'We hope it makes things more exciting by shaking things up': Spook film festival returns to Cork 

For most people, the month of December is associated with all things merry and bright, but for one December weekend, Cork will become home to films full of horror and fright.

The annual Spook Screen Film Festival returns for its ninth outing, taking place at the Arc Cinema and Civic Trust House from December 5-7

This year’s festival programme features more than 70 short films from various countries.

Emmet O’Brien, a well-known local filmmaker and one of the event’s organisers, announced that the team has decided to mix up the programme for this year’s festival.

“In previous years, we programmed films in groups so all the Irish films would be together, the international ones would be screened alongside other international shorts,” he said.

“For this festival, our ninth edition, we have decided to put all the films together, so the six short programs encompass International and Irish films.

“In one programme, you might get to see an Estonian film alongside an Irish one, an American short, and one from the UK.”

O’Brien suggests that by mixing different countries, audiences will experience the cultural flavours of the horror genre.

“You will often see that horror from one country will have a similar vibe or sensibility; by mixing the countries up, it gives people the chance to get a flavour of horror from various countries and to see the different styles and approaches.

“We hope it will make things more exciting by shaking things up.”

Alongside the many international shorts, there is a strong contingent of Irish films, which O’Brien says is heartening.

“When we did our first Spook Screen Festival nine years ago, we could only fill one programme with Irish films, but each year it is building and expanding, and this year we have the largest number of Irish films we have screened yet.

“There is a difference in production values, too. We are seeing films that could not have been made to such a standard five years ago.

“People have better cameras, more accessible equipment, and access to technology that didn’t exist when we started this festival.”

The festival has a large selection of horror types, including the imaginatively titled, When Life Gives You A Lawnmower. O’Brien says it is vital to keep in mind the need for lighter horror films to balance out the darker ones.

“Horror is a broad genre; you can get very intense films, films that are dark and dystopian, and then you can have satirical horror and comedy, like When Life Gives You A Lawnmower.

“We always try to balance the programme. Horror and comedy have always been wedded together, so when I’m programming the festival, I always try to make sure that a heavy film has something less intense on either side.”

As O’Brien points out, not every horror fan loves the darker side of the genre; many prefer dark comedy horrors.

“It is important to make sure that the festival suits every type of horror fan,” he says, “but also the variety introduces people to new types of horror genres and new styles, which is one of the best sides of a film festival, discovering something new.”

There are several shorts with Cork connections in this year’s festival, including Blood & Wine from the McSweeney brothers, David and Graham, about a vampire who wants to live an everyday life.

There are eight feature films programmed for this year’s festival, including one by the Irish director Zoe Kavanagh.

Demon Hunter: Time 2 Kill is a sequel to Kavanagh’s 2017 film Demon Hunter, and O’Brien says the Spook Screen team are excited to bring the film to Cork.

“Zoe Kavanagh is a celebrated Irish horror filmmaker who makes very specific schlocky action horror,” said.

“John Carpenter would be a big influence on her. Demon Hunter: Time 2 Kill has a Buffy The Vampire Slayer and a Wednesday quality, combined with influences from 1980s action films. It is one of the only, if not the only, feature film sequels from Ireland.

“We have a long history of making horror films, but we don’t have film sequels or franchises, so this is a chance to see a rare sequel in the Irish horror landscape.”

O’Brien says he is also looking forward to showing the feature Chainsaws Are Singing, which the filmmakers describe as “ Monty Python meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Les Misérables.”

O’Brien says it is an off-the-wall fusion of slasher horror with absurd elements and that it fits well with this year’s line-up.

“We noticed a trend in the submissions for this year’s festival,” he noted.

“There are lots of films with really bonkers stuff where everything is messed up.

“Film often reflects what is going on in society, and these wacky films are definitely a reflection of the world we live in today.

“We also have quite a few centred around home invasions or attacks on people at home, which seems to be speaking to a general fear of safety that people feel at the moment.”

There will also be some guest filmmakers at the festival, as O’Brien explains. “We have filmmakers coming from France, Italy, New York, LA, Denmark and Spain.

“They all have films screening, and it will be a great opportunity for them to see their films with an audience, but also for the audience to get the chance to hear something about the films from a behind-the-scenes perspective.

“It also helps build rapport between filmmaking communities in Cork and around the world.”

The Spook Screen Film Festival runs from December 5-7. www.instagram.com/SpookScreencork