Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) is a showcase of

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

and

cult cinema Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ha ...

held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The festival premieres a diverse selection of feature-length and short-films from around the world including new works from Asia, Europe and North America. The festival was founded by Adam Lopez in 2006.

Past and upcoming festivals

2006

The 1st Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 20–24, 2006. The inaugural festival was held at the

Bloor Cinema The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (formerly the Bloor Cinema and the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema) is a movie theatre in the Annex district of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the 506 Bloor Street West, near its intersection with the Bathurst ...

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Canada. The 2006 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include 13 films from around the world, and 15 short films from Canada. Some of the films screened at the festival included ''

Special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces ...

'', directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmorewhere, the

J-horror Japanese horror, also known as J-horror, is horror fiction derived from popular culture in Japan, generally noted for its unique thematic and conventional treatment of the horror genre differing from the traditional Western representation of horr ...

film ''

Retribution Retribution may refer to: * Punishment * Retributive justice, a theory of justice ** Divine retribution, retributive justice in a religious context * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film and televis ...

'' from cult director

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...

, the North American premiere of the Thai action-horror film ''

Vengeance Vengeance may refer to: *Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film * ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo * ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...

'', and '' Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon'', which won the festival's first Audience Award. Other films included '' The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell'', '' Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'', '' Night of the Living Dorks'', '' Re-cycle'', ''

Mad Cowgirl ''Mad Cowgirl'' is a low-budget film by Gregory Hatanaka released in 2006. Hatanaka dedicated the movie to Doris Wishman, who directed 1960s sexploitation films such as ''Diary of a Nudist'', ''Behind the Nudist Curtain'' and ''Bad Girls Go to H ...

'', '' Slaughter Night'', and '' Naisu no mori: The First Contact''. The festival also featured a "Make Your Own Damn Movie!" masterclass taught by

Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featu ...

. Festival attendance was 4,350.

2007

The 2nd Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 19–25, 2007. The second annual festival was held from October 19–25, 2007, at the Bloor Cinema. The festival expanded to fifty films: fourteen features and 36 short films from around the world, including 15 Canadian shorts. Festival highlights included ''

The Tripper ''The Tripper'' is a 2006 American comedy slasher film directed by David Arquette, and starring Jaime King, Thomas Jane and Lukas Haas. The film, Arquette's directorial debut, is about a group of hippies at a music festival who get stalked by a m ...

'', directed by

David Arquette David Arquette (; born September 8, 1971) is an American actor, producer, and retired professional wrestler. Arquette's breakout came with his starring role as Dewey Riley in the slasher film '' Scream'' (1996), a role which he later reprised i ...

; director

Shinya Tsukamoto is a Japanese filmmaker and actor. With a considerable cult following both domestically and abroad, Tsukamoto is best known for his body horror/Japanese cyberpunk, cyberpunk film ''Tetsuo: The Iron Man'' (1989), which is considered the defining ...

's ''

Nightmare Detective is a 2006 Japanese horror film directed by Shinya Tsukamoto and released by Movie-Eye Entertainment Inc, starring Ryuhei Matsuda and Hitomi. Masanobu Andō and Ren Osugi play supporting roles, and Tsukamoto himself plays the unnamed villain. The ...

''; the premiere of

Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...

's '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'';

Uwe Boll Uwe Boll (; born 22 June 1965) is a German filmmaker. He came to prominence during the 2000s for his adaptations of video game franchises. Released theatrically, the films were critical and commercial failures; his Alone in the Dark (2005 film), ...

's '' In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale''; the zombie-western short film '' It Came From The West''; the world premiere of

John Bergin John Bergin is a writer, illustrator, designer, and musician. As Art Director at Lakeshore Records. He has created and designed packaging for soundtrack albums such as ''Stranger Things,'' ''Drive, Mandy, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Wednesday, Star ...

's '' From Inside''; '' Mulberry Street'', which went on to win the festival's After Dark Spirit Award; and the Thai horror film ''

Alone Alone may refer to: * Solitude, a state of seclusion or isolation * Loneliness, negative emotions arising from seclusion Film and television Film * ''Alone'' (1931 French film), by Henri Diamant-Berger * ''Alone'' (1931 Soviet film), by Leonid ...

'' from directors

Banjong Pisanthanakun Bangjong Pisanthanakun () is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. He saw early success with his first two films, ''Shutter (2004 film), Shutter'' (2004) and ''Alone (2007 film), Alone'' (2007), both horror films that he co-directed and co-wrote wit ...

and

Parkpoom Wongpoom Parkpoom Wongpoom () (born 1978) is a Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. He is known for his work with filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun; the pair co-directed and co-wrote the 2004 hit Thai horror film, '' Shutter'', and the 2007 horror film, '' Alo ...

, which won the festival's annual Audience Award. Festival attendance was 6,500. Other films included '' Blood Car'', '' Wolfhound'', '' The Rebel'', '' Audience of One'', ''

Aachi & Ssipak ''Aachi & Ssipak'' is a 2006 South Korean adult animated comic science fiction action film directed by Jo Beom-jin and features the voices of Ryoo Seung-bum, Im Chang-jung, and Hyun Young. Plot Somewhere in the future, mankind has depleted all en ...

'', '' Ambassador's Day'', ''

Murder Party ''Murder Party'' is a 2007 American horror comedy film written, directed and shot by Jeremy Saulnier. It was shot in Brooklyn, New York. It was given the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival and screened within ...

'', ''

Operation Fish Operation Fish was the relocation of British money and gold ingots from the United Kingdom to Canada for safekeeping during the Second World War. It was the largest known movement of physical wealth in history. Background In September 1939, the ...

'', '' Terror On The 3918'', ''

Simon Says Simon Says is a children's game for three or more players. One player takes the role of "Simon" and issues instructions (usually physical actions such as "jump in the air" or "stick out your tongue") to the other players, which should be foll ...

'', among others.

2008

The 3rd Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 17–24, 2008. The third annual festival expanded to eight nights and was held from October 17–24, 2008, at the Bloor Cinema. Highlights of the third Annual Festival included sell-out screenings of '' Let the Right One In'', ''

Repo! The Genetic Opera ''Repo! The Genetic Opera'' is a 2008 American musical film. Described as a gothic rock opera, the film was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and based on the 2002 stage musical of the same name, written and composed by Darren Smith and Terranc ...

'', ''

Tokyo Gore Police is a 2008 Japanese science fiction horror film co-written, edited and directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura and starring Eihi Shiina as Ruka, a vengeful police officer. ''Tokyo Gore Police'' was released to several film festivals in North America. ...

'', and the North American Premiere of ''

I Sell The Dead ''I Sell the Dead'' is a 2008 American horror comedy period film about grave robbing, starring Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden, and Angus Scrimm. It is the feature film debut from Irish director Glenn McQuaid. Plot While awaiting ...

''; over 30 attending filmmakers on stage to introduce their films, including

Larry Fessenden Laurence T. Fessenden (born March 23, 1963) is an American actor, producer, writer, director, film editor, and cinematographer. He is the founder of the New York based independent production outfit Glass Eye Pix. His writer/director credits inclu ...

(''The Last Winter'') and

Angus Scrimm Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor, author, and journalist, known for his portrayal of the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film '' Phantasm'' and its sequels. Early life Scrimm was born ...

(''Phantasm''); packed nightly social events; positive reviews for the films programmed; and a ''

Zombie Walk A zombie walk is an organized public gathering of people who dress up in zombie costumes. Participants usually meet in an urban center and make their way around the city streets and public spaces (or a series of taverns in the case of a zombie ...

''. Other films included ''

Trailer Park of Terror ''Trailer Park of Terror'' is a 2008 American horror film directed by Steven Goldmann and written by Timothy Dolan. It stars Nichole Hiltz, Matthew Del Negro, Trace Adkins, Myk Watford and Jeanette Brox. Plot summary Based on the Imperiu ...

'', Mirageman, ''

Idiots and Angels ''Idiots and Angels'' is a 2008 adult animated- black comedy film directed by Bill Plympton. Plot Angel is a selfish, abusive, morally bankrupt man who hangs out at a local bar, berating the other patrons. One day, Angel mysteriously wakes up ...

'', ''

Who is KK Downey? ''Who Is KK Downey?'' is a 2008 comedy film directed by Pat Kiely and Darren Curtis. It was produced in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Loosely based on the JT Leroy controversy, the film stars Darren Curtis and Matt Silver as Terrance Permenstein and ...

'', ''

4bia ''4bia'' also called ''Phobia'' in somewhere (; ; lit. 'Crossroads') is a 2008 Thai anthology supernatural horror film directed by Youngyooth Thongkonthun, Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom, and Paween Purijitpanya, starring Laila Boonya ...

'', ''Brain Dead'', ''

Donkey Punch Donkey punch is the sexual practice of inflicting blunt force trauma to the back of the head or lower back of the receiving partner, during anal or vaginal sex; as an attempt by the penetrating partner, to induce involuntary tightening of interna ...

'', ''

Mutant Chronicles ''Mutant Chronicles'' is a pen-and-paper role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic world, originally published in 1993. It has spawned a franchise of collectible card games, miniature wargames, video games, novels, comic books, and a film ...

'', and ''

Home Movie A home movie is a short amateur film or video typically made just to preserve a visual record of family activities, a vacation, or a special event, and intended for viewing at home by family and friends. Originally, home movies were made on ph ...

''. The festival also featured a Make Your Own Damn Movie! masterclass taught by

. Festival attendance was over 8,500. Over 3,500 votes were cast for the Audience Award for Best Feature Film and the Gold winner was Swedish vampire film '' Let the Right One In''. Silver went to cult sci-fi horror musical ''

'', and Bronze was awarded by fans to the Thai supernatural anthology movie ''

'' (''Phobia''). Awards were also handed out for Best Independent Feature Film, where the big winner was the grave-robber comedy, ''

'', and in the short film categories, winners included the Christmas tree exploitation film ''Treevenge''.

2009

The 4th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place August 14–21, 2009. The fourth annual festival made the move to summer, once again at the Bloor Cinema with over 9,000 fans attending the festival. Highlights included screenings of the Norwegian Nazi zombie horror-comedy ''

Dead Snow ''Dead Snow'' () is a 2009 Norwegian satiric horror film directed by Tommy Wirkola, starring Charlotte Frogner, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Jeppe Laursen, Evy Kasseth Røsten, Jenny Skavlan, and Lasse Valdal. The film centers on a group ...

'', the horror anthology ''

Trick 'r Treat ''Trick 'r Treat'' is a 2007 American anthology horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty (in his directorial debut) and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox. It relates ...

'' and the cult

blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...

action-comedy ''

Black Dynamite ''Black Dynamite'' is a 2009 American blaxploitation action comedy film starring Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, and Salli Richardson. The film was directed by Scott Sanders and co-written by White, Sanders, and Byron Minns, who also co-s ...

'', which won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the Audience Choice Awards. The festival also hosted its first ever world premiere, ''

Strigoi Strigoi in Romanian mythology are troubled spirits that are said to have risen from the grave. They are attributed with the abilities to transform into a beast, become invisible, and to gain vitality from the blood of their victims. Bram Stoke ...

'', an offbeat Romanian vampire comedy that was awarded by the fest Gold in the Best Independent Feature Film category. Silver and Bronze honours went to the dark comedy '' The Revenant'' and the zombie thriller, ''

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

'', respectively. Other films included ''

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

'', ''

The Warlords ''The Warlords'' ( zh, c=投名狀, labels=no), previously known as ''The Blood Brothers'', is a 2007 Epic film, epic Historical film, historical Action film, action film directed and co-produced by Peter Chan, starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takes ...

'' (starring Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro), ''

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

'' (starring MC Jean Gab'1), ''Rough Cut'', ''

Franklyn ''Franklyn'' is a 2008 British science fantasy film written and directed by Gerald McMorrow as his debut feature. The film stars Eva Green, Ryan Phillippe, and Sam Riley. ''Franklyn'' had its world premiere at BFI London Film Festival on 16 O ...

'' (starring Ryan Phillippe and Eva Green), ''The Forbidden Door'', ''Must Love Death'', ''

Someone's Knocking at the Door ''Someone's Knocking at the Door'' is a 2009 American comedy horror film co-written, directed and produced by Chad Ferrin. The film stars Noah Segan, Andrea Rueda, Ezra Buzzington, Jon Budinoff, Silvia Spross, Elina Madison, Ricardo Gray, Lew Tem ...

'', '' The Children'', ''

Embodiment of Evil ''Embodiment of Evil'' () is a 2008 Brazilian horror film directed by and starring José Mojica Marins. It is the third installment in his ''Coffin Joe'' trilogy, featuring Marins reprising his role as Zé do Caixão (in English, Coffin Joe). The ...

'' (the third film in the ''

Coffin Joe Zé do Caixão , known in English-speaking countries as Coffin Joe, is a character created and nominally played by Brazilian writer, director, and actor José Mojica Marins. An amoral undertaker with Nietzschian beliefs, he is driven by his de ...

'' trilogy), and '' The Dark Hour''. ''Shorts After Dark (International Short Film Snowcase)'' comprised eleven new horror, sci-fi, action, and cult short films from around the world, including a number of international award winners. ''Canada After Dark (Canadian Short Film Snowcase)'' featured 17 "home-grown" short films (and are the opening acts for the feature films).

2010

The 5th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place August 13–20, 2010. The fifth annual festival, once again at the Bloor Cinema with over 9,300 fans attending. Highlights included the festival's first-ever red carpet premiere for ''

The Last Exorcism ''The Last Exorcism'' is a 2010 American found footage supernatural horror film directed by Daniel Stamm. It stars Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell, Iris Bahr, Caleb Landry Jones, and Louis Herthum. After years of performing exorcisms, a disillu ...

'', with producer Eli Roth, stars Ashley Bell and Patrick Fabian attending, the horror film ''

The Human Centipede ''The Human Centipede (First Sequence)'' is a 2009 Dutch independent body horror film written, directed and co-produced by Tom Six. The film concerns a deranged German surgeon who kidnaps three tourists and conjoins them surgically, mouth to an ...

'', and the 2010 remake of the 1978 exploitation film ''

I Spit On Your Grave ''I Spit on Your Grave'' (originally titled ''Day of the Woman'') is a 1978 American rape and revenge film written and directed by Meir Zarchi. The film tells the story of Jennifer Hills ( Camille Keaton), a fiction writer based in New York ...

''. These three films won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively, in the Audience Choice Awards. Other films included '' The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu'', ''

Doghouse A doghouse, also known as a kennel, is an outbuilding to provide shelter for a dog from various weather conditions. Background Humans and domesticated dogs have been companions for more than 15,000 years, beginning with the wolf and hunter ...

'', '' Evil In the Time of Heroes'', ''

Robogeisha is a 2009 Japanese sci-fi action B movie written and directed by Noboru Iguchi, visual effects directed by Tsuyoshi Kazuno, and special effects directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura. All three had previously worked together on ''The Machine Girl'', and ...

'', ''

Alien vs Ninja , also known as ''AvN'', is a 2010 Japanese martial arts science-fiction comedy film written and directed by Seiji Chiba. Produced by Nikkatsu studios, the film was slated for release in July 2010. The US DVD and Blu-ray were released February 2 ...

'', ''

Phobia 2 ''Phobia 2'' also known as ''Ha Phrang'' () is a 2009 Thai anthology supernatural horror film consisting of five shorts: "Novice" directed by Paween Purijitpanya, "Ward" by Visute Poolvoralaks, "Backpackers" by Songyos Sugmakanan, "Salvage" by P ...

'', ''

Cargo In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in cas ...

'', ''

Centurion In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...

'', ''

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

'', ''

All About Evil ''All About Evil'' is a 2010 American black comedy slasher film and marks the feature film directorial debut of Joshua Grannell, who also wrote the script. The film stars Natasha Lyonne as an unhinged theatre owner who begins making snuff films ...

'', ''

High School A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

'' and ''

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...

''. ''Shorts After Dark (International Short Film Snowcase)'' comprised 10 new horror, sci-fi, action, and cult short films from around the world, including a number of international award winners and premieres. 2010's Best International Short Film award winners included ''Off Season'' (Gold), ''

Pumzi ''Pumzi'' () is a Kenyan science-fiction short film written and directed by Wanuri Kahiu. It was screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival as part of its New African Cinema program. The project was funded with grants from the Changamoto arts ...

'' (Silver), and ''Deus Irae'' (Bronze). ''Canada After Dark (Canadian Short Film Snowcase)'' featured 16 "home-grown" short films (and are the opening acts for the feature films). 2010's Best Canadian Short Film award winners included ''Junko's Shamisen'' (Gold), ''King Chicken'' (Silver), and ''Fireman'' and ''Game Night'' (tied for Bronze).

2011

The 6th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 20–27, 2011. The sixth annual festival returned to October and the Halloween season for the first time in three years, at the Toronto Underground Cinema. A record number of feature films and short film submissions were received this year. Toronto After Dark announced the first eight Official Selections of its 2011 film line-up at

Fan Expo Canada Fan Expo Canada is an annual speculative fiction fan convention held in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded as the Canadian National Comic Book Expo in 1995Monster Brawl ''Monster Brawl'' is a 2011 independent film, independent Canadian horror comedy film directed by Jesse Thomas Cook. Plot The film depicts a wrestling-style fight to the death set inside an abandoned and cursed graveyard, shown in a pay-per-vi ...

''; ''Exit Humanity'', a zombie saga set against the back-drop of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

; the Canadian Premiere of the Pierce Brothers' ''

DeadHeads A Deadhead or Dead head is a fan of the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The Deadhead subculture originated in the 1970s, when a number of fans began traveling to see the Grateful Dead in as many shows or festival venues as they could. As mo ...

'', a multi-genre zombie buddy film; ''

Redline The redline is the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. The redline of an eng ...

'', a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

set in the world of car racing; ''

The Theatre Bizarre ''The Theatre Bizarre'' is a 2011 American horror anthology film. The six segments are directed by Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Tom Savini and Richard Stanley. The wraparound segments featuring Udo Kier were dir ...

'', a horror anthology from such genre filmmakers as

Tom Savini Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including ''Martin ( ...

and Richard Stanley; the World Premiere of ''Father's Day'', a exploitation/grindhouse story from

Astron-6 Astron-6 was a Canadian film production and directing company founded in 2007 by Adam Brooks and Jeremy Gillespie. The company later expanded to include Matt Kennedy, Conor Sweeney and Steven Kostanski, who are now equal partners in the company. ...

and

Troma Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film studio in the world. The company produces low-budget inde ...

; ''

Love Love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment (psychology), attachment to a person, animal, or thing. It is expressed in many forms, encompassing a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most su ...

'', a time-travel sci-fi drama; and

Xavier Gens Xavier Gens (; born on ) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Career Gens directed three short films in his native language, ''BTK – Born to Kast'' (2000), ''Au petit matin'' (2005) and ''Sable noir'' (2006), before being hire ...

's '' The Divide'', an apocalyptic film about the residents of a New York City apartment building. Toronto After Dark was honoured in hosting two more World Premiere screenings. The WWII action-horror-zombie film, '' War of the Dead'', directed by

Marko Mäkilaakso Marko Mäkilaakso (also known as Mark Hillvalley; born 23 February 1978) is a Finnish music video and film director. He has directed music videos for Uniklubi, Tiktak, Antti Tuisku, Indica (Finnish band), Indica and Robin Packalen, Robin, among ot ...

and the dark, superhero thriller, '' VS'', directed by Jason Trost (co-writer, director, and star of ''THE FP'') and starring

James Remar William James Remar (born December 31, 1953) is an American actor. He has played numerous roles over a 45-year career, most notably Ajax in '' The Warriors'' (1979), Albert Ganz in '' 48 Hrs.'' (1982), Dutch Schultz in '' The Cotton Club'' (198 ...

. Other films include the ''Jack Perez''s horror comedy, ''Some Guy Who Kills People'', starring

Kevin Corrigan Kevin Corrigan (born March 27, 1969) is an American character actor. He has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s, including as Uncle Eddie on the sitcom '' Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005). His film appearances i ...

, the vampire-drama, ''

Midnight Son ''Midnight Son'' is a 2011 vampire horror film written and directed by Scott Leberecht, produced by Matt Compton, and starring Zak Kilberg. A trailer was released late October 2010. Plot Jacob (Zak Kilberg) is a young man in Los Angeles, Californ ...

'', the award-winning supernatural thriller, '' Absentia'', the action-thriller, ''

A Lonely Place to Die ''A Lonely Place to Die'' is a 2011 British action thriller film directed by Julian Gilbey and based on a screenplay from Julian and Will Gilbey. It stars Melissa George, Ed Speleers, Karel Roden, Eamonn Walker, Sean Harris and Kate Mago ...

'',

's sci-fi, action-comedy, ''

Manborg ''Manborg'' is a 2011 Canadian science-fiction action film, directed by Steven Kostanski, and released by Astron-6. Plot Count Draculon (Adam Brooks) and his Nazi vampire forces seek to take over Earth during the Hell Wars. A soldier (Matthew K ...

'', the Canadian sci-fi thriller, ''The Corridor'',

Lucky McKee Edward Lucky McKee (born November 1, 1975) is an American director, writer, and actor, largely known for the 2002 cult film ''May''. He is best known for his work in horror films. Life and career McKee was born in Jenny Lind, California. He ha ...

's controversial film '' The Woman'', and

Ti West Timon C. West (born October 5, 1980) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, cinematographer, and actor, best known for his work in horror films. He directed the horror films ''The Roost'' (2005), ''Trigger Man (2007 film), ...

's haunted hotel thriller, '' The Innkeepers''.

's ''Father's Day'', '' The Divide'' and ''

'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively, in the Audience Choice Awards for Best Feature Film.

2012

The 7th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 18–26, 2012. The seventh annual festival saw the Toronto After Dark Film Festival return to the Bloor Cinema, which went through new ownership and a complete renovation, reopening as the,

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema The Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (formerly the Bloor Cinema and the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema) is a movie theatre in the Annex district of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the 506 Bloor Street West, near its intersection with the Bathurst ...

. The festival also expanded one extra night, showcasing a total of twenty feature films and a wealth of Canadian and International short films. The Toronto After Dark Film Festival hosted two ''Spotlight Presentation'' Screening Nights Summer 2012, taking place also at Bloor Cinema, Wednesday, June 27 and Wednesday, July 11. These two evenings showcased two films each night, including ''

Juan of the Dead ''Juan of the Dead'' () is a 2010 Spanish-Cuban zombie comedy film written and directed by Alejandro Brugués. A Spanish-Cuban co-production between La Zanfoña Producciones (Spain) and Producciones de la 5ta Avenida (Cuba) involving the part ...

'', '' The Pact'', '' Detention'' and the Canadian Premiere of ''

V/H/S ''V/H/S'' is a 2012 American found footage horror anthology film and the first installment in the ''V/H/S'' franchise created by Brad Miska and Bloody Disgusting, and produced by Miska and Roxanne Benjamin. It features a series of six fou ...

''. The 2012 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Selections included the Canadian Premiere of the body-modification thriller ''

American Mary ''American Mary'' is a 2012 Canadian body horror film written and directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska and starring Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, and Tristan Risk. Isabelle plays a destitute medical student who begins taking clients from the ex ...

'', from Vancouver-based writers, producers and directors, Sylvia and Jen Soska (otherwise known as the Soska sisters). Other selections included, the Irish alien-monster horror-comedy ''

Grabbers ''Grabbers'' is a 2012 monster horror comedy film directed by Jon Wright and written by Kevin Lehane. A co-production of Ireland and the United Kingdom, the film stars Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Bronagh Gallagher and Russell Tovey among an e ...

''; the dark crime-thriller '' Crave'', directed by DVD and Blu-ray producer and filmmaker,

Charles de Lauzirika Charles de Lauzirika (born August 17, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American DVD and Blu-ray producer and filmmaker. Early years Lauzirika, of Basques, Basque ancestry, spent his early years in La Crescenta-Montrose, California, La Cr ...

; the British horror film ''

Inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

''; the third installment of the '' REC series'', '' REC 3: Génesis''; the British zombie-comedy ''

Cockneys vs Zombies ''Cockneys vs Zombies'' is a 2012 British zombie action comedy film directed by Matthias Hoene and written by James Moran and Lucas Roche. The plot centres on a group of Cockneys who arm themselves to rescue their grandfather and his friends from ...

''; ''

Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (22 August 1925 – 5 April 2020) was an English actress and singer, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in '' The Avengers''Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. ...

''; the South Korean science-fiction anthology film ''

Doomsday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

''; the Canadian '' "LARP"-ing'' comedy ''

Lloyd The Conqueror ''Lloyd the Conqueror'' is a 2011 Canadian comedy film co-written by Andrew Herman and Michael Peterson and also directed by Michael Peterson. Evan Williams stars as Lloyd, a college student who is convinced by his professor Derek, played by Mik ...

''; the latest UniSol installment, '' Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning''; the dark fantasy-thriller ''

After After may refer to: Literature * ''After'' (Elgar), an 1895 poem by Philip Bourke Marston set to music by Edward Elgar * ''After'' (Prose novel), a 2003 novel by Francine Prose * ''After'' (Chalifour book), a 2005 book by Canadian writer Francis ...

''; the paranormal sequel ''

Grave Encounters 2 ''Grave Encounters 2'' is a 2012 Canadian found footage supernatural horror film directed by John Poliquin and written by The Vicious Brothers. The sequel to ''Grave Encounters'', the film follows a group of devoted fans of ''Grave Encounters'' ...

''; the Irish psychological-horror film ''

Citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

'', from director, Ciaran Foy; the documentary ''My Amityville Horror'', in which Daniel Lutz, one of the children who lived through ''

The Amityville Horror ''The Amityville Horror'' is a book by American author Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released from 1979 onward. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family b ...

'', is interviewed; '' Resolution'', directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead; ''

Tony Todd Anthony Tiran Todd (December 4, 1954 – November 6, 2024) was an American actor known for his distinctly deep and gravelly voice. He amassed several credits on screen and in video games since the 1980s, including the Candyman (character), titl ...

'', ''

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...

'', ''

Noah Hathaway Noah Leslie Hathaway (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and a former teen idol. He is best known for his roles as Atreyu in the 1984 film ''The NeverEnding Story (film), The NeverEnding Story'' and for portraying Boxey on the original t ...

'', ''

James Duval James Edward Duval (born September 10, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in ''Independence Day'' (1996), '' Go'' (1999), ''Donnie Darko'' (2001), ''May'' (2002), and the films of Gregg Araki. Duval has starred in numerous in ...

'' and newcomer,

Cortney Palm Cortney Nacole Palm (born February 20, 1987) is an American actress who appeared in the films '' Zombeavers'', '' The Dark Tapes'' and '' Sushi Girl''. Early life Palm was born on February 20, 1987, in Castle Rock, Colorado. In 2001, she won a ...

, highlight Kern Saxton's revenge crime-thriller, ''

Sushi Girl ''Sushi Girl'' is a 2012 American crime film directed by Kern Saxton and starring Tony Todd, Mark Hamill, Noah Hathaway, Sonny Chiba and Cortney Palm. Tony Todd also served as an executive producer. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre played i ...

''; Japanese director,

Noboru Iguchi (born June 28, 1969) is a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor. He has worked as a director in adult video (AV) as well as in the horror and gore genres. Life and career Iguchi was born on June 28, 1969. In an interview he said he w ...

's comedy-horror, ''

Dead Sushi is a 2012 Japanese comedy horror film directed by Noboru Iguchi. The film involves Keiko (Rina Takeda) who is the daughter of a famous sushi chef. She leaves home for an inn where she is bullied by the president of Komatsu Pharmaceuticals. A Komat ...

''; the home-invasion thriller ''

In Their Skin ''In Their Skin'' (also known in some countries as ''Replicas'') is a 2012 Canadian home invasion thriller film directed by Jeremy Power Regimbal and starring Selma Blair, Joshua Close, Rachel Miner and James D'Arcy. The film was released thea ...

''; and ''

Wrong A wrong or wrength (from Old English – 'crooked') is an act that is illegal or immoral. Legal wrongs are usually quite clearly defined in the law of a state or jurisdiction. They can be divided into civil wrongs and crimes (or ''criminal of ...

'', the latest film from '' Quentin Dupieux (aka Mr. Oizo)''. ''

A Fantastic Fear of Everything ''A Fantastic Fear of Everything'' is a 2012 British horror comedy film starring Simon Pegg, written and directed by Crispian Mills with Chris Hopewell as co-director. It is based on the novella ''Paranoia in the Launderette'' by Bruce Robinson, ...

'', starring ''

Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...

'', and Juan Martínez Moreno's Spanish werewolf-comedy, '' Game of Werewolves (Lobos de Arga)'', rounded out the closing night of the festival. ''

'', ''

'' and ''

'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively, in the Audience Choice Awards for Best Feature Film.

2013

The 8th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 17–25, 2013. The eighth annual edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival saw the festival partner with Canada's Cineplex Entertainment, for the first time, with the

Scotiabank Theatre Scotiabank Theatre (French: Cinémas Banque Scotia) is a Canadian banner of Multiplex (movie theater), multiplex cinemas owned by Cineplex Entertainment. The brand was established in 2007 as part of a wider partnership between Cineplex and Sco ...

being the venue host for the festival. The Toronto After Dark Film Festival hosted two pre-festival Screening Nights in the summer of 2013, also taking place at the Scotiabank Theatre, Thursday, August 29 and Thursday, September 26. These two evenings screened two films each night. They included, '' Bad Milo''; ''

V/H/S/2 ''V/H/S/2'' (originally titled ''S-VHS'') is a 2013 found footage horror anthology film produced by Bloody Disgusting and Roxanne Benjamin. The sequel to ''V/H/S'' (2012) and the second installment in the ''V/H/S'' franchise, it comprises ...

''; the Canadian Premiere of ''

Europa Report ''Europa Report'' is a 2013 American science fiction film directed by Sebastián Cordero and written by Philip Gelatt. It stars Christian Camargo, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra, and Sharlto Copley. A found ...

'' and, ''

The Dirties ''The Dirties'' is a 2013 Canadian found footage comedy-drama film and the directorial debut of Matt Johnson. It has received praise from critics as well as numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative at the 2013 Slamdance ...

''. The 2013 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include the Opening Gala film and Toronto Premiere of

Jim Mickle Jim Mickle (born 1979) is an American director and writer, known for such films as ''Mulberry Street (film), Mulberry Street'', ''Stake Land'', ''We Are What We Are (2013 film), We Are What We Are'' and ''Cold in July (film), Cold in July''. He ...

's '' We Are What We Are''. This marked a return to Toronto After Dark for Mickle, as his 2006 film, '' Mulberry Street'' was a previous Toronto After Dark Official Selection. Other returning Toronto After Dark alumni for 2013 included Henry Saine with ''

Bounty Killer Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant fl ...

'' and Jesse Thomas Cook with '' Septic Man'' for the Canadian Premiere. Other selections included creature features ''

Big Ass Spider! ''Big Ass Spider!'' is a 2013 science fiction action film directed and edited by Mike Mendez. The film tells the story of a bug exterminator, who, with the help of a hospital security guard and the military, battles a giant spider that goes on a ...

'' and ''

Eega ''Eega'' () is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language fantasy action film written and directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The film was produced by Sai Korrapati Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram with an estimated budget of 30–40 crore (US$6–7 million). It was ...

''; the British zombie-comedy ''

Stalled ''Stalled'' is a 2013 British zombie comedy film directed by Christian James. It stars Dan Palmer, who also wrote the screenplay, as a man confined to a bathroom stall after zombies attack. Produced by Richard Kerrigan and Daniel Pickering, the ...

''; the zombie-drama '' The Battery'', directed by Jeremy Gardner; the World Premiere of the Canadian thriller ''Silent Retreat'', directed by ''Tricia Lee''; Don Thacker's ''Motivational Growth''; the Canadian Premiere of '' Odd Thomas'', directed by

Stephen Sommers Stephen Sommers (born March 20, 1962) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, best known for big-budget action films, such as ''The Mummy (1999 film), The Mummy'' (1999), its sequel, ''The Mummy Returns'' (2001), ''Van Helsing ( ...

based on the novels by

Dean Koontz Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author. His novels are billed as thriller (genre), suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror fiction, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Mystery fiction, mystery, and sati ...

; the Canadian horror-thriller ''

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

''; the sci-fi films ''

The Last Days on Mars ''The Last Days on Mars'' is a 2013 science fiction horror film directed by Ruairí Robinson with a screenplay by Clive Dawson, based on the short story "The Animators" by Sydney J. Bounds. It stars Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, G ...

'' and '' The Machine'', directed by Caradog W. James; the Toronto premiere of ''Found'', directed by Scott Schrimer; the World Premiere of the Canadian action-horror-dark comedy film ''Evil Feed'', directed by Kimani Ray Smith; the Bigfoot found-footage thriller '' Willow Creek'', directed by

Bobcat Goldthwait Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait (born May 26, 1962) is an American comedian, actor, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched ...

; and Blair Erickson's '' Banshee Chapter''. '' Cheap Thrills'' rounded out the closing night of the festival along with '' Big Bad Wolves'', a dark crime-thriller from Israel directed by

Aharon Keshales Aharon Keshales (; born 16 April 1976) is an Israeli film director, screenwriter, and film critic. Biography Keshales was born in Jaffa, Israel, to a Sephardic Jewish family. He grew up in Bat Yam, Israel. He served as a soldier in the Intellig ...

and

Navot Papushado Navot Papushado (; born 4 March 1980) is an Israeli film director and screenwriter. Early life Papushado was born in Haifa, Israel, to a Sephardic Jewish family. He resided in the northern Galilee community settlement of Yuvalim, Israel. Direct ...

, selected as the Closing Gala film;

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

called it the best film of 2013. ''The Battery'', ''Solo'' and ''Banshee Chapter'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the Audience Choice Awards for Best Feature Film.

2014

The 9th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 17–25, 2014. The ninth annual edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival continued to partner with Canada's Cineplex Entertainment, with their Scotiabank Theatre location in downtown Toronto, the venue partner. The 2014 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include, the Opening Gala film and Toronto premiere of Gerard Johnstone's '' Housebound''. Other selections included '' Suburban Gothic'', directed by Richard Bates Jr. ('' Excision'') and starring

Matthew Gray Gubler Matthew Gray Gubler (, ; born March 9, 1980) is an American actor, best known for his role as criminal profiler Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show ''Criminal Minds'', for which he also directed several episodes. Gubler has appeared in ...

Kat Dennings Katherine Victoria Litwack (born June 13, 1986), known professionally as Kat Dennings, is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Max Black in the CBS sitcom ''2 Broke Girls'' (2011–2017) and as Darcy Lewis in the Marvel ...

and

Ray Wise Raymond Herbert Wise (born August 29, 1947) is an American actor best known for his role as Leland Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, Twin Peaks (season 3), 2017) and its prequel film ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992). He has appeared ...

; the World premiere of the Canadian film, ''

Hellmouth A Hellmouth, or the jaws of Hell, is the entrance to Hell envisaged as the gaping mouth of a huge monster, an image which first appeared in Anglo-Saxon art, and then spread all over Europe. It remained very common in depictions of the Last Judgm ...

'', directed by Toronto After Dark Alumni, John Geddes (''Exit Humanity''), written by Tony Burgess (''

Pontypool Pontypool ( ) is a town and the administrative centre of the county borough of Torfaen, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in South Wales. , it has a population of 29,062. Locat ...

'') and starring

Stephen McHattie Stephen McHattie Smith (born February 3, 1947) is a Canadian actor. Since beginning his professional career in 1970, he has amassed over 200 film and television credits. He won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in '' ...

; the Canadian premiere of ''

ABCs of Death 2 ''ABCs of Death 2'' is a 2014 American comedy horror anthology film produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League. It contains 26 different shorts, each by different directors spanning various countries. It is a sequel to '' The ABCs of Death ...

'', directed by several Toronto After Dark Alumni, such as Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska (''

''),

Julian Gilbey Julian Gilbey is a British film director, screenwriter, film editor, cinematographer, producer and actor. He is known for his work on horror and gangster films. His directing work includes '' Rollin' With The Nines'' (2005), '' Rise of the Foot ...

(''

''), Steven Kostanski (''

'') and Juan Martínez Moreno ('' Game of Werewolves''); ''

Zombeavers ''Zombeavers'' is a 2014 American horror comedy film directed by Jordan Rubin, based on a script by Al Kaplan, Jordan Rubin, and Jon Kaplan. The film follows a group of college kids staying at a riverside cottage that are attacked by a swarm of z ...

'', who in turn are trying to eat Toronto After Dark alumni actress,

(''

''); Nazi zombies return in the sequel '' Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead'', directed by Toronto After Dark alumni,

Tommy Wirkola Tommy Wirkola (born 6 December 1979) is a Norwegian filmmaker. He is known for his film work in hybrid thrillers that combine horror, action and satire. For his hybrid genre-focused work, he has won numerous awards and nominations. Dead Snow ...

; the Canadian 'splasher' film '' The Drownsman'', directed by

Chad Archibald Chad Archibald (born 30 July 1981) is a Canadian film, television and music video producer and director. Filmography Film *''Kill'' (2007) *''If A Tree Falls'' (2009) (Producer) *''Bounty Hunters'' (2010) (Producer) *''Neverlost'' (2011) *'' A ...

(''Neverlost'', ''Antisocial'' and ''

Ejecta Ejecta (; ) are particles ejected from an area. In volcanology, in particular, the term refers to particles including pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic materials (tephra) that came out of a explosive eruption, volcanic explosion and magma eruption v ...

''); the North American Premiere of ''

Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

'', directed by

David Hayter David Hayter is a Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He is well known as the English-language voice actor for Solid Snake and Big Boss (Metal Gear), Naked Snake in the ''Metal Gear'' video game series. He wrote the fi ...

(best known as the voice of Solid Snake from the ''

Metal Gear Solid is a franchise of stealth games created by Hideo Kojima. Developed and published by Konami, the first game, ''Metal Gear'', was released in 1987 for MSX home computers. The player often takes control of a special forces operative (usually S ...

'' video games); ''

Late Phases ''Late Phases'' is a 2014 horror drama film by director Adrián García Bogliano and his first feature film in the English language. The film had its world premiere on March 9, 2014, at South by Southwest and stars Nick Damici as a blind war vete ...

'', directed by Adrián García Bogliano ('' Here Comes the Devil (Ahí va el diablo)''), and starring

Nick Damici Nick Damici is an American actor and screenwriter known for such films as '' Mulberry Street'' and '' Stake Land''. Early life Nick Damici grew up in Hell's Kitchen in the 1960s and early 1970s. His father was a bartender, and Damici would o ...

Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978), credited early in his career as Ethan Randall, is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, starring roles in the films '' Dutch'' (1991), '' All I Want for Christmas'' (1991), and '' A Far Off Pl ...

and

Lance Guest Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960) is an American actor. Known for his film work throughout the 1980s and various television roles thereafter, he made his screen debut with a supporting role in '' Halloween II'' (1981). This was followed by hea ...

;

Elijah Wood Elijah Jordan Wood (born January 28, 1981) is an American actor and producer. Wood made his film debut with a minor part in ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989) at the age of eight and achieved recognition in the early 1990s as a child acto ...

and

Sasha Grey Marina Ann Hantzis (born 1988), known professionally as Sasha Grey, is an American actress, model, writer, musician, and former pornographic film actress. She began her acting career in the pornographic film industry, winning 15 awards for h ...

star in '' Open Windows'', directed by

Nacho Vigalondo Ignacio "Nacho" Vigalondo Palacios (born 6 April 1977) is a Spanish filmmaker. Career Vigalondo's first film was the 2003 Spanish-language short film '' 7:35 in the Morning'', about a suicide bomber who terrorizes a cafe, which was only eight m ...

('' Timecrimes (Los cronocrímenes)'');

Rinko Kikuchi is a Japanese actress, and was the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years, for her work in '' Babel'' (2006). Kikuchi's other notable films include '' Norwegian Wood'' (2010), which screened in competition ...

stars in ''

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter ''Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter'' is a 2014 American drama film co-written and directed by David Zellner. The film stars Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, and Kanako Higashi. Alexander Payne and Kikuchi ...

''; ''

Predestination Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby Go ...

'', directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig and starring ''

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...

''; Bradley King's ''

Time Lapse Time-lapse photography is a technique in which the frequency at which film frames are captured (the frame rate) is much lower than the frequency used to view the sequence. When played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and th ...

'', starring

Danielle Panabaker Danielle Nicole Panabaker (born September 19, 1987) is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the The Walt Disney Company, Disney films ''Stuck in the Suburbs'' (2004), ''Sky High (2005 film), ...

; the Canadian premiere of '' Refuge'', directed by Andrew Robertson; the Canadian premiere of the Australian zombie-action-comedy ''

Wyrmwood ''Wyrmwood'' (also known as ''Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead'') is a 2014 Australian action-horror film directed by Kiah Roache-Turner and starring Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill, Keith Agius, Berynn Schwerdt and Luke McKenzie. The scre ...

'', directed by Kiah Roache-Turner; the Canadian premiere of '' The Town That Dreaded Sundown'', a meta-sequel of the 1976 film, directed by

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (sometimes Alfonso Gómez-Rejón; born November 6, 1972, in Laredo, Texas) is an American film and television director. He made his directorial film debut with the slasher film '' The Town That Dreaded Sundown'' (2014). He h ...

; and the Canadian premiere of the documentary '' Why Horror?'' The UK film ''Let Us Prey'', starring '' The Woman''

Pollyanna McIntosh Pollyanna McIntosh (born 15 March 1979) is a Scottish actress and director known for her roles in films ''Exam (2009 film), Exam'' (2009), ''The Woman (2011 film), The Woman'' (2011), ''Let Us Prey (film), Let Us Prey'' (2014), the first season ...

rounded out the closing night of the festival, along with ''

The Babadook ''The Babadook'' is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film written and directed by Jennifer Kent in her feature directorial debut, based on her 2005 short film ''Monster''. Starring Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Hayley McEl ...

'', a creepy psychological-horror from Australia directed by

Jennifer Kent Jennifer Kent is an Australian director, screenwriter, and former actress. She is best known for writing and directing the psychological horror film '' The Babadook'' (2014). Her second film, '' The Nightingale'' (2018), premiered at the 75th ...

, selected as the Closing Gala film. '' Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead'', ''

'' and '' Why Horror?'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the Audience Choice Awards for Best Feature Film. The Canadian short films screened during the festival include, ''Foxed!'', ''Young Blood'', ''Pupa'', ''Lumberjacked'', ''Day 40'', ''Period Piece'', ''Kismet'', ''Rose In Bloom'', ''Dead Hearts'', ''The Monitor'', ''Migration'', ''What Doesn't Kill You'', ''Honor Code'', ''Monster Island'', ''Lazy Boyz'', ''Satan's Dolls'', ''Last Breath'', ''Little Matthew'' and ''Intruders''. ''Period Piece'', ''Dead Hearts'' and ''Satan's Dolls'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the Audience Choice Awards for Best Canadian Short Film. The International short films screened during the festival include, ''Invaders'', ''Everything and Everything and Everything'', ''Sword fights'', ''Happy B-Day'', ''Strange Thing'', ''He Took Off His Skin For Me'', ''Liquid'', ''Redaction'' and ''Dynamic Venus''. ''Invaders'', ''Happy B-Day'' and ''He Took Off His Skin For Me'' won Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively in the Audience Choice Awards for Best International Short Film.

2015

The 10th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 15–23, 2015. The 2015 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include the horror anthology, ''Tales of Halloween'', ''The Hallow'', ''Synchronicity'', ''Lazer Team'', ''Night of the Living Deb'', ''A Christmas Horror Story'', ''Shut In'', ''The Hollow One'', ''The Demolisher'', ''The Diabolical'', ''The Interior'', ''Backtrack'', ''Gridlocked'', ''Nina Forever'', '' The Hexecutioners'', ''Tag'', ''Love & Peace'', ''Patchwork'', and '' Deathgasm''.

2016

The 11th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 13–21, 2016. The 2016 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include the Iranian supernatural thriller, ''

Under The Shadow ''Under the Shadow'' () is a 2016 Persian-language psychological horror film written and directed by Iranian-born Babak Anvari in his directorial debut. A mother and daughter are haunted by a mysterious evil in 1980s Tehran, during the War of the ...

'', ''

Trash Fire ''Trash Fire'' is a 2016 American black comedy film written and directed by Richard Bates Jr. and starring Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, AnnaLynne McCord, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Sally Kirkland. The film had its world prem ...

'', ''

War On Everyone ''War on Everyone'' is a 2016 British black comedy buddy cop film written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Michael Peña, and Theo James. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it was screened in t ...

'', '' Let Her Out'', ''

The Rezort ''The Rezort'' is a 2015 British zombie horror film directed by Steve Barker and written by Paul Gerstenberger. It stars Dougray Scott, Jessica De Gouw and Martin McCann. After humanity wins a devastating war against zombies, the few remaining ...

'', ''

Train To Busan ''Train to Busan'' () is a 2016 South Korean action horror film directed by Yeon Sang-ho, written by Park Joo-suk, and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee, and Kim Eui-sung. The film mostly t ...

'', ''

Kill Command ''Kill Command'' (also known as ''Identify'') is a 2016 Cinema of the United Kingdom, British Science fiction film, science fiction action film, action horror film written and directed by Steven Gomez, and starring Thure Lindhardt and Vanessa K ...

'', ''

In A Valley of Violence ''In a Valley of Violence'' is a 2016 American Western film written and directed by Ti West. Jason Blum serves as producer through his production company Blumhouse Productions. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen G ...

'', ''

Blood Father ''Blood Father'' is a 2016 English-language French action crime thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet, written by Peter Craig based on his novel of the same name, and starring Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, Diego Luna, Michael Parks, and Wi ...

'', ''

I Am Not a Serial Killer ''I Am Not a Serial Killer'' is a 2009 horror novel written by American author Dan Wells, originally published by Tor Books. It is Wells' debut novel and the first installment in the John Cleaver series. It is followed by five books, and has ...

'', '' Bed Of The Dead'', ''

As The Gods Will is a Japanese manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Akeji Fujimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine ''Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine'' from February 2011 to October 2012, with its chapters collected in fiv ...

'', ''

Creepy Creepiness is the state of being creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease to someone and/or something. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others; interest in horror or the macabre might come across as 'c ...

'', '' Antibirth'', '' Stake Land 2'', '' The Master Cleanse'', '' From A House On Willow Street'', '' The Lure'' and '' The Void''. The festival also included a showing of ten short films in the horror, science fiction and cult genres.

2017

The 12th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 12–20, 2017. The 2017 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include the science fiction sequel, ''

Beyond Skyline ''Beyond Skyline'' is a 2017 American science fiction action film written, co-produced and directed by Liam O'Donnell in his directorial debut. It stars Frank Grillo, Bojana Novakovic, Jonny Weston, Iko Uwais, Callan Mulvey, Yayan Ruhian, Pamel ...

''; ''Cold Hell'', ''

Cult of Chucky ''Cult of Chucky'' is a 2017 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Don Mancini. The seventh installment of the ''Child's Play'' franchise, following the 2013 film ''Curse of Chucky'', it stars Fiona Dourif, Michael Therriau ...

'', ''Dead Shack'', ''Defective'', ''Eat Local'', ''The Endless'', ''Game of Death'', ''Impossible Horror'', ''

Lowlife Low-life ( low-lifes or low-lives; also lowlife) is a term for a person or animal who is of low social status due to their low moral character. Examples of people typically referred to as ''low-life'' include bullies, criminals, drug dealers, f ...

'', ''Mayhem'', ''

My Friend Dahmer ''My Friend Dahmer'' is a 2012 graphic novel and memoir by artist John "Derf" Backderf about his teenage friendship with Jeffrey Dahmer, who later became a serial killer. The book evolved from a 24-page, self-published version by Backderf in 20 ...

'', ''Poor Agnes'', ''Rabbit'', ''Sixty Minutes to Midnight'', ''Trench 11'', ''Victor Crowley'', ''The Villainess'', and ''Tragedy Girls''.

2018

The 13th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 11–19, 2018. The 2018 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include; ''Anna and the Apocalypse'', ''The Dark'', ''Extracurricular'', ''I Am A Hero'', ''I'll Take Your Dead'', ''The Inhabitant'', ''Lifechanger'', ''Luz'', ''Mega Time Squad'', ''Nightmare Cinema''; the Canadian Premiere of the WWII action zombie film, ''

Overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or ...

''; ''Prey'', ''Prospect'', ''The Ranger'', ''Robbery'', ''Satan's Slaves'', ''Tigers Are Not Afraid'', and ''You Might Be A Killer''.

2019

The 14th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 17–25, 2019. The 2019 Toronto After Dark Film Festival Official Feature Film Selections include the Irish supernatural comedy, '' Extra Ordinary'' (as the Opening Night Gala film); ''Witches in the Woods''; the science-fiction film, ''Blood Machines'', directed by Seth Ickerman and scored by

Carpenter Brut Franck Hueso, better known by his stage name Carpenter Brut, is a French darksynth artist from Poitiers, France. He has released three EPs, ''EP I'' (2012), ''EP II'' (2013) and ''EP III'' (2015), which were collected and released together as t ...

, based upon the successful Kickstarter campaign; the Canadian science-fiction comedy, '' James vs. His Future Self'', starring Daniel Stern, Jonas Chernick, Cleopatra Coleman and Frances Conroy; the South Korean zombie comedy, '' The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale''; the bonkers insanity of, ''Mutant Blast'' (acquired and distributed via our friends with

); the Australian slasher, ''The Furies''; ''Making Monsters''; '' Paradise Hills'' (starring Emma Roberts, Awkwafina, Eiza González, and Milla Jovovich); the World Premiere of the Canadian action film, ''Contracts''; the South African supernatural thriller, ''8'' (which has since been retitled as, '' The Soul Collector''); ''Homewrecker''; the exorcism thriller, ''The Assent''; the horror anthology, '' The Mortuary Collection'', starring Clancy Brown; the Polish WWII thriller, ''Werewolf (Wilkolak)''; the World Premiere of the Canadian science-fiction, ''Enhanced''; the dark comedy, '' Come to Daddy'', starring Elijah Wood and Stephen McHattie; and, The Wretched (as the Closing Night Gala film), directed by Brett and Drew Pierce (

Deadheads A Deadhead or Dead head is a fan of the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The Deadhead subculture originated in the 1970s, when a number of fans began traveling to see the Grateful Dead in as many shows or festival venues as they could. As mo ...

). Official Selections for the Canadian Shorts After Dark program, included seven films from around the countr
2019 Canadian Shorts
''Alaska'', ''Best Friends Forever'', ''Imagine A World'', ''Moment'', ''No One Will Ever Believe You'', ''Plainsong'', and ''Zombies And Indians''. An additional eighteen Canadian short films were selected to screen before each feature film during the festiva
2019 Canadian Pre-Feature Shorts
Official Selections included, ''We Three Queens'', ''Eyes Open'', ''Far Horizon'', ''Make Me A Sandwich'', ''Ocimokw! (Go Away!)'', ''Grave Sight'', ''Down The Rabbit Hole'', ''Hearth'', ''Barbara-Anne'', ''The Lightsaber Maker'', ''Kakashat'', ''A Noise That Carries'', ''Schism'', ''Peel'', ''Eilid And Damh'', ''Dark Before Dawn: Convoy'', ''Patterns'', and ''The Changeling''. Official Selections for the International Shorts After Dark program, included eight films from around the worl
2019 International Shorts
''Bar Fight'', ''Eject'', ''Maggie May'', ''Place'', ''Puzzle'', ''La Noria'', ''The Haunted Swordsman'' and ''Your Last Day On Earth''. Additionally, billed as a "Sci-Fi Mini-Showcase", three additional international short films; ''Flip'', ''Furnace'', and, ''Turbo Killer'', were screened with the feature film, ''Blood Machines''.

2020–2021

Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the 15th Edition of the festival, which was scheduled for October 15–23, 2020, was postponed. The 15th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 13–17, 2021. For the first time, it was organized be an all-virtual event called, Toronto After Dark At Home, with all 12 official selections available to watch right across Canada, powered by the Eventive platform - a

Video on Demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

(VOD) streaming service.

2022

The 16th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 19–23, 2022.

2023

The 17th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival took place October 18–22, 2023.

2024–2025

Because of health issues, Adam Lopez, the festival's founder and director, postponed the 18th Edition from 2024 to 2025. He stepped down as director, and in 2025, died after battling cancer. The 18th Edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival will take place October 15–19, 2025.

References

External links

* * {{Parades and Festivals in Toronto Film festivals in Toronto Fantasy and horror film festivals in Canada Science fiction film festivals

Past and upcoming festivals

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020–2021

2022

2023

2024–2025

See also

References

Further reading

External links