Bloodshots, Twins, and More Twins!!

Feeling a little evil? Well, it is that time of year. Speaking of evil - allow me to introduce you to the very talented Evil Patrick Shannon who used his powers to make our blue steel shine. Why Evil? Clickity click right here for a side trip into his rad filmmaking and photography stylings.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend last night's BLOODSHOTS screenings at the fabulous Rio Theater in Vancouver. But what is BLOODSHOTS? Allow me...

"As hundreds of DV filmmakers the world over have already learned, making a short film in one weekend can be terrifying.
Lack of sleep is just the beginning of your problems when you are trying to corral actors into repeating their performance with more energy at 5 in the morning and you know you have only got another 6 hours to get a final edit of your masterpiece put together. Well, start brewing your coffee now, because the people who brought you Vancouver’s CINEMUERTE FILM FESTIVAL (1999-2005) are getting set to bring you the 8th annual BloodShots 48-Hour Horror Filmmaking Contest – 25 Teams of filmmakers all fighting against the clock to make the best horror film they possibly can. There will be celebrity judges, fabulous prizes and several tons of fake blood!"

In 2009, we did compete in the BLOODSHOTS and it was a fucking trip. I had a great time - first time we collaborated with Miss Paula Lindberg who would go on to be our Ruby RealGirl in upcoming AMERICAN MARY. Here it is for a boo or two -- BADGIRLS --



We didn't win, the silence in the room was deafening - but I take that as a compliment. That year's competitors to beat were CHLOE AND ATTIE - starring my new favorite pair of twins, Joyce and Jacqueline Robbins, and JACK - made my friends that almost always kick my ass in these fast film projects.

Both are excellent shorts and please click on them to see their horrifically awesome, very different takes on the genre.



So there was a suggestion that we double mint girls - the four of us - should collaborate and I think that's a fucking fantastic idea. You can never have enough twins and these ladies are talented as all holy hell! Keep an eye for them.


Their BLOODSHOT - CHLOE AND ATTIE - is turning into a feature, there was a Kickstarter that passed very successfully - but if you ever want to put money into helping finance a film, pick this one because it will be fucking epic.

~Sylv

Edible Brains, Decades Out, and Bad Girls, oh my...

When chocolate and peanut butter joined forces, you could just tell right from the get go that the union was magical. Just the perfect forces coming together in perfect harmony creating something grand. As EDIBLE BRAINS and DECADES OUT come together, I fondly think of chocolate and peanut butter. These two power houses have come together to bring us something epic.
DecadesOut, Inc., a nonprofit organization that develops and promotes programs that examine the intersection of the arts and science, and nonprofit film and theater production company EdibleBrains Productions announce the call for entries for the first international Science of Horror Film Festival in New York, highlighting the role of women in the horror and science fiction filmmaking process.

Eligible films can be of any budget, must be under 25 minutes long, have a connection with science or horror (such as inspiration, theme, plot or character), and include women in the filmmaking process. This might include films with a female writer, director, producer, production designer, art director, director of photography, editor, key grip, key hair/make-up, gaffer, sound designer, etc.

Entries must be submitted via the Science of Horror Film Festival website by the April 15, 2011 deadline. All submissions will be reviewed by an expert panel, and winners in five categories — Excellence in Science, Excellence in Horror, Best Student Film, Audience Favorite and Best of Fest-The Science of Horror Award — will be announced on April 22.

The winning films will be shown at the first international Science of Horror Film Festival and party, taking place on Friday, the 13th of May 2011 at the 3-Legged Dog Art & Technology Center in Lower Manhattan . The festival will be located in the Center’s high-tech Studio A, which will be rigged with full lighting grid, sound, a 180-degree wraparound screen and six projectors hanging from the ceiling for high-impact, fright-inducing surround-screen viewing. Ticket information will be available shortly.

Along with the public screening, winners receive cash prizes up to $500 and special video commentary from a panel including an icon of horror and/or science. All entries will be posted on the new OverAirTV website in a special group dedicated to the festival, receive a filmmaker profile, and get an HD capable online presence on the festival website. Entry fee is $25 per film, $15 for eligible students.

All entry requirements and award details are available at http://dedpro.com/horror/, questions can be emailed to festival@decadesout.org.

Also, you will be in good company. No one likes to go to a party stag, so your film can play with our BAD GIRLS. Submit today and let's rock this VERY wicked awesome festival!!

XO,

Jen

Badgirls Sends a Holiday Message of Twisted Love

When people you love go through difficulty, sadness, and pain - it hurts. One can feel powerless and weak while wanting their loved one to be happy and safe - for things to go back to how they 'used to be'. I think that's one of the hardest realizations when you can't save everyone and sometimes the inevitable is just that.

Trying to get a grasp on morality and the cruelty of life having to come to terms with death we wrote and directed a short called BADGIRLS for a 48 hour fast horror film competition called 'Bloodshots'. The film was a top three, audience choice for favorite short but the shocking nature and our dark humor fell on a crowd that just wasn't that into that 'sort of thing'.


But redemption was just around the corner. The short would screen at the second (now monthly) Bleedfest Film Festival in California - hosted by the incredibly talented and hardworking Fies Sisters, Elisabeth and Brenda Fies. Would the short be better liked and enjoyed by a crowd of horror enthusiasts? Let's see what Jonathan Weichsel of Film Radar would say...

"Highlights included Bad Girls, an early short by the Soska sisters, the twisted minds behind the feature Dead Hooker in a Trunk, which I previously reviewed here, as well as the upcoming and highly anticipated feature American Mary. Bad Girls, about a bunch of college kids who avenge the twin’s grandmother after she is attacked, features the Soska sister’s signature twisted sense of humor and bad-ass attitude."

Oh, happy day! Oh, how wonderful! Don't take my word for it - read the whole fan-fucking-tastic review on the festival here - and then get involved in the festival here - and get your bum down to the CAP Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA and get your drinking, horror face on because you will see rad indie horror films with an OPEN BAR!


How can heaven be so close to earth? Every first Sunday of the month you can get your Bleedfest on. And I simply insist that you do! Thank you to Jonathan for heading out to the fest and spreading the word (and digging BADGIRLS) and to the fabulous Fies for putting on this great festival.

~Sylv

There Will Be (monthly) Blood

Monthly Genre celebration BLEEDFEST FILM FESTIVAL announces schedule for its Thriller installment December 5th, 2010

The schedule for the highly anticipated second BleedFest Film Festival has been announced. It includes a dozen female filmmakers' short films and concludes with international genre superstar's Caroline Du Potet's thriller feature IN THEIR SLEEP, her follow up to the sensational and disturbing INSIDE.

Special guests sitting in their own VIP section include World Famous Scream Queens/producers Michelle Tomlinson and Tara Cardinal, prominent journalist/filmmaker Heidi Martinuzzi, Emmy winning filmmaker Barbara Stepansky, and horror filmmaking duo Marichelle and Drew Daywalt.

The Bleedy Award, a bronze statue designed by Neal Harvey of RubberGorilla.co.uk, will finally be revealed in a video presentation at the Awards Ceremony. It will be awarded to the In Competition short voted on by the audience, and to the feature IN THEIR SLEEP. All films screened will receive an award certificate and Winner laurels to add to their publicity.


The In Competition category is comprised of five short films by female writer/directors. They are BAD GIRLS by the Soska Sisters (sensational feature films DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK and AMERICAN MARY), ALGESIA by Cathy Alberich, DEAD BOYFRIENDS by Xstine Cook, MOCKINGBIRD by Marichelle Daywalt, and MORBID CURIOUSITY by Cindy Baer (acclaimed feature film PURGATORY HOUSE).

The Out of Competition block screens short films produced and/or written by women. December's BleedFest will feature SCREAM MACHINE written by Julia Camara (screenwriter of Spring 2010's Brazillian sci-fi blockbuster AREA Q), and UP UNDER THE ROOF produced by Danielle Stallings.

The Works in Progress section of BleedFest gives the audience top secret first looks at short films by several acclaimed female filmmakers including an Emmy winner, and are screening unofficially to get editing feedback from the audience of genre lovers and and generate buzz with BleedFest's press partners.

The festival will have two Open Bar sessions featuring free wine and beer, giving the audience a crucial chance to network. During these breaks, BleedFest will screen trailers of upcoming genre films (World famous Tara Cardinal's actioner LEGEND OF THE RED REAPER taracardinalactress.com), and trailers of genre work that is now available online (Marion Kerr's acclaimed feature GOLDEN EARRINGS indieflix.com/film/golden-earrings-30830/. Music videos by Sophia Segal will also be played at this time.

BleedFest's coveted Partnership Award is bestowed each month to a male filmmaker whose genre film has captured the spirit of BleedFest in its unusual, bold, and refreshing female protagonist. The recipient of December's Partnership Award is feature filmmaker Dave Reda, whose music video THE HORROR OF OUR LOVE will screen.

BleedFest has a red carpet, an event photographer, a VIP Guest section, and an open bar for only ten dollars cash at the door. You may buy half price tickets at Goldstar the week before the event, and can get two tickets for $12 by donating to their IndieGoGo campaign or using the PayPal link on BleedFest.com http://www.indiegogo.com/BleedFest-Film-Festival

Local renowned artist Kami Lerner will be present with a display of paintings and jewelry available for purchase. www.KamiArt.com


Festival founders and directors Elisabeth Fies and Brenda Fies are a filmmaking duo whose critically acclaimed feature thriller THE COMMUNE was embraced by the genre community in 2009 and 2010. They are thrilled to be filling a hole in the community by providing access to fantastic genre content by indie female filmmakers, and to disprove the widely spread myth that there are no female filmmakers making indie genre. Explains Elisabeth Fies about the discrepancy between reality and industry attention for genre female filmmakers, "It's not even about being taken seriously. It's about being discounted to the point that you're invisible and told you don't exist. BleedFest aims to prove to the world that hundreds of us ovary-challenged filmmakers are here, and we're making bold, exciting movies filmlovers need and don't want to miss. We're positive, we're fun, we're in partnership with men, and we're unstoppable." The Fies Sisters thank everyone for the outpouring of support and excitement about BleedFest that helped them reach their IndieGoGo fundraising campaign in under two weeks.

The BleedFest website will be updated Sunday November 28th 5pm Pacific time at http://www.BleedFest.com with the full schedule, and include bio info and links for each filmmaker featured in the festival. There will also be a Paypal link to purchase tickets now at a discount of 40%.

The lineup for the January 2nd BleedFest event will be announced live on the 5th, and includes a sci-fi western feature and a fairytale thriller. The schedule will be released to the press December 6th.


Submissions are free to filmmakers, and BleedFest is always looking for quality genre work. There is only one space left for the January and February screenings. Submit your film.

Tell us about a film we should screen

Find out how you can participate, attend as a vendor, VIP, or support us with a donation


Sunday December 5th, 2010

TIME: 11am-3:30pm

Location: CAP Theatre

13752 Ventura Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

$10 cash at door for all day ticket and open bar


Schedule subject to change, personal appearances dependent on schedule:
11am-11:15 Mixer and greeting

11:15-11:45pm
Works in progress:
Titles are top secret and will be revealed at event
(32 minutes)

11:40-12:00 break (open bar)

12:00-1:05
In Competition:
ALGESIA by Cathy Alberich (15 minutes) Q & A
MOCKINGBIRD by Marichelle Daywalt (3 minutes) Q & A
MORBID CURIOUSITY by Cindy Baer (6 minutes) Q & A
DEAD BOYFRIENDS by Xstine Cook (7 minutes)
BAD GIRLS by The Soska Sisters (7 minutes)
(39 minutes)

Ballots collected from audience

Partnership Screening and Award:
THE HORROR OF OUR LOVE by Dave Reda (6 minutes)

BREAK:
1:05-1:25pm open bar

1:25-2:10pm
Out of Competition:
SCREAM MACHINE Written by Julia Camara (15 minutes)
UP UNDER THE ROOF Produced by Danielle Stallings (20 minutes)

2:10pm
Reveal of the new Bleedy Award design
Bleedy present to the Audience's choice

2:15-3:40
Feature:
IN THEIR SLEEP (90 minutes)

By Caroline du Potet and Eric du Potet, the duo behind Inside. The film stars Anne Parillaud, Arthur Dupont, Thierry Fremont, and Jean-Hugues Anglade.


Now, you better start driving, pack all your friends in the car, and get your bum to Bleedfest Film Festival and support some rad film makers that you wouldn't get the chance to see otherwise!

~Sylv

Let There Be Bleedfest Every Month!

What is Bleedfest?

"We are passionate about raising the visibility of awesome indie genre movies by female filmmakers.

BleedFest fetes the women who love writing, producing, directing, and watching badass genre movies: horror, thriller, action, sci-fi, western, exploitation, B-movie, and erotica. We also screen a few male filmmakers who have empowering, badass and edgy female protagonists; their work screens out of competition and receives our "Partnership Award". Our mission is to spotlight these edgy films and their fearless makers, and prove to the world that the derogatory term "chick flick" needs to be retired."

Agreed, ladies.

The very first Bleedfest took place this summer in sunny LA in sisterhood with the Viscera film festival. It was fucking incredible. Seeing these wonderful films with such a great horror crowd was awesome -- let me tell you, boys and girls, film making powerhouse sisters Elisabeth and Brenda Fies know how to throw a party. It was with great sadness that we packed our bags and headed back up to Canada after the fest. But we knew there would be another festival the next year and were excited to return again.

Hold the phone. Call your dad into the room. Get ma from out back. You don't have to wait until next year.

"The festival is the first Sunday afternoon each month. We feature shorts and features in and out of competition, works in progress, and student films. We also program Q & As, networking opportunities, and forums with noted Hollywood luminaries to explore issues facing women auteurs in the industry."

What an incredible opportunity to see and screen fantastic indie movies that often go unnoticed against the big studio blockbusters. From experience let me tell you, the ladies really know their horror shit. They are smart and they welcome you to the festival with a level of kindness and sincerity that makes you feel like family. It is a great event to showcase your work. This fast approaching December 5th marks the first of many upcoming Bleedfest, a bloody good time. Our short film, BADGIRLS, will be playing. Submit your films too, so we can all play together! Can it get any better? Yes. Yes, it can --

"BleedFest provides what filmmakers need to be successful. Our filmmakers are all official winners, and will have a new Winner Laurel to place on their press materials. Each filmmaker will receive an award and have a Q& A and photo moment in front of a red carpet Step and Repeat banner. Many of the films will be in competition to receive the Audience Award."

Awards and laurels are great to get recognition for new independent films. They especially come in very handy when it comes to distribution time. Studios dig that stuff. So, it's already a fantastic event that gives indies the opportunity to shine and brings the horror community closer together, how could it get any better. Um... I don't know... who likes booze? What if the booze was FREE!? Yes. The Fies knock it out of the park with an open bar. Ten dollars gets you a great night of films and an open bar.


Get your tickets here. Submit your film here. This is a great indie event that supports indie film making. Please pass this around to your cool friends and check out the Monthly Fest. We guarantee that you'll enjoy yourselves!

~Sylv

Happy Anniversary to tWISted tWINS PRODUCtIONS

On this day, Decemeber 11th, we became incorporated!! We want to take this time to thank everyone for their overwhelming support of us and our work. We had an incredible year and wouldn't be what we are without you, boys and girls.

Highlights of this year include a remastered slicker, quicker, and sexier version of our debut feature, DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK, the launching of our official site and online store, coming in the top three for MTV's Basterdize Tarantino Contest seen televised internationally with TARANTINO'S BASTERDS, getting our hands dirty in the critically acclaimed BLOODSHOTS competition with BAD GIRLS and receiving critical acclaim from Hannah Neurotica of Ax Wound, prettyscary.com, bloodydisgusting.com, and horrornews.net and coming top three in the fan favorite vote, kicking ass with THE HORNET in the 2009 Vancouver Film Race with coming away with top three best film, best acting ensemble, and best special FX.


A special thanks goes out to mister CJ Wallis for doing everything under the sun to help us out. An incredibly talented film maker himself, he's been a wonderful partner, friend, support, sounding board, and accomplice throughout. If you don't know him by now, shame on you.

Thank you to the femme fatale and kindred spirit badass bitch, Hannah Neurotica, of Ax Wound magazine who has become an incredible friend. Look out for the upcoming issue of Ax Wound featuring an in depth interview with the Twisted Twins and bad boy and personal friend, Eli Roth.


Thank you to our beloved folks who have had unfettering faith and belief in us. We don't have words enough to thank them for their endless support.

And, of course, a very special thanks to all our supporters! Thank you, boys and girls! We promise to make next year even bigger and better than ever! Just you wait to see what we have in store for you...

All our bloody best,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Twisted Twins

BAD GIRLS TAKES THIRD PLACE IN AUDIENCE VOTE

The results are in. Thank you to everyone who voted, you know who you are. You hold a special place in our twisted little hearts.

3rd Place Fan Favorite for the 2009 Bloodshots Fast Horror Film Competition: BAD GIRLS by Twisted Twins Productions
Guess we got luck in threes. Now onto the next one. 'Fraid it's gotta be kept mostly secret, but trust me, boys and girls, it's going to give you all joy~gasms. I can say it is a joint venture by your favorite sick siblings and award winning film maker and good friend, CJ Wallis of FortyFPS Productions. Stay tuned for more and get the buzz started. Tell your friends something wicked this way comes!
Our lips are sealed... for now.

And thank you again to our fans and supporters for your tremendous support. All we ever wanted was an awesome army! Shucks, isn't that what every little girl dreams of...

XO,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Twisted Twins

Everyone Loves BAD GIRLS...

Thank you to EVERYONE for their tremendous support of BAD GIRLS. It truly means more to our demented little hearts than you know. Voting online is coming to a close and I humbly ask all of you to help us give one last little voting push. And by "little" I of course mean GI~NORMOUS (it's a word, it's the love child of "enormous" and "gigantic").

Thank you to ALL of you!!!



And, check out what they're saying about BAD GIRLS...

The CHAINSAW MAFIA
http://www.thechainsawmafia.com/home/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=518

PRETTY-SCARY.COM
http://networkedblogs.com/p16017002

HANNAH NEUROTICA of AX WOUND MAGAZINE
http://hannahneurotica.com/

And all project info HERE:
http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net/badgirls.htm

bad GirLs.

The ballots are open and you can now watch all entries for the 2009 Bloodshots 48 hour fast horror film competition. bad GirLs. See it here then Click Here To Instantly Vote! (you can only vote once per email address). ENJOY!!Whore it out if you like it, send it around like crazy. The voting process is for the Audience Choice Award. If you like it, make it win.
Thank you for the bottom of our twisted little hearts!
~Sylv and Jen

BLOODSHOTS 2009

The Twisted Twins have entered this year's BLOODSHOTS competition. At 7pm tonight, our project BAD GIRLS. will be completely cut and polished and handed in. Almost done.

There will be an online voting process for people to pick their favorite for the Audience Award. Voting will be open from October 26th to 30th. Online audience members can vote by emailing the title of your favorite film (as the subject heading), only one vote per email address, to bigsmashproductions@gmail.com Please, if you like it vote and pass it along for your friends. We're really proud of this one, we can't hardly wait to share it with you!There will be a screening for this year's entries followed by an award ceremony at the Anza Club on Wednesday, October 28th. Doors at 8pm. Come out to see it live!


Talk to you after 7pm!
~Sylv