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Presented by Deadhouse Films, the 11th annual A Night of Horror International Film Festival and Fantastic Planet, Sydney Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival announce the first wave of programming for the 2017 event today. Both festivals will run concurrently at Dendy Cinemas Newtown, from November 29th to December 3rd 2017. Says programming director Dean Bertram:

The festivals’ programmers are delighted to announce a stunning array of frightening, bloody, and awe-inspiring cinema from around the world. This first wave is an international cinematic buffet. It includes the freshest and best of this season’s fantastic genre fare: incredible films from Australia, Europe, North and South America, and Africa.

The first eight feature films announced by the two festivals – all of which are Sydney, Australian, or international premieres – are below. More program details and guest announcements will be revealed at the end of the month when tickets also go on sale.

Bad Black (dir: Nabwana I.G.G.,...

First three investments from slate fund revealed.

London-based production outfit Horizons Media is launching a production fund targeting UK indie filmmakers.

Backed by a network of private investors, the Horizons team say they intend to invest £10m over the next three years in a slate of titles.

These investments will include co-production partnerships with up-and-coming production teams, as well as in-house productions, the first three of which has been announced: thriller Bodies, currently in post-production, sci-fi mockumentary 200 Days, and a drama set on the London stand-up circuit, Last Laugh.

Horizons was launched this year by Tom Large, whose credits as a director include 2014 sci-fi Beyond and 2016 sci-fi Arcadia, with investment director Alexandra Buchanan and development consultant Kristian Brodie.

Separately, Horizons is also launching a finishing fund in partnership with Transgression Films. The fund will provide late-stage investments for producers seeking development or post-production funding for their projects.

Written and directed by Tom Large, the man behind 2012′s Beyond; and starring Marc Baylis (Misfits, Coronation Street), Akie Kotabe (TV’s Humans), Sid Phoenix (Florence Foster Jenkins, Beyond), Arcadia is a fast-paced London-based sci-fi thriller, mixing elements of Soylent Green and Elysium to come up with an ingenious, riveting look at a not too distant future gone badly wrong, where a corrupt government runs a cruel life lottery which one man tries to smash.

In the not too distant future, the population has risen to dangerous numbers and a deadly disease has gripped the world. To combat the death toll rising, ‘Arcadia’ has been built as safe disease-free havens for the privileged, where life expectancy is more than 130 years. Outside Arcadia, the average life lasts merely 40 years – unless they can earn a place amongst the elite. Charlie is 39 and living in London, with little time left he works every...

Hulu has released the full-length trailer for their epic event series 11.22.63. Arriving in nine one-hour episodes, 11.22.63 is set to premiere on President's Day, February 15, 2016. This exciting sci-fi drama is based upon the New York Times best-selling 2011 novel written by Stephen King. It stars James Franco, Josh Duhamel and Sarah Gadon.

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy was killed, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? The Hulu Original series 11.22.63 is a thriller in which high school history teacher Jake Epping (James Franco) travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His mission is threatened by Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love and the past itself, which doesn't want to be changed.

Also starring Chris Cooper, Josh Duhamel, T.R. Knight, Cherry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George MacKay and Daniel Webber. J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Bridget Carpenter and...

Gillian MacGregor

After small roles in The Sick House and A Lonely Place To Die, plus a series of appearances in TV series Persona, Gillian McGregor had her first major leading role in Beyond, the story of a couple at war with one another as a large, unknown object hurtles toward the Earth. Her performance dominates the film and is sure to bring her to wider attention. As it’s released on DVD this week, I caught up with her to ask how she became involved with the film.

“Lizzie, the producer, contacted my agent,” she says. “Well, I went in for casting and I really thought I blew it. I tend to get a feeling for how it’s gone. But then I got called back.” She laughs, remembering her excitement; it’s odd to hear such a light-hearted sound after watching her fierce and unhappy creation in Beyond.

Due to have its world premiere as part of the SciFi London Festival later this week, the official poster and trailer for Tom Large and Joseph Baker's Beyond has arrived online.For a brief moment in history, the world stood still. All eyes and minds focused on the skies and the colossal, unidentified object that was discovered on a collision course with Earth. Now, shrouded in mystery, the vast alien spacecraft looms ominously in sight above Northern Europe bringing with it an uncertain future. Amidst the chaos of the ensuing global catastrophe one young couple, searching for their infant daughter, their lost relationship and the hope of salvation embark on a perilous journey across a beautiful but treacherous landscape. They are driven on by hope, confronting...

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Since Sony seems determined to give away just about every twist and turn in the upcoming reboot sequel "Amazing Spider-Man 2," a spoiler warning probably isn't necessary for the the latest photo released from the film. However, if you've somehow been able to avoid spoilers thus far, click away.  It's been common knowledge for some time that Dane DeHaan ("Place Beyond the Pines") is playing Harry Osborn, son of OsCorp founder Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper).  A onetime pal of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), Harry eventually turns into the Green Goblin and fights Spidey in the gears of a giant clock, "Modern Times"-style....