Fear Screen: European Thrillers and Horror at CIFF
Thursday evenings – 23rd February and 2nd, 9th and 16th March, 2023 – at Triskel Arts Centre
BE VERY AFRAID!
We kick off our 2023 year-round programme of special screenings and events with a short season of cinematic thrills, suspense and terror!
Fear Screen celebrates European films and directors from the past 70 years of cinema, ranging from masterpieces that influenced the future of horror/thriller cinema and classics to cult Guilty Pleasures which will have you snorting into your popcorn. Offering something for cinephiles and schlock fans alike, each feature will be complemented by a short film and introduction by CIFF Programme Manager, Si Edwards. (Note: not suitable for under 18s!)
Ticket Prices:
- Standard Tickets: €10.50 (concessions €9)
- Student Tickets: €7.50
- Festival Friends can avail of concession price tickets of up to 20%
Want to support Ireland’s first and largest film festival and gain access to a great range of benefits such as discounted ticket prices, invitations to exclusive events, screenings and more? Then consider becoming a CIFF Festival Friend. More information here.
Fear Screen Season Pass:
Looking to see the entire programme of these riveting films?
Then look no further than the Fear Screen Season Pass, all four films for just €36; €28 for concessions; and €25 for students!
Please note: Once your pass is enabled, you will still need use your Pass to individually book the films you wish to see.
View Cork International Film Festival Year-Round pass sales.
The Programme
Thursday, 23rd February, 8.15pm in Triskel Arts Centre
The Influencer
LES DIABOLIQUES – Thursday, 23rd February at 8.15pm in Triskel Arts Centre
(1955) dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot (117 mins) – France
From one of the masters of French cinema, Les Diaboliques tells the story of Christina (Vera Clouzot) and Nicole (Simone Signoret), respectively the wife and mistress of a widely despised school principal, as they hatch the perfect plan to kill him. Widely regarded as being a great influence on Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ and Polanski’s ‘Repulsion’, Les Diaboliques is a masterpiece of suspense and plot twists, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat until the very end.
Watch the trailer for Les Diaboliques here.
Accompanying Short Film:
PREY by Aćim Vasić (2018, 8 mins, France)
A predator stalks his prey, but things don’t turn out as expected.
Thursday, 2nd March, 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
The Master
PHENOMENA – Thursday, 2nd March at 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
(1985) dir. Dario Argento (116 mins) – Italy
Dario Argento is undoubtedly the Master of Horror, directing some of the greatest horror and Giallo films ever made such as the outstanding horror icon ‘Suspiria’. Phenomena, a tale of a girl who can communicate psychically with insects starring Jennifer Connelly and Donald Pleasence, is one of his finest films from the 1980s, merging supernatural elements into the familiar Giallo. The film was treated badly by its US distributors, who cut almost half an hour of footage and changed the name to ‘Creepers’, and this version was also released in the UK/Ireland. It fared poorly due to the cuts rendering the film incomprehensible. Since the original, complete version became available it has undergone a reevaluation; the bizarre world of Argento and his masterful set pieces are now available in a gorgeous 4K restoration.
Watch the trailer for Phenomena here.
Accompanying Short Film:
FOLLOWING by Karla Lulic (2020, 13 mins, Croatia)
A world without water. In a post-apocalyptic city of Zagreb, the last survivors are hiding in their apartments, fearing each other. One day, a white cat appears in a building, leaving wet paw prints behind. If the tenants follow the cat, they will find water. But first, they need to stop fighting each other.
Thursday, 9th March, 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
The Thriller
THE VANISHING (Spoorloos) – Thursday, 9th March at 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
(1988) dir. George Sluizer (107 mins) – Belgium
It is best to know very little about George Sluizer’s thriller, other than it’s about a couple on vacation – the woman goes missing and her partner becomes obsessed with finding her. Highly celebrated at the time of release, it was subsequently remade in the US, albeit very badly and with a changed ending. The original remains a slow-burning, intense thriller, and 35 years later the ending still has the power to shock.
Watch the trailer for The Vanishing (Spoorloos) here.
Accompanying Short Film:
INTO THE SILVER ETHER by Vito A. Rowlands (2020, 6 mins, Belgium)
New York, 1927. An aspiring model goes to have her picture taken, but a camera can have a mind of its own.
Thursday, 16th March, 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
The Guilty Pleasure
TROLL 2 – Thursday, 16th March at 8pm in Triskel Arts Centre
(1990) dir. Claudio Fragasso (94 mins) – Italy, USA
Widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made, Troll 2 is in no way related to the first ‘Troll’ movie, and technically doesn’t even feature any trolls. What it does contain, however, is hammy performances, ridiculously quotable dialogue, and hilariously awful special effects, all of which have gone some way to making this one of the most popular cult movies of the horror genre (even though it is not remotely scary).
Watch the trailer for Troll 2 here.
Accompanying Short Film:
HEAT by Thessa Meijer (2019, 3 mins, Netherlands)
During an extreme heat wave, a shy girl seeks refuge in an ice cream shop. But when she looks into the eyes of the charming vendor, she is on thin ice.
Proudly presented by Cork International Film Festival at Triskel Arts Centre
