At 18 years old, Alice Maio Mackay has crafted four feature films – primarily casting trans, gay, and non-binary actors in lead roles. Further, she’s already working on an untitled fifth Christmas-themed horror film featuring ghosties, a true-crime podcaster, and a gory good time. Her latest feature T BLOCKERS debuted at 2023’s Salem Horror Fest.
Movies about witches usually come in two flavors: those that vilify and those that sympathize. The Ukrainian film, IN A DARK, DARK ROOM is the former.
Written, directed, and edited by K/XI, MAYA tells a refreshingly unique jinn-based possession story rooted in Pakistani culture and the unyielding bond of sisterhood. Whereas most mainstream possession films revel in lurid gore and exploitation of its women leads, MAYA takes a grounded take on the subject that’s tenderly violent and tragic.
We're back on our old stomping grounds of Salem Horror Fest to plow the fertile fields of themes and metaphors to unearth why the British folk horror classic, The Blood on Satan's Claw, left us feeling so icky. From teens and occultism to PSAs and power, we dig deep.
Hop on your broomsticks and don’t forget to bring an offering or two!
