Drag Me To Fest: special fifth edition of indie horror cinema
Two days of unreleased horror screenings, including meetings, masterclasses, and celebrations
The fifth edition of the Drag Me To Fest confirmed itself as one of the most vital and representative events for the Italian horror community, capable of uniting enthusiasts, filmmakers, and collectors in a weekend packed with screenings, meetings, and celebrations.
Supported by sponsors Midnight Factory, WAO, Taboo, Rustblade Records, and Vagin Lover, the event maintained its free and inclusive spirit, continuing to grow an event that has now carved out a unique role in the national landscape. The contribution of media partners Nocturno Cinema, Bloodbuster, Horror Dipendenza, and Horror Italia 24, reference points for horror culture in all its forms, was fundamental.
The theme chosen for this edition was Italian cannibal horror, a tribute to extreme and controversial titles such as Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox. As per festival tradition, the program maintained a heterogeneous nature, ranging from Italian and international short films, talks with the public, editorial presentations, and in-depth analyses dedicated to the history of the genre. Articulated from 2 PM to 11 PM, the days offered the public a continuous journey through images, ideas, and discussions, always in the spirit of love for horror cinema.
Discovering the new generation of indie horror cinema
A decisive role was played by the unreleased short films specially selected for this edition, which represented the freshest and most experimental side of the festival. Twelve works from Italy and abroad explored psychological tensions, surreal nightmares, gore excesses, and folkloric suggestions, confirming the vitality of the short form in contemporary horror.
Among depressive and distorted atmospheres like those of Buio Vivo, incursions into European fantasy like Eden and Réel, tributes to the Fulci tradition like Fulci’s Duck Face Killings, tales of emotional and identity metamorphosis like Haiku 27, gothic visions like L’ultimo sonno, and incursions into grotesque thrillers like Mark No Evil, the selection showcased a plurality of perspectives capable of enriching the audience's imagination. Directors and cast, often present in the hall, engaged in a direct dialogue with spectators, transforming each screening into a moment of creative and human exchange, consistent with the spirit of Drag Me To Fest.
Drag Me to Fest 5 - Meetings with creative excellences
Lucio Besana
Among the most significant moments was the masterclass “Aim for the Head: How the Living Dead Conquered the World,” held by Lucio Besana, screenwriter of A Classic Horror Story and The Nest. The well-attended meeting offered a kind of cultural autopsy of the zombie archetype, starting from its modern origins established by Romero with Night of the Living Dead and tracing back to the creature's literary and folkloric roots.
Besana analyzed the mutations of the zombie imaginary through decades of cinema, moving from Fulci's splatter delirium to Gordon's political interpretations, from Jackson's inventiveness to Boyle's post-apocalyptic reinvention, up to the contemporary sensibility of authors like McCarthy. A fascinating excursus that conveyed to the viewer the complexity of a narrative symbol capable of absorbing collective fears and social tensions, renewing itself in every era.
Manlio Gomarasca...
Another focal point of the edition was the festival's privileged relationship with Midnight Factory, Plaion Pictures' horror label, which chose Drag Me To Fest to celebrate its ten years of activity. Manlio Gomarasca, the brand's artistic director, took the stage and told the audience how the “Factory of Well-Made Evil” managed to establish itself as an absolute reference in genre Home Video in Italy. The panel retraced the brand's origins, editorial insights, attention to collector's editions, and commitment to the recovery and enhancement of cults and rarities. The meeting concluded with the announcement of new releases that thrilled the enthusiasts present, confirming the particular synergy between the festival's audience and the brand's identity. The most sensational titles can be found in our interview.
...and Stefano Rossello
The direct connection with the director of the historic horror publication Nocturno continued with another key moment: the screening of the unreleased version of the documentary Joe D’Amato Totally Uncut, produced by Nocturno Cinema and dedicated to the life and career of the late Aristide Massaccesi. The film offered a direct portrait, rich in rare materials and interviews, conveying the complexity of an author often discussed but fundamental to Italian horror imagery. The subsequent talk, between Gomarasca and Stefano Rossello of Rustblade Records, who included the documentary among the specials of the Blu-ray edition of Antropophagus, delved into the work of recovering the film and D’Amato's cultural impact.
See you at Drag Me to Fest #6!
The fifth edition of Drag Me To Fest thus concluded, leaving the impression of an event in constant evolution, capable of honoring the history of genre cinema and at the same time giving space to its most audacious and innovative forms. An event that once again this year demonstrated how the passion for horror, shared live, can transform into a vibrant, curious, and always hungry community for new visions.
Special thanks to Joe Godoy Gonzalez, Lucio Besana, Manlio Gomarasca, Stefano Rossello, and the entire event organization