The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Announces Program for Upcoming 6th Edition
Festival to present a virtual component February 4-7 2021 and planned physical edition for Halloween weekend
The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Berlin’s premier showcase of horror films directed and produced by women and non-binary filmmakers, will return in the new year for the 6th time and first virtual edition. The fest will run from February 4 – 7, 2021, and include features, short blocks, and an impressive slate of talks and special offerings. Feature films will be geo-locked to Germany while several short blocks and all non-film programming will be viewable worldwide. This will be followed by a planned second in-person event to take place over Halloween weekend, October 29-31, at City Kino Wedding in Berlin.
“Like many festivals confronting COVID-19, we thought long and hard about how to make our festival as safe and enjoyable as possible and decided to split our 6th edition,“ explains festival co-director Eli Lewy. “The February program includes a number of films about loneliness, technological reliance, and confinement that reflect our present-day reality in chilling ways.“
Co-director Sara Neidorf sees the current pandemic as a chance to connect across geographical distance and goes on to say “we’ve got a thrilling side program with workshops and talks from horror scholars that we’re extremely honored to have with us. These times are grim, but they bring an opportunity to virtually connect with an international feminist horror community that otherwise couldn’t normally make it to Berlin, so we hope more and more folks will emerge from the woodwork and come join us!“
Listed as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Top 50 Genre Festivals in the World and named among Dread Central’s The Best Horror Festivals in the World, Final Girls Berlin has quickly announced itself as a leading international destination for genre fans and filmmakers alike, and is thrilled to present a dynamic digital line-up consisting of five features, five short blocks, and non-film events that include talks, a screenwriting workshop, special podcast episode, and more.
FEATURE FILMS
Dir. Sabrina Mertens, Germany, 2020
Starring Zelda Espenschied, Miriam Schiweck
In a small town in 1970s West Germany, Stephanie is an intelligent and lively child living an insular life with her parents. She senses that something is wrong in her family, something that cannot be put into words, and she pushes against it where she can. FELLWECHSELZEIT is a heavily atmospheric and harrowing portrait of the ways in which oppressive and repressed family dynamics can influence and infect the lives of younger generations– not tangible, not namable, but inexorable.
Dir. Laura Casabé, Argentina, 2019
Starring Lali González, María Soldi, Alberto Ajaka
South America, 1919. The indigenous peoples of the Guarani tribe have either fled, been exterminated, or reduced to servitude. Julia, the wife of a landowner, gives birth to her third dead child. Desperate, she begs Kerana, her Indigenous maid, to bring him back to life. The creature returns, but not alone.
Dir. Emanuela Rosi, Italy, 2019
Starring Denise Tantucci, Valerio Binasco, Gaia Bocci, Olimpia Tosatto
17-year-old Stella and her younger sisters, Luce and Aria, are locked inside their house with bars on the windows. Outside is the Apocalypse: two-thirds of humanity is dead since sunlight has become too strong and only men can venture outside. The girls stay locked in their house, alone, with no food until things begin to break down and puncture the delicate shell of their cloistered existence.
Dir. Jill Gevargizian, USA, 2020
Starring Najarra Townsend, Brea Grant
Everyone dreams of being someone else, but for Claire, that dream goes from an obsession to a living nightmare. Working as a hairstylist, Claire easily moves in and out of other people’s worlds and is able to seamlessly pursue her disturbing predilection. Her lonely life, gruesome hobby, and shocking secrets are thrown into turmoil when Olivia, her regular client, begs her to do her wedding hair. Could she have finally made a true friend, or is Olivia just like the rest?
Dir.Brea Grant, USA, 2020
Starring Angela Bettis, Chloe Farnworth, David Arquette
Nurse Mandy is desperate to make it through her double shift without incident. This proves to be particularly hard when you’re an addict and involved in black market organ-trading at the hospital. When her hapless cousin Regina messes up a kidney delivery, chaos descends on the Arkansas hospital as the two women frantically try to find a replacement through any means necessary. It doesn’t take long for things to spiral even further out of control when you throw in a dangerous convict, nagging patients, a well-meaning cop, and a whole lot of blood.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMS
I. IT’S COMING FROM INSIDE THE SCREEN:
CYBER HORROR
SPYGLASS / Dir. Javi Prada, Producer: Beatriz Hernandez & Fran Moral, Spain, 2020
DON’T TEXT BACK! / Dirs. Kaye Adelaide & Mariel Sharp, Canada, 2020
FRAGILE.COM / Dir. Alison-Eve Hammersley, USA, 2020
HOME SWEET HOME / Dir. Agata Puszcz, Poland, 2020
KALLEY’S LAST REVIEW / Dir. Julia Bailey Johnson, USA, 2020
II. AN EYE FOR AN EYE
THERE WILL BE MONSTERS / Dir. Carlota Pereda, Spain, 2020
GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT OF BODY / Dirs. Hillary & Courtney Andujar, USA, 2020
THE HUNT / Dir. Amy Fajardo, Spain, 2020
RONG / Dir. Indira Iman, Indonesia, 2019
NJOUKCAMAT (THE TONGUES) / Dirs. Marja Bål Nango & Ingir Bål, Norway, 2020
SCOUT / Dir. Kodie Bedford, Australia, 2020
THE FOURTH WALL / Dir. Kelsey Bollig, France, 2020
III. BUSTING A GUT – COMEDY HORROR
STREAM / Dir. Eve Dufaud, Canada, 2019
GROWTH / Dir. Allison Miller, USA, 2020
HEAT / Dir. Thessa Meijer, Holland, 2020
YOU DON’T KNOW ME / Dirs. Isabelle Giroux & David Emond-Ferrat, Canada, 2020
THE MOTHER / Dir. Hope Olaidé Wilson, USA, 2020
MAKE A WISH / Dir. Dinh Thai, USA, 2019, Producer: Josephine Chang, Edward Hong & Diane Foster
WAFFLE / Dir. Carlyn Hudson, USA, 2020
DING-DONG / Dir. Suki-Rose, USA, 2019
THE CLAW / Dir. Lael Rogers, USA, 2020
MELTED / Dir. Nikki Chapman, USA, 2020
YOUR MONSTER / Dir. Caroline Lindy, USA, 2020
DANNY’S GIRL / Dir. Emily Wilson, USA, 2020
IV. YOUNG BLOOD
THE ROUGAROU / Dir. Lorraine Caffery, USA, 2020
SHE-PACK / Dir. Fanny Oveson, Norway, 2018
THE LITTLE DEMON / Dir. Carol Van Hemelrjick, UK/Belgium, 2020
THE CURSE / Dir. Ellie Stewart, Canada, 2020
BAKEMOTO / Dir. Sumire Takamatsu, USA, 2020
CERULIA / Dir. Sofia Carrillo, Mexico, 2017
FISH WHISKERS / Dir. Roney, Canada, 2020
V. CABIN FEVER – ISOLATION HORROR
NOW THAT YOU’RE MINE / Dir. Petra Lumioksa, Finland, 2020
LOSE IT / Dirs. AJ Taylor & Maximilian Clark, Producer: Ann Lowry, USA, 2020
A DINNER PARTY / Dir. Michèle Kaye, Canada, 2020
FAT HENRY / Dir. England Simpson, USA, 2020
STUCCO / Dir. Janina Gavankar, USA, 2020
