MNFF at the Drive-In

A Legacy of Canadian Trash-Cinema
Emmeritus Productions
Canada, 2023. Directed by Will Foran. 45 mins

For a short time in the 1980’s, Canadian producer Lionel Shenken and his small stable of low-budget film directors churned out over thirty films which were broadcast on CHCH Hamilton and eventually made their way to the home video market on VHS. Most Emmeritus productions were completed and sent to the station in less than a month (and it shows) but the charm lies in their Canadian patriotism. Most of the features are set exactly where they are shot, often Niagara Falls and Hamilton. Watching all these hours of shlock just to catch a glimpse of vintage Niagara Falls or Hamilton locales could melt anyone’s mind, but curator Will Foran (Cult Canada) has sifted through the analog waste to bring you a best-of and recount the glory days of low-budget filmmaking from this shot-on-video pioneer.

Will Foran is opinionated about three things: pizza, wings and movies. He has been collecting cult films and media for over a decade, scouring video stores and bargain bins across Canada and the USA looking for a thrill. Hosted regular movie screenings in St. Catharines, Ontario since 2018.

Finger
Canada, 2023. Directed by Justin Diezmo. 14 mins

After Sean, a reclusive 17 year old high school student, injures his finger in gym class during a game of football, his life spirals down a dangerous path in search of self-validation and empathy from others.

*OFFICIAL SELECTION – National Film Festival for Talented Youth 2020*
*OFFICIAL SELECTION – Cinefest Sudbury 2021*

Justin Diezmo is a Filipino-Canadian filmmaker from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Having completed his bachelors at Ryerson University (now formally Toronto Metropolitan University), his body of work ranges from narrative films and documentary shorts – all with a cumulative total of nearly 150k views and some projects reaching national status and widespread media coverage. He has also completed work for shy kids, United Way Toronto, Historical Canada and CBC’s The Nature of Things. In 2017, he co-founded the production company Mayday Pictures. His newly co-directed short film titled “Laundry Day” has recently wrapped production and awaits a release in the very near future.

The Waves of Yesterday
Canada, 2022. Directed by Clara Gehl. 14 mins

Liv, an anxious college student, reunites with her best friend, Em, for what she thinks is a run-of-the-mill get together. But upon their arrival at an isolated house in the woods, she finds out that they’re actually there for a party. Liv eventually gives in and agrees to the plans but is further pressured when she’s offered an unknown drug. As her anxiety level rises and the party fast approaches, she’s forced to confront her friendship with Em, as her night quickly spirals out of control.

Clara Gehl is a Canadian Film Director and Writer from Toronto. She is a recent graduate from Sheridan College’s Film and Television Program and is excited to begin her career as a filmmaker. She’s passionate about finding new ways to tell stories in the cinematic form and has a passion for experimentalism and surrealism in film.

Father
Canada, 2023. Directed by Joshua Paroyan. 6 mins

A young devoted catholic woman suffering from insomnia confesses to her priest a dark secret in the hopes of sleeping again. Guilty of murdering her incestuous father, she struggles to break free from her haunting past which has forever tainted her future, in more than one way.

Joshua Paroyan is an italian-canadian aspiring director/ actor. He finished the Acting for Film and Digital Media program and is currently in his second year of Broadcasting at Niagara College. He’s also a dancer and a dance instructor.

The Fear
Canada, 2023. Directed by Kurt Dunn. 6 mins

“Have you ever felt…THE FEAR?”

Late at night, a man struggles to complete his work and collect his thoughts…but he soon gets the sinking feeling he might not be alone.

For fans of suspense, expressionism, and things that go bump in the night.

Lifelong cinema lover Kurt Dunn is a seasoned director and star of comedic short films and music videos for his band, The Ferns. For “The Fear”, Kurt makes his first foray into his beloved horror genre, paying homage to the likes of Carpenter and Wiene.

Wolf Juice
Rabidog Films
Canada, 2022. Directed by Phill Pattison. 25 mins

A drunk man looking for his next fix, injects a mysterious chemical causing him to transform into a rampaging haggard monster.

Founded in Hamilton, Ontario in 2003, Rabidog Films has worked with some of Horror’s top names such as the legendary George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead) and Danielle Harris (Halloween and Hatchet franchises ). They started with a bang, producing the over-the-top, low-budget, punk rock zombie feature “Vs. the Dead” Rabidog Films has since produced acclaimed music videos with some of the biggest names in the industry, like Death Metal pioneers Autopsy, and Guinness World Record holders, The Monsters of Schlock. They’ve also produced award winning short films such as “Human Cattle” and “Wolf Juice”, and were the production team behind Full Moon Features first Canadian feature film “Necropolis: Legion” starring legendary actress Lynn Lowry. Rabidog Films has also expanded its team with a full-time screenwriter and is currently producing the documentary film, “The Growl,” which delves deep into the history of Death Metal.