Ithaca 2015 First Wave Promises A Freakish Mix Of Classic And New Weird

Men & Chicken- Denmark

Anders Thomas Jensen

Superstar Mads Mikkelsen reunites with director Anders Thomas Jensen, and, as you would expect from the pair behind the Danish outcast comedy ADAM'S APPLES, the product is a satisfyingly twisted Danish tale. After the death of their father, two brothers learn that they were actually adopted. They set out to look for their real father, and discover something quite troubling...

The Invitation- USA

Karyn Kusama

A seemingly innocent reunion amongst old friends and past lovers slowly takes a dark turn as tensions rise and anxieties bubble to the surface. Kusama's feature slowly morphs into one of the more original takes on Rod Serling's Twilight Zone that we've seen in years! THE INVITATION is a treat for the eyes, and the mind, and is sure to be one of this year's festival favorites!

Night Fare- France

Julien Seri

Two friends reunite in Paris for a weekend of parties, but after an encounter with a taxi driver, their plans start to fall apart. Take a heaping dose of Bill Lustig's MANIAC; mix in a dash of Spielberg's DUEL; shake for a solid five minutes; serve in a chilled martini glass with an ice cube. This gives you: NIGHT FARE - a fresh homage to a beloved genre and style, and an unusual piece of cinema coming from the land of the French New Wave.

Darling- USA

Mickey Keating

This nightmarish black and white psychological horror centered around a mysterious Manhattan mansion and its innocent, new caretaker.  Keating's latest effort is a slick and clever meta-homage to the 1960's, pre-American New Horror. DARLING is like a nicely aged Bordeaux - something so good that we can't help giving everyone a taste.

Moonwalkers- France

Antoine Bardou-Jacquet

A CIA agent and a rock band manager end up forming an unlikely duo in a epic quest to find Stanley Kubrick and fake the 1969 Moon landing. If you're one of the select few who believes Kubrick faked the moon landing, then this is the film for you! With an out of this world (hah!) cast - Ron Perlman, Rupert Grint - MOONWALKERS has nailed the subject in one of the most hilarious comedies we've seen this year.

Remix, Replay, RipOff- Germany

Cem Kaya

Who among us, while wasting time on YouTube, hasn't stumbled upon some amazingly weird gems like Turkish STAR WARS, Turkish E.T. or Turkish THE EXORCIST? And who among us hasn't wondered, WTF? This doc has answers for you! It showcases one of the most underrated, international film industries, and is the perfect gateway for our mini-series on Turkish Cinema: The Outta-Mind Empire!

Siccin 2- Turkey

Alper Mestci

The perfect mix of black magic and family drama, SICCIN 2 is visually stunning and endlessly spooky. We are launched into a swirl of crazy events, and the only way out is detailed in a book; Siccin, The Book of Sins. This is an ideal entry point for our mini-series The Outta-Mind Empire, and is this year's must see horror entry from Turkey!  

Lake Nowhere- USA

Christopher Phelps and Maxim Van Scoy

You like 70s slasher films? Then this is for you, kids! Clever gimmicks and classic tropes with a damn original story, NOWHERE is everything we want to see on screen, and the 70s vibe makes it the perfect pairing for the amazing IN SEARCH OF THE ULTRA SEX!

In Search of the Ultra Sex- France

Nicolas Charlet and Bruno Lavaine

The Ultra-Sex is lost and the world is plunged into a frenzied, worldwide orgy! Stitching together hilarious and hardcore excerpts from 70s porn and sexy films (with notable guest appearances by the sexy Power Rangers and sultry Wonder Woman) and dialogue dubbed over, ULTRA SEX is an Unidentified Filming Object of the first kind - and one experience not to miss at this year's festival!

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation- USA

Eric Zala

If you think you're a hardcore fan of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, think again: Zala and co. spent seven years making a shot-for-shot remake of the original Spielberg Archeologist-turned-action-star masterpiece. The end result is an outrageous feature that crept up on the film world, trust us when we say the word 'epic' doesn't even come close to describing the results. This film will paired with RAIDERS! THE DOCUMENTARY.

Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made- USA

Jeremy Coon and Tim Skousen

Coon and Skousen tell us the story behind RotLA ADAPTATION: a kind of 'making of' in retrospect, RAIDERS! also follows the team as they embark on a new endeavour: remaking the only missing scene from their source film - the emblematic plane scene in Egypt!  

They Look Like People- USA/

Perry Blackshear

For his first feature, Perry Blackshear surprises with a masterfully handled psychological horror film. Convinced that the people around him are shape shifters, Wyatt prepares for a war that a faceless voice on the telephone warns him of. Thrills, chills, paranoia, and humor; PEOPLE has been compared to Aronofsky's PI, TH.EY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE is guaranteed to supply you with thrills and chills as it merges human issues and genuine terror in one story. 

H.- USA

Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia

A pure piece of art shot in Troy, NY H. is the story of two women's slow descent to madness after an explained event. Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia present a cinematographic tour de force - one you will remember long after the screening.

Cinema-Concert: (Performed by Anna Coogan)

The Fall of the House of Usher- France

Jean Epstein

Organic Horror: Obsession with Body Alterations sponsored by SHUDDER

The Eyes Without a Face- France

Georges Franju- 1960

Dr. Génessier is plagued by guilt after an accident he caused disfigures the face of his daughter, the once beautiful Christiane. While everyone else believes Christiane is dead, Dr. Génessier, along with accomplice and laboratory assistant Louise, kidnaps young women and brings them to his mansion in an ongoing struggle to return his daughter's endowments- no matter what it takes.  

Possession- France /Germany

Andrezej Zulawski- 1981

Mark's return home from a spy mission is spoiled when his wife, Anna, demands a divorce and leaves him with no warning. In devastation Mark repeatedly pursues Anna only for each encounter to go increasingly more destructive. Things take a bloody turn as more people get drawn into their dramatic affairs and Anna's disturbing actions reach a new level dread.

Shivers- Canada       

David Cronenberg- 1975

After a scientist living in a posh apartment complex slaughters a teen girl and kills himself, investigators discover that the murderer had been carrying on experiments involving deadly parasites. Roger St. Luc, a doctor living in the building, and his aide, Nurse Forsythe, then realize that the parasites are on the loose, attacking fellow tenants. And those who become infected turn into erotically-obsessed maniacs who spread the infection in the most intimate way.

Tetsuo, the Iron Man- Japan

Shin'ya Tsukamoto- 1989

A "metal fetishist", driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he's made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into the night and is accidentally run down by a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend. The pair dispose of the corpse in hopes of quietly moving on with their lives. However, the businessman soon finds that he is now plagued by a vicious curse that transforms his flesh into iron.

Audition- Japan

Takashi Miike- 1990

This disturbing Japanese thriller follows Aoyama, a widower who decides to start dating again. Aided by a film-producer friend, Aoyama uses auditions for a fake production to function as his personal dating service. When Aoyama becomes intrigued by the withdrawn, gorgeous Asami, they begin a relationship. However, he begins to realize that Asami isn't as reserved as she appears to be, leading to gradually increased tension and a harrowing climax.