WHAT THE FEST

A celebration of extreme, unusual and unmissable cinema, WHAT THE FEST delivers an unparalleled selection of classic masterpieces, cult hits and new features. Featuring the season premieres of Jane Giles and Ali Catterall's love-letter to the world's wildest cinema, SCALA!!!, as well as prizewinning mystery thriller GAZER from Ryan J. Sloan, WHAT THE FEST also includes the return of David Cronenberg's controversial fetish drama CRASH, encore screenings of Alejandro Jodorowsky's THE HOLY MOUNTAIN and EL TOPO following sold-out screenings in 2024, Gaspar Noé's out-of-body neon-thriller ENTER THE VOID, Thai western-musical pastiche TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER, and much more. Expect the truly unexpected at WHAT THE FEST, only at Nova. 

Holy Mountain, The

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! A deeply allegorical exploration of the human condition, THE HOLY MOUNTAIN is a rich, surreal, and symbolic work directed, written, produced, co-scored, co-edited by and starring Jodorowsky. ... more

May 22nd, 2025

El Topo

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Classic Americana and avant-garde European sensibilities collide with Zen Buddhism and the Bible in Alejandro Jodorowsky's cult classic EL TOPO. ... more

May 23rd, 2025

Enter The Void

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Gaspar Noe's dream project, ENTER THE VOID, is a fantastical and psychological out-of-body experience set in and above the neon-lit nightclubs of Tokyo ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Tears of the Black Tiger

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Packed with exuberant sets, stunning shots, a stirring soundtrack, Wisit Sasanatieng's Thai 'western' TEARS OF THE BLACK TIGER was the first Thai film to be selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival, premiering in ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Crash

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! David Cronenberg's daring CRASH is an unmatched psychological and erotic journey featuring an all-star cast of 1990s talent, including James Spader, Holly Hunter, Deborah Kara Unger, and Elias Koteas. ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Piano Teacher, The

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Winner of the Cannes Grand Prix in addition to Best Actress and Best Actor for its two leads, Michael Haneke’s psychological drama has become a staple of his filmography, and a film that still dominates discussion today. ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Blob, The

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Based on the 1958 science fiction classic, director Chuck Russell and screenwriter Frank Darabont reimagine the tale of a squishy yet deadly outer space mass which invades a small town before its citizens and a secretive government science ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Gazer

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! An unnerving and hypnotic psychological mystery, Ryan J. Sloan’s debut GAZER premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Afflicted with a rare and fatal condition that affects her ability to perceive time and causes sudden blackouts, single ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Vanishing, The

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Rex and Saskia are enjoying a holiday in France. When the pair stop for fuel, Saskia disappears without a trace... Praised upon release, George Sluizer's psychological thriller THE VANISHING descends into the mind of a serial killer, buildi ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Scala!!!

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Based on the award-winning book Scala Cinema 1978-1993 , SCALA!!! documents the history of a former cinema turned nightclub and live music venue in Pentonville Road, London, England. and a testament to the power of cinemas. ... more

May 22nd, 2025

Thing, The

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! A commercial disappointment upon its release, John Carpenter's adaptation of John W. Campbell Jr's Who Goes There has since become one of cinema's most influential films, referenced in Sinners, Together, Stranger Things, The Hateful Eight a ... more

May 23rd, 2025

Blue Sunshine

Opening Date: Thursday, 22 May 2025

WHAT THE FEST! Written and directed by Jeff Lieberman (Squirm), BLUE SUNSHINE is the creepy psychological horror from 1977 that preyed upon the jackknife political contrasts between the 'Flower Power' generation of the 1960s and the self interest and mate ... more

May 24th, 2025
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