Day 6 of my 13 Horrifically Silly Days of Halloween with my guest Kirk Havilland, Programmer from the Blood in the Snow Film Festival...Viewer discretion advised

Kirk Haviland is one of the Programmers at Toronto's Blood in the Snow Film Festival. We talk about all sorts of genre favs, as well as how the line-up for the 2021 Blood in the Snow Festival is shaping up!

The Blood in the Snow Film Festival Line-up for 2021:

EDMONTON/TORONTO (October 5, 2021) – Super Channel and Blood in the Snow Film Festival (BITS), a unique and imaginative showcase of contemporary Canadian horror films, are pleased to announce that they have joined forces once again to bring a hybrid edition of the upcoming 2021 BITS to Canadian horror film fans across the nation.
 
This year’s festival is sure to shock and delight horror lovers with the virtual portion running on Super Channel Fuse over Halloween weekend from Friday, Oct 29 – Sunday Oct 31, and the in-person festival returning to the Royal Cinema November 18 to 23.
 
“We are proud to be partnering once again with Kelly and the incredible team at BITS to bring another round of exceptional Canadian horror films to our viewers,” said Don McDonald, President & CEO, Super Channel. “The virtual edition is a great way to introduce these films to Super Channel’s national audience and perfectly timed for horror fans over the Halloween weekend.”
 
“This has been a fantastic experience working with Super Channel. I can’t think of another broadcaster that has championed Canadian independent genre cinema like they have,” adds Kelly Michael Stewart, Festival Director and Founder of Blood in the Snow. “Last year we were able to take over the TV airwaves with the biggest Halloween party across Canada, and we look forward to doing it again.”
 
The Blood in the Snow Film Festival presented by Super Channel will showcase five harrowing horror features and a variety of hair-raising shorts programs across three nights of terror-ific programming. In addition to exclusive Canadian film premieres, the virtual film festival experience will include pre-recorded film intros and Q&A’s with filmmakers. 
 
Below is the BITS lineup of features and shorts programs scheduled to air on Super Channel Fuse:

And now...the in-person schedule November 18 – 23 at the Royal Cinema.! Look for an updated and separate blog post on this in November, too:

Thursday, November 18
8:00pm - Vicious Fun (dir. Cody Calahan) 100 mins – Toronto Theatrical Premiere
Joel, a caustic 1980’s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in with his homicidal surroundings or risk becoming the next victim.

Friday, November 19
6:45pm - Funny Frights (87 mins) - A collection of premieres of Canadian genre shorts that look on the “lighter” side of horror.
9:30pm - Peppergrass (dir. Steven Garbas, Chantelle Han) 92 mins – Canadian Premiere
During a pandemic, a pregnant restaurateur tries to rob a priceless truffle from a reclusive veteran.

Saturday, November 20
6:45pm - Dark Visions (100 mins) - A collection of the darkest, scariest, moodiest and the most intense Canadian short films playing this year.
9:30 pm - The Chamber of Terror (dir. Michael Pereira) 93 mins – World Premiere
Nash Caruthers is on a deadly collision course with the people that tore his world apart...along with something unexpected. Something far more sinister.

Sunday, November 21
6:45 pm – Emerging Screams – A collection of short films from brilliant first-time directors and the most promising student filmmakers in Canadian horror.
9:30 pm – Flee the Light (dir. Alexandra Senza) 75 mins – Toronto Premiere
A mystical horror-thriller where reincarnation, demons and sorceresses intertwine to tell the story of a spiritual search gone wrong. A psychology student delves into her sister’s psychosis, exposing herself to an ancient predator who hunts souls.

Monday, November 22
8:00pm - Woodland Grey (dir. Adam Reider) 91 mins - World Premiere
A man living alone in the deep woods finds Emily, a hiker, unconscious and laying on the forest floor. He brings her back to his home and helps her get back to health so she can leave the forest and get home. After a few tense days coexisting, Emily makes a discovery. She finds a crudely built shed behind the man's home. When she opens it, she unleashes something truly haunting. As Emily and the man come to terms with what has been released, they also attempt to find a way out of the forest which isn't exactly what it seems.

Tuesday, November 23
8pm - The Family (dir. Dan Slater) 104 mins – Canadian Premiere
On an isolated farm in what appears to be the 1800s, a family is led by their tyrannical father who preaches fire and brimstone and their devout mother who preaches obedience. They live in fear of a higher power and an existential threat living beyond their farm. Promising eternal salvation and protection against these outside forces, the father demands blind faith and back-breaking labor.

Passes and tickets are on sale now at www.bloodinthesnow.ca

Films that Kirk and I chatted about

Click HERE to revisit Day 5...

And HERE to see Day 7...