Official selections for the 2022 Frontières Platform have been announced! Frontières is an international co-production market and networking platform with a focus on genre film financing and co-production between Europe and North America, organized by the Fantasia International Film Festival, in partnership with the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes.
The two "categories" if you will, are the Proof of Concept presentation, which showcases a selection of genre projects in advanced financing stages. Producers and directors present their original proof of concept teasers to prospective financiers, sales agents and distributors. While the Frontières Buyers Showcase presents works-in-progress and recently completed films seeking international distribution, festival selection, and/or sales representation. Judging from the official synopsis of this year's selected projects, we have some very cool movies coming our way, from filmmakers all over the world.
Frontières executive director Annick Mahnert says, “This year we got double the submissions that we did last year," and also adds, “And the quality is just amazing, and from countries where we’ve had few submissions in the past in terms of genre.” Countries like Turkey, Algeria, and Pakistan.
Aside from being giddy with excitement over increased submissions and filmmakers from countries we don't typically get to see a ton of films from, we are perhaps most excited by Mahnert's claim that horror will be heavily represented, “There’s a lot of horror, and it kind of goes back to practical effects, and I love that." You know we're suckers for practical effects! Mahnert says, “Practical effects are coming back, which is great." We couldn't agree more.
It sounds like a real standout proof of concept is going to be Gnomes! from the Netherlands, which is described as "a horror film about gnomes who murder curious humans and turn them into sausage while they’re still alive. The film boasts producer and art department master Richard Raaphorst (Frankenstein’s Army), who brought the gnomes to life."
In Flames
We are so excited that our FANGORIA studios project Roqia is included with these awesome titles, other proof of concepts we are particularly excited to check out are Serial Kitten, and Street Trash from Ryan Kruger— the same dude who brought us the absolutely bonkers Fried Barry. If you haven't seen that one yet, go check it out on Shudder. Some of the Buyers Showcase titles we are looking forward to: Falling Stars, In Flames, Junction Row. But really, this whole list seems to be filled with bangers and we are just excited to celebrate genre film and filmmakers. Check out the complete list below.
Buyer’s Showcase
“A Guide to Living for the Dead” (Turkey)
Turkish filmmaker Baris Fert (“Farah”) brings an action thriller filled with femme fatale violence and dark comedy. Produced by Ipek Erden and Emre Pekçakır, “A Guide to Living for the Dead” plays a violent crew against itself in a campy parable of betrayal, neck snapping and murder.
“Cult Hero” (Canada)
This action horror flick directed by Jesse T. Cook (“Monster Brawl,” “The Hoard”) follows the hilariously over-the-top Dale Domezar as he infiltrates and destroys cults from the inside. Co-produced by Cook, Liv Collins and Craig Shouldice, “Cult Hero” plays with cult cliches and serves laughs for the price of deprogramming.
“Falling Stars” (U.S.)
Writer-director Richard Karpala (“Iris,” “Deadbox”) returns alongside Gabriel Bienczycki with dramatic horror thriller “Falling Stars,” a dark exploration of witchcraft. The film follows a group of American men who venture into the desert to dig up the corpse of a witch and pay a price for their desecration.
“In Flames” (Pakistan, Canada)
Directed by Zarrar Kahn and produced by Anam Abbas and Shant Joshi, “In Flames” follows a young woman who is haunted by the ghost of her partner. Her journey to learn the truth about his passing brings culture-clash to the psychological horror genre in this Pakistani-Canadian co-production.
“Junction Row” (Canada)
Canadian director and photographer Ashlea Wessel (“Tick,” “Weirdo”) brings her newest feature “Junction Row” to Frontières. The snowy sci-fi horror film follows a frozen town besieged by a mysterious many-legged monster. The film is produced by Pasha Patriki, James Fler, Michael Paszt and Andrew T. Hunt. Raven Banner Entertainment is handling sales.
“Kidnapping Inc” (France/Canada)
This fast-paced dark comedy, directed by Haitian Bruno Mourral, follows two hapless kidnappers in Haiti tasked with what appears to be a simple job only to find out that it’s anything but. Produced by Yanick Létourneau and Samuel Chauvin, “Kidnapping Inc” weaves genre with comedic action and political conspiracy.
Proof of Concepts
“Gnomes!” (The Netherlands)
Director Ruwan Suresh Heggelman (“I Can Fly,” “Dutchtown”) has teamed with producers Monique van Kessel and Richard Raaphorst (“Frankenstein’s Army,” “Black Book”) to bring life to “Gnomes!” and death to anyone unlucky enough to be hunted by them. Filled with gruesome practical effects, this fantastical horror film shows not all gnomes are content with the garden.
“Night Town” (Ireland)
Irish TV and film director Imogen Murphy (“Dead Still,” “Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope”) showcases her newest feature “Night Town” at Frontières. This gothic period drama, produced by Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde, follows a young woman’s haunted escape from a brothel in Dublin.
“Requiem for a Robot” (Austria, Germany)
Director Christoph Rainer’s passion project, “Requiem for a Robot” is a live-action science fiction fairytale following a clumsy robot lost in a city that never sleeps. This Austrian-German co-production (produced by Loredana Rehekampff, Andreas Schmied and Josef Redinger) leans on generous heart and practical effects to inspire and impress.
“Roqia” (Algeria, France, U.S.)
Algerian writer-director Yannis Koussim (“Khouya,” “Alger by Night”) presents “Roqia,” an exorcism-style horror film which explores bisected timelines. The film, which has already been selected for the Maskoon Fantastic Festival in Lebanon, is a co-production between Farès Ladjimi, Christophe Lafont, Armen Aghaeian, Abhi Goel and Tara Ansley.
“Serial Kitten” (France)
Equal parts fun and disturbing, Cédric Hachard’s newest fantasy “Serial Kitten” follows the dangerous exploits of a monstrous cat. Blending practical effects with CGI, this French production (Alexis Perrin) has humor and heart.
“Street Trash” (South Africa, U.S.)
South African actor and director Ryan Kruger (“Fried Barry”) brings gruesome horror and over-the-top humor with “Street Trash.” The international co-production (Justin Martell, Matt Manjourides, James C. Williamson, Ryan Kruger) follows a group of homeless misfits who must fight for survival when they discover a plot to exterminate every homeless person in the city.
“The Portal” (France, Syria, Germany)
Science-fiction fantasy film “The Portal,” directed by Chadi Abo, follows a wartime journalist as well as an orphaned refugee in the Syrian desert, her stellar destiny, and her miraculous healing abilities. The film is a French-Syrian-German co-production (Chadi Abo, Ruba El Khash Khair, May Odeh, Zorana Musikic, Tania Khouri).
