The calendars of all self-respecting horror and genre fans in this city don't need the reminder. Today's date is clearly and boldly circled, and in bloody red no less. That's right, the Toronto After Dark Film Festival starts tonight at the Bloor Cinema with the city premiere of Mulberry Street. The indie-horror about citizens of New York transforming into giant rat creatures will kick-start this seven-day feeding of the most horrifying, twisted, and perverse movies you'll likely see all year.

Only in its second year running, this fest is impressively jam-packed. The program includes: cutting edge shorts, special guests (including Uwe Boll AKA the only director to ever box out his critics and Troma king Llyod Kaufman), late night pub parties, the second annual Zombie Walk, and -- the creamiest of the crop -- the coolest features (all premieres) this city has yet seen. Com'on, with titles like Blood Car and Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, how do you go wrong?

Stay tune as theGentries film staff are going to roll out the blood-soaked fest coverage all week long.

For more info, listen to Andrea Nene's recent interview with festival director Adam Lopez.

(Photo: Mulberry Street)