EARLY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 11TH SPLAT!FILMFEST LINEUP

From October 24 to 31, Kinoteka, Warsaw will run red with blood. Even seasoned horror marathon veterans will be sleeping with the lights on long after this edition of the festival.

As always, the backbone of our program is built on the freshest highlights from the world’s most prestigious film festivals – Cannes, Toronto, Venice – alongside highly anticipated premieres. Festival passes are now available to help you taste as much of this dark delight as possible.

We’ll screen (yes, you can watch through your fingers!) the long-awaited sequel to the 2015 New Zealand cult hit that carved its place in horror history as both disgusting and wildly inventive. “Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon” is a no-holds-barred metal ride – blood spurts sky-high and every frame channels the spirit of early Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi. Hapless Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) returns after 10 years with his half-dead buddies to save the world again – and maybe win a metal music festival in the process. That might be tricky, since half his band has suddenly developed a taste for human flesh. A grotesque, wickedly funny film that plays with convention, lovingly mocks metal culture, and delivers a glorious bloodbath. Keep an eye out for Daniel Cresswell, who steals every scene as the pudgy, filthy-underweared Giles, one hand short but fully stocked with interchangeable prosthetic attachments.

Remember “A Serbian Film”? Hard to forget, isn’t it? For years, it’s been the whispered recommendation passed between fans of transgressive cinema – a legendary title that, for many Splat!FilmFest viewers, was their first step into celluloid hell. Straight from Toronto’s iconic Midnight Madness section comes “Karmadonna,” the directorial debut of Aleksandar Radivojevic, co-writer of “A Serbian Film.” The story of Jelena, a pregnant woman forced by a mysterious caller to keep crossing one line after another, is unflinching, raw, and definitely for strong nerves only. With Radivojevic’s name attached, would you expect anything less?

We’re also bringing another hotly anticipated Toronto premiere: “Dust Bunny,” the feature debut of Bryan Fuller – creator of the brilliant series “Pushing Daisies” and director of episodes of “Hannibal.” It’s an extravagant tale of a little girl who suspects a monster is living under her bed. She turns to her neighbor for help – someone who looks like he knows a thing or two about killing. He’s played by the outstanding Mads Mikkelsen. The result is a dazzling mix of action, horror, and coming-of-age story.

As tradition dictates, Splat!FilmFest will host the Polish premiere of the newest entry in the beloved horror anthology series “V/H/S”. This year, it’s “V/H/S/Halloween” – seven bloody, macabre tales steeped in Halloween spirit. Directors include Casper Kelly (writer of the cult hit “Mandy” starring Nicolas Cage), Bryan M. Ferguson (“Bloody Bites”), and Paco Plaza, the mastermind behind the legendary “Rec” series.

Another heavy-hitter in this year’s lineup is “Shelby Oaks” – the directorial debut of Chris Stuckmann, a hugely popular YouTuber and film critic with two million subscribers and nearly a billion views. The film premiered at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival to rave reviews. It’s classic horror: the sister of a missing paranormal TV host goes looking for her – and quickly wishes she hadn’t.

We’ll also show the remake of the legendary “Deathstalker,” a fantasy film produced by the late Roger Corman. This new version, directed by festival favorite Steven Kostanski (“Frankie Freako,” “Psycho Goreman”), doesn’t take itself too seriously. Kostanski kept the best elements of the original but refreshed it for today’s audience and playfully skewered the now-dated macho antics of its hero.

For those who love movies that make you want to take a shower afterward, we’ve got another Toronto gem: the blasphemous, taboo-breaking black comedy “Fuck My Son!” – a truly deranged film that relentlessly pushes the boundaries of creators and viewers alike.

And don’t miss the grotesquely charming oddity “Mermaid” – inspired by the “Florida Man” meme – about a hapless loser who falls in love with a mermaid who’s much closer to a deep-sea monster than Ariel. Will there be a happy ending?

We’re also serving up a strong documentary section. From Venice, we’ve brought a true gem: “Boorman and the Devil,” a look at the torment and ecstasy behind the creation of “Exorcist II: The Heretic,” one of the most reviled sequels in film history. But is that reputation fair?

And there’s more: the much-talked-about, dog’s-eye-view horror “Good Boy,” the surreal and experimental “Dead Lover,” about a gravedigger’s twisted romance, the harrowing “Dragonfly” with brilliant performances by Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn, and Quentin Dupieux’s newest piece of absurdist mischief, “The Piano Accident.”

Buckle up, saddle your horse, grab your barf bags, and get ready for another blood-soaked, genre-bending ride through world cinema at its very finest. And don’t blame us if you start counting down the days until next year’s edition the moment the credits roll.

Splat!FilmFest will take place on October 24–31, 2025, at Kinoteka, Warsaw

Full lineup coming soon.