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GARBAGE DAYS (BELGIUM)
SYNOPSIS: A violent man faces the illusions of justice.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Julien Jauniaux
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Pure Terror Shorts Block #2
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Julien studied editing at INSAS the Brussels film school,followed by a VFX course at Escape Studios in London. Fascinated by the dark side of cinema, he wrote and directed An Eldritch Place (2016, on DUST). This short Lovecraft tribute was selected in 20 festivals, including the Boston Underground, Nitehawk in NYC and Filmquest.
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GET AWAY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A group of friends spending the weekend at a remote vacation rental in the desert, play a mysterious VHS tape, and realize that there are too many strange and terrifying coincidences.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:00 PM w/Feature “New Life”
DIRECTOR’S BIO: A Los Angeles based Canadian/Italian filmmaker Michael began his career in Chicago working for top ad agencies directing commercials for big brands like Honda, General Mills, McDonalds and Jim Beam to name a few. He’s won multiple awards including two Emmys and over ten Tellys. In the narrative space he directed an award winning web-series with over 45 million views and several short films. Most recently his short Get Away has been screened at five top tier Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals winning a slew of awards. His focus is to create meaningful connections with people through film.
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GOLD AND MUD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A sprawling story of love and loss, as reflected on a single face.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Conor Dooley
GENRE: Comedy, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, October 31st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Conor Dooley is a writer and director best known for not too much yet. Though he did co-write and direct a short film called Observatory Blues (starring Amy Sedaris, Ana Fabrega, Michael McKean, Hugo Guinness, and SNL legend Tom Schiller), named NoBudge Best Comedy of 2018, and he co-wrote an animated short entitled Le Saucier, featuring the illustrations of Liana Finck and the voice talents of Tom Felton. Both films were Vimeo Staff Picks. He pays his bills as a creative director for the advertising agency Orchard Creative, through which he attempts to make ads that aren’t hateable. In a past life, he was an artillery officer in the Marines; but he forgets all the math, so don’t ask any trigonometry questions.
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GOO DARTS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Two oddball company men have one chance to recover an escaped clone or risk being cloned themselves.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Connor Christensen
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Introducing Connor Christensen, a film director inspired by 90s sci-fi and the works of Edgar Wright. With a blend of nostalgia, action, and surrealism, he crafts cinematic experiences that transport audiences to other worlds. Through his lens, Connor explores the intersection of human connection, societal structures, and the whimsical realm of possibility, leaving an impact with his offbeat films.
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GOV.OS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: The year is 2075, half the human population has been wiped out by a deadly virus. Organic Machines now share an uneasy existence alongside those that remain. The head of the free world is now the operating system – GOV.OS. When a series of attacks are carried out against human targets, both the OM community and GOV.OS come under suspicion. Journalist Degan Banks and OM Peyton must uncover the truth as a deadly civil war looms.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: David Lawson
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Inspired in childhood by Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Terminator 2, David has spent much of his career bringing the imaginary to life in real-world settings. Integrating animated characters into live action in a way that captivates an audience’s emotions creates a kind of joy and magic for David that he strives to find in every project he directs. David has directed the electrifying Respawn Entertainment ‘Apex Legends’ season campaigns, which has garnered over 20 millions views.
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GUMMIES (USA & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
SYNOPSIS: A tomboy transforms the gender trappings of her childhood to show her cruel mother how sugar and spice don’t equal nice.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Renetta Amador
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: In 2000, Renetta was living in Austin, Texas working as a Program Director for a youth organization, when she decided she wanted to take a leap of faith and pursue a career in the film industry. Putting all her belongings in storage, she packed her clothes and headed for Los Angeles, CA. It was in Los Angeles where she met Bob Gary, a Script Supervisor who had worked on such film’s as “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” and “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” who took Renetta under his wings and taught her everything she needed to know to begin her career in film. After working as a Script Supervisor on film’s such as “Selma”, “Marriage Story”, and Promising Young Woman, Renetta realized she had her own stories to tell and began her journey in Directing. With her first short “Processing” Renetta won many awards including Best Director, Best Horror and Best Actor.“Gummies” is her sophomore effort and is now entering into the 2023 film festival circuit.
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GUTTER (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: Mist. Dust. A bowling alley in the crosshair of a thunderstorm. A pregnant woman, a businessman and a widower find shelter in its midst. Pins are knocked down until gloomy moths kindle an outage.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language
DIRECTOR: Theodore Drusba
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: To take a step back and see things as if it were the first time, to make the common uncommon again. This is what fuels Theodore Drusba’s universe. Bachelor of cinema from UQAM in Montreal, it is during a semester abroad that he writes Gutter, a film exploring loneliness and its moths.
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HAUNTED BY NIKOLA TESLA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A man is haunted by the ghost of Nikola Tesla.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Brief Nudity
DIRECTOR: Daniel Alexander
GENRE: Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Daniel Alexander is a creative artist and first time filmmaker who is driven by a love and passion for music and film, and a desire to tell important, impactful, and diverse stories.
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HERE TO STAY (N/A)
SYNOPSIS: After abandoning friends and family at a funeral, Jude hides away in his home, but he’s not as alone as he thinks, and sometimes the horrible mistakes you make have a way of following you.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Christopher Sheffield
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Horror & Thriller Shorts Block #1
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Los Angeles based Director and Director of Photography, Christopher Sheffield learned to love filmmaking as a child looking to use cameras and his imagination to escape his small town. As a growing professional he has always strived to push the limits of independent cinema, Writing, Directing, and DP’ing his own feature films, from ambitious action thrillers to the smaller drama projects with deeply personal stories, he’s always made it his goal to collaborate and bring fresh faces and fresh perspectives to the exciting world of filmmaking and storytelling.
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HIDE YOUR CRAZY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Iris is hiding a supernatural secret from her boyfriend, Dan. When he surprises her for her birthday, they have to face it together as a couple.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 2:00 PM w/Feature “Kill Your Lover”
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Austin Kase is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and editor of short and feature films, music videos and commercials. He’s a Sundance Co//ab directing fellow, a ScreenCraft screenwriting fellow, and a Picturecraft Cinematography Fellow. His work has been honored at Oscar, BAFTA, and Canadian Screen Award-Qualifying film festivals around the world, including The Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, The Aesthetica Film Festival, The Calgary International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, and HollyShorts. He won two Telly Awards for “Why Music?”, a branded admission video he created for the Yale School of Music. Austin loves to use humor and genre to tell stories about intimacy, love, and acceptance in a fresh way, and he’s thrilled to be collaborating with Of Substance—a non-profit organization that makes premium short films to combat the shame, blame, and stigma of addiction, mental health, and trauma—to do just that.
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HIDEOUS HEART (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In this sci-fi retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” a pair of astronauts work on a small space station orbiting a distant planet. As the mysterious narrator attempts to convince himself of his sanity while describing his brutal act of murder, he becomes haunted by a thunderous heartbeat that could only come from the far reaches of space.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Nicholas Camp & Don Thiel
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 8:00 PM w/Feature “Hyperborean”
DIRECTOR’S BIO: While working together in Los Angeles, Nicholas Camp and Don Thiel bonded over their shared yet diverse passion for film. During their discussion of future projects, Nicholas shared his desire to create a film set on a space station orbiting a mysterious planet. Don expressed his interest in following up his award-winning short film, “The Raven,” with another adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe story. It became apparent that combining their ideas could create a unique and eerie film by setting “The Tell-Tale Heart” on a small space station. This setting would enhance the isolated and sinister tone of the story and contribute to the lead character’s descent into madness.
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HIGH FUN (INDIA)
SYNOPSIS: High Fun (commonly known as ‘Party and Play’ or ‘Chemsex’ in the west) is a queer-themed horror film about living with your demons.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Adesh Prasad
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Adesh Prasad runs Sohum Shah Films as the Producer and Creative Head of the company. Co-director, co-writer and co-producer on the critically acclaimed fantasy horror/thriller Tumbbad (2018), Adesh has also co-edited the National Award winning feature film, Ship of Theseus (2013). His film, Tumbbad, was the first Indian film to open the prestigious Venice Critics Week section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival. It was awarded the Best Film in Cinema Asia 2019, and Screamfest Horror Film Fest, USA. Tumbbad earned him Best Director (Focus Asia Section) award at Sitges Film Festival 2018, and a nomination as Best Director across major platforms such as: Filmfare Awards 2019, and Critics Choice Film Awards 2019. He was chosen as one of the ’25 prime innovators in entertainment who have shaken up things and ignited conversations’ in 2019 by India’s leading entertainment journalism portal, Film Companion.
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HIGH STAKES (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Two friends make a deal to end one’s vampirism. Permanently.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Zac Eglinton
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Zac Eglinton was raised on Pizza, Pro Wrestling and VHS copies of Young Frankenstein, ALIENS, and Star Wars. He was too scared to watch Halloween all the way through until he was 18 years old.
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HITCHED (AUSTRALIA)
SYNOPSIS: Hitched is a gripping psychological horror thriller that takes viewers on a nightmarish journey of betrayal, survival, unexpected twists, chilling revelations and ultimately revenge.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Keir Beck
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Pure Terror Shorts Block #2
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Beginning his career as a stunt performer, the Western Australian born, Keir Beck went on to become a two time Screen Actors Guild and two times Taurus Stunt Award-winning stunt coordinator and 2nd unit director. With an eye for action, Beck has shown a flair for writing and directing. In 2020 he wrote, directed, and produced the acclaimed short film Driven, in which he also acted. Beck is known for his work on Matrix: Reloaded & Revolutions (2003), Casino Rayale (2006), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Matrix 4 (2020) and Ron Howards Thirteen Lives (2021).
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HOMECOMING (USA)
SYNOPSIS: One year after her son, Josh’s, disappearance, Rachel Strayer’s life is in shambles and her ex-husband, Mark, is moving on. During the first night without Mark, Rachel receives unwanted visitors, leading her to a shocking conclusion about Josh.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Garrett Johnson & Ben Nicholson (Paranoid LA)
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Originally hailing from Northern VA, Garrett Johnson and Ben Nicholson (Paranoid LA) credit much of their love for sci-fi, fantasy, and horror with memories of dreary East Coast winters and suburban ennui. Now based in LA, they aim to tell imaginative stories that are bizarre and moving; narratives that provoke, shock, and scare.
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HONK (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Reluctant divorcee Bill is awakened before dawn by a mysterious car horn in his normally quiet neighborhood. Unable to find the source of the honk, he ventures out into the darkness, only to face something far more disturbing.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Charles de Lauzirika
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: USA Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Charles de Lauzirika made his feature directorial debut with the offbeat thriller CRAVE, winner of the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature at the Fantasia Film Festival, and Best Director in the Next Wave category at Fantastic Fest. He later directed the award-winning horror satire short LOVE BITE, written by Carlee Baker and himself. But Charlie is perhaps best known for directing and producing over 100 making-of documentaries, for such films and television shows as BLADE RUNNER, TWIN PEAKS, the ALIEN Anthology, THELMA & LOUISE, and many more. He was also the restoration producer for ALIEN 3: Assembly Cut and BLADE RUNNER: The Final Cut.
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HUMAN RESOURCES (USA)
SYNOPSIS:A human resources professional must teach a timid new hire how to perform empathy. As she instructs him through a series of social behaviors, they form an unlikely connection.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Jay Ness
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jay Ness (director/producer) is a director and editor based in Minneapolis, MN. His films have screened in the United States, Europe, and Canada. He’s directed short films, commercials, music videos & content for major record labels such as Universal Music Group’s Republic & Capitol Records. His feature film debut, Dark Cloud, was released theatrically in 2022.
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I COULD JUST DIE… AND THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Trying to end her life, a depressed woman allows the violent creature that roams her neighborhood at night to attack her. But her plan backfires when she wakes up the next day doomed to a life of undead immortality.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: A.K. Espada
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: A.K. Espada is a writer, director, production designer, and visual artist whose work has screened at the American Cinematheque and the MoMA.
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IN YOUR HANDS (UK)
SYNOPSIS: A chance encounter in a barbershop sparks an attraction between a barber and his customer but when the act of shaving becomes an obsession for the customer, things takes a dark turn with deadly consequences.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Luigi Sibona
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Luigi Sibona is a neurodivergent writer and director focusing on genre narrative with a strong social backbone. His work aims to provoke and subvert through progressive and unexpected stories while never forgetting the joy of a ripping yarn. Cutting his teeth directing music videos and editing in advertising, he developed a distinctive visual style with his long-standing DOP Jordan Stephens, going on to found the production company Hollow Films.
Luigi’s BAFTA-qualifying first short film ‘Mantis’ propelled him into multiple BAFTA and Academy Award-qualifying festivals across the UK and abroad, winning numerous awards including Best Horror at The British Short Film Awards. Luigi has just finished his second short, ‘In Your Hands’ produced by Award-Winning production company Grey Moth. ‘In Your Hands’ was selected to play at the BAFTA and BIFA qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival before being finished. All the while, Luigi has been developing a number of other projects including his first feature film.
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INTERFERENCE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A haunted woman with a troubled past is stalked by a malevolent force and reckons with the unmaking of her reality.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alex Trierweiler
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alex is a director, writer, and editor based in New York City. He’s edited several award winning short films, docs and music videos and is currently publishing an illustrated children’s book. This is his second short film.
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