The International Horror Film Festival, Fantastic and Bizarre Buenos Aires Blood Red (BARS) celebrated the kickoff of its 25th anniversary last night with a unique opening at the San Ignacio de Loyola church, in the neighborhood of San Telmo.

The traditional meeting began with the screening of “If I die before I wake up”, a classic of Argentine suspense cinema directed by Carlos Hugo Christensen in 1952.

Before the screening, Meri Lucewicz -one of the festival organizers-, spoke with The sidewalk and expressed his excitement for this special edition: “We are preparing excitedly and very in tune with what a Silver Anniversary is because we are in a church.”, happy about this call and that so many people want to come not only today, but also to the festival”.

The BARS will take place until 8 December at the Multiplex Belgrano, located in Vuelta de Obligado 2238, and will have a rich programming. This year, the festival includes 63 feature films, of which 28 they are argentines, and a vast selection of short films. “It is possible to make a route of Argentine feature films and short films in itself”, Lucewicz commented., highlighting the importance of national cinema in this edition.

Among the international proposals, The festival presents a wide variety ranging from an Estonian musical to zombie films with dramatic overtones, in addition to a notable presence of Asian cinema. “We have The Japan Invasion, which are two films obviously from that country; a chinese movie, ‘A Place called silence’, and a korean, 'Connecting'. I think that's also good for sitting down to watch a movie that you don't sit down to watch at home.", he pointed.

Lucewicz also highlighted the special programming of horror classics, some screened at midnight, as part of the experience that BARS seeks to offer its attendees. “It's going to the movies as an experience and not just watching the movie.”. Even do it at midnight, probably having had a beer before entering, It is half a spirit of the festival that we like to bring to the forefront”, he claimed.

El BARS, which in its previous edition surprised with an opening in the Recoleta Cemetery, continues to innovate with unusual locations. “They are my whims, there is no other”, Lucewicz confessed between laughs, adding that they seek to differentiate each edition and reach a new audience.