Michael Gabriele’s holiday horror-comedy UNHOLY NIGHT will have its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on Saturday, July 25, with a second screening on Monday, July 27. Both screenings take place at the Salle J.A. De Sève (1400 Blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, Quebec). Game Theory Films will bring the film to Canadian theaters this holiday season, with distribution in other territories still being sought.
UNHOLY NIGHT follows Gino, whose traditional family Christmas Eve takes a sharp turn into bloody chaos when his long-dead Italian grandmother drops by and starts a murderous rampage. Reunited with his ex amid the carnage, Gino must navigate dead relatives popping up across the neighborhood while finding a way to survive the holidays — and get rid of the Yuletide revenants for good.
Gabriele wrote and directed the film, which is produced by Jason Levangie, Marc Tetreault, Jenna MacMillan, and Gabriele himself, with executive producers Tina Carbone and Jef Burnham. The cast includes Marc Bendavid, Shailene Garnett, Jacqueline Robbins, Toni Ellwand, Ron Lea, Christina Rosato, Olivier Renaud, Celia Owen, Ellen David, Frank Spadone, and Al Sapienza.
UNHOLY NIGHT marks a Fantasia Cheval Noir Competition entry as Christmas zombie horror done as a dysfunctional family survival comedy — the kind of genre mashup Fantasia does best. Keep an eye on Game Theory Films for Canadian theatrical dates, and watch the trailer below.
