Velour, Downtown Provo, Utah, Oct 24 - Nov 2, 2024
2024-10-24 12:00:00
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Utah Films

09/242023

UTAH SHORT FILMS 2023


SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

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AN ARRANGEMENT OF SKIN (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A man returns to his childhood home to make amends with his taxidermy obsessed little brother.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Cayden Turnbow

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Cayden Turnbow is a Director and Assistant Director based out of SLC, Utah. He gravitates towards unique stories that push boundaries and provoque. He currently works for Slamdance Film Festival and Salt Lake Film Society.

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BODY OF WORK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: 10 years after murdering their uncle, twins Teddy and Izzy get caught in a web of lies & murder when a detective knocks on their door.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language

DIRECTOR: Andrea Téllez & Sophie Téllez

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Andrea and Sophie Téllez are sisters from Provo, UT. This is their first short film, kicking off what they hope to be a long and collaborative career bringing stories of all kinds to life.

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BOX BOY (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A boy raised in a rigid, beige society where boxes define life meets a colorful girl who changes the way he views the world.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Kelsey Edwards

GENRE: The Beyond, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Kelsey Edwards is an American actress, filmmaker and musician with more than two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. She is best known for starring in the internationally loved film “Minor Details” and for playing the savvy young mom in Jim Cummings’ horror-comedy, “The Wolf of Snow Hollow.”

Across social media Kelsey is as known as “the internet big sis” and her primary goal is to help teen girls develop self-love and confidence. Making her directorial debut with “Box Boy,” Kelsey aims to tell powerful, visually engaging stories that inspire, uplift and motivate those around her towards positive change.

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BULL RIDER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: This experimental documentary short merges meditations on dance from choreographer Martha Graham with music by composer Philip Glass and video featuring Professional Bull Rider/Modern Dancer Ouncie Mitchell, at the 2022 Oakley Rodeo in Oakley, UT.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Steven Gray & Alexia Oldini

GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Steven Gray and Alexia Oldini are Utah based Filmmakers.

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HANNAH HARBOR (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Hannah wasn’t the only person taking pictures in the mountains that day. She returns to camp to find a stack of photos beside her tent, all of them of her.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Steve Stay

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 8:15 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Steve Stay is a filmmaker based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Steve runs a coloring/art business with his wife Jennifer called “Coloring Bliss”. Together they create weekly video content for their Youtube Channel under the same name. Steve has a background in corporate/business video production and has only recently began to venture out into the world of filmmaking.

His short film “Hannah Harbor” (which he wrote, directed, shot & edited) is the first in what he hopes will be an exciting new venture into the world of cinema. He has a couple more short films in the works, but plans to do a full-length feature as well.

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MUNCH (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Marcus and Eric are stoned out of their minds and looking for a snack. Eric spots something floating outside the window that’s suspicious, unearthly and strangely appetizing.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Noah Richmond

GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Noah Richmond is from a small town in the middle of nowhere Utah. He loves the great outdoors and making art and films.

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POOLSIDE INN (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Erica tries to spend a relaxing evening in a motel hot tub when she is visited by some strange people.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Sensuality

DIRECTOR: Remington Butler

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 8:15 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Remington Butler is a commercial and film director based in Salt Lake City. He recently graduated advertising school where he received numerous awards for his work, and his debut short film premiered at the Palm Springs Shortfest earlier this year.

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SABORRRR! (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An actor lands her big break on a heavily exploitative advertisement role. Will she be able to escape this ludicrous nightmare of a set?

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and producer. His coming of age short film JEROME was a finalist for the HBO Short Film Award and will be on MAX in 2024. His satirical Horror-Comedy short SABORRRR! is the most diverse BIPOC crew in the history of Utah film according to the Utah Film Commission, a need he continues to advocate for in the industry. His short film DEAD FLESH is a finalist for the Louisiana Film Prize. His feature film script SUMMER OF MERCEDES is a quarterfinalist for the Nicholls Screenwriting Competition.

Gianfranco holds an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory and his thesis film WHEN BIG PEOPLE LIE premieres at the 2024 AFI Fest. Gianfranco is a Boston native and a proud father to Irish twins.

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SACRAMENT (USA)

SYNOPSIS: In the 1950s, two religious young men go on a camping trip together. As their forbidden love for each other begins to boil into reality, Belford battles with his inner truth and inner demons.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Jack Hessler

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Until recently, Jack’s work has mainly consisted of short documentaries including the environmental justice film “AWAiRE” and the queer focused “Shy Little Boy” that won Jury Award for Best Short at the Rainbow Visions film festival. He was an editor on the multiple Telly award winning documentary series “Far From Home”, as well as the feature “World Debut” from executive producer Tony Hawk.

In 2022 he produced and edited “Are There Bobcats in New Jersey” and won Best Dark Comedy Short at Independent Short Awards and received a Vimeo Staff Pick, and in 2023 he finished his first short film “sacrament”. Jack is a Salt Lake City based filmmaker.

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SNEAK OVER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Brian tries to convince Anna to sneak over.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Hannah Grace Carraway & Brandon Carraway

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Hannah Grace and Brandon Carraway are a husband and wife directing duo that lives and works in Provo, Utah, and whose favorite pass time is making short horror films.

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THE HANDBOOK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Two Latter-day Saint missionaries bring a Book of Mormon to the home of a wicked lady.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Brandon Carraway

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Brandon Carraway is an award-winning filmmaker living and working in Utah. His thought-provoking films seamlessly blend his religious background with an unconventional love for the unholy. Drawing inspiration from his devout upbringing, Carraway’s unique artistic vision challenges conventional perspectives by exploring the interplay between light and darkness, good and evil.

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THE LAST EMBRACE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A mother and son embrace one last time before taking six feet apart and isolating themselves to avoid the risks of a dangerous air-borne pandemic. A metaphorical reflection on Covid-19 Lockdowns, Social Distancing, and their emotional effects on the Human Soul.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Diego Contreras

GENRE: Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 5:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Diego Contreras is a Guatemalan film and comercial DGA director based in Los Angeles. He is a members of the DGA and is represented in the USA by LoveSong. Diego started his directing career in 2015 as part of Bullitt Branded, a production company founded by The Russo Brothers. He then spent five years directing commercials under David Fincher’s production company, Reset Content. Diego’s has directed world wide campaigns for brands such as Apple, Facebook, Ford, Playstation, Square Enix, Target, Walmart, General Electric and Reebok. He has received international honors and awards including Cannes Lions, Webbys, AICP Pencils, and been featured as part of Creativity Online’s Ad of the Week, Shoot Magazine, and earned five Vimeo Staff Picks.

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THE PRINCESS AND THE FORMALDEHYDE SPECIMEN (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Tia’s dreams of becoming a princess are turned upside down when her magical kiss with a frog doesn’t go quite as planned…

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Adam Peterson

GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 2:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Adam Peterson was born and raised in Orem, Utah and started making films practically as soon as he came out of the womb. He is passionate about storytelling and is always looking forward to his next big project!

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TO ERR (USA)

SYNOPSIS: 200 years after mankind’s extinction, an android longs for a nostalgia he can never experience.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Derek Romrell

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Derek Romrell is a local writer/producer native to the Wasatch Front. A rising talent, Derek was awarded Best Writer at the Northwest National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Awards – three years in a row. His credits include the upcoming psychological horror film Oubliette, starring Jon Heder and Mallory Everton. His feature-length writing-debut, Memory Lane, enters development this fall.

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TOWER THEATRE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Sarah and her film snob employees decide to blow off their work duties at Tower Theatre to make a horror movie of their own.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Austin Thomas Wood

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 5:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Based in Los Angeles, Austin Thomas Wood is a writer/director and founder of Red Creek Films. He specializes in narrative film, and story driven music videos. He has an eye for the obscure and nostalgic moments in life. He founded Red Creek Films in 2015 alongside his crew of longtime collaborators. They write, produce, and package content for clients of all needs.

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WHISPER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A new mother who works as a popular relaxation artist decides to go live for her online fans in an attempt to ignore her innermost feelings. During the session, she’s forced to confront her own terrifying demons regarding her new role in life. Part drama, part horror “Whisper” is a moving and terrifying examination of what it means to be responsible for another living thing.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Lindsey Watson & Spencer Allred

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 2:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Lindsey and Spencer both graduated from Utah Valley University in 2015. They share a passion for film, specifically horror films that deals with issues of mental health.

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WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An erstwhile rodeo star must make hard choices to survive the new realities of the American West or succumb to the demons of his past.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language, Intense & Scary Imagery

DIRECTOR: Max Nebeker & Lucy Nebeker

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: We are Max and Lucy Nebeker, a twin writing and directing duo from Utah who have been a part of the local film community for the last 4 years. Over that time we have released a trilogy of Western short films under a unique genre we call Rocky Mountain Mythology. We hope to use this short film to further showcase our unique stylistic voice and our passion for telling Western stories in a Western way. www.castorpolluxstudios.com

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09/302022

UTAH SHORT FILMS 2022

 

SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

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ASCENT (USA)

SYNOPSIS: After Alet risks his life to save a girl with mythical powers from a lightning strike, she leaves a trail, luring him to a better life. To find her and help her get back to her people, he must learn to trust in powers he doesn’t understand and overcome an oppressive government chasing them across a deadly landscape.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Ben Burrell

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Animation
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ben graduated from film school from the University of Utah in 2002. He wrote and directed a handful of short films, winning awards at SlamDance and New York Film Festival before writing his first novel ‘Red Leaves and the Living Token’ which won an IndieBRAG award. Along side his writing, Ben was a principle character animator on the animated feature film “The Magistical,” and the lead animator on “Adventures of the living Corpse.” Currently, he leads the VFX team at Reactor VFX, creating creatures and explosions for NBC, Paramount, HBO, Netflix, and Disney.

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BEDTIME (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A father and son go through their bedtime routine. It’s anything but routine.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Alan Seawright

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 4:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alan Seawright has been making movies, TV, and commercials for 15 years. He won a couple Emmys. He’s been a YouTuber for 2 years. He’s been afraid of the dark for 41 years.

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COMPANION (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Desperate, a woman performs a strange ritual.

RATINGS GUIDE: Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Zach Berry & Austin Meredith

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Zach Berry and Austin Meredith are a filmmaking team from Salt Lake City. Starting in 2017, they have been working non-stop to make genre short films and are working on their first feature film!

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DEATH PARTS US: A LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Based loosely on a character from “Call of Cthuhlu”, “Death Parts Us” explores nostalgia’s relationship to grief. After losing his wife, Henry turns to an old power to bring her back, only to find that “when we mourn our losses, we also mourn ourselves” and that nostalgia comes with the sacrifice of sanity.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Anatasha Blakely & Jacob Sorling

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 AM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Anatasha Blakely and Jacob Sorling have collaborated on numerous occasions including the short films “Inch Thick, Knee Deep”, “Love Me Whatever Way”, and hundreds of live performances as the comedy duo “Buddy Puzzle.” They are also in love. Follow them at darklingfilms.com and @buddypuzzle.

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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: PLAY YOUR WAY (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A story about a man lost on his journey, when he discovers an unlikely ally to guide him.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Taylor Garrett

GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Taylor Garrett is a graduate from the BYU AdLab Program, with several of his spec ads earning Young One Student awards. Taylor has a love for the 80’s and Steven Spielberg. He is newly married and living in NYC.

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EL MOÑO (USA)

SYNOPSIS: After her favorite sock goes missing, Andrea learns of generational family magic that helps her find all kinds of lost objects in the most unexpected ways. Soon enough, however, she’ll find out that toys and coins aren’t the only things that can get lost.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Luis Fernando Puente

GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Luis Fernando Puente’s recent work includes La luna y el colibrí, which participated in numerous film festivals including FilmQuest.  Lizde Arias is an immigrant, writer and journalist. In her work she seeks to highlight and retell the mundane by giving a spotlight to the aspects of life that are often overlooked.

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HOUSE OF THE MUMMY (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An animatronic mummy terrorizes a man in his home on Halloween night.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language

DIRECTOR: Michael Ballif

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Michael Ballif is an award winning filmmaker best known for his Halloween-themed horror feature They Live Inside Us. Michael is also the founder of the Utah-based horror production company Witching Season Films, which specializes in creating atmospheric, spooky, and nostalgic Halloween content 365 days a year.

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INCOMPLETE (USA / UK)

SYNOPSIS: Conceptually using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and composed of a single take, «Incomplete» invites us to traverse an endless choreography of bodies in perpetual free-fall and updating images that reflect a world in constant change.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Dalena Tran

GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #1

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dalena Tran is a visual artist and director based in Los Angeles, CA. Her body of work reinterprets applications of traditional art forms and practices with emerging digital technologies through hybrid mediations. Engaging with the phenomenon of media as semiotic storytelling, she investigates the everyday confluences of language and expression; presence and immateriality; voyeurism and surveillance; urbanism and hegemony; play and pause.

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INHERITANCE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A mother and daughter murder their wealthy grandmother, but they get more than what they bargained for.

RATINGS GUIDE: Brief Nudity

DIRECTOR: Erik McFarland

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Utah native director dedicated to making high quality films for others to enjoy.

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IT’S COMING, IT’S REAL (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Politically charged fever dream montage for “It’s Coming It’s Real” by Swans.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Adult Content, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Steven Gray & Alexia Oldini

GENRE: Horror, Experimental
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Steven Gray & Alexia Oldini are Utah based filmmakers. 

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LOVERS RETREAT (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A couple goes to a remote cabin to save their relationship but, instead, ends up putting their lives at risk.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Brandon Carraway

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Director at Waterslide Films – a weekly short film production company 

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MOONSTRUCK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A suburban mom navigates a difficult night trying to protect her daughter from her overbearing husband. Also, the moon is turning people to zombies. So, you know, it’s a lot.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Aln Seawright

GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Opening Night – Friday, Oct. 28th @ 8:00 PM (playing with Cryo)

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alan Seawright has been making movies, TV, and commercials for 15 years. He won a couple of Emmys. He’s been YouTubing for 2 years. He’s been scared of the dark for about 41 years.

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THE CACHE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: On a mission to confront a rogue scientist, a woman must traverse the wilderness of a ruined civilization where the very air she breathes can’t be trusted.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Ryan Margetts

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 4:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ryan Margetts is a cinematographer, director, photographer, and writer based in Salt Lake City. Owner of Tiger Trap Media, Ryan has garnered recognition for his short films and has also worked as director of photography, grip/gaffer and second unit director of photography on commercials and feature films. Ted Bushman is an actor, composer, and writer based in New York City. Two-time Eugene O’Neill Music Theater Festival semifinalist, Ted has produced several musicals while also acting on screen and stage and recording the occasional pop song.

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THE COLOURING BOOK OUT OF SPACE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Just wanting to relax, a man takes up a hobby that has sinister side effects.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences

DIRECTOR: Patrick Murphy

GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Mixing comedy with sci-fi and horror, Patrick Murphy has been making films with Blaine Taggart and Mile Terrell for two decades. As a side hustle to support his film-making career, Murphy is a part-time high-school teacher and part-time University professor. 

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THE MAN IN THE TREE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: After the death of his mother, a little boy encounters a magical creature in the woods who promises to return his mother to him if the boy will simply chop down the tree the creature is trapped within.

RATINGS GUIDE: Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Weber Griffiths

GENRE: Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Weber was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Ut and has been making movies since the second grade. Weber loves the fantastic and the mythological, and seeks to tell these stories in a contemporary cultural and social setting

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TROUBLE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: When fearless 17 year-old Amelia Whitman encounters a bloodied and riderless horse, she quickly suspects that its mysterious rider may not be far behind.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Ben Hurst

GENRE: Horror, Western
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ben is an award-winning commercial director/filmmaker who has directed work for brands such as Chrysler, Cheetos, Budweiser, Progressive Insurance, Snickers, Pepsi and a whole bunch more.

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WHERE IS CODY FROM? (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A dramatic-horror short about Cody, a 12 year old boy, who goes through the process of finding out a large part of his true identity.

RATINGS GUIDE: Colby Barrios

DIRECTOR: Nick Peterson

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #4

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Colby Barrios is a Venezuelan-American writer and director and is a Class of 2024 Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute. Barrios writes and directs short films and is currently developing a handful of feature films that explore nuanced and personal stories. He lives with his wife and his cuter-than-life dog, Lula.

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09/292022

CRYO


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CRYO (USA)

SYNOPSIS: In an underground facility, five scientists wake from cryogenic hibernation with no memory of who they are or how long they’ve been asleep. They soon make a shocking realization—a killer is hunting them down there, and may even be hiding among them.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Strong Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Barrett Burgin
CAST: Jyllian Petrie, Emily Marie Palmer, Mason D. Davis, Curt Doussett, Morgan Gunter, Michael Flynn

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Opening Night – Friday, Oct. 28th @ 8:00PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Barrett Burgin is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. He is best known for his films The Next Door (2016), Father of Man (2019), and most recently CRYO (2022). Burgin has a proclivity for psychological thrillers and science fiction films, but often devotes special interest to the synthesization of religious mythos and cinema. He has also written extensively about the intersections between videogames, ritual, new media, the afterlife, immortality, and technology.

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10/032021

THE PARKER SESSIONS


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THE PARKER SESSIONS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman suffering from night terrors and plagued by a troubled past schedules a series of appointments with a psychologist. But will she find the answers she’s looking for because the demons that haunt her could be evil or something that doesn’t exist? Not a monster or a ghost, but an all-black shadow watching from a distance, its footsteps pacing outside her house trying to break into a window…

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Brief Nudity, Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Stephen King Simmons
CAST: Rachell Sean, Danny James

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 2nd @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’SBIO: 38 years young. Born and raised in SLC, Utah. At age 12, instead of lemonade stands, he was creating haunted houses out of his parent’s basement. In 2005, founded a local cult hit multi-art horror show titled “An October Evening”. He has gained a cult following on Youtube with his adaptations of “SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK”. His favorite hobbies are ghost hunting, collecting macabre memorabilia and watching old black/white silent films. “THE PARKER SESSIONS” is his first feature film which is based on his own personal experiences with past trauma, depression and night terrors.

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10/012021

TICKETS & PASSES 2021

 

SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

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WELCOME TO THE 2021 FILMQUEST TICKETS PAGE

Tickets and passes are now available!

The 2021 FilmQuest will be taking place at Velour Live Music Gallery in Downtown Provo, October 29th – November 6th. You can find out more information about the 2021 lineup and films that are playing  festival on our website by looking at the FilmQuest 2021 dropdown from the top menu. Our full schedule is published and available (although it can potentially change as needs be), however due to the ongoing concerns surrounding Covid-19, only two screening blocks are available to the general public (individual tickets for individual screenings can be bought at the box office at Velour the day of the screening) and those are for the two Utah based screenings from the 2021 lineup.

FilmQuest handles itsticketing service through our partners atFilmFreeway. The tickets are listed by Pass Options, Party/Event Options (coming soon), and Single Screening Tickets in alphabetical order for the Feature Film and Short Film Blocks.

Scroll through the below form to find the film details and blocks you wish to attend. Once you select your tickets, scroll down further and click on “Order Now” button. You will then be directed to our FilmFreeway tickets page where you will register and finalize your purchase.

Party and event tickets are at the bottom of the ticket listing (Coming soon). VIP passes are at the top. Film screenings are listed by Feature Films first, then the Short Film blocks.

If you are a Student with a current Student I.D., there are amazing discounts to be had for you, but you must present your current Student I.D. at the festival when picking up your tickets, or else a fee will be incurred.

Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions or provide us with any inquiries you may have.

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TICKETS FAQ

*Local Utah Attendees MUST be vaccinated.

All local/Utah attendees MUST be vaccinated for Covid-19 to attend. Proof of vaccination must be shown at the box office when picking up tickets for the May 2021 screenings. Failure to do so will result in the attendee being denied entrance and no refund will be given.

*Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

Proof of a CURRENT Student ID will be required for student ticket/pass purchases, or an extra fee will be incurred. All ages are welcome, with special family friendly selections curated at the festival as well. However, parental guidance is suggested as well as your research into each film and a ratings guide of the blocks and films will be provided in both our program guide and online guide.

*Do I need to buy a ticket/pass for the special events and parties?

Yes. Tickets must be purchased either online or at the door for special events and parties. Some of our special VIP passes cover these fees, thus making it cost effective to buy the appropriate VIP pass. Where there will be Food & Drink served at our special Karaoke and Burlesque show events at the Boxcar Studios in Downtown Provo, attendees must be 21+, buy their passes in advance, and sign up for a guest list.

*What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

There are many parking options in Downtown Provo and all venues are within walking distance, or a short taxi/Uber ride away.

*What’s the refund policy?

There are no refunds when the event begins as FilmQuest must plan on attendance numbers.

 

Read more
09/282021

MUSIC VIDEOS 2021


SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

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BONEYARD BALLET (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A ballet piece set on the wing of a 747 jumbo jet, Boneyard Ballet is a visual ode to the art of flight. Melding two of the most elegant forms of airborne dance — the ballerina and the modern airliner, it’s a mirage-like cinematic symphony of living beauty set amidst the decay of an airplane boneyard.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Steven Holleran

GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Steve is a globetrotting adventure filmmaker with a decade of immersive international production experience. Selected to Variety’s Artisan’s Elite list in 2018, he made a name for himself at an early age as a standout indie cinematographer with his Sundance premiering films The Land (2016) and A Boy A Girl A Dream (2018) as well as the TIFF selected feature The Obituary of Tunde Johnson (2019).

One of only a handful of cinematographers in history to shoot an entire feature film as a oner, he has also gained wide acclaim for his dramatic documentary cinematography on the Netflix series Fire Chasers (2017), Rapture (2018), and most recently,YouTube and Robert Downey’s Age of AI (2019) awarded the Leo Award for Best Cinematography in 2020.

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BROKEN AS ME (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman battles the demon within herself.

RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content, Brief Nudity, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Nick Peterson

GENRE: The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nick Peterson  grew up watching MTV, Sci-Fi films, anime from Blockbuster Video, and playing video games. He graduated from the Experimental Animation program at CALARTS. After many years producing visual effects he transitioned into full time directing.

Nick’s films have been screened in festivals such as SUNDANCE, and SXSW. His award winning music videos have garnered over 500 hundred million views. And his Chrysler Commercial played during the Super Bowl. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

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DEVIL IN ME (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A priest performs an exorcism on a young rural girl and evil comes to call. Narrative music video for Satanic Planet, the new band from Lucien Greaves (founder of the Satanic Temple), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Justin Pearson (The Locust), and Luke Henshaw.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Lola Blanc

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 31st @ 9:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: LOLA BLANC is a filmmaker and musician whose directorial work has been featured by Fangoria, Funny or Die, and Billboard, and screened at festivals like Fantastic Fest, Hollyshorts, Nantucket Film Festival, and more. She is one of the founders of Fatale Collective, an all-female horror filmmaking collective. As a musician, Lola’s songs and videos have garnered tens of millions of streams; as an actress, Blanc has appeared in American Horror Story and Under the Silver Lake. She also hosts Trust Me, a podcast about cults in which she interviews fellow cult survivors, on the PodcastOne network. She has 200,000+ followers across all platforms.

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FOREVER TING (CANADA)

SYNOPSIS: A lo-fi extraterrestrial exploration of self-love in the face of otherness, inspired by the work of artist Robin Eisenberg and the Afrofuturism cultural aesthetic.

RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Sensuality

DIRECTOR: Colin G Cooper

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 29th @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Colin G Cooper is an acclaimed Director, Editor and Producer based in Toronto, Canada. His music videos have garnered awards and nominations from such notable institutions as the iHeartRadio MMVAs, the Berlin MVAs, the Kinsale Sharks, and the Buenos Aires Music Video Festival. His videos have also been featured by prominent publications such as Spin, Alternative Press, Nylon, Billboard, Fader, Complex, Noisey, Loudwire, PAPER, Highsnobiety, and The Huffington Post, and have been televised nationally on Canada’s predominant music network – Much.

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HER (UK)

SYNOPSIS: Somewhere in an enigmatic and dystopian future, a queen gets entertained by her very own brutal talent show.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Chris Ullens

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:00 AM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Chris Ullens is a Belgian director who lives and works in London. With experience in both high-end commercials and inventive award winning music videos, Chris continues to experiment with his multi-disciplinary skills in order to find fresh, weird and exciting projects.

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I WONDER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Tied up and bound, a mechanic struggles to escape from his crazed captor in order to survive. A music video debut for the alt/rock band, Stereo Ranger.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Adult Content

DIRECTOR: J.C. McNaughton

GENRE: Fantastic, Thriller
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: J.C. McNaughton is a director, writer, and cinematographer based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of his professional career has been in commercial work and music videos. The short horror film, “Isolate”, is J.C.’s first stab (pun intended) at filmmaking.

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LA DOMENICA DELLE SALME (ROMANIA)

SYNOPSIS: A dystopic story about an alien doctor who gets some dead humans to analyze and finds out something disturbing about them.

RATINGS GUIDE: Brief Nudity, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Lucian Alexandrov

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 29th @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Young Romanian artist, went to “George Enescu” National University of Arts, directed 5 music videos & several commercials for local brands, produced 1 short movie and 1 music video, edited 3 music videos

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LOW (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An unlikely party crasher overcomes his social anxiety

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Megan Duffy

GENRE: The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 3rd @ 5:00 PM

DIRECTOR’SBIO: Megan Duffy is a working actor and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.

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MULLETUDE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A music video from Jeff Hilliard called “Mulletude.”

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language, Adult Content

DIRECTOR: Jeff Hilliard

GENRE: Fantastic, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Available all dates via the Virtual Comedy Block

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jeff Hilliard is an American satirist, film maker, actor and recording artist. Jeff has appeared in films directed by Paul Schrader and Bernard Rose.

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ONCE UPON A SECOND ACT (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Music video for SYSTEM SYN’s “Once Upon a Second Act.”

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Clint Carney

GENRE: The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Available all dates via the Virtual Fantasy & Sci-Fi Block

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Clint Carney is an award winning filmmaker from Los Angeles. 2021 marks his 6th year with a music video in FilmQuest.

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SALA DE LOS PECADORES (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Rock ’n’ roll band Making Movies spend a wild and indulgent night tripping out in a motel room on Route 66.

RATINGS GUIDE: Sensuality

DIRECTOR: TBD

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM

DIRECTOR’SBIO: TBD

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SKYNUT (NEW ZEALAND)

SYNOPSIS: Machines sent from the future enslave humanity in search of their ultimate fuel source.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Adult Content

DIRECTOR: Aleksander Sakowski

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: I approach each project as a chance to research and develop ever evolving concepts. To push the limits of perceptive illusion, using all digital and traditional spectrum’s. My looking glass focuses on spaces in time that often go unnoticed, it finds beauty within beasts, and projects our entropic virtual flux. I am based in Auckland, New Zealand collaborating with many talented artists across many mediums, resonating a new generation of story telling.

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THAT AIN’T YOU (CANADA)

SYNOPSIS: A fusion of Afropunk and Afrofuture fashion, wrapped up in a sci-fi atmosphere.

RATINGS GUIDE: Language

DIRECTOR: Colin G Cooper

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 5th @ 4:30 PM

DIRECTOR’SBIO: Colin G Cooper is an acclaimed Director, Editor and Producer based in Toronto, Canada. His music videos have garnered awards and nominations from such notable institutions as the iHeartRadio MMVAs, the Berlin MVAs, the Kinsale Sharks, and the Buenos Aires Music Video Festival. His videos have also been featured by prominent publications such as Spin, Alternative Press, Nylon, Billboard, Fader, Complex, Noisey, Loudwire, PAPER, Highsnobiety, and The Huffington Post, and have been televised nationally on Canada’s predominant music network – Much.

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THE BREACH (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A family takes advantage of a glitch in a system controlled by a computer, but will they make it out alive in time.

RATINGS GUIDE: Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Nick Peterson

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 29th @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nick Peterson  grew up watching MTV, Sci-Fi films, anime from Blockbuster Video, and playing video games. He graduated from the Experimental Animation program at CALARTS. After many years producing visual effects he transitioned into full time directing.

Nick’s films have been screened in festivals such as SUNDANCE, and SXSW. His award winning music videos have garnered over 500 hundred million views. And his Chrysler Commercial played during the Super Bowl. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

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THE VISITOR (USA)

SYNOPSIS: When Mark needed to clear his head and finish his book in the countryside, he became an unexpected visitor.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence

DIRECTOR: Mark Palgy

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30th @ 5:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: After touring the world a few times over in his band, VHS or Beta, Mark Palgy decided music production and film composing would be the next step in his career. When everything dried up during the pandemic, Mark decided to write, produce and direct his very own short horror film.

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VIDEO GAMES (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A boyfriend is distracted by his video games, while behind him, his girlfriend is dealing with three very different situations.

RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content, Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Addison & Eden Neville

GENRE: Horror, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Available all dates via the Virtual Comedy Block

DIRECTOR’SBIO: N/A

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WALK INTO THE WATER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Hauntingly beautiful and resonant, Walk Into the Water responds to our turbulent world with a message of longing, courage and hope. 

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Aric Johnson

GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 5th @ 4:30 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Aric is a film school dropout who spent 20+ years lost in the fog of music production before finding his way back home. Now reunited with his first true passion, Aric is stepping into the arena with this directorial debut.

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YOU SAID (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A mysterious girl drags a dead body into the desert, drops him into a shallow grave, and starts burying him. As she sings she starts to fantasize about new beginnings; new relationships with new people which provokes her to personify her shovel and adopt him/her/it as a smiling new dance partner. But the seemingly lifeless body in the ground has a few surprises up his sleazy sleeves.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Nudity, Adult Content

DIRECTOR: Eric Foss

GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Available all dates via the Virtual Fantastic Block

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Eric Foss is a a boring straight white male from the suburbs of Covina, CA. He did all the straight white male things: sports, honors programs, drama club, punk bands, etc. In 2010 he graduated from USC film school with no real plan and the standard naïveté that has plagued all millennials. Then, in 2014, things got interesting. He was hired as a cameraman to work on Naked and Afraid (a strange survival show on Discovery). Eric now enjoys spending 6-8 months out of every year living in tiny jungle villages around the world where things like hot water, electricity, and even sometimes walls (like enclosed spaces) are a luxury. Armed with a new appreciation for his privileged life, he attempts to illuminate the absurdities we all share, jungle master or desk jockey. Eric splits the year between directing for Not A Serious Human and working in unscripted TV as a Director of Photography.

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Read more
09/282021

FEATURE FILMS 2021

SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

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ALIEN ON STAGE (UK)

SYNOPSIS: Why do pantomime when you can do Alien? A very amateur dramatics group led by Dorset Bus Drivers spent a year creating a serious stage adaptation of the sci-fi, horror film, Alien. Their village-hall show is a crushing flop; it seems their hard work was for nothing but fate gives them a second chance to perform their homemade homage in a West End theatre, for one night only. With wobbly sets, awkward acting and special effects requiring ‘more luck than judgement.’ Will it be alright on the night?

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: TBD

GENRE: Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Documentary
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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AN IDEAL HOST (AUSTRALIA)

SYNOPSIS: Liz just wants to host the perfect dinner party but an unexpected guest sends the evening into chaos, with potentially apocalyptic consequences.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening – available via Virtual Cinema throughout festival

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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CODE NAME: NAGASAKI (NORWAY)

SYNOPSIS: The story of Marius and Fredrik, two young men who forged their friendship through filmmaking and decided to put their skills to a unique challenge: Finding Marius’ long lost, Japanese mother.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD

GENRE: Fantastic, The Beyond, Horror, Comedy, Documentary
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening – available via Virtual Cinema throughout festival

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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DAWN BREAKS BEHIND THE EYES (GERMANY)

SYNOPSIS: Having just inherited a run down castle, a dispirited woman and her ill-tempered husband decide to spend the night, as time and reality slowly starts to shift around them.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Nudity, Sensuality, Language

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Mathieu Turi is an assistant director and director, known for Hostile (2017), Inglorious Basterds (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011).

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ESLUNA: THE CROWN OF BABLYON (CANADA)

SYNOPSIS: An action-adventure set in the retro-futuristic world of Esluna. After her mentor is abducted by a renegade monk, a relic hunter and her crew must find the Crown of Babylon, an ancient artifact rumoured to have the power to bring back the dead.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly, Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Denver Jackson
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Sci Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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GHOSTS OF THE OZARKS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Set in a post-Civil War Arkansas circa 1866, the film follows a young doctor who is summoned by his uncle to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover upon his arrival that the utopian paradise is not all that it seems to be.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Fantastic, Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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KEEPING COMPANY (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A fateful chain of events begins to unravel after two brash insurance salesmen go knocking on the wrong door and find themselves trapped inside of a serial killer’s basement, putting their lives and their jobs on the line.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR:  TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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NOT ALONE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An unsuspecting family buys a mansion for a bargain but discovers a presence in their home that’s not supernatural but perhaps something from a whole ‘nother world.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Lydelle Jackson & Cezil Reed
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’SBIO: TBD

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THE FREE FALL (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Sara wakes from a coma to a life she doesn’t remember, a fragile reality that tumbles into a nightmare where nothing is as it seems and the ultimate evil vies for her soul.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Brief Nudity, Sensuality, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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THE OLD WAYS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Deep in the Veracruz jungles, journalist Cristina Lopez is held captive by a mysterious witch doctor convinced she’s demonically possessed. Ultimately her fight for survival becomes one for her soul.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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THE PARKER SESSIONS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman suffering from night terrors and plagued by a troubled past schedules a series of appointments with a psychologist. But will she find the answers she’s looking for because the demons that haunt her could be evil or something that doesn’t exist? Not a monster or a ghost, but an all-black shadow watching from a distance, its footsteps pacing outside her house trying to break into a window…

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Brief Nudity, Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Stephen King Simmons
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’SBIO: TBD

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TIN CAN (CANADA)

SYNOPSIS: As the world faces a deadly plague, a front-lines parasitologist on the brink of a cure is imprisoned in a life-suspension chamber.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Nudity, Sensuality, Language

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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TWO WITCHES (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A matriarchal witch passes on her sinister inheritance to her granddaughter, triggering horrific curses.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Nudity

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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WHEN I CONSUME YOU (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman and her brother seek revenge against a mysterious stalker. A gritty, slow-burn urban folktale about family, damnation, and redemption.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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WHEN THE SCREAMING STARTS (UK)

SYNOPSIS: When Norman Graysmith is invited into the home of an aspiring serial killer, Aidan Mendle, he believes he has the subject for the documentary that will make his career.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’SBIO: TBD

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WICKED GAMES (USA)

SYNOPSIS: When Harley joins her new boyfriend for a long Halloween weekend at his country estate, they’re invaded by a band of masked freaks and forced to play a Wicked Game. To the intruders’ unpleasant surprise, Harley’s hard-boiled history has endowed her with a bag of tricks which give the game a surprise ending.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Sensuality

DIRECTOR: TBD
CAST: TBD

GENRE: Thriller
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: TBD

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Read more
09/282021

UTAH SHORT FILMS 2021


SCHEDULE AVAILABLE CLICK HERE

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CONSCRIPTION (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A son’s struggling relationship with his father is pushed to the point of breaking when he runs away to join a white supremacist militant group.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language

DIRECTOR: Zach Beckstrand

GENRE: Fantastic, Thriller
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Zach Beckstrand is a writer and director born and raised in Utah. He has written, directed, and/or produced 11 short films. Zach graduated from Utah Valley University with a BS in Digital Cinema with an emphasis in Directing. His style centers around the drama of real-life human interaction and conflict.

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FOLIE À DEUX (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A man attempts to escape a strange cult by enlisting the help of a troubled pizza delivery driver.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Zach Berry & Austin Meredith

GENRE: Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: We are Zach Berry and Austin Meredith and one sunny day in California we crashed into each others lives and at this point we can’t seem to escape from each other. After many a late night convo about pretty much everything (except our manly feelings of course) we realized two things. First that we were pretty much the same person and second that we both had a shared love of film. From that moment on we embarked on a journey to tell the stories that we had spinning around our brains on screen.

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ISOLATE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman isolates herself from her family and friends after falling ill with the Covid-19 virus. Meanwhile, a psychopath has been stalking her, waiting for the right time to greet her before her isolation ends.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: J.C. McNaughton

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 2nd @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: J.C. McNaughton is a director, writer, and cinematographer based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Most of his professional career has been in commercial work and music videos. The short horror film, “Isolate”, is J.C.’s first stab (pun intended) at filmmaking.

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ORPHAN (USA)

SYNOPSIS: When a young man’s prayers are only answered by horrific visions, he struggles to find the spiritual peace he once knew.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Devin Baird

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Devin Baird is a filmmaker from Idaho currently located in Utah. He has directed multiple short films that have given him experience collaborating with other professionals in the field. This had led to him working with many talented individuals and being involved in various projects in many roles.

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OUTER DARKNESS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Mormon missionaries confront their demons in a cold and isolated locale.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Adult Content, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Danny Hunt

GENRE: The Beyond, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 2nd @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Local filmmaker, musician, and artist. Grew up in rural Idaho. Alumni of BYU’s media arts program.

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PETRA (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Security Officer 147 wakes up in a cryo-pod, 30 years older than he should be, 330 years after the world ran out of resources, and he’s the only surviving colonist. With the help of his AI OS Theta, Riler must find Atom Eva to stay alive.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR:  Jon Lang

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jon always had a passion for film and photography. His early career in events management helped him travel the world all the while learning two of the most valuable principals of producing: budgeting and schedules. After five years filming at Intel, Jon co-founded Storybox Pictures to jump start his bigger future. After Producing and Directing over $500k in commercial projects in just a few short years, it was time to move onward to the bigger goal, Film and TV.

Jon is finishing up the first of his two current feature length documentaries, as well as working towards Storybox’s first fiction feature film. When Jon isn’t working on film projects, he and Rachel are playing with their son Björn, cooking gourmet meals, or skiing fresh tracks.

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SUBSCRIBE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: On the run from a blood thirsty killer, a young woman desperately turns to a online tutorial video to learn how to load a revolver.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Benji Allred & Merik Richardson

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 30th @ 8:00 PM

DIRECTOR’SBIO: Benji, a lover of horror and Merik a lover of comedy came together for a one night stand to create a disgusting baby.

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THE MOON AND THE HUMMINGBIRD (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Alex lives in a bunker surrounded by an uninhabitable world, but in order to reunite with Beto, the love of her life, she will have to come face to face with the dangers of the outside.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Luis Puente

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 4th @ 12:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and emigrated to Texas during his childhood. He studied Media Arts at Brigham Young University, where he learned to develop his voice as a filmmaker. His work carries the themes of immigration, cultural heritage and spirituality that he observes in his day to day life.

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THIRST (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Shortly after the chem bombs hit, Finga AKA Dave landed in America in hopes of starting the “American Dream” for his family. He quickly finds turmoil from terrorist groups destroying what is left of Rule of Law.

RATINGS GUIDE: Adult Content, Intense Images

DIRECTOR: Cory C. Dangerfield

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Cory Dangerfield began his filmmaking career as an actor in TV series and Films. Texas Walker Ranger, Beyond the Prairie, The Forlorned. He has directed numerous short films THIRST being one of his most recent works.

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WIDOW’S PEAK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A man who goes hiking in the local mountains with some new friends finds himself fighting for his life – with the help of survivalist boy scouts – when he discovers his friends are actually cannibals with no intention of letting him get off the mountain alive.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Bryan Fugal

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Nov. 1st @ 6:00 PM

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Bryan Fugal is a Utah grown, L.A. trained filmmaker who has created critically acclaimed short and feature films, award winning commercials, and A-List music videos for Imagine Dragons, Kygo, One Republic, and was nominated for Best VFX at the MTV VMAs for a Billie Eilish music video. Bryan’s filmmaker influences include Terrence Malick, Cohen Brothers, Martin McDonagh, and Tony and Ridley Scott. Bryan holds a degree in film from California State University, Long Beach and an MFA in film from ArtCenter College of Design.

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Read more
10/292020

SHORT FILMS (E – H) 2020

 

SCHEDULE & BLOCK INFORMATION TBD (LIKELY SPRING 2021)

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ECHO (SPAIN)

SYNOPSIS: In 1977, the Voyager probe leaves for the galaxy with a message in Spanish recorded in the RNE (Spanish National Radio Studio). Almost 50 years later and sick with Alzheimer’s, Carmen is facing being transferred from her home in her town to a residence in the city.

RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences / Family Friendly

DIRECTOR: Aitor de Miguel

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Echo is the eighth short film directed and produced by Aitor de Miguel. Following his professional formation at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Amadora School of Cinema and Theater in Portugal, in 2008 de Miguel founded his own production company, Cámera Lúcida Producciones. He immediately shot Acaso Yo (Maybe Me), a short documentary on the adoption industry in Ethiopia, and Defensora (Defender), about a human rights advocate in Colombia. Both have been shown at numerous festivals, including those at Biarritz, Barcelona and Tenerife. In 2013 he made his first incursions into fiction, with Encuentro (Encounter), and Los Milagros Sí Existen (Miracles Do Happen) in 2015, Velatorio (Wake) (2016), Primitivo (The Primitive Road) (2017) and La Falacia del Nirvana (The Fallacy of Nirvana) (2018). . Eco, produced by a team of more than 80 people, represents for the director the apex of his more than ten years of experience directing and producing short films.

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EXACTLY AS THEY ARE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Amidst a late night of deliveries, a struggling bike messenger is tasked with a bizarre delivery: a lunchbox of uncanny origins. After tonight, her life will never be the same.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Strong Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Philip Heinrich

GENRE: Fantasy, Fantastic, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Philip is a producer and director based in Texas. Working in documentary and narrative film, he explores the human condition with an eye for combining bold imagery and fantastical elements.

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EXKURSION (GERMANY)

SYNOPSIS: Only two survivors stand after a global natural disaster has decimated the planet. In their search for resources, these two strangers encounter a horrific threat, one that erupts from six feet under.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Moritz Brandes

GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Moritz is a professional filmmaker and director based in Bielefeld, Germany. He is known for an epic film style that holds an audience captive with powerful, action-oriented visuals in commercials, trailers, music videos, and short films.

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EXTERMINATOR (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A down on his luck husband strikes up a friendship with his mysterious female exterminator. But after a string of violent incidents befall his neighborhood enemies, he starts to suspect his exterminator is taking care of much more than his rat problem.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Sensuality

DIRECTOR: Duncan Birmingham

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Duncan Birmingham is a writer and filmmaker in Los Angeles. He wrote and developed, alongside Marc Maron, the series MARON on which he served as writer and executive producer. He also worked as writer and co-executive producer on the Patrick Stewart series BLUNT TALK on Starz. Most recently he was a consulting producer on ROB RIGGLE’S SKI MASTER ACADEMY. He’s the author of the humor book, PETS WHO WANT TO KILL THEMSELVES, and his screenplay SWINGLES is in development at Paramount. Short films he’s written and directed have premiered at Sundance, AFI, GenArt, HorrorHound and the New York Film Festival.

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FIRST LESSON (USA)

SYNOPSIS: New to the city, Elmer gets dragged into a deadly altercation when two men are plunged into another dimension to resolve their differences. Only forgiveness will return both men alive.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Adult Content, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Mathieu Di Muro

GENRE: Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Originally from Montreal, the Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror VI lured me into the world of 3D animation

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FLICK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A reclusive college student is driven mad after picking a booger he can’t flick away.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language

DIRECTOR: Ariel Zengotita

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ariel Zengotita is a Latin American filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. Co-founder of Squid Valley, a creative super-team with over a decade of experience in Narrative, Commercial, and Digital Media. Ariel has written and directed a number of commercials for brands like Gillette, Pepsi, General Mills, SteelSeries, and more. He’s also directed several award-winning short films that have screened at festivals across the country.

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FLIP (NEW ZEALAND)

SYNOPSIS: A sci-fi, action/adventure film about a mother and a daughter kept prisoner in a post-apocalyptic compound, who must destroy their oppressor if they are to survive.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence

DIRECTOR: Jessica Grace Smith

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy,
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jessica Grace Smith is an experienced actress turned writer/director. She won the Youth Jury Award at Palm Springs International ShortFest for her debut short, Everybody Else Is Taken. Jessica has a passion for working on female driven projects, and Flip, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi is her second short film. She has most recently directed the digital series Bondi Slayer, and is currently acting on the series Westside.

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FRAGILE.COM (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A teenage girl with acting dreams, an empty wallet, and a broken heart is approached by a charming man who promises her fame, fortune, and affection—if she agrees to livestream herself crying for his niche website, Fragile.com.

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DIRECTOR: Alison-Eve Hammersley

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alison was one of five directors chosen by Lena Waithe for AT&T’s 2019 Hello Lab Mentorship Program. There she directed her short film, FRAGILE.COM, which will premiere at Screamfest Horror Film Festival in 2020 and will subsequently live on Gunpowder & Sky’s horror platform, Alter. She received her BA in film production from Emerson College and MFA in directing from AFI. Her thesis film, YOU’LL ONLY HAVE EACH OTHER, received a number of awards and nominations during its festival run and is currently being distributed by ShortsTV. She has been featured in publications including Vanity Fair, Deadline, and Free the Bid for her continuous development of projects that utilize genre as a means to explore character.

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FRANK & MARY (UK)

SYNOPSIS: An elderly DIY enthusiast reanimates his recently deceased wife in the garden shed.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Paul Williams

GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Paul Williams is a writer and director who has been making films for 20 years, with seven short films and a no-budget feature film completed so far. His second short, ‘Mightier’, won the 2001 Cinemagic Young Filmmaker of the Year Award. More recently Paul’s short ‘The Furred Man’ won 13 international film awards, was officially selected in 45 film festivals around the world and aired on Channel 4 in the UK. His new short ‘Frank & Mary’ brings together David Troughton and Roberta Taylor in a twisted reworking of Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ and is on its festival run in 2020.

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GHOSTED (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A lonely man uses his special gift to pursue his dark infatuation with a coworker.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Blayne Weaver

GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, Weaver has studied in New York City, Oxford University and graduated from UCLA with a degree in English Literature. In 2002 he co-wrote and acted in the critically acclaimed feature film MANIC, which stars Don Cheadle and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Weaver then wrote, directed and starred in Secret Identity’s first feature film OUTSIDE SALES, which won awards on the film festival circuit and was released nationwide. Weaver wrote and directed SIP’s next feature WEATHER GIRL starring Tricia O’Kelley, Mark Harmon, Jon Cryer and Jane Lynch. WEATHER GIRL won multiple awards on the festival circuit before its theatrical run, worldwide television and DVD release. He then wrote, directed and starred in 6 MONTH RULE leading an ensemble cast including Martin Starr, Patrick J. Adams, John Michael Higgins, Dave Foley and Jaime Pressly. He wrote, directed and starred in the Southern Noir thriller “Cut To The Chase” and then flipped genres by directing the Christmas romantic comedy “Santa Girl”.

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GO BACK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: In the fall of 1978, a distraught commuter travels down a haunted country road only to discover that its inhabitants have other plans.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Matthew Barber & Nathaniel Barber

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Twin brothers Matthew and Nathaniel Barber wrote and directed the short horror film GO BACK. The brothers studied film at Colorado Film School in Denver, Colorado where they received their Associates Degrees in Screenwriting and Directing. They continued their studies at the University of North Texas where Matthew graduated Magna Cum Laude and Nathaniel graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Radio, Television and Film in 2016.

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GOODNIGHT DEATH (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Charles is a reluctant Grim Reaper responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife. As he reaps the victims of a serial killer with a long track record, he stumbles upon the youngest yet, a girl named Jennifer who is determined to stop the slaughter and avenge her family.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Elsa Levytsky

GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Elsa originally hails from Lviv, Ukraine. She was born across the street from a cemetery, which might explain her love for dark, thriller films. Her interest in monsters and people’s relationship with death, inspired her latest short, Goodnight Death. Elsa is currently based in NYC where she’s been Producing/Directing a wide range of productions from narrative to commercial. Outside of horror films, she has worked for some of the largest independent content distributors, that provided feature films and series to digital platforms including iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon.

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GREEN COBRA (USA)

SYNOPSIS: The genre-bending story of a hit-man…excuse me, “Life Ending Technician.” Who details, to a documentary film crew, her rise in a mostly male dominated field, on the backdrop of a typical day on the job; which consists of Russian mob clients, disturbing methods of torture, and maybe one too many bad ex-boyfriends.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Sigurd Culhane

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: When small children lose a parent, they escape into their imaginations. As they grow up, they find their way back out. Sigurd Culhane never left. Directing has allowed him to embrace the stories constantly swirling through his mind, bringing them to life. Driven by the shock of abruptly losing his father and subsequently being raised by a strong, single, viking [read: Danish] mother. Sigurd is drawn to projects with strong female leads in worlds that dance around the surreal, horrific, supernatural, and/or fantastical. Though generally on the darker side, he enjoys bringing a balance with the injection of humor; just as he does in life, countering sometimes harsh realities and bouts of depression with making those around him laugh. After receiving his MA in Film from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, he began making short films with the goal of leaving his audience with a visceral emotional – and sometimes even physical – reaction.

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HAMMURABI (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A woman on a mission in the desert with her beat-up Toyota Celica. Communication is hard, so she must use all the tools at her disposal to deliver an important message to a man she believes is her estranged father… the guy she has hog-tied in the trunk of the car.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Patrick Kennelly

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Patrick Kennelly is a Los Angeles based director, editor, producer whose body of work spans film and video, theater, live events and the visual arts. He met “Hammurabi” collaborator Bethany Orr working on his debut feature EXCESS FLESH, which toured the worldwide festival circuit in 2015. Essentially a horror film about food, it was called  “the most twisted movie at SXSW—and of the year” by The Daily Beast. In addition to developing his own projects, Patrick serves as Artistic Director at renowned experimental arts center Highways Performance Space & Gallery, in its 30th year.

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HELLEVATE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A man must deal with an elevator company’s incompetent customer service while stuck between floors.

RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Dusty Brown

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dusty Brown is a filmmaker, actor and musician. Most recently he co-wrote a pilot for SHOWTIME with Glenn Kessler and currently has a project in development with Tony Hale attached to star. His short film “The Nobodies” (Vimeo Staff Pick, Funny or Die Staff Pick, Short of the Week Staff Pick) featured Jim Gaffigan, Tony Hale, Jack McBrayer, Ellie Kemper and Sutton Foster and is being developed into a feature. As a songwriter, Dusty’s first album was developed into a play called “The Ballad of Rusty and Roy” which premiered at the New York City Fringe Festival and won the top honor for musical composition.

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HERE THERE BE TYGERS (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A feminine twist adaptation of the Stephen King short story by the same name, Here There Be Tygers follows Charlie as she faces a terrifying predator after being bullied by her cruel teacher and manipulative classmate.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Polly Schattel

GENRE: Horror, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Polly Schattel, director of “Here There Be Tygers,” has written, produced and directed three internationally-distributed feature films and worked with Oscar and Emmy-winning talent. Polly is also an accomplished writer and her first novel “The Occultists” is available on Amazon.com.  Passionately transgender, Polly is currently creating media for the NCTE, the largest trans advocacy group in the world and is producing content for companies such as BBC, Volvo, Air Tran, CMS and more.

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HIDE AND SEEK (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A cutesy app turns into a nightmare for two sisters when they’re unable to end the game or control the rapidly escalating stakes.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Thomas Nicol & Andrew Gleason

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Thomas Nicol and Andrew Gleason are a filmmaking team out of Champaign Illinois.

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HONOUR THY MOTHER (CHINA / USA)

SYNOPSIS: Liz is living life adrift, out of the back of her car. In a moment of despair and loneliness, she decides to return home after many years to her God-fearing mother. Once there, she discovers time has changed more than she ever could have imagined.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Yinghui Fu

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’SBIO: Yinghui Fu is a filmmaker based in Shanghai, China. She has recently graduated from Prague Film School, majoring in Directing. Yinghui’s goal is to make films that will move audience in different cultures.

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HUNGRY JOE (UK)

SYNOPSIS: A single mother struggles to bond with her apathetic child; born with an insatiable and increasingly inhumane appetite.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Nudity

DIRECTOR: Sam Dawe & Paul Holbrook

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Shunk Films is the collective moniker for writer-director duo Sam Dawe and Paul Holbrook. We’re filmmakers based in the South West of England. We’ve been spec-writing together for almost a decade and self-producing short films under the banner of Shunk Films for 6 years. We’re cousins who grew up in the same working-class household in Bristol. Both of us spent our childhoods obsessed with movies; huddled around a dusty top-loader and a box of VHS tapes.

In 2011, our passion for film intensified as we started writing spec screenplays in our spare time. It started as a hobby, but it developed into something more intense as time went by. After a few years of trying, without success, to sell our scripts, we decided to try and produce our own work. We spent a few years making pokey little short films – most of them crude comedy sketches devised to help us learn the ins-and-outs of directing and editing. Before long, we found that we were just as excited about making films as we were about writing them. As we developed, our projects grew in ambition and we started to hone in on the kind of films we wanted to make. Our brand is commercial, genre stories with a social realist aesthetic. It grew out of an urge to break away from the kind of pseudo high-brow, navel-gazing content championed by British funding streams.

We make films set in the kind of impoverished council estates we grew up in, but we didn’t want to dwell on the typical subject matter associated with that aesthetic. We want to tell mainstream stories that are injected with the kind of nuance and authenticity associated with classic British social-realism. As well as our joint work, Paul has collaborated with the BFI on his coming-of-age comedy short, Shiney and recently won the prestigious Enter The Pitch funding grant with his moody drama, Hollow . While Sam produces natural history documentaries for networks like Discovery and National Geographic.

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Read more
10/242020

SHORT FILMS (U-Z) 2020

 

SCHEDULE & BLOCK INFORMATION TBD (LIKELY SPRING 2021)

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UNHOLY ‘MOLE (USA)

SYNOPSIS: A selfish man sells the soul of his unborn child to the devil in exchange for forcing his wife to make guacamole for him. Things go wrong…

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Adult Content, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: David Bornstein

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: David Bornstein is a writer and director, and an elusive SoCal native. Born and raised in Laguna Hills, California, he resides in Eagle Rock, the sleepy northeast corner of Los Angeles. An alumnus of Saddleback College and University of Arizona’s film programs, David has directed and written over half a dozen short films and sketches. David’s short film A King’s Betrayal was released to critical acclaim, screening in over 40 film festivals, including a placing as a finalist in the Francis Ford Coppola Short Film Competition, and was selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick, among other accolades.

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VR FOOD (USA)

SYNOPSIS: The quest for virtual food– infinite deliciousness, zero calories– derails when inventors mistake a film, “VR Food,” as a rival.

RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Malcolm Mills

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Malcolm Mills is a NYC actor, filmmaker, and vaporwave composer. His directorial debut, “VR Food,” won the Golden Tentacle at Sick ‘n’ Wrong 2020 and Best Midnight Short at Nightmares FF 2019. On stage and screen, he’s played necromancers, psycho mothers, cultists and cult leaders, faery kings and madmen; “you were creepy” has been the most common feedback.

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WASH (SWEDEN)

SYNOPSIS: A film about the worst fear a parent can have.

DIRECTOR: Kristofer “Kiggs” Carlsson

GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Kiggs is an award winning Swedish writer & director whose background is in Short Film, Music Videos, Commercials. WASH is his second short.

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WASHED (USA)

SYNOPSIS: In this stop-motion horror short, a couple enlists the aid of a mysterious figure to help them with their seemingly insurmountable laundry problem.

RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Brief Nudity, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Michael Bartolomeo

GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Michael Bartolomeo is a NYC-based filmmaker who creates visually unique short films in a variety of genres.

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WILLA (CANADA)

SYNOPSIS: Two lost souls, separated by a random act of violence, must find their way back to each other before time runs out. Based on the original Stephen King short story.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Intense Imagery

DIRECTOR: Corey Mayne

GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: In 2017, Corey Mayne incorporated his own Toronto-based production company, Formido Films Inc., with long-time collaborator and respected producer, Barbara Szeman. Their award-winning adaptation of Stephen King’s original ghost story “Willa” is the first of many exciting, ambitious projects they have slated to produce under this banner.   As an industry VFX artist, Corey narrowed his focus to providing services for shows more analogous to the type of content that inspires him, shows like “Vikings”, “Penny Dreadful”, “The Borgias”, and “Game of Thrones”.   He began his industry career as a technical director at Sony Imageworks and Pixar while taking advantage of their employee writing & directing enrichment courses.

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YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND (USA)

SYNOPSIS: An idyllic picnic of one is upended after the arrival of a stranger.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence

DIRECTOR: Trish Harnetiaux

GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’S BIO: Trish Harnetiaux is a playwright, novelist, and co-creator of short dark comedies. Current projects include her play Bender and Brian, a new play commission: California, and the narrative podcast The MS Phoenix Rising, a serial podcast about a cruise ship conglomerate using avant-garde theatre to rebrand on their latest voyage. She’s developed or presented work with Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, JACK, Soho Rep, Ars Nova, Incubator Arts Project, NYU and Playwright’s Horizons. MFA in playwriting Brooklyn College. Harnetiaux was an Executive Producer on the off-beat comedy series Driver Ed that premiered at 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Residencies include: MacDowell, Yaddo, The Millay Colony, and SPACE at Ryder Farm.

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YOUR MONSTER (USA)

SYNOPSIS: Nothing is going right for Laura. Sick and brokenhearted, she moves back home and finds that the terrifying monster who inhabited her closet as a kid is still alive and well — and wants to talk about life.

RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language

DIRECTOR: Caroline Lindy

GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
AWARDS NOMINATIONS: TBD

DIRECTOR’SBIO: Caroline Lindy is a filmmaker originally from New York City. She is currently writing and directing commercials for Sandwich Video and her work has been featured on Time and has hundreds of thousands of views on Youtube. Caroline is an award-winning filmmaker and last year won a grant through Women in Film to write and direct YOUR MONSTER.

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