Tuesday, August 10

TIME TO GET HYPED AGAIN!!! THE PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL AND INTERNATIONAL HORROR & SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL AUG 12-22, 2021

It’s finally that time again. My favorite of time of the year. The Phoenix Film Festival alongside The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival opens up in just a few days!!! I’ve been excited for this for a long time. 

I’ve decided to put together a quick post, highlighting some of the coming features that I’m most excited about this year. While looking at these, one of the most fun things to consider, is that these are actually not likely to be end up my favorites overall. There always seems to be plenty of smaller, more unassuming films, every festival, that take me by surprise. I’ll enjoy re-reading this post after the festival, just to see how wrong I was. 

The festival takes place August 12 – 22, 2021 at the Harkins Ciné Capri. After the past eighteen or so months, this one has been a long time coming.





WHEN I’M DONE DYING
Directed by Nisan Dag
Screening Times: Friday, August 13th @ 5:15 PM, Monday, August 16th @ 5:05 PM, Wednesday, August 18th @ 2:25 PM

This Turkish film looks to marry my love of foreign dramas and hip-hop music. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival, WHEN I’M DONE DYING follows an aspiring young rapper as he navigates the underground seen in Istanbul. With music composed by acclaimed hip-hop recorder, Da Poet.

Trailer: 





THE BETA TEST

Directed by Jim Cummings & PJ McCabe

Screening Time: Monday, August 16th @ 7:30 PM

TICKETS

I don’t really know much of anything about this film but Director/Writer/Actor Jim Cumming is enough to pull me in. His THUNDER ROAD (2018) was a showcase of immense performance and poise and last year’s THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW gave genre fans something that is seldom seen in horror. I’ll likely be a huge fan of his for some time to come.

 



       SURGE

Directed by Aneil Karia

Screening Times: Monday, August 16th @ 2:20 PM, Wednesday, August 18th @ 10:10 PM, Thursday, August 19th @ 9:20 PM

TICKETS

Ben Wishaw is a fantastic and underappreciated actor. This looks like a great opportunity for him to showcase a side that we’ve seldom seen. This performance won him the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury award at Sundance so count me in. As an added bonus, this is one of those ‘takes place in a single day’ films and I always dig those.

TRAILER:












A COMEDY OF HORRORS: VOLUME 1

Directed by Ken Arnold, Dan DeLuca, Matt Servitto, Jamie Nash, Nick Tucker & Taylor Hamilton

Screening Times: Saturday, August 14th @ 2:20 PM, Friday, August 20th @ 2:25, Saturday, August 21st @ 9:20 AM

TICKETS

Horror anthologies are ‘hit or miss’ for me… But I watch a ton of them. Horror/Comedy is ‘hit or miss’ for me… But I watch a ton of those too… This one looks like it’s got a lot of shorter segments and that’s always appreciated. And it sounds like it’s got a cool framing device. Winner of the Best Horror Feature at the Garden State Film Festival, and I can’t not mention that I’ll always be excited to see “Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell” star, Henry Zebrowski.

Trailer:

A Comedy of Horrors Volume 1Teaser from Ken Arnold on Vimeo.




THE STRINGS

Directed by Ryan Glover

Screening Times: Wednesday, August 18th @ 10:05 PM, Sunday, August 22nd @ 4:50 PM.

TICKETS

Atmospheric moody horror is kind of my thing. I know absolutely nothing about this film or those who made it, the trailer is cryptic… it looks like it has something to do with music… I don’t really know, nor do I care. I do know that some of the filmmakers I’m most excited about today, are the ones that I first saw at this festival.

Trailer:

 



WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING

Directed by Sean King O’Grady

Screening Times: Tuesday, August 17th @ 10:05 PM, Friday, August 20th @ 10:15 PM

TICKETS

Pat Healy is probably the most dependable performer working in genre films today. I’ve been watching his career for many years and I’m always excited to see what he gets himself into. This film also stars THE VAST OF NIGHT’s Sierra McCormick and I think she’s got a great career ahead of her is these types of films.

Trailer:

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