LOS ANGELES – September 4, 2014 – Beyond Fest and the American Cinematheque announced today that they are partnering for the return of the sophomore festival, Beyond Fest, featuring the best in world genre programming, September 25th – October 4th, 2014 at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Boulevard. Tickets will be available through Fandango today.
Dedicated to delivering the elite in horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and badass cinema, this year’s Beyond Fest programming reflects a globally diverse and eclectic mix of premieres, rare repertory screenings, and special events, all of which are anchored in bringing firsts to the community of genre fans in Los Angeles. Beyond Fest has also partnered with Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network as its presenting sponsor, a partnership that will make much of the festival’s programming free to creative makers and film fans alike.
“The response was so great last year that we knew we had to bring Beyond Fest back, so much so that we immediately started planning this installment,” said Christian Parkes, co-founder of Beyond Fest. “We challenged ourselves to build on the foundation we laid and to create something that is a celebration for the audience as much as the films on the screen. Our partnership with El Rey Network is indicative of this as it allows us to share a brave, new generation of filmmakers with the film community of Los Angeles.”
L.A. premieres are integral to Beyond Fest as the festival opens with HORNS, Alexandre Aja’s (HAUTE TENSION, HILLS HAVE EYES) wonderfully dark take on Joe Hill’s explosive book, complete with a revelatory turn by Daniel Radcliffe.
Blumhouse Productions and Shock Till You Drop have joined forces to deliver a free screening of the terrifying meta-remake of THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (AMERICAN HORROR STORY) and produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy, while anthology fans are rewarded with first looks at the shock-rides ABC’S OF DEATH 2 and V/H/S VIRAL, complete with cast and crew and favorite V/H/S shorts.
Jeff Goldsmith brings his wildly popular Q&A / Backstory empire to Beyond Fest for two evenings of deep discussion, first with Dan Gilroy in support of his masterful directorial debut, NIGHTCRAWLER, and then it’s a night of mischief, mayhem and soap as he talks to FIGHT CLUB author, Chuck Palahniuk, and screenwriter, Jim Uhls exploring the transition of an apocalyptic masterpiece to pitch-perfect screenplay. Preceding the discussion is a screening of David Fincher’s brilliantly caustic adaptation.
Japanese cinema plays a prominent role with three of its finest exports taking center stage. Following last year’s fan-favorite, WHY DON’T YOU PLAY IN HELL?, auteur Sion Sono returns with his deliriously over the top adaptation of Santa Inoue’s seminal manga series TOKYO TRIBE. Hot on the heels of its highly controversial domestic release, Tetsuya Nakashima’s thoroughly groundbreaking THE WORLD OF KANAKO plays a special free screening, while Hitoshi Matsumoto’s quasi-sex-comedy, R100, closes out the axis of anarchy with lead dominatrix, Lindsay Kay Hayward, on site to whip the audience into shape.
This year’s L.A. Spotlight shines on directors Dennis Widmyer & Kevin Kolsch who brings their black tale of fame-at-all-costs to the Egyptian’s apt Hollywood locale for STARRY EYES. Joined by the film’s cast and crew, Dennis & Kevin will follow his local bow with the film they cite as a heavy influence: Andrzaj Zulawski’s masterpiece of nuanced terror, POSSESSION.
Integral to Beyond Fest’s slate is the partnership with El Rey Network. As Presenting Sponsor, El Rey Network is making the 80-seat Spielberg Theatre accessible to all under the banner of “El Rey’s ‘The People’s Network’ Theatre” and screening eight films from the most original directors in the world of genre film including: HYENA (UK – LA premiere), THE EDITOR (Canada – LA premiere), NORWAY (Greece – LA premiere), FUTURE SHOCK! THE STORY OF 2000AD (UK – LA premiere) and THE CANAL (Ireland – LA premiere)
“These screenings are free of charge because we believe in the filmmakers behind them: these are brilliant films from all across the world and we want to expose audiences to them,” said Grant Moninger, American Cinematheque programmer. “It’s important to share bold, unique talent on the big screen, it’s where a filmmakers craft shines the most.”
Repertory titles play a prominent part of Beyond Fest and this year is no exception with a handful of massive events:
Produced in partnership with the French Consulate, Meltdown Comics and RADiUS, SNOWPIERCER creator, Jean-Marc Rochette, and DC Comics Publisher, Jim Lee, will discuss the process of translating creative vision from the comic book to the big screen before Bong Joon-ho’s stunning epic rolls overhead. Complimenting SNOWPIERCER will be the world premiere of Jesus Castro-Ortega’s behind the scenes documentary.
ONLY GOD FORGIVES provides the inspiration for the LA premiere of MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN, an illuminating and intimate portrait of Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn, directed and shot by his wife, Liv Corfixen. Documenting Refn’s journey to bring ONLY GOD FORGIVES to the big screen, Corfixen is honest and unflinching with her lens capturing Refn is a way previously unseen outside of his inner crew and, in many cases, outside of Corfixen herself. Liv Corfixen and Nicolas Winding Refn will sit in conversation between the two films.
Geoff Boucher’s Humans From Earth Nerdist podcast pairs together John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis for the first time ever to discuss the making of the all-time classic, HALLOWEEN. Complete with the brand-new 4K re-master supervised by HALLOWEEN cinematographer, Dean Cundy, and a screening of El Rey’s THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR with John Carpenter and Robert Rodriguez, this is one for the ages.
The stars of Comedy Central’s late night stand-up smash THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL bring their film-loving humor to Beyond Fest for “A Night at the Movies with THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL featuring THE MONSTER SQUAD.” Before screening THE MONSTER SQUAD, Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani will grab the mics to share their deep and slightly twisted love of movies before being joined by THE MONSTER SQUAD director, Fred Dekker, where they will discuss the size of The Wolfman’s nards amongst many other topics.
Seminal soundtrack label and Beyond Fest partner, Death Waltz Recording Company returns with a double bill event that was a year in the making. Opening the night is a screening and live re-score of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE by musicians Umberto and Antoni Maiovvi, who have composed an 88 minute piece that plays alongside the film’s existing audio tracks. A limited double album will be made available exclusively at the screening. Not content with just one release, Death Waltz is also dropping the long-awaited score to Ti West’s breakout shocker, HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, complete with screening and cast and crew Q&A.
BEYOND FEST 2014 PROGRAM
EGYPTIAN THEATRE:
NIGHTCRAWLER presented by Backstory
2014
dir. Dan Gilroy
United States
117 minutes
Dan Gilroy in person
THE WORLD OF KANAKO / KAWAKI – LA Premiere – FREE SCREENING
2014
dir. Tetsuya Nakashima
Japan
118 minutes
THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN presented by Shock Till You Drop and Blumhouse Productions – FREE SCREENING
2014
dir. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
United States
85 minutes
FIGHT CLUB presented by Backstory
1999
dir. David Fincher
United States
139 minutes
FIGHT CLUB author Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls in person
STARRY EYES presented by Bloody Disgusting – LA Premiere
Dir. Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer
United States
98 minutes
Cast and crew in person
POSSESSION
1981
dir. Andrezj Zulawski
France / West Germany
124 minutes
V/H/S VIRAL + V/H/S Shorts presented by Bloody Disgusting – LA Premiere
dir. Todd Lincoln, Nacho Vigalondo, Marcel Sarmiento, Gregg Bishop, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Multiple Countries
98 minutes
Cast and crew in person
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
2014
dir. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard
UK
97 minutes
TOKYO TRIBE – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Sion Sono
Japan
116 minutes
SNOWPIERCER – A Vis a Vis Event presented by the French Consulate, Meltdown Comics and RADiUS
2013
dir. Bong Joon-ho
South Korea
126 minutes
Snowpiercer creator Jean-Marc Rochette and DC Comics Publisher Jim Lee in person
HORNS presented with Fantastic Fest – LA Premiere
2013
dir. Alexandre Aja
United States / Canada
123 minutes
A Night at the Movies with THE MELTDOWN WITH JONAH AND KUMAIL featuring THE MONSTER SQUAD
1987
dir. Fred Dekker
United States
82 minutes
Jonah Ray, Kumail Nanjiani, Fred Dekker and guests in person
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE presented by Death Waltz Recording Company with live re score by Antoni Maiovvi & Umberto
1974
dir. Tobe Hooper
United States
88 minutes
HOUSE OF THE DEVIL presented by Death Waltz Recording Company
2009
dir. Ti West
United States
95 minutes
Cast and crew in person
HALLOWEEN 4K REMASTER presented by Humans From Earth
1978
dir. John Carpenter
United States
90 minutes
John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis in person
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
2013
dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
Denmark / France
90 minutes
Nicolas Winding Refn in person
MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Liv Corfixen
United States
58 minutes
Liv Corfixen and Nicolas Winding Refn in person
EL REY’S ‘THE PEOPLE’S NETWORK’ THEATRE / SPIELBERG THEATRE:
ABC’S OF DEATH 2 – LA Premiere – Free screening
2014
dir. Larry Fessenden, Marvin Kren, Todd Rohal, Jim Hosking, Julien Maury & Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Gibney, Soichi Umezawa, Lancelot Imasuen, Jerome Sable, Robert Boocheck, Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado, Bill Plympton, Rodney Ascher, Erik Matti, Juan Moreno, Steven Kostanski, Alejandro Brugues, E.L. Katz, Julian Barratt, Hajime Ohata, Vincenzo Natali, Chris Nash, Jen & Sylvia Soska, Dennisison Ramalho, Robert Morgan, Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper
Multiple Countries
125 minutes
Cast and crew in person
THE EDITOR – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Matthew Kennedy, Adam Brooks
Canada
102 minutes
HYENA – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Gerard Johnson
United Kingdom
112 min
FUTURE SHOCK! THE STORY OF 200AD – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Paul Goodwin
United Kingdom
100 min
LOST SOUL – THE DOOMED JOURNEY OF RICHARD STANLEY’S ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. David Gregory
United Kingdom
97 min
R100 – Free Screening
2013
dir. Hitoshi Matsumoto
Japan
100 minutes
Lindsay Kay Hayward in person
NORWAY – Free Screening – LA Premiere
2014
dir. Yannis Veslemes
Greece
73 minutes
THE CANAL presented by Shock Till You Drop – Free Screening – LA Premiere –
2014
dir. Ivan Kavanagh
Ireland
92 minutes
About Beyond Fest (http://www.beyondfest.com.
Beyond Fest is Los Angeles’ premiere genre film festival. Delivering the best horror, sci fi, fantasy, and badass cinema, programming is globally sourced and comprises of a diverse mix of gala premiers, rare repertory screenings, live performances, and special events. Beyond Fest is a not-for-profit entity produced by film fans for film fans. Its favorite film is Jaws.
About American Cinematheque (http://www.
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman’s first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.
About El Rey Network (www.elreynetwork.com):
El Rey Network is a new 24-hour English language network founded by maverick filmmaker Robert Rodriguez. Curated by Rodriguez and his artistic collective, the network unites the most culturally diverse generation in history through fearless, badass and original content that awakens the renegade in everyone. The network’s action-packed content is anchored by original signature dramas, feature films, grindhouse genre, cult classic action, and horror/sci-fi. El Rey Network LLC is jointly owned by Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures with a minority stake held by Univision Networks & Studios, Inc.
About Death Waltz Recording Co. (http://
The world-leading genre soundtrack label, Death Waltz Recording Co. is the brainchild of music-industry vet,Spencer Hickman (Rough Trade, Record Store Day), and has quickly established itself as the definitive sound of cult cinema. Curating definitive
