Welcome back, dear little orphans.

It’s been a while. The wind seems to have dropped and the crew is roasting in the sun. Not lying around, of course. We polish the deck, tar the beams, sharpen the dagger. But the wind, putain!, the wind doesn’t blow. Or, at least, the wrong wind is blowing here in the Sabaudian land.

The wind moving our sails, the sails belonging to anyone who aims to make a little bit of culture. With lowercase c, of course. You know what? I’ll say fantastic culture. Isn’t it a kind of culture? Don’t human knowledge and progress pass through the looking glass after all? Then who are the Vernes, the Poes, the Lovecrafts, the Kings who occupy university rooms like stalls of popular culture?

Not many think the way we do, so the axe hacks down pitilessly on us, and the first to fall are the little ones, predictably. We can give up everything in our country, now we know it once more.

But, in the meanwhile, the Italian independent panorama, cinema and literature, shows unexpected and long-awaited energy. Lots of young authors have come on the threshold of fantastic, a lot of good films and novels have seen the light in the latest years. Thus, in the face of common sense, we’ve decided to sail close-hauled in the territories of imagination of our country. Just to try to fuel a generation of talents which will be able do much, if we give them the chance. And to try to get to know them more closely. Yes, mes petites, the crew is beavering, in spite of the insects and the thirst. Soon you will have an anticipation of what is going to be ToHorror 2010.

Because rarely in the history of this country have we needed more than now to sail far away.

Voilà, dear little orphans. Here is what the Fest crew has prepared for you, let’s call it a surprise attack. Indeed!

Tuesday the 4th of May in Turin, at Cineplex Massaua (Piazza Massaua 9) at 21.30, Splattercontainer and TOHorrorFilmFest present in national preview the last film written and directed by Federico Zampaglione.

The director himself will be present, along with some members of the cast, namely Nuot Arquint, Jake Muxworthy and Chris Coppola. Obviously, it will be possible to meet the author and discuss with him some aspects of the film which in Europe have been regarded as the expression of an Italian horror renaissance. We hope.

Thus begins a collaboration with Splattercontainer, of which we are glad: we believe that only good things can come out of it, or terrible ones, whcih in the end is the same. In the meanwhile, we’ll be at Massaua to watch a good movie. And to shout for the Italian horror renaissance.

After the screening, the staffs of Radio Flash’s “Il Bidone”, of TOHorrorFilmFest and Splattercontainer organize the Shadow After Party at Fluido in Viale Cagni 7 inside the Valentino park in Turin. In the club it will be possible to meet the film’s cast, and in the meanwhile an selection of the best works of the previous edition of the TOHorrorFilmFest will be screened. Musical entertainment by the duo "djesse" J&B, guest Drayful Selecta.

You can request free tickets for the screening either by answering an easy question you’ll find at the end of the page or by phoning the programme "Il Bidone" di Radio Flash, Friday 30th April from 21.00 to 23.00.
During the programme created and hosted by Irene Mariatti, Marco Viola (Actarus), director of Splattercontainer, Max Supporta director of TOHorrorFilmFest will be present and Federico Zampaglione and the film’s cast will intervene on the phone.
Whoever arrives at Fluido club with a ticket of the cinema will receive a free chupito of welcome!

Here we are again... the worn out schooner of the festival puts to sea one more time. We’ve sobered up. The journey we’re about to undertake is full of pitfalls, as usual. The crew are euphoric, the exaltation of the last edition urges us to push ourselves further. Therefore, another metamorphosis is coming, a change in the course of action. All this, without abandoning those aspect that make ToHorror a unique reality, without giving up the attention for the fantastic expressed with teathrical performances, concerts, meetings, readings. But we want more. And we’ll have it, putain! But nothing else can be told, you’ll know everything in due time, dear little orphans. I can tell you for sure that the subject of the festival will be the passing of time and the horror aroused by the last grain in the hourglass.
Hence, the title CRONOPHOBIA, neologism created by us as the tenth (the tenth!) edition of TOHORRORFILMFEST approaches.
We have decided to bet on the full-lenght movie competition, giving it a more powerful International propulsion. We’ll make sure not to miss anything, from a few wellknown guests to exhibitions and retrospectives. What’s more, we’ll stun you with astonishing surprises. If you happen to be the new heroes of the Italian fantastic cinema renaissance, download the competition announcement and send us your works. To all the other little orphans, misfits like us, living in a fantasy world, remember that the crew sing on deck while washing it, stitch up the sails, prepare the cannons. Let’s hoist le Jolie Rouge, we’re ready.
See you in Turin...

Download competition announcement    |    entry form Videos    |    entry form Scripts

Where were we? Oh yes, the jag, and here in Tortuga, dear little orphans, things get serious.
The poison flows in torrents celebrating the success, another won battle. Someone could say equalised, who cares, Bigmouth Strikes Again, as old Morrissey used to say back in the 80s. Let’s start from the end, let’s rewind.

Federico Zampaglione said, at the festival of Trieste, that our axe truly cuts. At the prize-giving, the winners of TOHorror for the 2009 edition are 32 by Michele Pastrello for the short film category, Wolfhound by Z and X for the Experimental and Mutations category, Anima Incompresa by Erica Fiscella for the animation category and Francesca by Fulvio Giacchi for the screenplay category.

The Italian musician and director Zampaglione talks to the TOHorror audience, in a packed Café Liber, about his last film: "Shadow".
Let’s rewind.

At the Feltrinelli library, we talk about James G. Ballard, pioneer of the science fiction of the self, with Alessandra C. and Antonio Caronia. Caronia says: science fiction is dead.
At the Empire cinema the last film by Robert "Freddy Krueger" Englund is shown, "Sinner" by Alessandro Perrella.
At the Café Liber Filippo Locantore reads "The Atrocity Exhibition" by J. Ballard and MTOMB strikes the ether with his orchestral solo, let’s rewind.

A man shoots a zombie in the shadow of the Mole Antonelliana, H.P. Lovecraft on the banks of the river Po, an Italian scriptwriter in Chile: we are referring to "Arise", a Sabaudian web series, the extraordinary "Road to L." by Federico Leggio, Andrea Cavaletto with his frantic "Dirty Love".
These are the video events at the club, and let’s rewind.

Master Jean Rollin directs his words to the audience at the Empire cinema, along with his grace and intelligence. Brigitte Lahaier in "Fascination" closes in naked, the glimmering scythe in her hands: the perfect reaper.
Let’s rewind.

Lights switch on, the splendid advert of the festival we were given by Marco Testa, a winner of the past editions, has just ended. I step on stage and say: Good evening. And welcome to the ninth edition of TOHorrorFilmFest...

The winners of TOHFF 2009 (IX edition) are:

• for the Short Film category: 32 by Michele Pastrello
• for the Experimental&Mutations category: WOLFHOUND by Andrea Zanoli/Daniele Marconcini
• for the Animation category: ANIMA INCOMPRESA by Erika Fiscella
• for the Screenplay category: FRANCESCA by Fulvio Giacchi/N.P.
• for the Soundtrack category: OMBRE NELLA NOTTE by Emiliano DeAngelis

Special mention to:

• ZOMBIES AND CIGARETTES by Rafa Martìnez/Inaki Romàn
• ROAD TO L. by Federico Greco/Roberto Leggio
• DIRTY LOVE by Patricio Valladares
• ARISE by Barra/Deri/Fasano/Milasi