Arts writer
AN addition to this year’s 2015 South African Horrorfest Film Festival is a free Horror Masterclass co-hosted by SAE Institute Cape Town. This is not limited to film-makers and students, but for anyone interested in this diverse art form. Flying in as guest speaker is Scottish born-author/genre expert Calum Waddell, the maker of docu-mentaries screened at past HorrorFests, like Slice & Dice, Scream Queens and Yellow Fever.
The festival has expanded and horror enthusiasts can take their pick of movies, short films, a live soundtrack performance, literature, Halloween dress-up, special guests and a night market. Events run until November 6 at the Labia Theatre, SAE Institute and Mercury Live.
For those who like their fantasy fiction on the page, a free Bloody Parchment literary night will deliver one to remember on Thursday at 6pm at the Labia. Chaired by SA Partridge, authors reading from their chilling tales include Alex van Tonder, Cat Hellisen, Diane Awerbuck, Joanne Hichens, Karina M Szczurek, Kathryn White, Nathan Trantraal, Rae Rivers, Jenna Bass. Expect book give-aways. For the novella competition see, bloodyparchment.blogspot.com
The Makabra Ensemble take on Nosferatu director F.W. Murnau’s Faust on Friday night, delivering a live soundtrack.
What is Halloween without some wild and crazy costumes, masks and make-up? While attendees are encouraged to dress-up at any time across HorrorFest, the official dress-up competition happens alongside Faust on Friday. Also included will be a night market with cool prizes for the best dressed. From 5pm until 9pm, expect the outside of the Labia to be bustling with a pop-up market of stalls – from custom clothing to food and books to HorrorFest merchandise and jewellery.
For a good sampling of movies, this year’s line-up is one you're unlikely to see on any other big screen across the continent. Expect a selection of thrills, chills, laughs and freak-outs, covering everything from zombies, vampires, werewolves, lovelorn ghosts and vigilante cops, to ghouls from the deep, paranormal, possession, slashers, classics, documentary, short film collections, plus three local feature films – Last Ones Out, The Actor and Afrikaans chiller Die Ontwaking. Also look out for A Nightmare on Elm Street, Shadow Realm Short Films vol. 1, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Female Werewolf, In the Dark and The Pack.
l www.horrorfest.info