We sat down with festival director Monte Yazzie to discuss this year's offerings, the growing trends in these genres and some of his favorite, overlooked films.
What should horror and sci-fi fans expect if they go to the IHSFF this year?
I am very happy that I can continue to say the following statement, but we have another great lineup of films this year. Within our 11 showcase films I am very happy that we were able to get such a diverse lineup again. Genre film is constantly changing, what was popular 5 years ago may not be popular today, so it's hard to judge how things will change year to year. I'm hopeful that our program this year will display how horror and science fiction films have the potential to be more than just the characteristics that typically define them but also show how filmmakers are using those same extravagant elements to tell familiar stories in new and inventive ways.
What do you enjoy most about being the director of the festival?
The community. The goal of the festival is to provide filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their unique, creative visions with eager cinephiles. But it's also about providing a place for film fans to come together and talk about the films and genre they love. This is a yearly event and for some, including myself when I first started going, it's an event that people schedule into their busy lives. Fostering that community is important to me, and I hope we are providing the best environment for film fans to come and interact.
The IHSFF has a history of getting some amazing films early one such as Eyes Of My Mother and Deathgasm, what does it mean to you to bring such gems early to audiences?
We are very fortunate to get some of the films we have shown. It feels good, it weirdly validates our efforts when we get something that continues to get bigger and more attention. That's always what I thought was really fun about the festival, that aspect of discovery. Finding a movie before all the buzz. It's like going to a video store back in the 90's and finding that one VHS movie you knew all your friends hadn't seen yet. It's all about the discovery.
As you look at the program of films this year, do you see any emerging trends in horror and sci-fi?
I see the trend of filmmakers using the genre to make statements, to use horror and science fiction stories to relate or correspond in some way to the state of our world. This isn't something new however, film has always been a time traveling vessel to see what the world was like at a particular moment. In the same way George Romero was making a statement with "Dawn of the Dead", Jordan Peele made a statement with "Get Out". Those films are almost 40 years apart from one another but paint a clear picture through the genre veil of the world they are living in. I think the political and social discord throughout the world lends itself well to filmmakers working within genre film, it allows an artist a creative outlet to tell stories while using the symbolic, allegorical elements found in genre films like horror and science fiction.
And finally, what are two of the most underrated films in the horror and sci-fi genre?
I think "Candyman" is the best film of the 90's. The symbolism, the myth, the imagery, and the monster are exceptionally rendered in that film, it still holds a strong emotional grasp on you as well. But I have never thought of that film as "underrated".
This is a hard question, but let's stay in the 1990's and for horror go with "Body Parts" starring Jeff Fahey and one of my favorite anthologies "Tales From The Hood". And for a deep cut 90's film, "Brainscan" starring Edward Furlong and "The Resurrected" aka "Shatterbrain" directed by Dan O'Bannon.
For science fiction, again it's very hard. But if we stay 90's, let get the controversy of whether this film is a horror film or science fiction film and call it a horror/sci-fi crossover, "Event Horizon" is amazing!! Again, don't consider it an "underrated" film. So, let's add "Dark City" directed by Alex Proyas, "I Come In Peace" starring Dolph Lundgren, "eXistenZ" by David Cronenberg, and "Fortress" by Stuart Gordon.
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