Phenomena 2018: New Genre Fest Debuts in São Paulo And Paraty, Brazil

BRAZIL’S ‘PHENOMENA FEST’ IS BRINGING A BAZOOKA TO THE GUNFIGHT FOR THE LOCAL GENRE FILM FESTIVAL SCENE DOMINANCE.

 

Since 2014, the independent Brazilian film club Cine Phenomena, has been offering free monthly screenings of the best in horror, fantasy, and sci-fi to packed audiences in the best venues of São Paulo, Brazil. This year it is hosting their very own international genre competition, the Phenomena Festival. 

 

The programme includes 80 titles, including 20 features and 60 shorts. Recent midnight hits such as Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy and Blumhouse’s Cam will make their Brazilian debut at Phenomena, but there’s a handful of thrilling new gems premiering at the festival that are also certain to make an impression. Such as:

 

Benicio Del Toro produced genre-defying documentary The Rise and Fall of Buffalo Brown by Philip Rodriguez about radical Mexican lawyer/author/countercultural icon - Oscar Zeta Acosta (Dr. Gonzo in Hunter S. Thompson’s novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). 

 

Alberto Rondalli’s Agadah, adapted from Jan Potocki’s “The Manuscript Found in Saragossa”, A phantasmagorical story-within-a-story-within-a-story surreal adventure. 

 

Lazar Bodroza’s Ederlizi Rising, a deranged space opera with echoes of “Blade Runner” and “Solaris”, exploring the combination of cybernetic culture and sexuality, staring adult film star Stoya.

 

Visions of Suffering Final Director’s Cut is a whole new experience created out of the underground classic by Andrey Iskanov. A brutal, X-rated, delirious tale involving necrophilia and grotesque hallucinations. 

 

Not quite as extreme, but no less bloody, is Marc Martínez Jordán’s home invasion nightmare Framed. A ghoulish crossover between “Saw” and “Black Mirror”.

 

As well as hosting a variety of international works, the festival also highlights a handful of exciting national productions.

 

Histórias Estranhas (Stranger Tales) is an elaborate almanac of the Brazilian Fantastique - eight award winning filmmakers brought together to create this deliciously morbid anthology that merges the Brazilian Coffin Joe tradition of originality with low-budget moviemaking excellence.

 

Rodrigo Aragão – notorious Brazilian filmmaker and master of practical effects, presents his most ambitious fever dream yet in Mata Negra (Black Forest). Blending the mystique of Brazilian folklore with the gory excesses of early Sam Raimi.

 

Reinterpreting Bram Stoker’s classic novel through a queer perspective is Matheus Marchetti’s  As Núpcias de Drácula (Nuptials of Dracula) - an experimental, no-budget feature that trades the gothic European landscapes for a summery Brazilian setting.

 

The festival will also present the full animated series Crisis Jung created by Baptiste Gaubert and Jérémie Périn and is a vast selection of short films, presented in eight different blocks: Laughter in the Dark, In Wonderland, Visions of Hell, Daughters of Lillith, Dear Monsters, Science Fiction Double Feature, Who’s Afraid of the Boogeyman and Blood and Fury. 

 

A Masterclass about unlocking the creative power of unconscious mind with occult-driven filmmaker Claudio Ellovitch and a mystery film at a Special Secret Screening are other weapons in the Phenomena’s arsenal. 

 

US$ 2000 is the prize for the Best Feature Film winner, and US$ 1000 for Best Short Film. Other award categories include Best Brazilian Short, Best Animated Short, and Best Audience Choice Award for Best Brazilian Feature Film. All will receive the uncanny trophy of the designed by British Necro-surrealist artist David VanGough and sculpted by local SFX powerhouse, La Matta studio. 

 

Phenomena Festival takes place from October 25th until the 4th of November in two cities, Paraty (Rio de Janeiro State) and São Paulo (State Capital). The screenings will be free of charge in all five different venues.

 

More information at www.phenomenafest.com