Genre festival makes it way back to the Annex

By Katie O’Connor

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever.

The critically acclaimed genre film festival turns seven this year, and has expanded to nine nights of programming.

The festival showcases feature length science fiction, cult, horror, and action movies as well as short films from around the world, and is known for promoting independent filmmaking.

In that independent spirit, TADFF has added one more item to their roster for 2012 – videogames.

The ‘Toronto After Darkcade’ is a video game showcase featuring 18 independently created and produced games that fall into the horror, sci-fi and action genres.

Festival Director Adam Lopez said response to the Darkcade has been great.

“Well we had a lot of interest over the years from Toronto’s vibrant indie game community to get involved with our thrilling film festival so we decided why not? Let’s add it in.”

Festival goers will have a chance each night after the film screenings to check out the games.

TADFF will also offer pub social nights at Paupers Pub (539 Bloor Street West), giving festival goers and filmmakers the chance to mingle and discuss the films they have just watched.

Filmmaker Chris Nash has screened his films at past festivals and said getting to talk about the films with the audience is the best part.

“I have walked out after a few After Dark screenings not really understanding what I’ve watched only to be given an incredibly insightful deconstruction and evaluation of the film by other audience members which have shed a new light and appreciation onto the work,” he said.
Top picks for 2012:

American Mary – Thursday October 18 @ 9:45 PM

An opening night film by the Canadian Soska sisters (also known as the Twisted Twins) about a medical student who becomes desperate as her mountain of debt begins to pile high. To make some money on the side, she is drawn into an underground world of surgical modifications, which she likes a little more than she thought she would…The film stars fan favourite Katherine Isabelle from Ginger Snaps.

Cockneys and Zombies – Saturday October 20 @ 9:45 PM

In an effort to save their grandfather Ray’s retirement home from being replaced by condos, brothers Andy and Terry rob a bank. Just as they are about to make their getaway with the money, they find their way blocked, not by police… but by hordes of the undead. Meanwhile, their grandfather Ray and the retirees are forced to fight off another zombie horde, hip replacements and all. It’s zombies, East End London style.

Universial Soldier – Day of Reckoning – Sunday October 21 @ 6:45 PM

In the latest chapter of the Univerial Soldier series, Scott Atkins (Expendables 2) plays a revenge seeking soldier on the hunt for Universial Soldier Luc Devereux (playing by Jean-Claude Van Damme) who has gone AWOL. Meanwhile, Van Damme teams up with a group of renegade soldiers (including Dolph Lundgren) who are bent on revolution.