Fantastic Fest 2008

Brief Summary: A prequel to one of the most graphic and visually creative horror movies in recent times, ART OF THE DEVIL 3 is a tale of unrequited love set amid the exotic world of rural Thai black magic. Full Description: Panor, a seductive rural teacher, longs to live a normal, peaceful life like everyone else in her village. But her beauty becomes her biggest curse as she becomes the object of desire from every man that enters her life. Male colleagues and students alike resort to a variety of black arts and love potions in an attempt to win her favor. To counter their endless menace, Panor herself must turn to witchcraft to combat her supernaturally charged suitors. The ART OF THE DEVIL franchise travels in some seriously demented territory. The bloody carnage isn't delivered by the hatchets and machetes of the American horror tradition, but rather by the ancient mythology and mysticism of Thailand. In part 2, you had flaying, boiling water down throats, lots of needles, voodoo dolls, unexpected eyeballs and a pack of lizards that rip forth from an unsuspecting man's back. The directors know why Part 2 was a smash hit - over-the-top visual mayhem and creepy Thai black magic gore. Check out the stills and watch the trailer...this installment (actually a prequel) is out with a mission: deliver the goods. "ART OF THE DEVIL 3 will be more shocking and violent than our previous films. We still want to send the same messages, though, that the gruesome fates of the characters are the consequences of their desire and lust. Only people with dark intents want to get involved with dark magic. We all believe that these things do exist in our modern world, but we want to warn the viewers that it'll only do them more harm than good to mess around with it," -- Ronin Team ART OF THE DEVIL 3 was directed by the seven-man collective known as "Ronin Team," a group behind numerous Thai smash hits: from the war epic BANG RAJAN to the period piece KUNPUN THE WARRIOR to the two previous ART OF THE DEVIL movies. Collaborating closely, the seven members of the team work together in every step from screenwriting to budgeting, casting and directing. One of the members of Ronin Team is also represented in Fantastic Fest 4 with his solo directorial debut, MUAY THAI CHAIYA. (Tim League)

Brief Summary: While honeymooning in rural China during the Hungry Ghost Festival, newlyweds Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul (Tim Chiou) find themselves stranded at night in the middle of a superstitious ritual that may be more real than folk legend. Full Description: “On the full moon of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell open and the spirits of the dead are freed to roam among the living” – Chinese myth. Seventh Moon opens with Melissa (Amy Smart, STARSHIP TROOPERS, BUTTERFLY EFFECT, MIRRORS) and Yul (Tim Chiou) enjoying the first days of their Honeymoon on vacation in China. Yul is an American of Chinese descent, but only has a marginal grasp of the language and culture. He convinced Melissa, however, to forego the tropics for a more adventurous honeymoon: a guided tour of China during the Seventh Moon ghost festival. By the looks on their faces, they made the right choice. Good food, good shopping and a fantastic celebration of Chinese culture replete with music, dancing, drinking and elaborate parades and ceremonial offerings. If you look beyond their happy faces to the corners of the frame, however, you notice that perhaps the Americans are not as welcome as they feel. They are a bit too loud and tipsy for what is clearly a sacred event. Disrespect at a shrine ends in angry glances. An inappropriate loud joke results in a harsh barking rebuke. The tone of unease is subtle but undeniable. Intoxicated and exhausted, the newlyweds climb into their chartered taxi and drift off to sleep en route to Yul’s grandmother’s house in rural Axian. When they awake, their driver has abandoned them in the middle of nowhere and very strange stirrings are audible in the fields near the road. Eduardo Sanchez, co-creator of the seminal BLAIR WITCH PROJECT returns with a brilliantly conceived and executed supernatural thriller. Shot on location in rural China, SEVENTH MOON captures the frustration and fear of being in a very foreign place with absolutely no one to assist you. Masterfully utilizing a very cinematic but still somewhat verité shooting style, Sanchez puts you on the scene along with the characters. When the situation turns bad (and bad is a bit of an understatement) you feel the horror, confusion and frustration right along with the actors. To accentuate the tension, large chunks of the Chinese during particularly stressful moments in the film remain untranslated, with only sporadic words and phrases deciphered by Yul’s rudimentary language skills. Visit the film's brand new official site HERE! Fantastic Fest is incredibly honored to host the world premiere of this captivating, bold and truly innovative new vision of supernatural horror. Director Eduardo Sanchez and Producers Gregg Hale, Matt Compton and Robin Cowie will be live in person to introduce and conduct a Q&A after the screening. (Tim League)