The PennZone

PHILADELPHIA - PennZone -- Local audiences are invited to let their inner vampires roam free at a screening of the Philly-made film Neon Fangs to be held at the Film Society Center.

The irreverent 1980s-set feature finds retired vampire slayer Abe Van Helsing in a quandary — a former undead friend, Alva, has embarked upon raising the next generation of vampires, defying a code established by the Vampyric Council that's kept the peace between mortals and vampires or centuries. Now, Van Helsing has to step back into a world that once cost him everything. The good thing is he's got nothing to lose (but his eternal soul).

Neon Fangs screens at 7 pm, Tuesday, Sep. 24, at the Philadelphia Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.
The independent film is the latest collaboration of filmmakers Mark Janavel and Cody McCoy. It is both a love letter to the creature features of the 1980s and a love letter to Philadelphia, the city in which it is set. The microbudget feature represents three years of effort for the duo, who have previously made short films and music videos together. Neon Fangs also stars local talents Ashley Porter, Nicholas Pontrelli, and Eric Nikolaus Kwasnjuk.

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"Making our film in Philadelphia was an incredible experience. The energy of the city is unlike anywhere else, and it felt like we were channeling that raw, gritty vibe straight into the heart of Neon Fangs," says McCoy, the film's co-writer and star. "To bring it back here and show it to a local audience—there's really no greater feeling. The city inspired so much of what we created."
Janavel, a native of Philadelphia who directed the film and studied cinema at the University of Pittsburgh, and McCoy will both attend the Sep. 24 screening.

"There's nothing like the pure, anarchic joy of making a low-budget genre movie. We were flying by the seat of our pants half the time, but that chaos was part of the fun. We had a blast making Neon Fangs, and I hope that vibe jumps off the screen," says McCoy. "If the audience has even half as much fun watching it as we did making it, then we've done our job."

The Sept. 24 screening of Neon Fangs is free and open to the public, though pre-registration is advised — complimentary tickets are available online at https://filmadelphia.org/neon-fangs/
Contact: Kit Fergus Waxwing PR kitfergus@waxwingpr.com.