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text and reviews by Rael Montecucco

Born within the frame of Concorto Film Festival as section dedicated to horror cinema only, the Deep Night focus developed over the years, opening the doors to the world of the surreal, of the experimental and of everything that can be called weird. The Concorto midnight screenings become in this way a sort of Bizarre Circus, where the public can find traditional horror movies as well as animation, grotesque comedies, and non-conventional thrillers.
17 films from 12 different parts of the world, with several Italian premieres and short films coming from the most important international festivals dedicated to fantastic cinema.
Three nights not to be missed. The meeting is as always at midnight, in the Greenhouse of Parco Raggio.
Welcome to Deep Night.

The selected movies

curated by Rael Montecucco – Gli Sbandati

RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIM by Eros Vlahos, UK, 2018
VINEGAR BATHS by Amanda Nell Eu, Malaysia, 2018
MILK by Santiago Menghini, Canada, 2018
CRYING BITCH by Reiki Tsuno, Japan, 2018
CHICHI by David Nessl, USA, 2019
LAY THEM STRAIGHT by Robert DeLeskie, Canada, 2018
MONDOCANE by Blaise Villars, Switzerland, 2019
CHOWBOYS: AN AMERICAN FOLKTALE by Astron 6, Canada, 2018
30 AMPER by Michal Kubicek, Czech Republic, 2018
UNDER COVERS by Michaela Olsen, USA, 2018
CERDITA (PIGGY) by Martínez Pereda Carlota, Spain, 2018
DOCKING by Trevor Anderson, Canada, 2019
IT’S NOT CUSTARD by Kate McCoid, UK, 2018
HELSINKI MANSPLAINING MASSACRE by Ilja Rautsi, Finland, 2018
WHO’S THAT AT THE BACK OF THE BUS? by Philip Hardy, UK, 2018
TEETH AND PILLS by Andrea Vinciguerra, UK/Italy, 2018
GERICHTSZEICHNER (COURT SKETCH ARTIST) by Jochen Kuhn, Germany, 2018

  • Vinegar Baths, Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia): A nurse who is passionate about junk food and pop music spends her hours in the corridors of a hospital’s maternity ward, between surreal situations and inner ghosts.
  • Crying Bitch, Reiki Tsuno (Japan): Stories of betrayals and love triangles, knives, swords, and double personalities. For fans of Takashi Miike and a certain crazy Japanese cinema.
  • Milk, Santiago Menghini (Canada): When a boy wakes up in the middle of the night to drink a glass of milk, he finds his mother looking out of the window in the dark of the living room, with her feet completely covered in mud. Something doesn’t add up. A classic horror movie with thrills guaranteed.
  • Lay Them Straight, Robert DeLeskie (Canada): Parker is a student obsessed with numbers. She believes that, if she stops counting in her head, something horrible could happen. One day Parker stops counting.
  • ChiChi, David Nessl (USA): The author of this crazy animation explains that the film is the transposition of his dog’s dream. And this is not hard to believe. Presented at the Sundance Film Festival.
  • Chowboys: An American Folktale, Astron 6 (Canada): Three cowboys, definitely not really smart, spend the coldest night of the year sitting and chatting in front of a fire. It will not end very well. From the authors of the cult horror film The Void.
  • Under Covers, Michaela Olsen (USA): What happens when we are under our covers at night? The American animator Michaela Olsen takes us into the bedrooms of bizarre and colourful characters, including psychopathic children, animals, and lesbian nuns. A delightful stop motion animation.
  • Right Place, Wrong Tim, Eros Vlahos (UK): A typical American sitcom goes out of control when a group of clones of the main actor takes over the set. Splatter and fun, the short film was directed by Eros Vlahos, who played Lommy Greenhands in Game of Thrones, and stars Asa Butterfield, who played the little Hugo Cabret in the Scorsese’s film and recently acted in the successful Netflix series Sex Education.
  • It’s not custard, Kate McCoid (USA): A teenager lives a life full of stress and frustration because of the pimples and acne covering her face, making her feel inferior to her sister. One day, she wakes up with perfect skin. Her pimples, however, have moved to the walls of her room. A sticky situation. A grotesque comedy that will make you laugh, as well as feel a bit of healthy disgust.
  • Mondocane, Villars Blaise (Switzerland): Dogs are a man’s best friend. And sometimes even something more. A peculiar love story.
  • 30 Amper, Michal Kubicek (Czech Republic): In a post-apocalyptic scenario a man goes on a desperate search for an object which could change his destiny. He will have to fight against dark forces to achieve his deserved victory. A beautiful and surprising animated short film.
  • Helsinki Mansplaining Massacre, Ilja Rautsi (Finland): After a car accident, a couple ends up as guest of a family of crazy people who do share a common feature: misogyny and extreme male chauvinism. It will not be easy for the female main character to get out of that house. One of the most successful horror shorts of last season.
  • Cerdita (Piggy), Martinez Pereda Carlota (Spain): Sara gets bullied by her schoolmates because of her weight. In the hardest moment, the girl will have her revenge thanks to an unexpected ally. Intense and powerful thriller, with a standing ovation performance by the young Laura Galan.
  • Who’s that at the back of the bus?, Philip Hardy (UK): Is it really a huge penguin sitting at the back of the bus? The old lady starring in this hilarious short film finds herself caught up in a situation as absurd as disquieting. With a surprise ending.
  • Teeth and Pills, Andrea Vinciguerra (Italy/UK): Surreal and colourful black comedy directed by the Italian Andrea Vinciguerra. A satirical and provocative portrait of an American middle-class family, featuring pills, bodybuilding, dolls, parties, and teeth being knocked out. Between the video of Black Hole Sun and Todd Solondz. A sharp little gem.
  • Docking, Trevor Anderson (Canada): Love and fear in infinite space.
  • Gerichtszeichner, Jochen Kuhn (Germany). The courtroom sketch artist is the one who draws the most significant trial moments in tribunals, when cameras are not allowed. Through the sketches of one of these authors we follow the Scurano trial, a blood-thirsty guru head of a religious order. From the German animation veteran Jochen Kuhn.

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