directors, Australia, 2019)

5 - 6.30 pm
IV.#METOO (SHORTS)
WOMAN IN STALL (Dir. Madeleine Sims-Fever &Dusty Mancinell, Canada/UK, 2018)
LILI (Dir. Yfke van Berckelaer, The Netherlands, 2019)
THE RAT (Dir. Carlen May-Mann, USA, 2019)
SAFE SPACE (Dir. Annabelle Attanasio, USA, 2019)
THE FOLLOWER (Dir. Stephanie Szerlip, USA, 2019)
GASLIGHT (Dir. Louisa Weichmann, Australia 2019)
RAPE CARD (Dir. Madeleine Sims-Fever & Nathan Hughes-Berry, USA, 2017)

6.30 - 7.30 pm
HORROR TRIVIA (TALK)
Have you ever wondered "Argh! If only pub quizzes were more horror-oriented!" or "I wish all events were hosted by drag performers!" or even "Final Girls Film Festival needs a trivia show!"
Worry no more! Vanessa Júpiter, Berlin Drag Legend & Final Girls Film Festival Attendant Since its Inception is coming to test YOUR horror knowledge!
The questions will cover a wide range of horror trivia, from movies to literature and comics, all hosted by the incomparable Vanessa Júpiter. Do you like horror? Do you like games?
Well then, you have no excuse not to show up!

7 - 9 pm
V. QUEER HORROR (SHORTS)
SKIN (Audrey Rosenberg, USA, 2019)
TEA PARTIES FOR BABIES (Dir. Teja LoBreglio, USA, 2019)
LABRYS (Dir. BJ Colangelo, USA, 2019)
BLOOD ORANGE (Dir. Aliya Haq, USA, 2018)
LOVE LETTER (Dir. Zeddy Chevron, Canada, 2019)
DESTRUCTION MAKES THE WORLD BURN BRIGHTER (Dir. Kalen Artinian, Canada, 2019)
LONE WOLF (Dir. January Jones, Australia, 2019)

7.30 - 9 pm
VI. TRUE CRIME (SHORTS)
LAST SEEN (Dir. Drew Van Steenburgen, USA, 2019)
SOUTH SHORE (Dir. Xavier Hamel,2019)
PHOTOTAXIS (Dir. Melissa Ferrari, USA, 2017)
WATCHING KARLA HOMOLKA (Dir. Jordan Steinhauer, Canada, 2019)
KAYA (Dir. Catherine Fordham, USA, 2019)
CHILDREN OF SATAN (Dir. Thea Hvistendahl, Sweden, 2019)

9 - 11 pm
SWALLOW (FEATURE)
Hunter (Haley Bennett) is a newly pregnant woman whose idyllic existence takes an alarming turn when she develops a compulsion to eat dangerous objects. As her husband (Austin Stowell) and his family tighten their control over her life, she is forced to confront the dark secret behind her uncontrollable obsession. From the producers of The Rider and The Tale, and executive producer Joe Wright (Darkest Hour), SWALLOW plays like a warped fairy tale, posing provocative questions about the expectations imposed on women, women’s control over their own bodies, and the psychologically damaging effects of patriarchal culture.
(Dir. Carlo Mirabel, Prod. Mollye Asher, Mynette Louie, Carole Baraton, Frederic Fiore, Cinematography by Katelin Arizmendi, USA, 2019)

11 pm - 1 am
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (+ I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER)
Presented in collaboration with Matchbox Cinema (Glasgow, UK)
When Trish (Michele Michaels) decides to invite her high school basketball teammates over for a slumber party, she has no idea the night is going to end with an unexpected guest crashing the party: an escaped power drill-wielding killer SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE was originally penned as a parody of the slasher genre. Rehashed by producers into a 'serious' slasher, the film retains its original intentions as a celebration and acknowledgment of the ridiculousness of the genre, offering up an inversion of the male gaze and lots of murders by power tools. (Dir. Amy Holden Jones, Written by Rita Mae Brown, USA, 1982)
Sarah Jacobson's punk-spirited DIY films from the 1990s combine B-movie aesthetics and riot grrrl feminism, standing as a testament to the vision, determination, and raw talent of the Queen of Underground Cinema. I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER, a twenty-seven-minute short, is SLACKER meets Valerie Solanas, as a nineteen-year-old woman responds to catcalls, condescension, and bad sex the only way she knows how: murder. (Dir. Sarah Jacobson, USA, 1993)

Feb. 9

1 - 2 pm
SELF-DEFENSE WORKSHOP: HOW DID SHE DO THAT?
Pretty Deadly Self Defense is back, this time taking a look at the best kick-ass scenes from your favorite films, from Buffy to Kristy, Avenged to You're Next. We'll watch a clip, break it down, and teach you the moves that have broken the backs (and hearts) of the worst of the horror movie bad guys.

2 - 4 pm
TALK BY ORLA SMITH - ‘Outer threats and inner demons: The changing face of the 'female monster'
From Julia Ducournau's RAW to Joachim Trier's THELMA, some of modern horror's greatest monsters aren't physically tangible — they're internal demons. These 'female monsters' face no antagonist but themselves and their lack of agency over their own minds. It marks a shift in interest between from horror movies interested in the external threats women face, to horror focusing on women's inner demons. Smith draws from the ideas explored in Seventh Row's book, Beyond empowertainment: Feminist horror and the struggle for female agency.
Orla Smith is a freelance film critic and the Executive Editor of Seventh Row, an online publication dedicated to helping you understand how your favourite films make you feel the way you do, through technical analysis and detailed interviews. Orla is based near London.

4 - 6 pm
VII. BLOOD TIES (SHORTS)
NOT A BABY (Dir. Shannon Hanmer, Canada, 2019)
FIRE GIRLS (Dir. Chell Stephen, US, 2019)
MAKR (Dir. Hana Kazim, UAE, 2019)
WATER HORSE (Dir. Sarah Wisner & Sean Temple, USA, 2019)
ELIXIR (Dir. Virginia Powers Hendry, USA, 2018)
MAGGIE MAY (Dir. Mia’Kate Russell, Australia, 2018)
CHANGELING (Dir. Faye Jackson, UK, 2019)

4 - 6 pm
VIII. FOLK TALES (SHORTS)
DRUM WAVE (Dir. Natalie Erika James, Australia, 2018)

BOOGEYWOMAN (Dir. Erica Scoggins, US, 2019)

THE DOULA (Dir. Sarah Welsh Elliott, USA, 2019)

ALWAYS GOING NEVER GONE (Dir. Wanda Nolan, Canada, 2019)

HUNTING SEASON (Dir. Shannon Kohli, USA, 2019)

XIOMARA (Dir. Loelle Monsanto, Suriname, 2019)

VINEGAR BATHS (Dir. Amanda Nell Eu, Malaysia, 2018)

6 - 7 pm

FILMMAKER PANEL

We invite our visiting filmmakers to a discussion of their experiences in the horror film industry and their thoughts on the present and future state of the genre. Audience questions and contributions are very welcome.

6 - 8 pm
TITO (FEATURE)
Tito is trapped. With lank black hair, curlicue sideburns, and an emergency whistle dangling from his neck, he is so stricken with fear that he's developed a hunch in his back. Any attempt to venture into the outside world is met with the threat of elusive predators who hunt him relentlessly. Starved for food and security, Tito's terrorized existence threatens to overwhelm him--until the sudden arrival of a cheerful intruder, offering breakfast and protection. TITO is a story about predation, friendship, and fear told through a wildly expressive new lens.
(Dir. Grace Glowicki, Canada, 2019)

7 - 9 pm
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS (FEATURE)
The routine of eccentric, maladjusted siblings is disrupted when their half-sister arrives looking for her share of the inheritance, resulting in a series of sick games to see who is the rock, who is the paper, and who is the scissor.
(Dir. Macarena García Lenzi & Martín Blousson, Argentina, 2019)

9 - 11 pm
HAIL SATAN? (FEATURE)
When media-savvy members of the Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, they prove that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, HAIL SATAN? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world.
(Dir. Penny Lane, USA, 2019)