Murderous Gnomes Among Practical Effects Surge at 2022 Frontières Platform Marché du Film

variety.com:

JD Linville Emergence from pandemic lockdowns and the promise of in-person festivals has excitement brewing for the future of film, and the genre industry is no exception.

The official selection of the 2022 Frontières Platform at the Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes is in, and it displays bullish trends for the future of genre.“There’s a lot of horror, and it kind of goes back to practical effects, and I love that,” says Frontières executive director Annick Mahnert. “Practical effects are coming back, which is great.”Highlighting this trend is potential standout “Gnomes!” from the Netherlands, a horror film about gnomes who murder curious humans and turn them into sausage while they’re still alive.

The film boasts producer and art department master Richard Raaphorst (“Frankenstein’s Army”), who brought the gnomes to life.

Other possible standouts of practical effects are “Requiem for a Robot, “Street Trash” and “Serial Kitten,” which blends costumes and CGI.The Frontières Platform has also seen increased submissions as well as new countries of origin. “This year we got double the submissions that we did last year,” says Mahnert. “And the quality is just amazing, and from countries where we’ve had few submissions in the past in terms of genre.” In particular, South and West Asia and North Africa are well represented among the official selection, including “In Flames” (Pakistan) and “Roqia” (Algeria), which has already been selected by the Maskoon Fantastic Festival in Lebanon.In addition to a broadening of the definition of genre, Mahnert spoke to the importance of the return to in-person festivals and platforms. “I think the entire movie business is based on relationships.