Macabro XX Programme and Activities

MACABRO XX: MEXICO CITY INTERNATIONAL HORROR FILM FESTIVAL

Programme and activities

Press conference, August 4, 2021

• The twentieth edition of Macabro will take place from August 19 to 29, 2021, in a hybrid format across virtual and physical venues.
• It opens with a ceremony via livestream that will be broadcast on the festival's YouTube and Facebook accounts on August 19 at 7:00 p.m.
• We celebrate 90 years of Drácula (1931) by Tod Browning, Macabro selected several films that celebrate this dark character, as well as its representations and extensions in different national cinemas.
• This edition features films from 27 countries: 109 titles, of which 51 are feature films and 58 are short films.
• The festival's closing will be via livestream on Macabro's YouTube and Facebook pages, after which the Cineteca Nacional will screen the film Drácula by Tod Browning

INTRO

In August 2021, Macabro turns twenty. The festival began as a showcase for contemporary horror cinema, as well as for rescuing and reappraising classic and cult films. This celebration, held annually without interruption, has achieved steady growth without losing its essence as a builder of audiences and community. Macabro engages specialized and cinephile audiences, the media, and the film industry through Q&A sessions with guests, master classes, workshops, music, retrospectives, tributes, parties, and tourism promotion.

Over the course of 20 years, it has established itself as one of the most respected festivals on the circuit in Mexico and Latin America. International media outlets, such as Movie Maker Magazine, have included it three times (2018, 2019, and 2021) on its list of “Bloody best genre film festivals of the world,” as well as Dread Central — a media outlet specializing in horror film —, naming it one of the best horror film festivals in the world for 2021.

Macabro arrives at its annual appointment in a hybrid format, responding to the changes and needs of the moment; once again, it adapts and reinvents itself in the face of today's challenges and looks toward a future that brings new opportunities and new paths for the genre — showing, through this year's programme, its own diversity.

OPENING

For the second year in a row, Macabro will hold its opening via livestream, featuring national and international guests who will talk about their involvement with Macabro. The livestream will be broadcast on Thursday, August 19 at 7:00 p.m. on Macabro's YouTube and Facebook accounts.

At 8:00 p.m. the festival's screenings begin at Cineteca Nacional with the screening of the film Cyst.

CYST

Dir. Tyler Russell | USA | 2020 | 69 min. | Horror, Sci-Fi

Cast: Greg Sestero, Eva Habermann, Jason Douglas, Gene Jones, George Hardy

SELECTION: Frightfest 2020, Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival 2020, Festival Européen du Film Fantastique de Strasbourg 2020, Gérardmer Fantastic Film Festival 2021, Fantaspoa 2021

MEXICAN PREMIERE

AWARDS / CLOSING

The livestream where the winners of Macabro XX will be announced will take place on Sunday, August 29, at 7:00 p.m. The livestream will take place on Macabro's YouTube and Facebook accounts.

At 8:00 p.m. at the Cineteca Nacional the film Drácula (1931) by Tod Browning will be screened — a film that marks 90 years since its premiere and stands as one of the great moments in the history of horror cinema. It will be presented in a 2K DCP print at the closing screening of the festival's programme.

OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL HORROR FEATURE FILM SELECTION

AS IN HEAVEN, SO IN EARTH

(Come in cielo, così in Terra)

Direction and screenplay: Francesco Erba | Italy | 2020 | 93 min. | Horror animation, mockumentary

Cast: Paolo Ricci, Carlotta Rondana, Margherita Mannino, Federico Cesari, Sara Paduano.

SELECTION: Trieste S+F Festival (2020); Fantaspoa (2021).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

BENNY LOVES YOU

Direction and screenplay: Karl Holt | United Kingdom | 2020 | 94 min. | Horror, comedy

Cast: Karl Holt, Claire Cartwright, George Collie, James Parsons

SELECTION: Frightfest (2020 – Best Movie First Blood), Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (2019), Sitges Film Festival (2020), Trieste Science+Fiction Festival (2020), San Sebastián Horror Festival (2020), Fantaspoa (2021).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

BLEED WITH ME

Screenplay and direction: Amelia Moses | Canada | 2020 | 79 min. | Horror, thriller

Cast: Lee Marshall, Lauren Beatty, Aris Tyros

SELECTION: Other Worlds (2020 – Best Director; Best Collective Cast), Fantasia Film Festival (2020), Charlotte Film Festival (2020), Salem Horror Fest (2020), Abertoir Film Festival (2020), Saskatoon Fantastic (2020), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

BLOODSHOT HEART

Direction and screenplay: Parish Malfitano | Australia | 2020 | 90 min. | Thriller

Cast: Richard James Allen, Dina Panozzo, Emily David, Peter-William Jamieson

SELECTION: Revelation Perth International Film Festival (2020); Fantaspoa (2021); Fantastic Film Festival (2021); Cinefantasy (2021).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

FOR THE SAKE OF VICIOUS

Direction and screenplay: Reese Eveneshen, Gabriel Carrer | Canada | 2020 | 80 min. | Horror, action

Cast: Lora Burke, Nick Smyth, Colin Paradine, James Fler

SELECTION: Fantasia (2020), Sitges Film Festival (2020), Horror Show (2020).

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE

GET THE HELL OUT

Direction: I-Fan Wang | Screenplay: Shih-Keng Chien, I-Fan Wang, Wan-Ju Yang | Taiwan | 2020 | 95 min. | Horror, comedy

Cast: Bruce Hung, Francesca Kao, Megan Lai, He-Hsuan Lin, Tsung-Hua Tou

SELECTION: Golden Horse Film Festival (2020, Winner Best Action Choreography), Toronto International Film Festival (2020), Warsaw International Film Festival (2020), Thessaloniki Film Festival (2020), Sitges Film Festival (2020); Splat! FilmFest (2020), Cabos Film Festival (2020), Fantaspoa (2021)

HAWK AND REV: VAMPIRE SLAYERS

Direction and screenplay: Ryan Barton-Grimley | United States | 2020 | 84 min. | Horror, comedy

Cast: Ryan Barton-Grimley, Ari Schneider

SELECTION: Another Hole In The Head Film Festival (2020 – Best Action Movie); Molins Horror Film Festival (2020 – Best Cast); Dances With Films (2020); Nola Horror Film Fest (2020); Berlin Sci-Fi Film Fest (2020); Phoenix FearCON (2020); Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest (2021); Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

KEEPING COMPANY

Direction: Josh Wallace | Screenplay: Josh Wallace, Devin Das | United States | 2021 | 82 min. | Thriller, comedy

Cast: Jacob Grodnik, Devin Das, Ahmed Bharoocha, Gillian Vigman, Andy Buckley

SELECTION: San Francisco Independent Film Festival (2021 – Audience Award, Midnight Movie), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

KILLER CONCEPT

Direction: Glenn Payne | Screenplay: Casey Dillard | United States | 2021 | 80 min. | Thriller, comedy, horror

Cast: Coley Bryant, Casey Dillard, Glenn Payne

WORLD PREMIERE

LAIR

Direction and screenplay: Adam Ethan Crow | United Kingdom | 96 min. | 2021 | Horror, suspense

Cast: Oded Fehr, Corey Johnson, Alexandra Gilbreath, Jen Brister

SELECTION: Frightfest, Hex After Dark, Salem Horror Fest, AOFM, Popcorn Frights, Something Wicked, Galacticat, Festival of Cinema NYC.

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE

MURDER BURY WIN

Direction: Michael Lovan | Screenplay: John Hart, Michael Lovan | United States | 2020

| 90 min. | Comedy, crime, horror

Cast: Erich Lane, Henry Alexander Kelly, Craig Cackowski, Brian Slaten, Michael Lovan.

SELECTION: SacFilm Challenge (2020 – Best Feature), New York Movie Awards (2020 – Best Actor – Best Original Script), Around International Film Festival (2020 – Audience Award), Austin Film Festival (2020), Cinequest Film Festival (2020), FearCon (2020), Golden Gate International Film Festival (2020), LA Live Film Fest (2020), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

OPERATION LUCHADOR

Direction and screenplay: Alain Vézina | Canada | 2021 | 85 min. | Mockumentary

Cast: Carlos Valderrama, Johnny North, Alain Essiembre, Michel T. Prévos, Martin Vallée, Marie-Ève Trudel

SELECTION: Fantasia Film Festival (2020)

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE

PLAYDURIZM

Direction: Gem Deger | Screenplay: Morris StuttardTHE | Czech Republic | 2020 | 88 min. | Dark fantasy

Cast: Austin Chunn, Gem Deger, Issy Stewart

SELECTION: Lausanne Underground Film & Music Festival (2020 – Best Feature Film Jury Award); Other Worlds Film Festival (2020); Écrans Mixtes Lyon (2021); Imagine Film Festival (2021); Fantaspoa (2021); CineFantasy (2021); Wicked Queer Boston LGBTQ+ Film Festival Boston (2021); OUTshine Film Festival (2021); Calgary Underground Film Festival (2021 – Best Narrative Film Jury Award); Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival (2021); Soho Horror Festival (2021).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

THE OLD WAYS

Direction: Christopher Alender | Screenplay: Marcos Gabriel | United States | 2020 | 90 min. | Horror

Cast: Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés, Julia Vera, Sal Lopez, AJ Bowen

SELECTION: Sitges Film Festival (2020), Glasgow Film Festival (2021), Florida Film Festival (2021), Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (2021), Shivers Film Festival (2021), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

THE STRINGS

Direction: Ryan Glover | Screenplay: Krista Dzialoszynski and Ryan Glover | Canada | 2020 | 94 min. | Horror

Cast: Teagan Johnston, Jenna SchaeferKey, April Aliermo, Toby Hendy

SELECTION: Salem Horror Fest (2020 – Jury Award winner); Molins Horror Film Festival (2020 – Special mention, Best Original Soundtrack); Frightening Ass Film Fest (2020)

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE

THIS GAME CALLED MURDER

Direction and screenplay: Adam Sherman | United States | 2021 | 106 min. | Thriller, comedy.

Cast: Vanessa Marano, Ron Perlman, Natasha Henstridge, Judson Mills, Challen Cates

SELECTION: Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

VICTIM OF LOVE

Director: Jesper Isaksen | Screenplay: Jesper Isaksen, Sonny Lahey | Denmark | 2019 | 95 min. | Horror, thriller

Cast: Siff Andersson, Paw Terndrup, Kenneth Matthes, Rudi Køhnke, Louise Cho

SELECTION: CPH PIX (2019), Orlando Film Festival (2020 – Best Actor and Cinematography), Big Apple Film Festival (2020 – Best Horror Film), Molins Horror Film Festival (2020 – Best Actor), Nightmares Film Festival (2020 – Best Horror Movie), HorrorHound Film Festival (2020), Bogotá Horror Film Festival (2020), Cine-Excess (2020), Another Hole in the Head Film Festival (2020), Nevermore Film Festival (2021 – Best Supporting Actress), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

ZOMBIE INFECTION-BELABAN HIDUP (Fight for Life)

Direction: Ray Lee | Screenplay: Misha Minut Panggau | Malaysia | 91 min. | Horror, action

Cast: Katrina Grey, Cassidy Panggau, Tegar, Altimet

SELECTION: Brand Laureate Kuala Lumpur (Winner of Best Film Production); World Film Carnival Singapore (Winner of Best Horror); International Symbolic Art Film Festival Russia (Winner for Best Feature & Best Horror); Marina Del Rey Los Angeles Film Festival; Paris Film Festival (Best Horror); Canadian Diversity Film Festival (Best Feature Film); Sweden Film Festival (Best Horror); Hollywood Blood Film Festival; Asian World Film Festival; Athens International Art Film Festival; International Russia Horror Film Festival; Hollywood Film Festival; Asian Cinematography Awards (Best Feature Film); Nashville TCK Film Festival; Native Spirit Film Festival; Toronto Film Awards (Honorable Mention).

LATIN AMERICAN PREMIERE

OFFICIAL IBERO-AMERICAN HORROR FEATURE FILM SELECTION

ANIELA

Direction and screenplay: Allan Fis | Mexico | 2020 | 64 min. | Thriller

Cast: Paulina Olvera, Oscar Ganem, César Kancino, Bernardo Leyva

SELECTION: Feratum (2020)

ANTOLOGÍA DE LA PANDEMIA

Direction: Fabrício Bittar, Martín Blousson, Guillermo Carbonell, Julio Napoli Filho, Giordano Gio, Karl Holt, Andreas Kyriacou, Junior Larethian, Matheus Maltempi, Emerson Niemchick, Daniel Pires, Alejo Rébora, Beatriz Saldanha | Screenplay: Fabrício Bittar, Martín Blousson, Guillermo Carbonell, Julio Napoli Filho, Giordano Gio, Karl Holt, Andreas Kyriacou, Junior Larethian, Matheus Maltempi, Emerson Niemchick, Daniel Pires, Alejo Rébora, Matías Oniria | Brazil | 2020 | 80 min. | Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

SELECTION: Fantaspoa 2020, Chatanooga Film Festival, 2020

MEXICAN PREMIERE

CARROÑA

Direction: Luciana Garraza and Eric Fleitas | Argentina | 2019 | 74 min. | Horror, Sci-Fi

Cast: Nayla Churruarin, Sofia Lanaro, Gonzalo Tolosa, Tisso Solis Vargas

SELECTION: Mar del Plata (2020), Rojo Sangre (2020), Fantaspoa (2021)

MEXICAN PREMIERE

CÓLERA MORBO

Direction: Alfonso Acosta | Screenplay: Alfonso Acosta and Carolina Mosquera | Colombia | 2021 | 100 min. | Drama, mystery, thriller

Cast: Carolina Mosquera, Carlos Fernando Cota, Katheryn Guzmán, Camilo Jiménez Varón, Camila Jurado, Nathalia Franco, Liseth Delgado, Karen Osorio.

WORLD PREMIERE

EL HOMBRE BÚFALO

Direction and screenplay: David Torres Labansat | Mexico | 2019 | 64 min. | Thriller, experimental

Cast: Raúl Briones, Carmen Gimenes Cacho, Verónica Bravo, Sofía Álvarez, Atanacio Cadena, Antonio Momroi, José Luis Pérez

SELECTION: 13th Festival Internacional de Cine del Mar (2020 – Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Jury Special Mention for Editing), 8th Socially Relevant Film Festival New York (2021 – IndiePix Films Vision Award).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

INTRA

Direction and screenplay: Pablo Rabe and Gabriel Drah | 2021 | Argentina | 78 min. | Horror

Cast: María Dupláa, Victoria Parada

SELECTION: (request info)

LA DESVIDA

Direction and screenplay: Agustín Rubio Alcover | Spain | 2020 | 87 min. | Drama, thriller

Cast: Tábata Cerezo, Julio Perillán, Telmo Yago

SELECTION: Terror Molins Film Festival (2020 – Best Actress), Costafrito Festival de Cine Español (2020 – Best New Director), Mostra de Valencia (2020), Madrid Indie Film Festival (2020), Diorama International Film Festival (2020), CineUnder (2020), Festival Internacional Cine Terror de Valparaíso (2020), Fantaspoa (2021)

LENI

Direction and screenplay: Federico Gianotti | Argentina | 74 min. | Thriller, horror

Cast: Ailín Zaninovich, Francisco Macia, Natalia Santiago

SELECTION: Anatomy. Crime and Horror Film Festival (2020), Terror Molins (2020), Salem Horror Fest (2020), BARS (2020), Phenomena Festival (2020), Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de La Plata (2020), Soho Horror Film Festival (2021), Nox (2021 – Best Acting).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

LUZ

Direction and screenplay: Juan Diego Escobar Alzate | Colombia | 2019 | 104 min. | Fantasy, western, horror.

Cast: Yuri Vargas, Conrado Osorio, Andrea Esquivel, Sharon Guzmán

SELECTION: Winner, Silver Skull for Best Ibero-American Film, Nominee for Best Fantasy Film of the Year, Méliès d'Or Latin America Federation 2019, Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre 2019, Argentina – Winner, Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Actress, Montevideo Fantástico 2019, Spain – Official Selection, Blood Window, Galacticat 2020, Spain – Special Mention, Best Latin American Film, Paracinema Film Festival 2020, USA – Winner, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Horrible Imaginings, USA – Winner, Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Ravenna Nightmare Film Festival, Italy – Special Mention, Best Film, Terror Córdoba, Argentina – Official Selection, Mil Gritos, Argentina – Official Selection, Indiebo, Bogotá Independent Film Festival 2020, Colombia.

MÍRAME

Direction: Pavel Cantú | Screenplay: Pavel Cantú, Luisa Iglesias Arvide, Ernesto Murguía, Verónica Angeles Franco | Mexico | 2020 | 96 min. | Horror, drama

Cast: Axel Alpuche, Regina Reynoso, Darío T. Pie, Leticia Huijara.

MEXICAN PREMIERE

NOCTURNA LADO A: LA NOCHE DEL HOMBRE GRANDE

Direction and screenplay: Gonzalo Calzada | Argentina | 2021 | 104 min. | Psychological thriller, horror, drama

Cast: Pepe Soriano, Marilú Marini, Nicolás Scarpino, Jenaro Nouet, Mora Della Veccia, Desirée Salgueiro, Javier Rosón

SELECTION: Shanghai (2021), Fantaspoa (2021 – Best Actor & Best Actress).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

NOCTURNA LADO B: DONDE LOS ELEFANTES VAN A MORIR

Direction and screenplay: Gonzalo Calzada | Argentina | 2021 | 67 min. | Suspense, experimental

Cast: Pepe Soriano, Marilú Marini, Nicolás Scarpino, Jenaro Nouet, Mora Della Veccia, Desirée Salgueiro, Javier Rosón.

WORLD PREMIERE

O CEMITÉRIO DAS ALMAS PERDIDAS

Direction and screenplay: Rodrigo Aragão | Brazil | 2020 | 95 min. | Horror, Fantasy

Cast: Carol Aragão, Renato Chocair, Diego Garcias, Francisco Gaspar, Markus Konká.

SELECTION: Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (2020 – Best Special Effects), Crash (2020 – Best Feature), Abertoir Horror Festival (2020), Cinefantasy (2020), Mórbido (2020), Fantasporto (2021), Mostra de Cinema de Tiradentes (2021), Fantaspoa (2021)

SIN ORIGEN

Director: Rigoberto Castañeda | Screenplay: Michael Caissie | Mexico | 2019 | 94 min. | Horror, dark fantasy

Cast: Daniel Martinez, Lisette Morelos, Paulina Gil.

SELECTION: Barcelona International Film Festival, Russian International Film Festival, San Diego Latino Film Festival, Frightfest, Fantaspoa.

SANGRE VURDALAK

Direction and screenplay: Santiago Fernández Calvete | Argentina – Singapore | 2020 | 90 min. | Fantasy, horror

Cast: Naiara Awada, Germán Palacios, Tomás Carullo Lizzio, Lautaro Bettoni, Martín Rena

SELECTION: Sitges Film Festival (2020), Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre (2020 – Best Latin American Film), Fantaspoa (2021).

SKULL: A MÁSCARA DE ANHANGÁ

Direction and screenplay: Armando Fonseca and Kapel Furman | Brazil | 90 min. | Horror

Cast: Rurik Jr., Wilton Andrade, Natallia Rodrigues, Ivo Müller, Ricardo Gelli, Guta Ruiz, Gilda Nomacce, Tristan Aronovich

SELECTION: Chatanooga Film Festival (2021), Fantaspoa (2021), FrightFest (2020), ASNIFF (2020).

MEXICAN PREMIERE

TRIBUTES AND CELEBRATIONS

VAMPIRES

As part of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of Drácula by Tod Browning, we focused on selecting several films that celebrate this dark character, as well as its representations and extensions in different national cinemas.

These films will be broadcast on CANAL 22 and TV UNAM, and will be presented by José Luis Ortega Torres, Luisa Iglesias, Rafael Paz, and Edna Campos. There will also be screenings at the Museo Archivo de la Fotografía.

NOSFERATU

Direction: F.W. Murnau

Screenplay: Henrik Galeen based on the work by Bram Stoker | Germany | 1922 | 94 min. | Horror

Cast: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim

EL MURCIÉLAGO INFERNAL

Direction: Jean Yarbrough | Screenplay: Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien | United States | 1940 | 68 min. | Horror

Cast: John T. Neville, George Bricker

EL VAMPIRO ACECHA

Direction: Frank R. Strayer | Screenplay: Edward T. Lowe Jr. | United States | 1933 | 63 min. | Horror

Cast: Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas

LA DANZA DE LOS VAMPIROS

Direction: Roman Polanski | Screenplay: Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski | England, United States | 1967 | 108 min. | Horror, comedy

Cast: Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Alfie Bass, Jessie Robins, Sharon Tate, Ferdy Mayne.

NEAR DARK

Direction: Kathryn Bigelow | Screenplay: Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red | United States | 1987 | 94 min. | Horror, action

Cast: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen

¡VAMPIROS EN LA HABANA!

Direction: Juan Padrón | Screenplay: Ernesto Padrón, Juan Padrón | Cuba | 1985 | 69 min. | Animation, horror, comedy

Cast: Frank González, Manuel Marín, Irela Bravo

LA INVENCIÓN DE CRONOS

Direction and screenplay: Guillermo Del Toro | Mexico | 1993 | 92 min. | Drama, horror

Cast: Federico Luppi, Ron Perlman, Claudio Brook

Additionally, the talk Vampiro. El último amanecer. will be presented. This talk invites us to get to know those faces, the gestures used as traps and as labyrinths of seduction.

What do these stories tell us? Something more than drinking blood. In this talk, we will delve into the idea of the vampire, into its black soul lost in eternity. The talk will be given by Erick Estrada, editorial director of Cinegarage.

And among the main highlights is the talk Drácula: el origen, presented by Editorial Planeta, in which writer Dacre Stoker, a descendant of the legendary Bram Stoker, will speak — drawing on his own work — about the character's genealogy and its influence on film and popular culture.

MEXICO MACABRO: 20 years of horror cinema in Mexico

As part of the festival's 20th-anniversary celebration, Macabro put together a special programme revisiting the contemporary Mexican films that have screened over this period. The line-up includes titles such as Somos lo que hay, Belzebuth, Feral, Mis demonios nunca juraron soledad and Histeria, among others. The presentation of the series, which will travel to states such as Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Morelos, Puebla, and Chihuahua, will take place on August 20 on Macabro's Facebook, and will feature some of the directors of the included titles as well as organizers in each state,

One of this year's highlights is the premiere of Patitos Feos, a film that combines western with surrealist comedy and marks Mauricio Chernovetzky's return to Macabro after 5 years.

​PATITOS FEOS

Direction and screenplay: Mauricio Chernovetzky | Mexico | 2020 | 80 min. | Surrealist comedy, fantasy, western

Cast: Giancarlo Ruiz, Luis Deveze, and Sergio Rubio

PANORAMA MACABRO

Every year, Macabro presents in this section a selection of contemporary out-of-competition films made up of documentaries, special short-film programmes, fantasy or Sci-Fi features, and audiovisual works for different media. This year, Macabro presents:

IN THE SHADOWS

Direction and screenplay: Erdem Tepegoz | Turkey | 2020 | 94 min | Sci-Fi

Cast: Numan Acar, Vedat Erincin, Ahmet Melih Yilmaz, Emrullah Cakay, Muharrem Bayrak.

MOSKVY NE BYVAYET (MOSCOW DOESN’T HAPPEN)

Direction: Dmitry Fedorov | Screenplay: Lev Ryzhkov | Russia | 2020 | 98 min. | Comedy, thriller, Sci-Fi

Cast: Ivan Fedotov, Olga Starchenkova, Anatoly Goryachev, Alexander Vorobiev, Pavel Sborshchikov.

LO MÁS MACABRO DE CAOSTICA VOL. 6

To mark the 20th anniversary of our beloved nahual Macabro, Caostica returns to Mexican soil with the 6th edition of “Lo más Macabro de Caostica,” a carefully curated selection of the most bizarre short films and music videos from the Festival Caostica in Bilbao, Spain.

Strange dystopias, stunned zombies, bleeding nuns, finger-devouring demons, exiled monsters, football-playing vampires, and apocalyptic flamenco dancers await you in this new audiovisual adventure that will surely rattle the hypothalamus of any viewer who dares to watch it.

Macabro will feature a talk presented by the Bilbao-born filmmaker Norma Vila.

MACABRO DOCS

As every year, Macabro presents a series of documentaries about various figures from the genre and related topics:

BALADA PARA NIÑOS MUERTOS

Direction: Jorge Navas | Screenplay: Jorge Navas and Sebastián Hernández | Colombia | 2020 | 80 min. | Documentary, thriller

Cast: Rosario Caicedo, Luis Ospina, Sandro Romero, Eduardo Carvajal, Pilar Caicedo, Patricia Restrepo.

LA VENGANZA DE JAIRO

Direction: Simón Hernández Estrada | Screenplay: Elisa Puerto Aubel, Simón Hernández Estrada | Colombia, Mexico | 2019 | 87 min. | Documentary

Cast: Jairo Pinilla

SANGRE, SUDOR Y LLAVES

Direction, screenplay, and research: Guinduri Arroyo and Orlando Jiménez Ruiz. | Country: Mexico | Year: 2016 – 2021 | Duration: 69 min | Documentary, lucha libre

NAIL IN THE COFFIN: LA CAÍDA Y ASCENSO DEL VAMPIRO CANADIÉNSE

Direction and screenplay: Michael Paszt | Canada | 2020 | 88 min. | Documentary, lucha libre

Cast: Ian Hodgkinson, Dasha Hodgkinson.

National and international guests

We have scheduled a series of recorded and live talks with guests, which will be broadcast on various channels such as macabro.mx, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Plataforma Cine at different times throughout the festival.

Among the virtual guests are: Dacre Stoker, Vampiro Canadiense, Karl Holt, Rigobeto Castañeda, Ryan Barton-Grimley, Gonzalo Calzada, Santiago Fernández, Josh Wallace, Devin Das, Ryan Glover, Mauricio Chernovetzky, John Powell, Ernesto Martínez, Jesper Isaksen, Allan Fis, Martín Blousson, Alejo Rébora, Joao P. Fleck, Luciana Garraza and Eric Fleitas, Alfonso Acosta and Carolina Mosquera, David Torres Labansat, Pavel Cantú, Luisa Iglesias, Armando Fonseca and Kapel Furman, Norma Vila, Sandra Becerril, and Gigi Saul Guerrero.

TALKS, PRESENTATIONS, AND TRAINING

Macabro Day

This year Macabro returns virtually to the Universidad Latinoamericana through Macabro Day, a gathering space with the student community, where we will present a horror-writing talk with Sandra Becerril, as well as a conversation with the directors of the Mexican short films in competition.

WEBINARS – MACABRO LAB

As part of its academic and training offerings, this year Macabro presents a series of webinars given by filmmaker Mauricio Chernovetzky, photographer and crypto developer Mark Powell, and film producer Ernesto Martínez Arévalo. We will also be joined by Ignacio Soto, “Nacho Soto,” CEO of FIX COMUNICACIÓN. They will be broadcast on the festival's Facebook.

In the segment (New paradigms and possibilities in film within the crypto movement)

Given by: Mauricio Chernovetzky and Mark Powell

Date: August 21, 2021, 5:00 p.m.

THE SKELETON OF THE TRAILER: X-RAY OF A HORROR RELEASE.

Given by: Ignacio Soto, “Nacho Soto”

Date: August 26, 2021, 5:00 p.m.

TALKS

Verne Cinema presents: Why do we like horror movies?

In this talk, we will review the best horror films in history, from black-and-white classics to today's most fearsome characters. We will analyze the cinematic and historical devices to understand why we enjoy these stories, as macabre and twisted as they are.

Given by: Joel Grijalva, moderated by Mariana Gracida.

Date: August 20, 2021, 8:00 p.m.

SANGRE AT MACABRO

Editorial presentation of the second installment of the Découpage collection, from the Department of Philosophy at the Universidad de Guanajuato, in collaboration with Guanajuato-born filmmaker Amat Escalante and the Aurora International Horror Film Festival

This publication is a book that brings together the screenplay of the film Sangre (France-Mexico, 2005), behind-the-scenes photographs, and texts written by researchers from the Universidad de Guanajuato and people involved in making the film.

This publication joins the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the film's premiere and the remastering of the original print.

Presenters:

• Liliana Garcia – Academic Coordinator of the Découpage Collection
• Amat Escalante – Director of Sangre
• Alejandro Montes – Designer of the Découpage Collection

Date: August 28, 2021, 5:00 p.m.

MACABRO COVEN

As part of the Macabro Coven activities, audiences will be able to see the premiere of La última cena by Mitzi Martínez, a short film produced through the first call for entries for horror shorts directed by women.

La última cena will be included in the Macabro Coven programme, made up of short films directed by women of different nationalities.

Additionally, later this month, the second Macabro Coven call for entries will be published, with new prizes contributed by Facultad de Cine, Diablo Panzón and Tannhäuser Film Tank, Black Shark Films, Tanu Distribución, Verne Cinema, Coven FX, and Organización Caostica.

DATES AND VENUES

The twentieth edition of Macabro, the Mexico City International Horror Film Festival, will take place in a hybrid format from August 19 to 29 at Cineteca Nacional, Casa del Cine, Museo Archivo de la Fotografía, Red de Faros, and Cine Villa Olímpica, following all the health protocols established by federal and local authorities, as well as those of each individual venue.

Macabro's digital venues are: ULA del Valle, Plataforma Cine, Filminlatino, Macabro Fich's social media, Facebook Procine, and the Cinemateca Luis Buñuel in the city of Puebla.

Social Media: Facebook: MacabroFich | Twitter: @macabrofich | Instagram: @macabrofich | YouTube: MacabroFichChannel | Spotify: MacabroFICH

HT: #MacabroXX #Macabro20Años #MacabroVampiro

Press contact: gina@rh.media