Blood in the Snow Film Festival 2015
Past Festivals · Archive

Blood in the Snow 2015

🩸 November 27–29, 2015 · Carlton Cinema, Toronto

Friday November 27, 2015

7:00 pm Farhope Tower Canadian Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Director – April Mullen 🏆 Best Actor – John White

Dir. April Mullen

A team of Paranormal Investigators venture into the infamous Farhope Building, hoping to land a TV deal — but get more than they bargained for when they come up against the most powerful spirits they have ever faced. The higher they climb, the more everything spirals out of control.

Opens With

Chiral
Dir. Karen Lam · Canadian Premiere
An anxiety-ridden art dealer confronts a thief at his gallery reception — only to come face to face with his own Shadow Self.
9:30 pm Night Cries Canadian Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Screenplay – Andrew Cymek

Dir. Andrew Cymek

After his world crumbles, Joseph will stop at nothing to find his wife while battling demons, psychopaths, and the ruler of this new apocalypse — a warlord known only as The Hat.

Opens With

Grace
Dir. Karen Nielsen · Canadian Premiere
A young girl, her dog, and a stranger try to hold onto their humanity when stranded together in a post-apocalyptic world.

Saturday November 28, 2015

3:30 pm — Please Like My Film: A Marketing for Distribution Seminar
A round table on how to position your film to attract distributors and reach the public.
Susan Curran — Director of Marketing, Anchor Bay Canada / Starz Home Entertainment
Avi Federgreen — Producer and Owner, IndieCan Entertainment
Gavin Michael Booth — Filmmaker (The Scarehouse)
4:00 pm The Dark Stranger Canadian Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Cinematography – D. Gregor Hagey

Dir. Chris Trebilcock

Haunted by a terrifying spirit out of her graphic novel, a young artist struggles to overcome her psychosis before it destroys her.

Opens With

Ego Noxa
Dir. Mercedes Coyle · Toronto Premiere
A girl's inner struggle with self-hate comes to life in a terrifying nightmarish form.
6:30 pm Secret Santa World Premiere
Horror Comedy 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Music Score – Andre Becker

Dir. Mikey McMurran

A group of eccentric college kids plan a liquor-filled party with a Secret Santa exchange during exam period. Little do they know that a killer has a special present for all the good (and bad) girls and boys.

Opens With

O Christmas Tree
Dir. Greg Kovacs · World Premiere
Carolers out to spread Christmas cheer get more than they bargained for at Mabel's house.
7:00 pm BITS Short Film Showcase
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Short – Chiral (Dir. Karen Lam)

Premieres of the hottest new Canadian short genre films.

Birthday
Dir. Richard Lukacs
Toronto Premiere
A young girl's dream of becoming the savior of mankind by giving birth to the devil — a tribute to silent-era horror.
Deathbox
Dir. Michael Pereira
Toronto Premiere
A lonely hobo with a dark, insatiable need crosses paths with a mysterious man who shares his all-consuming drive.
Kurayami No Wa
Dir. Morgana McKenzie
Toronto Premiere
When Halloween is hijacked by a Japanese doomsday cult, a girl and her siblings flee into the harsh conditions of winter.
Return
Dir. Jon Hyatt
Canadian Premiere
A young couple purchase their new home to start a life together — only to find the elderly couple next door have other plans.
Marty
Dir. Gregory Fox
World Premiere
A traveling salesman reveals himself as a psychopath when he tries to fill the void his parents left.
Aestas
Dir. Guillaume Comtois
Canadian Premiere
A man saves a teenage girl from drowning — she disappears, then returns, and his girlfriend disappears too.
Seiren
Dir. Kat Threlkeld
Toronto Premiere
After a supermodel is bitten by a mysterious creature on a beach photo shoot, an infection transforms her into a demonic sea siren thirsting for blood.
9:30 pm Save Yourself Canadian Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada

Dir. Ryan M. Andrews

Five female filmmakers en route to screen their horror film in Los Angeles experience their own real-life terror when they cross paths with a deranged scientist hellbent on using them for his mysterious experiments.

Opens With

Never Tear Us Apart
Dir. Sid Zanforlin · Canadian Premiere
Two friends try to survive an encounter with a couple of backwoods cannibals.

11:59 pm — Secret Santa (Second Screening) with O Christmas Tree

Sunday November 29, 2015

12:00 pm — Making It Look Gross: A Special Effects Makeup Seminar (2 hrs)
A discussion with top Special Effects Makeup artists in Canada, followed by a practical demo by Ryan Louagie of The Butcher Shop.
2:00 pm She Who Must Burn Toronto Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Feature

Dir. Larry Kent

The Baarkers, a family group of religious fanatics who believe they are God's chosen ones, polarize a town and force its residents to fight for their lives as their zeal turns murderous and the rule of law decays into brutish mob mentality.

Opens With

Crazy Love
Dir. Mathieu Charest · Toronto Premiere
Pushed to her breaking point, an abused woman must decide whether to stay silent or fight back.
2:30 pm — Fix It on Set: Post Production Tips for Indie Films
An in-depth panel on planning your postproduction.
George Flores — Sound Designer / Mixer
Steph Copeland — Composer
Justin McConnell — Filmmaker and Editor
4:00 pm White Raven World Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada

Dir. Andrew Moxham

Four men head into the remote woods on an annual camping trip. As one of them gradually loses his mind, the weekend of fun takes a turn for the worse and the other three must fight for their lives.

Opens With

And They Watched
Dir. Vivian Lin · Toronto Premiere
A horror morality tale about the custodian of an electric chair and its last casualty — inspired by the reinstatement of the electric chair in Tennessee.
4:30 pm Bite Toronto Premiere
Horror 🇨🇦 Canada 🏆 Best Actress – Elma Begovic 🏆 Best Special FX – Jason Derushie 🏆 Best Poster – Brandon Marsh

Dir. Chad Archibald

On her bachelorette party getaway, Casey gets a seemingly harmless bite from an unknown insect. After returning home with cold feet, she starts exhibiting insect-like traits — and begins creating a hive that houses her translucent eggs and feeds on the flesh of others.

Opens With

A Tale of the Bonesetter
Dir. Brett Kelly · Toronto Premiere
A woman and her child visit a Bed and Breakfast in rural Quebec, unaware of the town's history of child murders at the hands of an ancient Bonesetter.

7:00 pm — Bite (Second Screening) with A Tale of the Bonesetter
7:30 pm — Save Yourself (Second Screening) with Never Tear Us Apart
10:00 pm — Closing Night Party & Awards

The Bloodies 2015

BITS 2015 Winner Laurels

Best Feature

🏆 She Who Must Burn

Dir. Larry Kent

Best Short

🏆 Chiral

Dir. Karen Lam

Best Actor

🏆 John White

Farhope Tower

Best Actress

🏆 Elma Begovic

Bite

Best Director

🏆 April Mullen

Farhope Tower

Best Screenplay

🏆 Andrew Cymek

Night Cries

Best Cinematography

🏆 D. Gregor Hagey

The Dark Stranger

Best Special FX

🏆 Jason Derushie

Bite

Best Music Score

🏆 Andre Becker

Secret Santa

Best Poster

🏆 Brandon Marsh

Bite

Vanguard Award

🏆 Post-Lifers Productions

Dir. Greg Kovacs & team — first filmmakers to screen five times at BITS

Sponsor Awards

George Flores Sound

🏆 Best Short — free sound post (5.1 surround, <10 min)
🏆 Best Feature — 50% off up to $7,500

Smak Studios

🏆 Best Short — free colour grade & online (2–4K)
🏆 Best Feature — 50% off up to $7,500
🏆 Best Actor/Actress — 50% off up to $7,500

Other Prizes

🏆 Best Screenplay — Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada script notes
🏆 Best Actor/Actress — free demo reel edit (up to 5 min)

📅 Dates

November 27–29, 2015

📍 Venue

Carlton Cinema · 20 Carlton St., Toronto

📬 Contact

Kelly Michael Stewart
Festival Director
info@bloodinthesnow.ca