Haapsalu Horror Film Festival (HÕFF) brings hobos with shotguns, directors with axes and lots more fearsome fare to Estonia between 29th April and 1st May 2011.
The city of Haapsalu will play host to weekend of gruesome gore, frightening films and devilish directors and the Haapsalu Horror Film Festival stakes it claim as the only genre festival in Estonia and the premier event of its kind in the Baltic region. With 19 films from across the world, it promises to be a chaotic weekend filled to the brim with enthralling genre cinema, special guests and enthusiastic audiences.
Highlights include the two European premiere of Beyond The Black Rainbow, a complex sci-fi film about a young woman imprisoned in an experimental laboratory and the mysterious scientist who is her captor. Lauded at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, director Panos Cosmatos’ vision has been compared to that of Stanley Kubrick and Andrei Tarkovksy for his languid style and attempt to stretch the limits of cinema beyond traditional narrative. Also receiving it’s European premiere is The Catechism Cataclysm, an absurdist road-movie that captured the audience’s imagination at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. With a plethora of strange characters and even stranger situations, the film promises a break from the relentless onslaught of many of the other films to be screened.
Films such as Hobo With A Shotgun, which pretty much does at it promises as Rutger Hauer plays a homeless man going on a rampage for justice in a lawless town. Violent, sick and gloriously entertaining, the film is the second feature to be based on the trailers featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse (the first being Machete). Vampire fans get to enjoy Stake Land, which dispenses with the tweeness of the Twilight franchise to create an apocalyptic tale of a North America overrun by the undead that – ironically – breathes new life into the genre. British director Simon Rumley also heads to America for Red, White and Blue a grim and brutal tale of revenge that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Also look out for Hatchet 2, a relentless slasher sequel that was released unrated in the US. Starring horror icons Tony Todd (best known for his role in the Candyman films) and Kane ‘Jason Voorhees’ Hodder, the film provides enough dismembered limbs and ultra-violence to keep the most bloodthirsty of fans happy.
Festival director Sten Saluveer said:
“This year’s HÕFF programme shows that many quality genre films have been coming out of North America this year and shows that the inventiveness extends beyond traditional Hollywood blockbusters. We’re particularly thankful to Todd Brown of Twitch.com – one of the premier genre sites on the web – who has aided us with programme after he visited us last year.
Festival passes are now available, priced at EUR23, whilst individual tickets go on sale on the 18th April at a price of EUR 3.50.
For full information on HÕFF – including the programme, screening locations and overnight accommodation in the city of Haapsalu – visit www.poff.ee or www.facebook.com/hoffestival
Notes for Editors
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The festival is organized by the Municipality of Haapsalu, Haapsalu Cultural Centre and the Black Nights Film Festival.
