While Ti West is not yet a household name he is a strong brand and a seal of quality. Beginning with the ultra-low budget The Roost before moving on to Trigger Man, House of the Devil and the troubled Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, West has spent the last decade producing a string of high quality creepers that recall Edgar Allen Poe and The Dulpass Brothers in equal measure.

Hitting theaters tomorrow after a VOD run is his new film, The Innkeepers, which West acutely describes as, “A charming ghost story.” Like most of West’s previous films, it is an understated and moody horror yarn that focuses more on characters than it does on blood, guts and jump scares. It’s a real gem if you’re willing to step outside the expected genre conventions.  Recently, I sat down with West and his star Sara Paxton to discuss the film. During the interview we talked about the movie’s indie stylings, meta jump scares, what it’s like to work with a director who also acts, West’s role in the upcoming (and also exceptional) slasher You’re Next and much, much more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Two years ago writer/director Ti West established himself as one of the premiere voices in American horror with the tantalizing satanic tease of The House Of The Devil. Now he returns with another slowburn horror tale in the haunted hotel flick The Innkeepers. His latest effort incorporates quirky humor into his methodically paced style with mixed results. West is adept at writing subtly comedic characters and building tension, but something about the combination of the two techniques feels awkward in this outing. Tension is often killed by the comedy and the delicate mundane world of the characters clashes with the film’s supernatural shenanigans at times. It’s an undeniably flawed effort, but still an unconventional spin on the genre from a uniquely personal filmmaker that deserves to be seen, even if lowered expectations apply. Collider got an early peak at the film last week at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, so hit the jump for all the ghostly details.

While most fall film festivals have high profile titles that offer attendees a chance to get out ahead of award season flicks, the Alamo Drafthouse’s Fantastic Fest provides an exciting grab bag of genre movies.  Most don’t have A-list stars or big-name directors, but you’re still going to find a lot of fun movies and instead of a major publicity campaign, the Fantastic Fest audience member gets to champion the programming they enjoy.  Last month the first wave of programming was announced and today we now have the second wave.  The newly announced films include Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, Ti West’s The Inkeepers, and You’re Next, the new film from A Horrible Way to Die director Adam Wingard.

Hit the jump to check out the full announcement of second wave films.  Fantastic Fest 2011 runs from September 22 – 29th in Austin, Texas.

Here are some new posters for you to check out from some wildly different movies. First up is Priest, starring Paul Bettany as the eponymous futuristic vampire hunter (though the poster looks more like a blend of Blade Runner and NBC’s The Cape.) Next is Morgan Spurlock’s (Super Size Me) new documentary POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. The film explores product placement and advertising within movies and the poster gets that message across in a unique way. Finally, The Innkeepers is a horror thriller about the last two employees at a haunted hotel that is going out of business. It’s got a cool 80’s look to it and immediately made me think of The NeverEnding Story and The Goonies. Hit the jump to check out the posters.

We previously announced that Moon director Duncan Jones’ upcoming film Source Code would be opening the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, and now the list of films that will be featured in Austin has started to trickle out. Jodie Foster’s The Beaver and the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop will have their world premieres at the festival. In addition, the Simon Pegg and Nick Frost starrer Paul will have its North American premiere at the festival. The Beaver stars Mel Gibson and centers on a man’s journey to re-discover his family and re-start his life. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a documentary by Rodman Flender that follows behind-the-scenes of Conan’s summer tour. Film Conference and Festival Producer Jane Pierson had this to say:

“As we continue to solidify the lineup for 2011, it’s truly exciting to be able to announce this little taste of the program. Each of these films really showcases an artist stretching their wings in some way, whether it be a late-night talk show host taking his act on the road, an actress/filmmaker carefully and beautifully tackling a heartbreaking subject in her finest work yet, or a successful photographer trying out a new medium in a new landscape.”

Hit the jump to check out the full press release, which includes a list of six films that will be featured at the festival. The 2011 SXSW Film Conference and Festival runs from March 11 – 19th in Austin, Texas.

Sara Paxton (Last House on the Left) will be joining the cast of Ti West’s (The House of the Devil) newest horror film The Innkeepers.  Paxton will be playing the lead in the film.  Pat Healy (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) and George Riddle have also joined the cast.

In the film Paxton and Healy play the last two clerks in a hundred-year-old haunted hotel in the last days before its closure as a few final strange guests come to stay. The shoot is taking place at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, a real New England hotel long suspected of actually being haunted. (via THR)

The film will be produced by Derek Curl, Peter Phok, Larry Fessenden and Ti West at Dark Sky Films.  The film begins shooting this week in Connecticut.  There is no current release date.