TOHorror- An international Foreign Film Festival of Fright!

1. Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

I'm Massimiliano Supporta and I'm the artistic director of the TOHorror Film Fest in Turin, Italy.

2. Can you tell us about the TOHorror festival?

The TOHorror Film Fest is a yearly festival dedicated to the genre of horror cinema and culture that is set every October in Turin, Italy. It is an independent festival focused on every field of the fantastic culture, from cinema to comics, from literature to video games, from theater to music, a festival that is inspired by all kind of independent productions.

3. How long has it been running?

The TOHFF started in 1999 and from then, except for a break in 2005, we spread fantasy and horror throughout our town. This year is our 19th edition we've hosted.

4. What is your background in relation to the festival? Are you a filmmaker?

The TOHorror started as a festival about authors for the authors: Characters that wanted to share their VHS with a niche public. From that time, we grew a lot and we became one of the most fierce festivals in Italy and a reference for authors and horror/fantasy genre lovers from all around the world. I myself am a big fan of horror especially. I started as a video-maker but with the growing responsibilities for the festival , my video production decreased. I haven't stopped writing my horror scripts.

5. Why did you choose to make a horror festival?

The choice was quite natural at the beginning. We saw that in our country we had very little non-institutional appointments for the independent authors to present their fantasy or horror movies. It was also a good way to meet people sharing the same passion. The TOHorror became a big family of genre fans that continues to grow.

6. Can you name some of the guests that have attended or participated in the festival?

We've had so many great guests, especially from Italy but also international. Dario Argento, who was our Godfather for our very first edition. Besides him, we've had some of the biggest Italian masters like Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), Aldo Lado (Short Night of Glass Dolls), Lamberto Bava (Demons), Sergio Stivaletti (The Wax Mask) and the maestro Claudio Simonetti, composer of Dario Argento's music. Among the new names of the renovated Italian fantasy cinema, Lorenzo Bianchini (Across the River), Federico Zampaglione (Shadow), Raffaele Picchio (Morituris), Ivan Zuccon (Wrath of the Crow). Among the international guests, Forzani & Cattet (Amer), Richard Stanley (Hardware), Alex Chandon (Inbred), Rudy Rivéron Sànchez (Eres tu, papa?). Among the American guests, Matt Farnsworth (The Orphan Killer), Adrian Corona (Dis), Darren Lynn Bousman (St. Agatha)

7. In your own words, what is your interpretation of horror?

That's a hard question for me and not sure how to answer. It's an anarchist genre that frees the most hidden fantasies of the authors and it can become so many different things. I believe fear is a very important feeling, probably the one who let humanity progress and evolve and avoid (for now) the extinction of our kind. You shouldn't be its slave but you have to respect it. That's what I love about horror. Fantasy cinema is the key to reading society, it tells a lot about the time that generated it, probably more than a sociology essay. Just think about the German expressionism born during the Nazism or the American movies during the time of the cold war or after 9/11. The genre tells it better than anything else.

8. Can you tell us about the upcoming contest you are having? What are the prizes that await the winner?

The TOHFF has 4 different contests: feature film, short film, animated short film and screenplay (for Italian authors). A jury decides the first prize for every category but we also have special awards: best FX, audience award, Margheriti award (for the artisan creativity) and the Mondelli award for the best first feature film. Since we are an independent and self-produced festival, up to this day we've never offered an economic prize. We offer hospitality to the selected authors and the award is a freaking cleaver. Very craved.

9. Do you take submissions from America or in English?

We accept submissions from all around the world. More than 70 countries have been represented in our competitions. Not only do we accept English movies, but we've had a lot of English winners. Just in the last editions: Offensive (Jon Ford), Love Eternal (Brendan Muldowney), St Agatha (Darren Lynn Bousman), Boar (Chris Sun) to name a few. Last year, the award for the best feature film (both jury and audience awards) went to the Japanese movie “One cut of the Dead”. In our website you can find all the winners from all editions.

10. If someone wanted to find out more about you or the festival, where can they go?

For information about the TOHorror Film Fest, I suggest visiting our website (we have the English version, don't worry!): www.tohorrorfilmfest.it/en Also, follow our facebook and instagram pages for every update!

To submit a movie, you can find us on FilmFreeWay. Our first deadline is April 15th so you better hurry if you want to benefit from the early bird fee! https://filmfreeway.com/TOHorrorFilmFest

Thanks so much for a terroriffic talk. Look forward to visiting your festival on my trip to Italy next year. I've worked up an appetite for an Italian meal! Don't let my savage teeth fool you, ill try to make this as quick and painful as possible! To my fellow freakish film makers, make sure to submit those horror flicks if you qualify. This is Slaughter Cin signing out. Until the next full moon, stay scary!