EIFF previews its Midnight Madness strand
Edinburgh International Film Festival will preview its new Midnight Madness strand with new slasher flick In a Violent Nature
It's going to be a bit longer than planned before we see the new look Edinburgh International Film Festival programme. The programme launch was originally slated for 4 July but it's been pushed back until 10 July, with tickets on sale on the 11th. To mark this programme launch date, however, EIFF will be giving us a taste of their inaugural Midnight Madness strand – their late-night strand dedicated to genre cinema – with a special preview of the inventive new horror film In a Violent Nature on 11 July at Cameo.
Paul Ridd, EIFF's new director, describes this taster for the Midnight Madness strand as "one of the most exciting and original new horror films of the year," and says it'll be "a total joy to experience its gory brilliance with an audience".
It's the debut film from Canadian director Chris Nash, who seems to have found a new wrinkle to the shopworn slasher formula. In a Violent Nature tells the story of beautiful young people being killed while on a camping holiday in the woods, but what makes it different from Friday the 13th and its many imitators is that the film is mostly told from the killer's point of view. Taking its influence from the experimental films of Gus Van Sant like Elephant and Gerry as much as it does the "cabin in the woods" subgenre, Nash gives horror aficionados a gory slasher that feels laundry fresh.
"The team is so thrilled to be launching Midnight Madness this year as part of the fabric of our new EIFF," says Ridd. "Each night of the Festival we'll be launching top-notch horror films, action films and comedies from all over the world late into the night, and we can't wait to announce the lineup."
Midnight Madness will continue EIFF's fine tradition of celebrating genre films. In the 60s and 70s, the festival held revelatory retrospectives for B-movie masters like Raoul Walsh and Samuel Fuller long before more snooty festivals caught on to their genius. And at more recent EIFF editions, brilliant genre directors like Walter Hill, Roger Corman and Joe Dante have been celebrated. Devotees of Night Moves, the old EIFF strand dedicated to horror, action and cult cinema, meanwhile, will be sure to find much to like in Midnight Madness.
Tickets for In a Violent Nature are available now from Cameo's website
The EIFF programme launches on 10 Jul; tickets on sale 11 Jul
EIFF runs 15-21 Aug