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It's been a while that I saw 'Hexing', a horror-drama, and, seriously, even after vexing my grey cells, my mind is still in a haze, amused and far from being bewitched.

Narrated in a non-linear mode, the film is set in 2017, Paris. It begins on a promising note, with a prospective young lady seeking internship at Madame Estelle's (Camille Solal) antique store. A Yantra board, which is an Indian equivalent of the ouija board, catches the young girl's attention at the store. And thence, Madame Estelle reveals the history of the board, as to how it landed there.

We are informed, the Yantra board is a "spirit board" that is used in s?ances as a conduit to reach out to the spirits. But here, this board has its own logic akin to King Arthur's sword. The board cannot be shifted by all and sundry. It choses its possessor and it displays its demonic side,...

While the Sundance Film Festival is the better known film festival located in Utah that runs in January, it is not the only one, as the Slamdance Film Festival has been running in the same place during the same month for over 20 years. The unique aspect of the Slamdance Film Festival, however, is its Narrative Features and Documentary Features program, which restricts its selection to films that are directorial debuts, made for under $1 million, and don’t have Us distribution. The 2015 incarnation of the festival is set to run from January 23rd to the 29th, and ahead of the festival’s premiere next month, organisers have unveiled the lineup for the aforementioned categories. The lineup is as follows.

Narrative Features Program:

Across The Sea (Turkey/USA), making its North American Premiere

Written and Directed by Nisan Dağ and Esra Saydam

Starring Damla Sönmez, Jacob Fishel, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Hakan Karsak,...

Festival top brass announced the 19 films that will screen at the Slamdance Film Festival, set to run in Park City, Utah, from January 23-29.

The 11 narrative and eight documentary selections include 13 world premieres. All competition films are feature directorial debuts budgeted below $1m without Us distribution.

“It’s very exciting to bring this dynamic lineup to audiences in Park City,” said festival director Anna Germanidi. “We are proud to help launch these filmmakers’ careers and celebrate the success we all believe these films deserve.”

“Our success in showcasing emerging artists is most obviously linked with American talent, but increasingly at Slamdance, we want to also support new international talent,” said co-founder and president Peter Baxter.

All synopses below provided by Slamdance.

Narrative Features

Across The Sea (Turkey-usa)

Dirs Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam

Young, beautiful and pregnant, Damla has to confront her first love in a Turkish summer town before she can fully embrace her new life in...

The Sundance Film Festival dominates Park City in late January, but there is also the upstart Slamdance Film Festival. We’ve not really highlighted that fest or its program, but I always stay at Treasure Mountain Inn where Slamdance is headquartered and they’ve kind of grown on me. Last year they brought Christopher Nolan to speak (the fest had the good sense to program his first film) and Joe Mangianello came to vamp his male stripper docu. This year, there’s every chance of seeing Dennis Rodman, the flamboyant former rebounding machine and Bff of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, for the docu Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang In Pyongyang. So let’s all root for an international incident! Here are the films they’ll be playing from January 23-29:

Narrative Features Program

Across the Sea – Directors & Screenwriters: Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam. (Turkey/USA) North American Premiere.

It was just about two years ago when we posted a review of Tin Can Man (read it here), and then... nada. But proving yet again that good things come to those who wait, we finally have release info on the film!

BrinkVision will be releasing the critically acclaimed, award-winning Tin Can Man on VOD and Special Edition DVD on April 22nd.

The film has been described as "terrifying, frightening, superb, and stylish... It's David Lynch by way of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

It's directed by Ivan Kavanagh and stars Patrick O'Donnell, Emma Eliza Regan, and Michael Parle.

If you'll be in or around New York City in April, Kavanagh's latest horror film, The Canal, will be having its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Tin Can Man Synopsis:

Recently dumped by his girlfriend for another man, working in a job he hates, things could be better for Peter.

When someone maliciously takes the life of someone whom you love, how far would you go for revenge? That question will be answered in the upcoming indie flick Darkness on the Edge of Town, and we have your first look.

Patrick Ryan writes and directs. Emma Eliza Regan, Emma Willis, Brian Gleeson, Sam Monaghan, and Chris Fitzgerald star.

Darkness on the Edge of Town tells the story of Cleo Callahan (Regan), a teenage sharpshooter who decides to avenge the death of her estranged elder sister after she is found murdered in a public bathroom. Unbeknownst to Cleo, her best and only friend, Robin O'Riley (Willis), is the murderer she's sworn to kill.

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We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes the short film “Hold Your Fire,” release details for The Black Dahlia Haunting, trailers for Truth or Dare and The Shadows, and much more:

Full Short Film “Hold Your Fire”: “Twitch Film proudly presents the online premiere of artist-turned-filmmaker Wes Benscoter’s debut short film, Hold Your Fire, exclusively at Twitch Film.

A ghostly soldier comes face to face with this grim reality of his war-torn existence on the battlefield… and beyond! Assaulting international audiences at festivals from Montreal’s Fantasia to Sitges, Fantasporto, A Night of Horror, and Dead by Dawn, to sending domestic shivers up spines at Screamfest, Boston Underground, and the New York City Horror Film Festival, Twitch Film now takes the mantle in offering Wes Benscoter’s mini-masterpiece to its largest audience ever.

A twenty-year veteran of horrific illustration,...

We return with the latest edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes details on a comic anthology series featuring Alice Cooper, UK premiere details for Big Ass Spider!, information on the Karen Black fund, and much more:

Details on the Karen Black Fund: “Karen has been waging a battle for over two years with cancer. She has not talked about this publicly because she was hoping it would be cured and she could call herself a cancer survivor. Karen was diagnosed with ampullary cancer in November of 2010. After suffering through nausea, fainting and losing over thirty pounds, she was finally declared Ned – No Evidence of Disease in July. But by December 2011 a small tumor developed and another surgery was in order, which left her completely bed-ridden. Her cancer seemed conquered though. By spring 2012 she was doing a lot better...

*full disclosure: an online screening of this short film was provided by Randal Plunkett. **there are spoilers here. Director: Randal Plunkett. Writers: Oliver Plunkett and Randal Plunkett. Cast: Emma Eliza Regan, Conor Marren, Cian Lavelle-Walsh, Aaron Lee Reed, Emmet Kelly, Gráinne Byrne and Patrick O'Byrne. Tagline: "Some things are best left forgotten." It is not everyday that an Irish lord asks for a favour. So, when director Randal Plunkett, the 21st Lord of Dunstany, mentioned that his short film "Out There" was available for review, this critic answered the call. "Out There" does not deal with nobility, however. This is a zombie film that deals with morality, or, more accurately, amorality. A flawed protagonist with amnesia must piece events together over the course of sixteen minutes. Viewers will also put the story together at the same time and Plunkett's narrative style is clever, while the dubbing hampers the film's potential.

We’re back with our largest Indie Spotlight to date. Today’s feature contains over a dozen indie horror items, including details on The Other Side and your chance to win a copy of City Under the Moon:

The Other Side: We’re sent dozens of short films to check out each month, but The Other Side really stands out from the pack. This short horror film is directed by The Santoro Brothers and it is apparent that they are skilled directors who are also true fans of the genre. The Other Side will be hitting the festival/convention circuit shortly, and we expect it to play really well with slasher and home invasion horror fans.

Synopsis: “When a fresh faced nanny arrives at her new job on a creaky farm in the English countryside, she is instantly caught up in the turbulent relationship of her employers. James is struggling...

A New poster, trailer and images have been released for sci-fi short film Ninety Seconds, which is in the final stages of post-production and is likely to premiere later in 2012.

The Irish production, which runs at 30 minutes, sees a cynical surveillance expert take on an unusual assignment that will lead him into a downward spiral of paranoia and obsession.

The poster is above and you can see the trailer below along with a couple of stills and the full synopsis.

Official synopsis

In an unnamed city in the near future, surveillance experts use equipment as sophisticated as any intelligence agency and hire themselves out to well-heeled and paranoid clients. They become known as Techs.

Mark (Andrew Norry) is one of the best of his kind. He takes on what seems like an ordinary assignment for shady business man Mr. Philips (Michael Parle). His job is to follow and record every...

We’re back with the latest installment of the Indie Spotlight. Today’s feature includes a zombie comedy, two horror teaser trailers, a Treasure Chest of Horrors sequel, a 5-page Dracula World Order preview, and more:

Beverly Lane: The zombie comedy Beverly Lane is now available for is now available on DVD and as a digital rental:

“Beverly Lane follows a local metal company as they celebrate the retirement of their longtime boss with a “Coney Island” themed party. Bored & angry, the workers find themselves stuck with clowns, a magician, a mime, and one very sick barbershop singer. Then all hell breaks loose…literally! Stuck between zombies and a sideshow, the workers must learn to survive with each other or die trying.”

For more information, visit: http://beverlylanemovie.com

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Teaser Trailer for Scopia: Take a look at the teaser trailer for the upcoming supernatural thriller Scopia:

“Basia (Joanna Ignaczewska) is...

Our Indie Spotlight feature returns with UFO’s, a zombie webseries pilot, and an exclusive interview with Woe to the Living co-designer Joshua Butterfield. We also have an exclusive first look at the cover art for Shakespeare v. Lovecraft:

Devolution: Reckoning- This short film is a unique 10 minute piece about UFOs attacking Earth, told through timelapses and other experimental means.

“Fed up with the failures of mankind, a cruel race of UFOs set out to destroy Earth and all that inhabit it. Can civilization survive the incredible onslaught of the attackers? Baraka meets War Of The Worlds in this unique sci-fi short, told through an unconventional arrangement of dramatic timelapses, public domain radio plays, and some experimental flair from horror filmmaker Gavin Heffernan.”

Watch the short film for free at: https://vimeo.com/12120049

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Zombie Squash: Last month, we were one of the first to bring you news Zombie Squash,...

The latest 'Jack Taylor' movie is currently shooting in Galway. It has also been announced that there are three new editions to the cast for the upcoming movie 'Jack Taylor; The Magdalene Martyrs'. Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey), Nora Jane Noone (The Runaway, Small Change) and Killian Scott (Love/Hate, Single Handed) will all reprise their roles. Joining the cast for this movie are Aaron Monaghan (The Other Side Of Sleep, Single-Handed), actress Emma Eliza Regan (Love Eternal, The Shadows), Gavin Drea (Love Hate series 2, What Richard Did)...

Principal Photography has begun on Emu Productions fantasy drama 'The Shadows'. The feature began filming last week and will continue until September 5th. 'The Shadows' will film around Dublin and Meath, with the production based in Navan. Written and directed by Colin Downey, 'The Shadows' is inspired by George MacDonald's fairytale of the same name. New cast confirmed in the feature are Eddie Weber (The Business), Sam Homan (Ros na Run), Irene Wright (Sugar Stick) and Gráinne McHale. They join the confirmed stars Michael Parle (Our Wonderful Home), Emma Eliza Regan (The Fading Light), Natalie Kostrzewa (The Looking Glass) and Lorcan Melia (Camelot)...