With just one month to go before MONSTER FEST storms back into Cinema Nova (October 3–11), the beloved genre film festival has unveiled its final programming lineup, promising a mix of world premieres, cult classics, and international gems that will thrill horror fans and cinephiles alike.

International Premieres and Festival Highlights

From abroad, audiences can expect a stacked program of genre cinema that pushes boundaries. Colin Minihan’s Coyotes, a satirical eco-horror survival thriller starring Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, is set to turn heads, while Luc Besson reimagines Bram Stoker in Dracula: A Love Tale, featuring Caleb Landry Jones and Christoph Waltz.

The lineup also features folk-horror from the Adams family filmmaking trio with Mother of Flies, Max Minghella’s unnerving body-horror Shell (starring Elisabeth Moss and Kate Hudson), and Christopher Cartagena’s brutal psychological descent Disforia. Animation fans won’t want to miss the Ābele brothers’ disturbingly delightful Dog of God, while Emilio Portes’ Don’t Leave the Kids Alone offers a chilling children-in-peril fable. Rounding out the international program is David Gregory’s documentary Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid Story of Paris’ Grand Guignol, a deep dive into theatrical terror.

Local Premieres with Bite

On home soil, Monster Fest alumni are back with three highly anticipated world premieres. Michael Anthony Kratochvil revisits a local cult classic with his documentary Lake Mungo Revisited, while Jasmine Jakupi and Addison Heath deliver a sensual urban vampire tale with Haunted & Devoted. Clint Cure adds comedy to the mix with his meta horror Dracula Revamped.

Nautical Nightmares and Cult Classics

This year’s festival artwork leans heavily on maritime menace, a theme reflected in special screenings of Humanoids from the Deep (1980) and Slithis (1978), two sea-soaked cult horrors that continue to unsettle decades later.

Adding to the retro flavour is a Monster Presents preview screening of Daniel J. Phillips’ cabin-in-the-woods demonic chiller Diabolic.

Shorts, Trivia & Closing Night Party

Beyond features, Monster Fest will once again spotlight short-form storytelling with five dedicated programs: Bloody Funny Shorts, Nightmare Fuel Shorts, Sinister Visions Shorts, Fresh Cuts – Student Shorts, and the much-loved Trasharama curated by Dick Dale.

Fans can also flex their horror knowledge at the Monster Fest Horror Movie Trivia Night, presented by the Melbourne Horror Film Society. Expect prizes, bragging rights, and plenty of blood-soaked fun.

Closing out the festival is a free Closing Night Awards & After Party, hosted at Fitzroy’s Bad Decisions in partnership with SOMA and Grindhead Productions, featuring live entertainment into the early hours.

Returning Favourites

These new additions join previously announced festival highlights including Deathgasm II: Goremageddon, Deathstalker, Jimmy and Stiggs, Bone Lake, Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer, Test Screening, Rotten, Residence, and a stunning 4K restoration of Freaked.

Festival Details

• Where: Cinema Nova, 380 Lygon St, Carlton VIC
• When: Friday 3 October – Saturday 11 October 2025
• Tickets: VIP Pass $295 | 10 Film Pass $180 | 5 Film Pass $99 | Single Sessions $25 Adult / $19 Concession | Trivia $12

For more information and full program details, visit monsterfest.com.au/australia.