Swedish Vampires, Goth Paris Hilton Among Features At Toronto After Dark Film Fest

When’s the last time you caught a Swedish vampire flick? How about a sci-fi-horror-musical mash-up with a cameo by Paris Hilton?

Well those are just two of your choices at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival, kicking off Friday for eight straight nights at the Bloor Cinema.

“We’ve got hundreds of screaming, cheering cult film fans packed (in) here over those eight nights,” festival director Adam Lopez enthuses in an interview with CityNews.ca outside the legendary theatre. “Sixteen screenings, so a record number this year. (And) films from seven different countries.”

It’s the festival’s third year running and Lopez expects more than 7,000 film fans to attend, up from 6,500 last year and 4,000 in 2006. The aforementioned Swedish horror film, titled Let The Right One In, is the opening night film, fresh off a Best Picture win at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Other highlights include Repo! The Genetic Opera, shot in Toronto by director Darren Lynn Bouseman (Saw II-IV) and featuring an eclectic cast including Paris Hilton as a goth girl. Lopez describes the film as a mix between Blade Runner, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Sweeney Todd.

There are also two films starring Ron Perlman of Hellboy Fame: horror comedy I Sell The Dead, which also features Dominic Monaghan of Lost and Lord of the Rings fame, and Mutant Chronicles, co-starring Thomas Jane and John Malkovich.

Lopez started up the festival after noticing that similar events were being held in other cities – he cites Manchester, England, Montreal, and Austin, Texas – but not Toronto.

“I thought, ‘Wow, these are my favourite kind of movies. Why can’t we have a festival like this?’ So I started asking around and found other people who also had that dream,” he explains.

Tickets cost $12 ($10 for students), although there’s a pass that allows fans to see all the movies. Dozens are snapping that up this year, Lopez notes, adding that some people are taking the week off work in order to take in all the films.

“Our fan base is totally unique. We’ve got people who just love watching movies, but not just any kind of movie. Films that are independent, foreign, from around the world,” he muses. “They love to watch these thrilling and cult films with other fans. The atmosphere at the theatre is almost like a rock concert.”

Lopez adds that many of the films playing at the festival prompt discussion and debate, which is why last hear he added a social element to the event. After the last screening each night audience members are invited to the Paupers Pub across the street from the Bloor Cinema to talk about what they’ve just seen. It’s clear that the late hours Lopez and his colleagues work in their efforts to stage the festival are worth it when they see the camaraderie among cinephiles who attend.

“People have made lifelong friends at the festival. I had someone tell me last year that they got engaged to someone that they met here in the line,” he smiles. “That’s something I always wanted this festival to be.”

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival runs October 17-24.

• Once again the Official Toronto Zombie Walk will be marching its way to the Bloor Cinema on Sunday, October 19, to coincide with the festival. A horde of zombies will descend on the historic theatre and pound on its doors to get inside. People dressed in zombie attire receive a discount to that night’s shows – $10 for one show or $15 for both.

For more info on the festival including the complete lineup and how to buy tickets and passes, click here.