Video: SHOCKFEST Film Festival 2019 Announces Best Feature Nominees + How to Win $666

Josh Millican |

Nov 19, 2019

With Shockfest Film Festival only days away in Las Vegas, NV at Hotel Paranormal, it is finally time to announce the nominees for the category of Best Feature. Every film at Shockfest has been hand-picked by a team of mysterious judges who have kept themselves cloaked in an air of mystery, as they lurk from the shadows in search of the very best terror tales from across the globe, and the ballots have spoken. These 5 feature films will compete at Shockfest itself for the esteemed title of Best Feature of 2019.

But first…

You can win $666 just for watching movies!

All guests, attendees and (yes) even filmmakers are invited to take part in the Hotel Paranormal Card Game where guests will be competing to win $666 by collecting 52 cards while at the festival! You get these cards by attending screenings and panels and trading cards with guests. The grand prize winner gets a check for $666 and a HAND CRAFTER SPIRIT BOARD made by the good people of Burbank CA’s, The Mystic Museum, but you must attend the panels and screenings throughout the weekend to win…happy hunting!

Have we got your attention? I hope so. Without further ado, allow us to make the announcement right here, right now. Let’s go!

Art of the Dead

This fun and frightening flick brings a whole new level to the world of upper-class artistry. A collection of cursed paintings plagues an unsuspecting family as each painting brings with it a unique curse upon each individual member, forcing them to suffer fates based on the 7 deadly sins far worse than death. The tone of this film is something out of a 90s off the wall comedy horror, with moments of pure brilliance when it comes to comic timing. Director Rolfe Kanefsky and Producer team The Mahal Brothers have brought life to the big screen with this off the wall adventure from the great beyond and no one is safe from the evil cursed paintings created by (in)famous artist Dorian Wilde (a blatant tongue in cheek homage to famed author Oscar Wild and his iconic and terrifying book, Dorian Gray). The beauty of this film is the love that emanates from the screen. You can tell the entire crew had a blast with every minute they took to make this movie and as such, it not only remains very memorable but incredibly rewatchable. If you like films like Army of Darkness, Goosebumps, The Haunted Mask and Monster Squad you are hard-pressed to not have a good time enjoying Art of the Dead.

The Assent

Pearry Teo’s The Assent is what you get when you mix The Exorcist with a nightmarish fever dream, sprinkled with a little Silent Hill and voila! The setup is simple enough, a singe father believes that his young son may be possessed by the Devil. It is up to Father Lambert to save this young boy and redeem himself for the loss of another young boy during a botched exorcism, for which he had just served 3 years prison time for. The directing and makeup effects are disturbingly nightmarish, making for a fun and thrilling watch, especially in an era where most films of a similar nature rely on the same wavey CGI filter and body rattling performance to depict a demonic possession. This exorcism movie is peppered with real Lovecraftian horrors that contort your perception of what a demon really looks like. And yet, the effects in this film are subtle, making for an especially grizzly presentation, especially when child actor Caden Dragomer transforms from a sweet and innocent kid to a possessed husk of his former self.

The Dawn

A loving homage to the classic paranormal flicks and drama driven nunsploitation films of yesteryear, Brandon Slagle’s The Dawn brings a level of class to the genre not seen too often by modern-day filmmakers. An art and performance-driven piece, each shot is a well-constructed painting that comes to life with the performances of actors Devanny Pinn, Stacey Dash, and Ryan Kiser. Throughout the film, subtle nods to such horror classics as The Omen and The Amityville Horror motivate the imagery, all the while the feel is of a film from another time, reminiscent of The Passion of Joan of Arc (you film students know what I’m talking about). With the pristine quality of modern-day filmmaking technology blended together with the storytelling, pace, and feel of a 1970s Giallo picture, The Dawn proves that horror is best when presented in a slow, tense and classy manner.

Rabid

The Soska Sisters did it again! They fucking did it again! These two “Twisted Twins” have taken a beloved filmmaker such as David Cronenberg and breathed new and refreshing life into a work that was already so good, one might even question why anyone would bother to remake it? This incredible, disturbing tale about the dark and fickle nature of the fashion industry (in fact, this theme applies to the art world in general…you filmmakers know what I’m talking about) rejuvenates the body horror genre in a way that thoroughly terrifies without the need of leaving the audience feeling queasy to the stomach. It has been said that the Soska Sisters are the future of horror, but I say they embody the past, present AND future of the genre.

Satanic Panic

Now, THIS is a comedy of terrors if there ever was one! Another fun-filled throwback to the madcap comedies of yesteryear, Director Chelsea Stardust showers love straight from hell onto this comedy. Fans of John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Robert Zemeckis (Tales from the Crypt) will feel right at home during this villainous viewing. A young and beautiful pizza delivery girl finds herself the target of a clan of upper-class Satanists who wish to sacrifice her for the one thing she holds from birth, her virginity. This setup is something out of a 1970s exploitation film, but the tongue in cheek tone mixed with the deadpan line delivery make for a thoroughly entertaining and satirical masterpiece.

Care to sit through this masterful lineup of terror from the minds of the future icons of horror itself? Want to win $666 while playing a card game, watching horror movies and hobnobbing with horror filmmakers at a haunted hotel? Get yourself a ticket to Shockfest now, while there is still time with the code AWARD for %30 off general admission tickets at: www.shockfilmfest.com.

Will you be staying at The Hotel Paranormal and/or attending Shockfest in Vegas this November? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.

Tags:Art of the Dead Rabid Satanic Panic Shockfest Shockfest 2019 The Assent The Dawn

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