By: Sarah Garofalo
Nothing in horror cinema is more endearing than the final girl. Bad-ass females who beat the male odds and come out of the fire, blood-soaked and victorious. The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival began in 2017 as a way to showcase horror films directed, written and produced by women. Submissions are also completely trans and non-binary inclusive. Not only are international horror films of all lengths and themes showcased, but there are also panels held throughout the duration of the festival by strong, female-identifying filmmakers and trailblazers in the horror industry.
The Final Girls Berlin Film Festival has announced its stellar line-up of media completely created by female-identifying filmmakers. Each day of the festival presents one or more series of short films created by different filmmakers around the world that all share similar themes; such as the #MeToo movement, queer horror and folktales. Major features are presented as well, such as Swallow (Carlo Mirabel, USA), The Father’s Shadow (Gabriela Amaral Almeida, Brazil) and Tito (Grace Glowicki, Canada) to name just a few. The festival concludes with a screening of the devilish documentary, Penny Lane’s Hail Satan?, which provides the audience an inside look on the rise and controversies of the Satanic Temple. Alongside screenings during the festival, there are also industry panels allowing an inside chat with women working within the horror and film industries. Maybe you’ve heard of one of the featured speakers this year, Rue Morgue executive editor Andrea Subissati?
If you feel like getting ghoulish in Germany, stop by the Final Girls Film Festival in Berlin, taking place at City Kino Wedding Theatre, from February 6th-9th, 2020. Come support the female-identifying workers in horror, whether they are behind or in-front of the camera. You can purchase your festival tickets here. Follow Final Girls Berlin’s Twitter (@finalgirlsfest) and Instagram (@finalgirlsfilmfest) for updates on the festival.
