Kier-La Janisse

Emily is the cause of two tragedies early in her life; her dad suggests she go to a Camp for troubled youth to ease her guilt. When Emily arrives, she is taken in by the other counsellors; they accept her as she is and wrap her in a veil of peace & forgiveness. Emily stands at the forefront of a new kind of life, but there’s a voice out there in the woods she can’t ignore, telling Emily to go home.

A documentary concerning the violent Italian 'poliziotteschi' cinematic movement of the 1970s which, at first glance, seem to be rip-offs of American crime films like DIRTY HARRY or THE GODFATHER, but which really address Italian issues like the Sicilian Mafia and red terrorism. Perhaps even more interesting than the films themselves were the rushed methods of production (stars performing their own stunts, stealing shots, no live sound) and the bleed-over between real-life crime and movie crime.

An exploration of the cinematic history of the folk horror, from its beginnings in the UK in the late sixties; through its proliferation on British television in the seventies and its many manifestations, culturally specific, in other countries; to its resurgence in the last decade.

A detailed look at the history of horror anthology films.

Quinqui cinema encompassed a series of Spanish crime films with a unique national sensibility, as they reflected the times of the Franco dictatorship transition. Guided by academics Mery Cuesta and Tom Whittaker, this featurette explores this explosive subgenre.

Based on the short ghost story of the same name by Algernon Blackwood from 1909, The Occupant of the Room centers on a schoolteacher whose late-night arrival at a hotel in the Alps leads to a sleepless night full of uncanny occurrences.

Maison Margiela 'Artisanal' 2021 Collection - A Folk Horror Tale - a film based on an original concept by John Galliano and directed by Olivier Dahan.

The Fated Hour is a 19th-century period piece set in Austria based on Friedrich Laun’s short story “The Relationship with the Spirit World,” famously cited as a key influence on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Blending psychological unease with spectral ambiguity, Laun’s work helped shape the evolution of Gothic fiction from folkloric ghost story into modern psychological horror.

When Peter Watkins’ banned nuclear war masterpiece "The War Game" reached Toronto in 1967, it found an unlikely home at Cinecity, a new cinema determined to challenge audiences. Drawing on archival research and eyewitness accounts, this documentary explores the film’s enduring impact and the role Cinecity played in shaping Canadian film culture.

Kier-La Janisse's documentary about the importance of advertisement for small theaters.

Documentary taking a look at Mondo movies.

The film traces Sam McKinlay’s early days as a punk skateboarder through his academic development as a conceptual artist into a highly esteemed noise practitioner whose work bridges the gap between the gallery world and the sleaze of exploitation film imagery. It documents the physical processes of his work and the distillation of visuals into sound, most notably addressing the appeal of abstraction—from the cheap effects of old monster movie makeup to the ‘masks’ created by the heavy cosmetic makeup of 1920s flapper culture and actresses like Pamela Stanford in Jess Franco’s Lorna the Exorcist (The Rita has albums or EPs named after several eurotrash actresses, including The Nylons of Laura Antonelli (2009) and Monica Swinn/Pamela Stanford (2016)).

A windswept ghost story set on England's southeastern coast.

In rural 17th-century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. Much ancient folklore and superstition surround the pathway to the church, and several of the party are afraid to walk it after dark. Squire Marlow, the grieving father of the dead man, promises to double their wages if they agree to make the mysterious journey full of unexpected revelations.

Newly commissioned short film by Severin shot on shooting location of Pobiti Kamani for their release of Morgiana in the House of Psychotic Women Volume 2 boxset.

A poignant ode to the star of the Black Emanuelle series and the real-life love story at its core, written, directed and narrated by Kier-La Janisse based on an interview with longtime Italian journalist Manlio Gomarasca.

The author of Cockfight: A Fable of Failure recounts her long history with Monte Hellman’s Cockfighter (1974), which is effectively illegal to screen in the UK due to staged scenes of the titular blood sport.

Author Kier-La Janisse on the strange and fascinating story behind one of Schramm's most memorable props.

Video documentary on Ajita Wilson.

From Severin Films and Kier-La Janisse, a new series of chilling short form horror in the tradition of telling ghost stories for Christmas. From Severin Films and renowned author, producer, and filmmaker Kier-La Janisse comes The Haunted Season. Created by Janisse, one new episode of The Haunted Season will arrive on Shudder each December with chilling short form horror tales in the tradition of telling ghost stories for Christmas.