MADS, from David Moreau, co-director of ILS/THEM and THE EYE, is a thrilling single-take chiller shot in five days in the Grand Est region of Northeastern France. A teenager stops off to see his dealer to test a new drug before heading off for a night of partying. On the way home, he picks up an injured woman and the night takes a surreal turn with ferocious twists leading to a powerfully shocking climax. Ambitious visual effects, stunning cinematography, an innovative multi-character perspective and fresh performances from a cast of rising stars promise a unique and unforgettable experience for the audience.
Parvulos, from director Isaac Ezban, sees its Italian Premiere at the festival. A thought-provoking, slick and visually striking story about the lives of three young brothers tackling life in a post-apocalyptic, infected world, shot largely in monochrome tones, with flashes of colour for special moments. Living in a cabin in the middle of the woods the trio hide a dark, disturbing secret in their basement in Mexican Isaac Ezban’s fifth feature rooted in the primal, emotional bond between parents and their offspring. Compelling and engaging, Ezban’s fantastic eye for carefully composed gothic tableaux in his zombie ‘Lord of the Flies’ makes PARVULOS (Pre-schoolers) an arresting and shocking treat.
In Alien Country, from directors Boston McConnaughey and Renny Grames, everybody has a story about extra-terrestrials in this Italian Premiere. Maybe their brother or cousin had a close encounter and were abducted and probed in a spaceship. Maybe they saw a UFO in the night sky. Now two people in particular are about to reveal the absolute truth and their unbelievable saga. Reeling from the news of an unexpected pregnancy, Jimmy, a wild and reckless demolition derby mechanic, and Everly unknowingly release an alien invasion in their small town and learn to work together in order to save each other, their town and evidently, the entire galaxy.
Alan Jones, Artistic Director of Trieste Science+Fiction, said “From the rise of the machines and the fears surrounding AI to the threats of climate change and alien invasion in not just its extraterrestrial forms, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival 2024 deliberately covers every hot button topic concerning humanity at this precise time in all our uncertain lives. Science Fiction still remains the one dominant genre where current social issues are reflected in a stark future mirror, where potent cosmic allegory is used to comment on political themes, inequality and injustice. So TS+F invites you to Brainstorm the MegaFuture with a diverse selection of hand-picked titles to provoke, amuse, shock, compel and entertain. TS+F enters its 61st exciting year with a commitment to excellence in the realms of the fantastic where dynamic answers are unfettered by the imagination”