News

Director Michael Steiner opens this year’s Zurich Film Festival with “And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead,” a timely thriller about a real-life Swiss couple captured by the Taliban while traveling through Pakistan in 2011.

The film is sure to generate headlines in view of the recent Taliban victory in Afghanistan that followed the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Yet it also offers a look at a complex geopolitical situation that not only includes the Taliban, but also Pashtun militants and the continuing impact of a century-old conflict triggered by the British-drawn border between Afghanistan and what was then British India that divided Pashtun land.

The film follows Daniela Widmer and David Och (portrayed by Morgane Ferru and Sven Schelker) as they fulfill their dream of driving the ancient Silk Road through Pakistan, where they are kidnapped and taken to the war-torn Pashtun region of Waziristan and handed over to the Taliban.

The premiere will take place on September 23.

Michael Steiner’s And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead will be the opening film at the 17th edition of the Zurich Film Festival (Zff), which takes place from September 23 to October 3 2021.

The film will receive its world premiere on September 23 and will be the first screening in the freshly renovated Convention Center.

And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead tells the story of two real-life Swiss individuals taken hostage by the Taliban. Daniela Widmer (Morgane Ferru) and David Och (Sven Schelker) were captured in 2011 while travelling through Pakistan. Widmer and Och will be present at the premiere.

Assessing the merits of Claudio Fäh's Viking odyssey is a tricky task because of what it represents in the panorama of Swiss genre films. With an international cast, and production set in South Africa, Northmen - A Viking Saga is one of the most significant efforts of its kind. Of course, genre films do exist in Switzerland but they are rather underground. The quite impressive quantity of short films dealing with horror, fantasy or science fiction seldom get released outside the country, while feature films remain discreet endeavors, such as Michael Steiner's Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps (2010) and Das Missen Massaker (2012), Bettina Oberli's Tannöd - The Murder Farm (2009), Mathieu Seiler's Der Ausflug (2012), Ivan Engler's Cargo (2009) or Olivier Beguin's Chimères (2013)....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Sennentuntschi: Curse Of The Alps

Stars: Roxane Mesquida, Nicholas Ofczarek, Andrea Zogg, Carlos Leal | Written by Michael Steiner, Stefanie Japp | Directed by Michael Steiner

The Sennentuntschi a creature built out of cloth and straw made by shepherds in the Swiss Alps to entertain themselves on the lonely nights alone with only the sheep. She comes alive and gives pleasure, but get onto her wrong side she will wreak vengeance on you making you her victim. This is the basic premise and the myth that Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps is built upon.

Sebastian is the lone police man in a little town, so when a priest hangs himself and a strange woman walks from the mountains it’s a fairly busy day for him. Taking the woman under his wing while he tries to find out her identity he immediately has to deal with the suspicions of the...

God battles the Devil in the Swiss Alps, or so the opening scenes of Sennentuntschi might lead one to believe. The residents of the picturesque village of Trepunt, high on a mountainside, are firmly convinced that a young, mute woman (Roxane Mesquida) is, in fact, the Devil, or, at least, resembles a satanic figure far too closely for their comfort. In a shocking turn of events, a young priest serving as the local church's sacristan has been found hanging in the belfry, an apparent suicide. The townspeople have barely absorbed the idea that "a dark force crept into his soul," as the head priest tell his congregants. "The Devil." With their worst fears and superstitions confirmed, and the younger man freshly placed in his...

We're in Austin, Texas for the shank of this year's Fantastic Fest. If our preview chat with Tim League had you interested, be sure to hit refresh on this page over and over and over like a moon-eyed crazy person all day Sat, Sun and Monday for updates.

Friday 9/23/11

Fantastic Fest is already in full swing. I'm not there yet, but I'm flying in tonight. Last night I was all over Twitter to hear descriptions of The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)'s pre-screening antics. An hour and a half later, I read virtually every critic say it was awful. (Though one or two defended it as "having something to say about obsessed fandom.")

As a jury member for this year's "features" division - which means full length movies that aren't straight-up horror movies - I've actually been able to get a sneak peek at some of the eight movies in competition.

September is the busiest month for the Sound On Sight team with Telluride, Tiff, Pop Montreal, The Atlantic Film Festival, New York Film Festival and yes Fantastic Fest. Starting September 22nd anyone interested in genre film will have their eyes on Fantastic Fest, one of the biggest and possibly coolest fests in the world. After months waiting, the organizers have finally announced the final wave of programming. Here is the press release.

Austin, TX–Wednesday, September 7th, 2011– Fantastic Fest is excited to announce its final wave of feature film programming including the world premiere of The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence on opening night courtesy of IFC Midnight and Comic-con Episode IV: A Fan’S Hope on closing night.

The Human Centipede became a cultural sensation after its premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2009 where it won Best Horror Film and Best Actor. The festival is excited to welcome back director...

Guess it's just a centipede-y kind of day. Aubrey already showed you a new preview image from "The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence." Now I've got the info on where you'll be able to see the film for the very first time: Austin's Fantastic Fest, on September 22. The deranged depravity debuts as this year's Opening Night Film.

Along with the announcement that director Tom Six's sequel to everyone's favorite ass-to-mouth horror movie will make its world premiere at the festival, Fantastic Fest also solidified the remainder of its lineup today. You can see it all below, but here are a few noteworthy highlights: the Us premiere of Morgan Spurlock's San Diego Comic-Con documentary, "Episode IV: A Fan's Hope," a Cuban zombie movie called -- you're gonna love this -- "Juan of the Dead," and a 30th anniversary screening of "An American Werewolf in London" with makeup artist Rick Baker in attendance.

If you've been on the fence about attending this year's edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, which runs from September 22-29, then the announcement that came today about their final wave of programming should make up your mind. With these additions, just about every film on our radar will be making an appearance at this year's fest! Read on for the details.

From the Press Release

Fantastic Fest is excited to announce its final wave of feature film programming including the world premiere of The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence on opening night courtesy of IFC Midnight and Comic-con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope on closing night.

The Human Centipede became a cultural sensation after its premiere at Fantastic Fest in 2009, where it won Best Horror Film and Best Actor. The festival is excited to welcome back director Tom Six and producer Ilona Six with the second installment of the depraved series.

Wow. In two weeks, Michael and I will begin our 14 hour drive from St. Louis to Austin. We are super excited to be attending and giving you guys advance reviews of films that, more than likely, every horror and genre loving freak out there will want to read. The final wave has been announced and while we only see that we got one more hit on our prediction list, I’m still happy with what was announced. We will be attending the World Premiere of The Human Centipede Part 2: Full Sequence and the new film from the directors of Inside, Livid. Much more is in store so read beyond the break.

From the Press Release:

Fantastic Fest is excited to announce its final wave of feature film programming including the world premiere of The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence on opening night courtesy of IFC Midnight and Comic-con Episode...

We're mere weeks away from the craziest genre films in the world invading Austin, Texas for Fantastic Fest 2011. They've already announced not one [1], but two waves [2] of films that'll screen at the festival and now the third and final wave has been revealed. It includes the opening night, world premiere of The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence, the closing night U.S. premiere of Morgan Spurlock's new documentary Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope, the much anticipated Juan of the Dead, Sundance darling Take Shelter, a 30th anniversary screening of An American Werewolf in London with Rick Baker in person and poster by Olly Moss and more. Plus, Drafthouse CEO Tim League will be fighting bare-knuckle brawler James Quinn McDonagh to usher in the a screening of the documentary [3] Knuckle. Read the full third wave of films and see some hype videos for the fight after the jump.

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: Only the folks at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin would try and use the words “Fantastic” and “Human Centipede” in the same sentence. Yet it’s that unique taste in spectacular genre cinema that keeps thousands flocking to Fantastic Fest in Austin each fall, and this year’s slate shouldn’t disappoint.

Tom Six’s sequel to his vile “Human Centipede” will hold its world premiere on opening night of this year’s Fantastic Fest, which runs Sept. 22-29 in Austin, Tex.

Other notable films programmed for this year’s fest include a retrospective screening of John Landis’s “An American Werewolf in London,” the Texas premiere of Jeff Nichols’s “Take Shelter,” and Morgan Spurlock’s “Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope,” which will close this year’s event.

The full slate is below:

A Boy And His Samurai (2011)

Us Premiere

Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura,...

The Arizona Underground Film Festival keeps picking and screening the best in world extreme cinema and their fourth annual edition, which will run Sep. 16-24 in Tucson is no exception, compiling outrageous cult epics from countries such as Japan, Switzerland and Cuba; as well as some local nastiness produced in the fest’s own backyard.

The fest opens with Jack Perez’s Some Guy Who Kills People, a comedy thriller executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan as a loser who gets sadistic revenge on those he feels have wronged him.

While the opening night film is a big name affair, Auff is also celebrating local freaky film fare with films such as the film noir Sweet Love and Deadly, directed by Paul Clinco; and the horror comedy Dick Night, directed by Andy Viner.

From elsewhere around the U.S., there’s the fest’s annual celebration of extreme cinema,...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With Michael Steiner’s Sennentuntschi, Swiss cinema finally gets its go at the classic horror film, and as Frightfest draws to a close, it appears some of the very best has been saved for last. If one feral woman wasn’t enough for this year’s fest with Lucky McKee’s visceral The Woman, we get more of the same here, with a spooky tale of sexual enslavement, unexplained death, and a grisly tale of revenge with a mystical, fairytale-like quality.

The film’s title refers to the Alpine legend of a group of three herders who, without any female interaction whatsoever, created one out of various household objects in their sheer desperation. The Devil, pitying their feeble efforts, turns the crude creation into a beautiful, real woman, Sennentuntschi, yet after the three men have enjoyed her carnal delights, she turns the tables and murders them,...

The Arizona Underground Film Festival has released the titles of six films that will be screening as part of their 4th annual event on Sept. 16-24. The films come from all over the world and a few feature Hollywood cult icons. The six films are:

1. Karate-Robo Zaborgar, dir. Noboru Iguchi.

Japanese genre mixologist Noboru Iguchi returns to Auff with his latest concoction: An ode to ’70s Japanese robot martial arts TV shows, Karate-robo Zaborgar. The lead character is described as: Part motorcycle, part karate expert … all robot! A police officer and his metallic partner battle the evil organization Sigma, which is responsible for the cop’s father’s death.

(Iguchi previously screened his Robogeisha at last year’s festival.)

2. Some Guy Who Kills People, dir. Jack Perez.

Executive produced by John Landis and starring Kevin Corrigan and Karen Black, Some Guy Who Kills People is the story of a pathetic...

Say this three times: Sennentuntschi. Sennentuntscheee. Sennentunt...eh, whatever. It’s a mouthful, but it’s premiering at the Film4 FilmFest 2011 and Dread Central has its two new posters.

An Alpine legend tells the story of three lonely herdsmen who were so starved of female companionship they built the girl of their dreams from a broom, some straw and a few rags. Then the Devil took pity and made Sennentuntschi live and breathe… This fable informs the first ever shocker from Switzerland, a complex and twisted tale of past crimes, tragic love, ghostly encounters, horrendous murder, unexplained suicide and sexual enslavement. Continually surprising, brilliantly directed and superbly acted, this unusual and beguiling mystery chiller finally puts Switzerland on the genre map.

Michael Steiner directs.

In anticipation of the film's debut at the upcoming Film4 Fright Fest, we have nearly a dozen new images and even two new one-sheets for Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps, and if you think the title is a mouthful, wait until you see the images!

Check out the goods on Michael Steiner's new flick below.

Synopsis

An Alpine legend tells the story of three lonely herdsmen who were so starved of female companionship they built the girl of their dreams from a broom, some straw and a few rags. Then the Devil took pity and made Sennentuntschi live and breathe… This fable informs the first ever shocker from Switzerland, a complex and twisted tale of past crimes, tragic love, ghostly encounters, horrendous murder, unexplained suicide and sexual enslavement. Continually surprising, brilliantly directed and superbly acted, this unusual and beguiling mystery chiller finally puts Switzerland on the genre map.

It's times like this when we here in the States couldn't be more jealous of our friends across the pond. One of the best damned horror film festivals in the world, The Film4 FrightFest, has announced its full slate of films, and all we can say is ... wow.

From the Press Release: Hebrew horror, killer Santas, carrot-wielding maniacs, demented descents, a werewolf musical, the end of the world and troll hunters – it can only be Film4 FrightFest, back for a terrifying twelfth year.

From Thursday 25 August to Monday 29 August, the UK’s premiere event for horror fans will be at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square to present 37 films on two screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while the Discovery strand will play in Empire 4. There are eleven countries represented, with seven world premieres and a record-equalling twenty UK or European premieres.

This year’s line-up reflects...

Hebrew horror, killer santas, carrot-wielding maniacs, demented descents, a Werewolf musical, the end of the world and Troll Hunters – it can only be Film4 FrightFest, back for a terrifying twelfth year. Everyone’s favourite U.K. genre film festival is back to present a total of 37 spine-tinglers in two screens. This is Sound On Sight’s third year in partnership with FrightFest, and every year John McEntee and Al White provide some killer film reviews from the fest. Check out the list of films below.

From Thurs 25 August to Monday 29 August the UK’s premiere event for horror fans will be at the Empire Cinema in London’s Leicester Square to present 37 films in two screens. Empire 1 will house the main event while the Discovery strand will play in Empire 4. There are eleven countries represented, with seven world premieres and a record-equalling twenty UK or European premieres.

This year’s...

Zurich -- If money had a hometown, it would be Zurich. Walking down Bahnhofstrasse ostentatious wealth crowds in from all sides. Looming above the imposing HQs of Credit Suisse and Ubs. At eye level the luxury boutiques of Prada, Dior, Armani et al.

Glamour however, particularly the silver screen variety, is a rare commodity here. The Swiss film industry is puny and while there is plenty of capital around, little gets put into the movie business. But evidence from the Zurich Film Festival, which wraps up its sixth edition Oct. 3, suggests things are changing.

On the glamour side, Zurich this year has flown in carpet strolling VIPs include Danny DeVito, "Entourage" star Adrian Greiner and "Frost/Nixon" lead Frank Langella alongside Oscar-winning directors Milos Forman and Oliver Stone. Last year, of course, Zurich got more press attention than it could handle after director Roman Polanski, en route to receive the Zurich Festival's lifetime achievement award,...

Cologne, Germany -- "Entourage" star Adrian Grenier, celebrity philanthropist Sir Bob Geldof, German star Nora Tschirner ("Rabbit Without Ears") and Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind") will be among the VIPs attending this year's Zurich Film Festival, which runs Sept. 23 – Oct. 3.

Zurich received worldwide attention last year after director Roman Polanski, en route to accept the festival's lifetime achievement award, was arrested by Swiss police on a decades-old sex charge. For its 6th edition, Zurich is hoping cinema, not scandal, will be in the spotlight.

Other luminaries making the trip to Zurich are directors Milos Forman, who will receive a retrospective tribute at the fest, and Oliver Stone, whose "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" closes the event. Also set to attend is actor Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon") and German actress Johanna Wokalek ("Pope Joan," "The Baader Meinhof Complex").

Actor/director Danny DeVito will travel to Zurich...