When: 14th – 19th November 2017
Where: Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Ceredigion, Wales
£: A festival pass costs £60
What is it?
Abertoir Horror Festival returns to Aberystwyth Arts Centre in Wales, from Tuesday 14th to Sunday 19th November, for six days of brand new horror films, cult classics, special guests, talks and live theatre.
Abertoir is now in its twelfth year, and this year boasts films from four continents, providing a varied and diverse take on what constitutes horror. From gothic haunted houses and outright comedy to bizarre and grimy gore, there’s something for almost everyone at Wales’ International Horror Festival.
This year’s guests of honour are Italian genre icons Sergio Martino and Lamberto Bava, whose films will form a central part of the festival’s celebration of all things ‘giallo’ as this year’s main theme.
The festival will open with celebrated gialli Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and All the Colours of the Dark, as well as an in-depth conversation with the director of both films, Sergio Martino; discussing his career and impact on the genre.
At the weekend, the festival will focus on the filmmaking legacy of the Bava family, including Lamberto Bava in conversation with film expert and critic Stephen Thrower; discussing his long-standing involvement in Italian genre filmmaking, from his work on his father’s films to his own forays into giallo.
The festival will also host screenings of Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace and Five Dolls for an August Moon, as well as Lamberto Bava’s Demons and A Blade in the Dark. Additionally, there will be screenings of Antonio Bido’s The Bloodstained Shadow and Dario Argento’s Opera, the latter being shown off-site in the auditorium of the Ceredigion Museum.
Amongst the many new films at this year’s festival are acclaimed and anticipated titles, including Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s The Endless, Can Evrenol’s Housewife, Chris Peckover’s Better Watch Out, and, closing the festival, Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce’s Top Knot Detective.
This year the festival features three UK premieres – renowned SFX artist Sôichi Umezawa’s feature debut Vampire Clay; What the Waters Left Behind, the latest film by Argentinian directorial duo The Onetti Brothers; and The Lodgers, a Gothic Irish ghost story – which demonstrate the broad range of films on offer at the festival. The festival will also host a special cast and crew Q&A, after the Welsh premiere of Canaries, the debut feature from Swansea director Peter Stray.
Abertoir will also be hosting a short film competition, awarding the Méliès’ D’Argent for the Best European Short Film. In addition to the film screenings, the festival will also feature talks about the giallo genre, Italy and even Peter Lorre, who stars in this year’s Vincent Price offering, Tales of Terror.
On the Sunday evening festival attendees can enjoy A Pandemonium of Poe, a theatrical performance; or relax and unwind on the Saturday night with the sounds of some of the Italy’s most stylish films in The Giallo Lounge.
More info: abertoir.co.uk