In 1999 Kier-La Janisse launched the CineMuerte International Horror Film Festival in Vancouver, Canada, with the creative and administrative help of her friends Ashley Fester and Chris Bavota, and programming assistance from Vancouver noise artist and eurotrash fanatic Sam McKinlay (“The Rita”). CineMuerte was a nine-day festival showcasing a mix of premieres and obscure repertory films, and ran from 1999-2005, with visiting guests that included Jorg Buttgereit, Jean Rollin, Jeff Lieberman, Udo Kier, Buddy Giovinazzo, Jack Taylor, Jim Van Bebber, Edwin Neal, Bob Clark and more.

The festival was documented heavily in Ashley Fester’s feature-length documentary Celluloid Horror, available from www.breedproductions.com. 

The final two years of CineMuerte saw the festival broaden its programming beyond strictly horror films and adopt the title “Fantastic Film Festival”, in kinship with the many genre festivals worldwide, particularly the members and adherents of the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation. 

Ongoing horror and Exploitation-related screenings mounted by Big Smash! are done so under the CineMuerte moniker.

FOR CINEMUERTE ARCHIVES 1999-2005, SEE WWW.CINEMUERTE.COM