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Ben Steiner's Matriarch is now available on Hulu and we got to talk with the writer/director, along with co-stars Kate Dickie and Jemima Rooper, all about this creepy folk horror film!

Kate Dickie, known for her memorable mothering performances in ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Witch,’ stars as the titular “Matriarch” in a rural British body horror family drama, the second in a slate of nine feature-length films developed and expanded from 20th Digital Studio’s short film collection “Bite Size Halloween.” The Hulu Original film will hold its world premiere screening at the 2022 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood, Calif., on October 11 - opening night - before premiering on the streamer for Huluween on October 21. Check out the full Screamfest lineup here.

UK filmmaker Ben Steiner (“Monsterland 2”) wrote and directed the film, led by Jemima Rooper. At a breaking point after a near-fatal overdose, a woman (Rooper...

British horror film Matriarch, which premiered on Hulu today, has just released a new clip via Variety. Matriarch tells the story of an advertiser who leaves her hectic life behind to reconnect with her estranged mother but soon finds herself facing a demonic secret in her hometown. Written and directed by Ben Steiner, Matriarch stars Jemima Rooper (The Girlfriend Experience), Kate Dickie (The Northman), Franc Ashman (I Came By), and Keith David Bartlett in his film debut.

Home is where the horror is in Matriarch, Hulu’s latest Huluween offering. Writer/Director Ben Steiner expands on his 2018 short film “Urn,” also available on Hulu, for his feature debut. A strange illness forces a woman to return home to her roots, leading her down a bizarre journey of self-discovery and twisted folk horror. Matriarch bites off a bit more than it can chew with its narrative, but its striking horror imagery sticks with you.

Laura (Jemima Rooper) lives in the city and works in a high-anxiety job as an executive. She struggles to maintain relationships and uses cocaine to cope with her stress. A strange illness and an overdose leave her spiraling in a life-upending way, prompting Laura to accept the invitation of her estranged mother, Celia (Kate Dickie), to return home. But homecoming is anything but healing for Laura. There’s something amiss with the town; the...

One of streamer Hulu’s original contributions to this year’s Halloween programming is terrifying new British horror film “Matriarch.”

In the film, after an overdose nearly takes her life, Laura Birch escapes from the high-stakes pressure of the advertising world to return to her roots. Accepting an invitation home from her estranged mother, Laura hopes the time away in the secluded English village will help calm the demons raging inside of her. She soon discovers that the locals of the town are all protecting an unspeakably dark secret – a secret that involves not only her mother but her own terrifying destiny as well.

The cast includes Jemima Rooper, Kate Dickie, Franc Ashman and Keith David Bartlett.

“Matriarch” is written and directed by Ben Steiner (“Monsterland 2”). Executive producers include David Worthen Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, and Jenna Cavelle with production services by Sharp House producers Ian Sharp and Eoin O’Faolain, and co-producer Alexa Waugh.

Some family secrets are better left unknown as seen in Hulu's Matriarch. A spiritual successor to his short film Urn, Ben Steiner's horror film centers on a woman who goes to visit her estranged mother in her hometown after a near-fatal overdose, only to discover both her mother and neighbors harboring a dark secret going back to her childhood.

Jemima Rooper leads the cast of Matriarch alongside Kate Dickie, Sarah Paul, Franc Ashman, Keith David Bartlett, and Nick Haverson. Combining the tones of folk horror with Lovecraftian elements, Steiner's feature directorial debut is a chilling meditation on childhood trauma and coming to terms with the demons in one's past.

Related: Biggest Horror Movies Coming In Fall/Winter 2022

In honor of the film's premiere, Screen Rant spoke exclusively with stars Jemima Rooper and Kate Dickie and writer-director John Ross to discuss Matriarch, the "bonkers" twists of the script, developing their unique dynamic,...

20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween Brings 20 Spooky Shorts from Diverse, Emerging Filmmakers for Huluween: "In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween series of spooky shorts is back for a third season! Twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity. Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz) features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (“Insidious”), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

David Worthen Brooks, 20th Digital Studio head...

Telluride Horror Show today announced the full program for its 13th film festival, scheduled for October 14-16, 2022, in the funky and unique mining-turned-ski town of Telluride, Colorado.

“This year’s program features a robust international lineup with the latest and best horror films from 15 countries around the world, with numerous directors and cast and crew members in person. Attendees will have a chance to meet Hollywood legend Clint Howard at Friday’s Ice Scream Social, where he’ll be scooping ice cream before the festival’s retro program of Ice Cream Man with Q&a presented by Vinegar Syndrome. Pass holders will also be able to test their horror movie knowledge on Sunday during Fright or Wrong’s Horror Trivia, where players are encouraged to arrive dressed as their favorite horror villain.

“Several other free events will be open to the public throughout the weekend including the 2022 Horror Summit, as...

Disney’s 20th Digital Studios has been releasing horror shorts as the Bite Size Halloween series on the Hulu streaming service for two seasons now, and a third season of the series is set to premiere on October 1st. Tomorrow! With that date so near, a trailer for Bite Size Halloween season 3 has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Bite Size Halloween season 3 consists of twenty-one shorts that star the likes of Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law), Brendan Hines (Locke & Key), Misha Osherovich (Freaky), Brigette Lundy-Paine (Atypical), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (Breaking Bad), Rebekka Johnson (Glow), and singer-songwriter Kate Nash.

The shorts that make up the season are titled Nian, Ticks, Snatched, Nzu, Bug, Incomplete, Remote, Live Bait, Foreigners Only, Mr. Crocket, Angels, Disposal, The Heritage, Fracture, Bad Rabbit, Sleep Study, Go to Bed Raymond, The Kapre, Alone with Him, Trespassers, and Ride or Die.

"They're gonna take one of us away." Hulu has revealed an official trailer for their new offering of horror shorts out this season. Bite Size Halloween: Season 3 launches on October 1st available on Hulu, with a whopping twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers. We are huge fans of short films, always featuring the best ones to watch once they debut online. This series is a 20th Century Studios creation, as they're developing these shorts with hopes that a few can be turned into features. Shot in seven different countries, this new series of shorts takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity. Blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more. Some of these do look awesome! And some of them don't. If you have the time to spare, might as well watch these in October. Check out the trailer below. ›››

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In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s series of spooky shorts Bite Size Halloween is back for a third season, Hulu had officially announced a couple weeks back.

A whopping twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Watch the official trailer for “Bite Size Halloween” Season 3 below!

“Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity,” notes the press release.

Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz), for starters, features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s series of spooky shorts Bite Size Halloween is back for a third season, Hulu had officially announced last week.

A whopping twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Check out the brand new image gallery and poster art below!

“Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity,” notes the press release.

Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz), for starters, features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

With the year’s end already in sight, another cycle of European fantastic film festivals has also reached its conclusion. Last week during the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Gaspar Noé’s Climax was the lucky recipient of this year’s Méliès D’Or. Noé’s hybrid of dance extravaganza, delirium and idiosyncratic possession is a sublime production set to choice tunes and previously left Cannes as the winner of the sharply curated Directors’ Fortnight. Climax went on to win the Silver Méliès at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, making it eligible for the 2018 Golden Méliès, awarded in Sitges. The best European fantastic short film is Ben Steiner’s Clanker Man, while Álex de la Iglesia became the first recipient of a Méliès career award in recognition of his...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Two hot TV projects, an environmental zombie and an unhinged park ranger were among highlights at the eighth edition of the horror market.

Frontières International Co-Production Market continued to showcase its growth at Fantasia International Film Festival as it kicked off its eighth edition on Thursday [July 21].

Earlier this year, the genre market announced a new partnership with the Marché du Film at Cannes, and the popularity of its pitching session at Fantasia meant that it moved to the festival’s bigger venue to accommodate the growing industry interest.

This edition’s 20 projects also saw the market’s remit expand to include two television projects for the first time.

House Of Psychotic Women from Rook Films, behind the likes of Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers and Peter Strickland’s The Duke Of Burgundy, is based on horror critic Kier-La Janisse’s acclaimed memoir.

Centred on 15-year-old Carly as she navigates Winnipeg’s child welfare system, each episode...

The 17th annual Boston Underground Film Festival is set to explode all over the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square on March 25-29.

Opening Night: The fun kicks off on the 25th at 7:30 p.m. with the exciting new flick from the always amazing Astron-6 collective, The Editor, an homage to the brutal Giallo movies of the ’70s and ’80s directed by Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy. This will be followed by the restored version of the legendary cult classic Gone With the Pope by the notorious Duke Mitchell.

Closing Night: Goodnight Mommy the debut feature film by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz, will screen at 8:30 p.m. on the 29th and is a nightmarish vision of familial dread when twin brothers believe their cosmetically altered mother is literally not the woman she used to be.

Other features include a mix of horror, like Matt O’Mahoney’s...

This past November, I was lucky enough to co-program the Midnite Block of Nitehawk Shorts Fest, the annual celebration of stellar shorts filmmakers and shorts filmmaking at Brooklyn’s great Nitehawk Cinema. One of the standouts of a truly stacked lineup including Ben Steiner’s The Stomach, Andrea McGinty’s McDreamy and Ben Aston’s He Took his Skin…

The post Watch: Fantastic Horror-Comedy Short, The Grey Matter appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Welcome to the third installment of my ongoing series of articles that collects great horror short films.

If you have not already done so, please check out the first two installments of this series “Watch 15 Great Horror Short Films” and its follow-up “Watch 13 More Great Horror Short Films” not only because you’ll love them but also because films and filmmakers mentioned in those articles are referenced in this one.

Short form horror aficionados will also want to check out a recent article I wrote called “The Greatest Horror Anthology Film Segments of All Time”.

As you readers know, the horror short film is an artistic endeavor that can serve as a film industry calling card. A perfect example of this is the recent announcement of the feature film version of Can Evrenol’s superb horror short Baskin.

Combine successes like that with the very strong film festival presence of...

The fifth annual Telluride Horror Show is getting set to kick off in Telluride, Colorado, next month, and right now we have the first batch of announced films for your perusal.

From the Press Release

The Telluride Horror Show is excited to announce the first batch of films for its 5th annual festival, scheduled for October 10-12, 2014, in beautiful Telluride, Colorado.

Features

Backwater

USA | 2013 | 94 min | Director: Christopher Schrack

Followed by a Q&A with director Christopher Schrack.

A couple camping in the woods believe they are in tremendous danger even though they can't explain what is causing their terror.

Bag Boy Lover Boy

USA | 2014 | 77 min | Director: Andres Torres

Bag Boy Lover Boy follows the lowly life of Albert, an oddball hotdog vendor who is shocked to find himself suddenly becoming the bizarre muse of enigmatic NYC photographer Ivan Worthington. But shocks come his way even more so when, amidst his...