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The ABCs of Death

26 DIRECTORS | 26 WAYS TO DIE

Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet

Bruno Forzani & Hélène Cattet
Films Amer
Bio

Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet work as one filmmaking machine. Helene studied Biology. Bruno studied accountancy. We met in Brussels and started to work together in 2000 with self-produced short films that we made with four or five friends (the same friends we are still working with today). Their debut feature "Amer" dazzled audiences with its giallo motifs and homages.  "A pastiche tour de force plays out a delirious, enigmatic, almost wordless death-dance of fear and desire. Its three movements, each in a different style, correspond to the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of its female protagonist—and that’s all you need to know. Drawing its stylized, hyperbolic gestures from the playbooks of Bava, Leone, Argento, and De Palma and taking them into a realm of near-abstraction, Amer has genre in the blood." -Indiewire

Kaare Andrews

Kaare Andrews
Films Altitude
Bio

A comic book writer and artist and filmmaker known for his cover work on Incredible Hulk and Canada's first national recognized award, "The Shuster," for his work on Spider-Man: Doctor Octopus.

Angela Bettis

Angela Bettis
Films Roman
Bio

Angela Marie Bettis was born in Austin. She is an American actress, film producer and director best known for her lead roles in the 2002 TV remake of the Stephen King film "Carrie," the title character in "May" (2002), and in "Girl, Interrupted" as the anorexic girl Janet Webber. Bettis is most famous for her work in independent horror films, and especially her working relationship with writer/director Lucky McKee. Her title role in McKee's 2002 film "May" won her something of a cult following. Since then, she has appeared in McKee's Masters of Horror episode, "Sick Girl", and provided a voice-over for his film "The Woods". In 2006, their May roles reversed, when McKee acted for Bettis in her directorial debut, "Roman," based on a McKee script. She recently starred in Lucky McKee's disturbing film "The Woman".

Adrian Bogliano

Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Films Cold Sweat
Bio

Adrian Garcia Bogliano was born in Spain but raised in Argentina. He began his career at 19 with his film "Habitaciones para turistas" (Room for Tourists, 2004), a critical smash which made it to a limited theatrical release in the United States. He has since directed "36 pasos" (2006), "No moriré sola" (I'll Never Die Alone, 2008), "Donde duerme el horror" (The Accursed, 2010) and "Penumbra" (2011), currently in post production. His upcoming movie "Vagabundo en la lluvia" (Drifter in the Rain), a remake of the 1968 cult classic directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada.

Jason Eisner

Jason Eisner
Films Hobo With A Shotgun
Bio

In 2007, Jason Eisener was making amateur movies in his hometown of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Then, along came "Grindhouse", a tribute to 70's exploitation films, directed by Hollywood giants Quentin Tarintino and Robert Rodriguez. To promote the movie, Rodriguez held a competition asking fans to create their own fake movie trailer. Jason got to work, and in just two weeks, he made "Hobo with a Shotgun", a mini-masterpiece about a homeless vigilante. Within weeks, the trailer had thousands of views on YouTube, and Jason went on to win the competition. Now, that could have been the end of the story, but this Hobo refused to die. Soon after, Jason and his producer flew to Toronto, where they got the chance to turn "Hobo" into a full-length film. Plus, Jason got to work with one of his all-time heroes, Dutch actor Rutger Hauer, who signed on to play the Hobo.  -CBC

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza

Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Films Mirageman, Mandrill
Bio

Ernesto Díaz Espinoza is a film director, screenwriter and editor of his own films. Known for being one of the pioneers of action cinema in Chile, he has has twice been elected best director Wikén Chilean magazine of "El Mercurio".

Xavier Gens

Xavier Gens
Films Frontiers, Hitman
Bio

Noboru Iguchi

Noboru Iguchi
Films RoboGeisha, The Machine Girl
Bio

A Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor. He has worked as a director in adult video as well as in the horror and gore genres. In an interview he said he was influenced in his work by the ghost houses and freak shows he went to as a child in Japanese play lands and that his aim in his films is to both entertain and surprise.

Thomas Malling

Thomas Malling
Films Norwegian Ninja
Bio

Marking the cinematic debut of author Thomas Cappelen Malling, "Norwegian Ninja", is every bit as unclassifiable and creative as it sounds, mixing politics, action, comedy and mystic philosophy with an inspired, documentary style approach. Produced by the same team responsible for other recent Norwegian cult success "Død snø" (Dead Snow, 2009).

Jorge Michel Grau

Jorge Michel Grau
Films We Are What We Are
Bio

Jorge Michel Grau obtains a B.A. in Communication from the National Autonomous University of Mexico from 1994-1998 and then graduates with honors in Film Direction from the Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica (CCC); in his professional career he has started as a producer of documentaries and cultural and educational television programs.

Anders Morgenthaler

Anders Morgenthaler
Films Princess
Bio

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1972. From early age he communicated through drawing. It can be said to have been his means of survival through the public school system. After graduating high school in 1992, he worked as a self-taught animator/designer at ITE (Interactive Television Entertainment), making Hugo the Troll, the world's first interactive television cartoon game. In 2001 and 2002, Anders wrote and directed his exam movie; not following the rules of doing a seven minute movie, he made a feature film together with producer David Østerbøg with a budget of $11,700. The Danish Film School accepted that the film be finalised.

Yoshihiro Nishimura

Yoshihiro Nishimura
Films Tokyo Gore Police
Bio

Yoshihiro Nishimura is a Japanese film director, special effects and makeup effects artist, and a screenwriter who has worked predominantly in the horror genre. Nishimura has been described as a legendary director and effects artist and the Tom Savini of Japan with talent to burn. He has been credited with establishing a new type of visual film presentation, the gore effect.

Banjong Pisanthanakun

Banjong Pisanthanakun
Films Shutter
Bio

Thai filmmaker and screenwriter. With Parkpoom Wongpoom, he co-directed and co-wrote the hit 2004 Thai horror film, Shutter, and the 2007 horror film, Alone.

Simon Rumley

Simon Rumley
Films Red, White and Blue
Bio

Simon Rumley is an English writer, producer and director. He has written and directed four features. His last released feature was "Red White & Blue" shot on location in and around Austin, Texas over the summer. Starring Noah Taylor, Marc Senter and Amanda Fuller, the film returned to London for post-production. He has already completed "Little Deaths" an anthology film shot in the UK.

Marcel Sarmiento

Marcel Sarmiento
Films Deadgirl
Bio

Marcel Sarmiento

Marcel Sarmiento
Films Deadgirl, Heavy Petting
Bio

Marcel is an American screenwriter and director who's second feature was the controversial DEADGIRL, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2008. Film Threat said, "It will remind you of the best of Cronenberg. Cleverly written, stylishly directed and morbidly fascinating. It isn't your average cookie-cutter horror film." His previous film was HEAVY PETTING (2006) starring Malin Akerman, a comedy. Marcel is currently adapting a comic book for producer Steven Schneider.

Jon Schnepp

Jon Schnepp
Films Metalocalypse
Bio

 

Jon Schnepp is an American producer, director, actor, editor, writer and cinematographer. He is a writer/producer/director at Titmouse, and has been a creative force in all 4 seasons of the hit Adult Swim animated series "Metalocalypse", from creating and designing the Dethklok Band Characters to directing the bulk of the television series and the majority of the music videos when Dethklok plays live in concert. He has made over a dozen episodes of the classic "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast", and has voiced characters on Aqua Teen Hunger Force (The Wisdom Cube) and directed shows like "Upright Citizens Brigade" and "The Venture Bros." Jon Schnepp is currently directing and producing the 4th season of "Metalocalypse".

Srdjan Spasojevic

Srdjan Spasojevic
Films A Serbian Film
Bio

Srdjan Spasojevic is a film writer, director and producer. His debut shook the world, "A Serbian Film" became the most controversial film on the planet since "Salò" was released. It is one of the first true midnight films for the new century. An angry scream in cinematic form the film is not for the sensitive or faint of heart. It has divided audiences and caused people to flee cinemas in terror. It is perhaps the most dangerouns film on the planet at the moment.

Timo Tjahjanto

Timo Tjahjanto
Films Macabre
Bio

One half of Indonesia's premier horror duo 'The Mo Brothers' whose feature Macabre put them on the international genre map. Recently he joined forces with Gareth Huw Evans and begun work on a new collaborative project titled The Night Comes For Us.

Andrew Traucki

Andrew Traucki
Films The Reef
Bio

"The Reef" marks Andrew Traucki’s second stint in the directors chair. Despite working within the restrictive ‘shark movie’ genre, Traucki has delivered a genuinely innovative and tense thriller. "The Reef" tells the true story of four holidaymakers who – after becoming stranded in the ocean – find themselves stalked by a great white shark. The film bears a striking resemblance to Traucki’s previous movie, "Black Water," which tells the similar true story of holidaymakers hunted by a giant crocodile. -Hollywood News

Nacho Vigalondo

Nacho Vigalondo
Films TimeCrimes
Bio

Ignacio "Nacho" Vigalondo (born 6 April 1977 in Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria, Spain) is a Spanish filmmaker. In addition to receiving an Academy Award nomination and a Best Short Film Award nomination at the European Film Awards, Vigalondo's 2003 short film "7:35 de la Mañana" received the Bronze Moon of Valencia at the Cinema Jove – Valencia International Film Festival and the Prix UIP Drama at the Drama Short Film Festival. He finished his first full length feature film, "Los Cronocrímenes" (TimeCrimes), in 2007. Vigalondo revealed on his official blog that his next film would be a Spanish-language alien invasion horror entitled "Extraterrestre".

Jake West

Jake West
Films Doghouse, Evil Aliens
Bio

Jake West is an English horror film director born in 1972.  His films are known for mixing outrageous humour amongst the bloody fun. His last directorial release was a documentary on the moral panic over Video Nasties in the UK early 80s.

Ti West

Ti West
Films House of the Devil, The Innkeepers
Bio

Ti West is an American film director, best known for his work in horror films. One of the most exciting and original filmmakers on the independent scene today. Recently West directed an original screenplay, "The Innkeepers", a follow up to his 2008 critically acclaimed, "The House of the Devil". The film premiered at SXSW 2011.

Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley
Films Down Terrace, Kill List
Bio

Ben Wheatley is an animator, director of internet viral ads, TV idents, TV adverts TV comedy shows and feature films. Initially a short film maker and animator, Wheatley moved his work to the internet instantly gaining a wider audience. His viral clip "cunning stunt" which shows his friend Rob Hill jumping over a car has had over 10 million plays and continues to hit inboxes around the globe. Between 2007 and 2009 Wheatley directed series 2 of "Modern Toss", "The Wrong Door" and "Ideal" series 5 for BBC3. In May 2009 he directed a feature film called "Down Terrace" which won the Next Wave prize at Fantastic Fest in Austin and Best UK Feature at Raindance in London. He has also directed adverts for Blink Productions. He is the founder of Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley. Wheatley has recently completed shooting his second feature, "Kill List" for Warp X.

Adam Wingard

Adam Wingard
Films Pop Skull, A Horrrible Way to Die
Bio

At 19 Adam got his start in feature film making early with his directorial debut "Home Sick," a slasher horror film starring Bill Moseley and Tom Toweles. However it was his second effort at 24 years old with the film "Pop Skull" that garnered him a talent to watch. Made for a budget of around 2000 dollars he managed to capture the attention of French Distribution company The Wild Bunch. The film went on to premiere at the prestigious Rome Film Festival and the American Film Institute Film Festival. His dark and sometimes abrasive directing/editing style has been compared to directors such as David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, and Shinya Tsukamoto.

Yûdai Yamaguchi

Yûdai Yamaguchi
Films Battlefield Baseball, Cromartie High School
Bio

Yudai Yamaguchi was born in 1971,and attended the Japan Academy of Moving Images, winning a number of awards at international film festivals after graduation. In 2000, he co-wrote Ryuhei Kitamura’s action-horror film Versus, and also served as second-unit director. Following this up with more creatively gruesome comedies, Yamaguchi has established a name for himself as Japan’s most popular comedy / action / horror filmmaker. In 2009, he served as writer, editor and creative director for comedian Itsuji Itao’s King of Jail Breakers, and co-directed the TV series Soil with Takashi Shimizu, in addition to preparing two films for The Sushi Typhoon.

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