by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

The last film festival I attended was the 2019 Philadelphia Film Festival. It was in person and feels like it occurred a lifetime ago. While I miss the in-person experience of theater-going, I do love how virtual events have mean that there are many global events we now have an easier time accessing. I cannot think of a festival that is more aligned with my interests than the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. While I wish I had the ability to fly off to Berlin every year to attend this event, I am so grateful I can experience this year’s festivities from the comfort and safety of home. If you are a horror fan like myself, I encourage you to make time for this festival which is dedicated to female and non-binary filmmakers. The festival runs from February 4-7 with several features, shorts blocks, and talks that horror fans can attend. 

The festival has 5 feature-length films that they are showcasing. However, features are time-locked and only available in Germany –but as some of these have been on the festival circuits for a bit,  keep an eye out for them. Several of the films have already been covered by Moviejawn including; The Stylist, 12 Hour Shift, and Time of Moulting, so go ahead and check those reviews out.

I will be covering the other two films for Moviejawn so be on the lookout for those reviews. The first is Buio (aka Darkness) which is an Italian film directed by Emanuela Rossi. The film is a post-apocalyptic tale about three sisters who are locked in their house because the sun has become too strong for them to survive. This psychological isolation film feels like it is in the vein of Flowers in the Attic or Sophie Mackintosh’s recent novel The Water Cure. I love a good isolation tale centered around young women and cannot wait to see what Rossi’s story has to offer. 

The other feature is Los Que Vuelven (aka The Returned). This is an Argentinian film directed by Laura Casabé. The film takes place in 1919 and centers on the Guarani tribe whose people are being exterminated or forced into servitude. Sarah is desperate to give birth to a healthy child, but so far all of her babies have died so she turns to her indigenous maid to help bring her child back from the dead. Giving off the vibe of Pet Semetary with an interesting focus on indigenous people and their history this is sure to be a fascinating feature. 

The festival also offers five different blocks of short films which I will be checking out. First is their “Cabin Fever” block all based around isolation horror. One of particular interest is Nyt Kun Olet Minun (aka Now That You’re Mine” is a Norwegian horror flick about a woman who takes her girlfriend to a secluded cabin. Another interesting shorts block is “Young Blood” featuring some child-lead horror films. In this block, Cerulia is a particularly beautiful looking film from Spain about a woman visiting her childhood home and begins to be haunted by her past. And the third block I will be checking out, and the one I am most excited about is the “Eye for an Eye” block all focused on revenge horror. This includes a film called Girl’s Night Out of Body an American film featuring black-gloved killers, haunted candies, and sleepovers. 

There are also several events free to the public (but donations are welcome). Speakers like Alexandra Heller-Nicholas who just wrote 1000 Women in Horror will be giving a talk as well as the hosts of I Spit on Your Podcast discussing “Satanic Feminism”. This is your chance to hear from some of the coolest ladies in the horror world. 

This unique virtual festival gives the opportunity for horror fans all over the world to experience a unique line up of women-directed features from all over the world. I cannot be more excited to check out the features they are offering and engaging in the events. Considering their plans to have their Fall portion of the festival (October 29-31) this really is a wonderful opportunity to hear from the wide range of horror women out there. I will report back to you dear readers on all of the ghoulish delights in store at the festival.