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10-33 (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: Ava’s quiet date night out at the cinema turns into a nightmare when she’s trapped in a toilet stall during an active shooting attack. With only a thin door separating her from the gunman, she is forced to confront him and try to find a way to survive.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Adult Content, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alexander Maxim Seltzer
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 29th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alexander Maxim Seltzer is an award-winning director who’s work explores themes surrounding toxic masculinity. His first narrative short “10-33” (‘21) played Fantasia Film Fest, HollyShorts, and many other festivals around the world. It won the Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE) award for Best Editing at Fantasia. Alexander is currently in production on his next short film after winning a grant from the Canada Council of the Arts.
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7 MINUTES IN HELL (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When two teens play 7 Minutes In Heaven in a haunted house, they are attacked by a monster in the closet.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 4th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Shane Spiegel and Justin Reager have been writing and directing shows for NBC, Nickelodeon, and Universal Kids. Now they’re taking their first stab at horror.
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A ROLL IN THE HAY (FRANCE)
SYNOPSIS: Laurent’s weekend getaway with his mistress takes an unexpected turn.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Fighiera
GENRE: Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block # 5
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Author and Director, born in Reims in 1980, Geoffrey Fighiera is above all since he was a child : a storyteller. He moves to Paris in 2000 and study cinema and photography after his business studies. His favorite ingredients for making a film are disenchantment, irony and absurdity of choice.
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AFTER MARA (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: After suffering a miscarriage, a couple encounters a dark presence in their home.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence , Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Joanna Tsanis
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: International Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Joanna Tsanis is an award-winning genre filmmaker and producer. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide including SITGES, FANTASIA, FANTASTIC FEST, and FRIGHTFEST.
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ALIENATION (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: Maria, a young Mexican girl, is separated from her mother while on the run from border patrol agents. While lost deep in the woods, she comes across a strange glowing orb and finds herself pursued by a mysterious creature. Mother, daughter, agents, and creature all converge in an unexpected and gruesome ending.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Ray Raghavan
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 30th @ 1:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ray Raghavan is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School. His first short film MAYA GETTING BORN, won Best Student Film at the Vancouver South Asian Film Festival. Ray’s directorial debut feature film VIOLENTIA went on to play at various genre festivals and won Best Director at Berlin Sci-Fi Festival. It was then acquired by Gravitas Ventures for worldwide distribution in 2019. Ray recently completed post on ALIENATION, a sci-fi short that he directed and is based on a story that he co-wrote and placed high at several screenplay contests.More recently, Telefilm Canada awarded Ray development funds to write his sophomore feature film, a horror script based on his immigrant life experiences in Canada.
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AN UNTRAINED GOD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A young couple test the limits of their supernatural powers and their relationship after accidentally blasting all of humanity into another dimension.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language
DIRECTOR: Gregory M. Schroeder
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday Nov. 1st @ 11:00AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Gregory M. Schroeder completed his MFA in Producing from AFI Conservatory in 2019. His sci-fi/horror film PROGENY (2019), and fantasy/comedy WITCHIN’ (2019) have won dozens of awards and screened at prestigious festivals worldwide. In 2020, Gregory produced the short film LIKE FLYING, which has been distributed by Dedza Films and The Criterion Collection. Gregory is also a writer/director, interested in genre filmmaking that explores the flaws in human communication and emotionality. His sci-fi short film LAST LIGHT and horror comedy short film WELCOME TO OUR HOME have screened at dozens of festivals since Fall 2021.
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ANGEL CITY HORROR (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Los Angeles 1951. With the help from his partner Glenn O’Brian, veteran detective George Hard stumbles on to evidence that leads him to investigate the disappearance of a mental patient at the city’s most notorious insane asylum. After interrogating the head nurse for answers Hard and O’Brian soon discover something evil lurking inside.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence
DIRECTOR: Matthew McWilliams
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday Nov. 1st @ 11:00AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Matthew is a Writer, Director and Producer raised in Prior Lake Minnesota. After finishing his film degree at the University of Arizona he spent time in Montana and Wyoming until moving to Los Angeles. For over ten years he has been working in the entertainment industry in film, TV and commercials. He currently develops and Directs original content for MadWest Content, a creative production company specializing in development through post production. He is known for his Directorial debut horror feature Chupacabra Territory along with his award-winning horror shorts Bath Bomb, Mushtown, Candy and Angel City Horror which won Best Directing, Best Editing, Best VFX, Best Cinematography and Best Short at the 2021 Macabre Fair Film Festival. He is also known for his work in the Art Department on the Bachelor and Bachelorette reality television series.
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ANOMALY (INDONESIA)
SYNOPSIS: A team of 5 elite soldiers is dropped in the jungle to investigate a mysterious Anomaly but are met by an unexpected foe.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Brian L. Tan “BLT”
GENRE: Sci-Fi , The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: North America Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 6:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: BLT is an action director that does more than just blow sh*t up. He believes in story while using entertainment value to express bigger ideas. He has a VFX background working on Hollywood blockbusters (Tron: Legacy, X-Men, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and has also traveled to over 113 countries to learn how to tell stories that transcend geography and culture.
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BABY BOOM (NORWAY)
SYNOPSIS: The middle-aged alcoholic Runar believe he has scored the perfect date. Things take a strange turn when he realizes he’s impregnated with her alien eggs.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language, Nudity, Sensuality, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Thomas Lunde
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Director Thomas Lunde developed his skills in one of Norway’s leading production companies and has a strong passion for absurd slapstick, horror and sci-fi. Creativity is his drug and he simply love satire. He loves play around with gender roles, stereotypes and clichés. He strives to be genuine oddball always longing for creative freedom. Because under the right circumstances he know that creativity can have a life of its own. And that’s where the real magic happens.
Thomas has directed several award winning music videos and short films, including A(r)men which he made in collaboration with Effektmakeren. A(r)men won “Best of Shorts” over at Calgary International Film Festival and was screened at amongst others Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film, Big Sur International Short Film Festival, Telluride Horror Show and Newport Beach Film Festival. It was featured as an extra on the international Dead Snow 2 Blu-ray. Over a 3 year periode he has now researched innovative use of interactivity and mixed-reality in collaboration with amongst others The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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BABY FEVER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A popular teen’s dream to be crowned Prom Queen is threatened when she discovers she is pregnant with something even worse than her dumb jock boyfriend’s offspring.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Strong Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 4th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Hannah May Cumming is a 24 year old filmmaker with a focus in the horror genre. She is the co-founder of the feminist horror collective Monstrous Femme Films, and her work is an amalgamation of campy horror, socio-political commentary, and her love of retro design and fashion. Her third short film, BABY FEVER, is a 1970s prom night pro-choice body horror, that tackles the issue of reproductive rights and bodily autonomy through a warped teenage lens.
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BACKSTAGE FRIGHT (FRANCE)
SYNOPSIS: Lily is a young actress going on stage for the first time. Unfortunately, she is late for the representation… but she faces stage fright, forgotten lines and battles with the people around her. That is only the beginning of her nightmare.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Brief Nudity, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alexandre Leroy
GENRE: The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #2
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alexandre Leroy is a young self-taught director who wants to immerge the audience into a dark world where the “inquiétante étrangeté” is legion.
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BAD ACID (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Sheila, a self-obsessed aerobics fanatic, accidentally ingests some toxic hair gel while doing her morning workout, propelling her on a psychedelic foray into the dangerous world of Aerobics Cult Leader John Flexi.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Sam Fox
GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sam blends highly stylized imagery, music, and psychedelia with horror and genre cinema via her production company Foxy Films (WOWZERS, UNAGI). In 2021 Sam teamed up with fashion brand Animal Crackers Clothing and wrote and directed BAD ACID in which premiered at Fantasia Film Festival and garnered 8 nominations, including Best Director and Best Film, at La Jolla Fashion Film Festival.
Sam also produces with the Greatgrandma Film Collective as executive producer alongside Desiree Staples on Heidi Weitzer’s feature MY DIVORCE PARTY, and as a producer on Britt Lower’s CIRCUS PERSON, which screened at Tribeca Film Festival, won Best of Festival at Catalyst 2021, and which FX Productions’ Diversity Hire, Ltd. is currently developing into a TV series. Sam is also developing her mother’s journey through addiction memoir BLOOD IS THICKER THAN VODKA into a mini series as well as Alex Knell’s MALOCCHIO, about body dysmorphia. Sam freelances as a commercial producer for J. Crew and spends her free time surfing, sailing and disco dancing.
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BEAN FEASA – WISE WOMAN (IRELAND)
SYNOPSIS: The skeptical daughter of a traditional healer has her certainties challenged when she encounters one of ‘the Good People’. Bean Feasa is an Irish-language supernatural drama inspired by Donegal folktales and filmed on location in the Donegal Gaeltacht.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Daniel Butler
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #1
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Daniel is an Irish-speaking filmmaker who has won awards for his filmmaking in both Irish and English.
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BEBE AL (UK)
SYNOPSIS: A couple with Down’s Syndrome overcome prejudice and danger to save an A.I. Baby they want to adopt.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Rebekah Fortune
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday Oct. 28th @ 2:00PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Rebekah is an Autistic Director who’s always used imagination and vivid storytelling to process and explore the world around her. After training as an actor and being Artistic Director of Arts Council funded Theatre Company Negativequity Rebekah directed her debut feature “Just Charlie” that went on to win multiple international film festivals including EIFF and Cannes Ecrans Junior, it was nominated for 2 BIFAs, securing Theatrical and Streaming sales worldwide.
Recent short films, Her Majesty and Bebe AI, have won several BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying festivals. Her current feature Learning To Breathe Under Water has been selected for JETS, Berlinale Co pro market where it was nominated for the VFF talent award and The Brit List 2021. The project has Bankside, Shudder Films and Maria Bakalova attached. Rebekah is an alumni of EIFF talent lab, Bifa springboard, Screen Yorkshire Flex and was on the 2022 BAFTA short film jury as well as a finalist for Breaking Thru The Lens 2022 and one of an exceptional group of 10 that have been selected for BFI Network LFF 2022.
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BEING BORN (JAPAN)
SYNOPSIS: Yoshiko Yasukawa’s fifth grade daughter Hiromi is the target of bullying by her classmates because of her curly hair. Yoshiko is aware of the bullying, but too busy with running a barber shop to do anything about it. When Hiromi dies in a purported accidental fall from a cliff, Yoshiko comes to suspect that the bullying was the driving factor behind her daughter’s death. Yoshiko learns the truth through a chance encounter, and contemplates revenge.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Satoshi Tanaka
GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 31st @ 12:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Director of mainly commercials, as well as music videos, short films, and the occasional theater production. Winner of numerous domestic and international advertising awards for his commercial work.
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BELONGINGS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After the death of his mother, Morgan Talty, an author and citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation returns home to a house that may or may not be haunted. Conjuring the spirits of the past, Morgan searches for answers about where his mom might have gone in the things she left behind.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Alex Coppola
GENRE: The Beyond, Comedy, Documentary
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 4:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alex lives and makes movies in Portland Maine. No, he isn’t related.
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BLACK DRAGON (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A Vietnam War-set psycho-thriller fable inspired by the real-life Mỹ Lai Massacre.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alexander Thompson
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5th @ 2:00 PM (w/ “Bunker”)
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Inclined toward madness, monsters & metaphors.
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BLACK HOLE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When a miniature black hole shows up in a man’s house, he has to learn to deal with it. But as time passes, his obsession with the anomaly grows, and he begins to dance with danger as he utilizes it in his every day life.
RATINGS GUIDE: Sensuality, Adult Content
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 5th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jamie Parslow is a writer and director originally from Tampa, Florida currently working and living in Los Angeles, California. He often finds himself working within the sci-fi space with a penchant for irreverent and subversive comedy and existentialist concepts, dealing mostly with the absurd or bizarre.
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BLANK (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A young woman loses her mind.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Avishai Weinberger
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 1st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Avishai Weinberger is a Brooklyn-based Orthodox Jewish filmmaker with a focus on horror and science fiction. His NYU film school thesis short THIRD DATE played festivals around the world. It can be seen on Alter. He has won awards for several of his feature screenplays, some of which are currently in development at major production companies.
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BLOODY SUN (AUSTRALIA)
SYNOPSIS: In the world of independent Australian horror filmmaking, Chris Sun is a legend. His dream is to scare as many people as he possibly can as he embarks on his next cinematic adventure “Boar”, a creature feature about a giant killer bush pig gone wild.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Phoebe Hart
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #3
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dr Phoebe Hart is a writer, director and producer of documentaries, factual content and children’s television. is also a senior lecturer in film, television and digital media at the Queensland University of Technology, and principal of Hartflicker, a video and film production company. She is known particularly for her autobiographical road trip movie, Orchids: My Intersex Adventure. Phoebe has worked for Network Ten and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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BOX ON THE HILL (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A man receives a visitor from his past.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Adult Content, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Erik Odom
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 30th @ 7:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Erik Odom is best known for his portrayal of the nomadic vampire Peter in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” Other acting credits include NBC’s “Grimm,” The CW’s “Walker,” and the independent feature “Luke and Jo.” His stage credits include the West End Premiere of Tony Award Winner Greg Kotis’ “Pig Farm” at the St. James Theatre in London and the award winning “Nibroc Trilogy” at the Rubicon Theatre (also filmed and released online through Digital Theatre). Other stage credits include “12 Angry Men” (Laguna Playhouse), “Sons of the Prophet” (L.A. Premiere, The Blank Theatre), and “A Bright New Boise” (West Coast Premiere, Rogue Machine Theatre). Born an Army Brat, Erik has traveled all over the world. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
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BRIDGE CITY SINNERS – GO TO HELL (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: Portland’s incomparably unique Bridge City Sinners step into the studio at 11th Street Records in downtown Las Vegas to put a sassy death folk spin on the Motörhead gem “Go To Hell”.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Colin G Cooper, Mike Henry
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond, Documentary
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday Nov. 1st @ 2:00PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Colin G Cooper is an acclaimed director, editor and producer based in Toronto, Canada. He is primarily known for his music video work, which has 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 work has also been featured by prominent publications such as Spin, Alternative Press, Nylon, Billboard, Fader, Complex, Noisey, Loudwire, PAPER, and Highsnobiety.
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BRIGHTSTAR (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: Set in a fantasy land, a fugitive family living in peace must brace itself because their past has tracked them down.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence
DIRECTOR: Raphaël Hébert
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive – Virtual Shorts Block #1
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Raphaël Hébert began his filmmaking career as a movie-set brat. He embarked on a journey that would take him from set to set as a film technician in various departments, from Indie movies to big Hollywood epics, he learned the nuances of filmmaking from the Greats and the mistakes to avoid from the Not-so-Greats.
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BROKE UP (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After a tough split, a girl takes a “me day” to help her move on.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Adult Content, Intense Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alex Montilla
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 3rd @ 4:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: I’ve been making movies since high school. When my friends and I took over the morning announcements, we saw an opportunity to make short films for a captive audience…and by that, I mean an audience that literally HAD to watch; the entire school was held hostage by our silliness. Out of necessity, I learned the basics of filmmaking: acting, writing, directing, editing, visual effects, scoring…you name it; I was the Robert Rodriguez of morning announcements.
All of these skills came in handy when I attended the University of Miami’s film school. After making the leap to Los Angeles, I’ve continued to hone my craft by working in the editing room for studio films like “Hot Tub Time Machine” and “The Muppets”, on the sets of films like “The Hangover Part III” and as a Producer for ESPN. All the while, I continue to write, direct and edit my own films.
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BUG BITES (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Some house guests are a real pain in the ass.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language, Adult Content, Intense Imagery
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Daniel DelPurgatorio most recently directed the award – winning short films Bug Bites , Third Wheel , Body(s) , OTHER , and in 2009, Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter for Warner Bros . The 30 – minute film starring Gerard Butler and Jared Harris was a tie – in t o Zack Snyder’s Watchmen adaptation, produced by Snyder and written by Alex Tse . In 2018, Daniel’s film Wither won Project Greenlight’s Reel Fear competition , hosted by Clive Barker and AMC’s Shudder .
Daniel’s films have screened in competition at such festivals a s SXSW , Fantasia , Screamfest , and Telluride among others. Daniel is in pre – production on an episodic remake of the cult – classic A Boy & His Dog with original director / creator LQ Jones .
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