Queer Holiday Horror Film Carnage for Christmas Opens October 18 at Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills

Director Vera Drew Will Moderate a Q&A with Alice Maio Mackay on Friday at 8:00 p.m.

Dark Star Pictures is set to release Carnage for Christmas, a queer holiday horror film directed by Alice Maio Mackay, on digital and on-demand platforms starting October 22. The film follows Lola, a transgender true-crime podcaster, as she returns to her conservative hometown for Christmas for the first time since transitioning. Her homecoming turns sinister when the vengeful spirit of a notorious murderer, long considered an urban legend, reemerges and begins a new killing spree.

Directed by Mackay, a 20-year-old trans filmmaker known for her previous work on T Blockers, the film blends horror and camp in a unique way. Carnage for Christmas also features the talents of genre artist Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), who served as the editor and visual effects artist.

A special screening of the film will take place on Friday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. at the Lumiere Cinema at the Music Hall at 9036 Wilshire Boulevard, at Wilshire and Doheny, in Beverly Hills. In a rare stateside appearance, the film’s director Alice Maio MacKay will take part in a Q&A at the screening moderated by director Vera Drew (The People’s Joker).

You can purchase tickets for the screening here. 

The official synopsis teases a dark holiday thriller, as Lola grapples with her hometown’s reaction to her transition while facing off against a masked killer known as “The Toymaker,” who is tied to a haunting legend from the town’s past.

You can watch the trailer for the film here:

5The film boasts an ensemble cast including Jeremy Moineau, Dominique Booth, Zarif, Olivia Deeble, Joe Romeo, and Betsey Brown. Carnage for Christmas has already made waves on the festival circuit, screening at prestigious events such as Fantasia Film Festival, Frameline, Inside Out, and FrightFest.