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UNKIND CUT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A vasectomy consultation goes awry as an unsure patient faces a quirky doctor and aggressive medical staff who don’t want him to remain intact.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Marc Pitre
GENRE: Horror, Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Marc Pitre is an experienced producer, award-winning filmmaker, and professor of production and screenwriting with passion for all aspects of motion pictures. Throughout his journey as a producer and development executive, Marc has made significant contributions to feature films with renowned talents across the globe, including Australia, China, Thailand, Canada, England, and Croatia. Pitre recently wrote and directed the short film “Unkind Cut,” a hilarious and thought-provoking film revolving around a vasectomy consultation that takes an unexpected turn. Pitre’s projects creatively reflect his passion for entertaining while addressing social issues. And he still misses the SuperSonics.
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UP ON THE HOUSETOP (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Four siblings reunite at Christmas after the sudden death of their parents. But after accidentally killing Santa on Christmas Eve, they must survive the night against his 8 killer flying reindeer.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dakota Millett & Michael Fischer are from Austin, TX. They enjoy directing absurd genre films, just to keep things fun.
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VARIATIONS ON A THEME (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A couple has begun physically splitting into many different versions of themselves, and must investigate an uncomfortable mutation that has arisen.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Peter Collins Campbell
GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: After years of directing short films and music videos, including work for Noname, Saba, and Chance the Rapper, Campbell made his feature film directorial debut with the independent feature DimLand (2021). He is currently working on a feature adaptation of Variations on a Theme.
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VELMA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Through the lens of a late 1960s visual feast, “Velma” takes us on a psychological journey with the title character that examines sexuality, shame, and our societal views of both.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Scarlet Moreno
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Scarlet Moreno is a director and actor based in Los Angeles. She was one of five first time feature filmmakers chosen by Robert Rodriguez to be on his show, “Rebel Without a Crew,” a docuseries following the filmmakers as they attempt to make their first features in the way he made his first feature, El Mariachi: in two weeks, with only $7000. Scarlet is a bilingual artist who grew up in Laredo, TX on the border of Mexico, then attended TISCH School of the Arts to attain her BFA in Acting & Journalism. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her wildest dreams.
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VESTIGE (UK)
SYNOPSIS: A young boy searches for answers after his dad goes missing at sea, but after discovering a strange fossil on a Yorkshire beach, he thinks it could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Joseph Simmons
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Joseph Simmons is a Yorkshire filmmaker with a passion for future facing human stories. He likes narratives that make the audience question the world as it is and wonder where society is going. He tends to make work that combines his interests in philosophy, psychology, modern technology and science whilst striving to achieve a recognisably present day aesthetic. He has directed a number of short films, music videos, and a web series that have screened internationally at BAFTA and BIFA recognised film festivals. He holds a MA in Filmmaking from the Northern Film School and loves making work that showcases the region he is from.
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VICTIM NO. 6 (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In 1975 New York City, a fun-loving woman out at her local bar invites a handsome stranger back to her place, despite knowing there’s a serial killer on the loose.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Nancy Menagh
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nancy Menagh was born and raised in New York City, exposing her to a diversity of cultures and ideas. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she developed her artistic aesthetic by being afforded the opportunity to experiment with different genres. She spent a semester studying at FAMU International in Prague – widely considered one of the top film schools in the world – where her short film The Cigar Ring was shot on 35mm film stock.
Aside from her work as a writer and director, she has also had the chance to gain on-set experience working as an Assistant Director and Producer both in the United States and abroad. Nancy’s last film, As It Seems, had a successful festival run, receiving several “Best Short Film” nominations, and earning Nancy the “Best Director of a Short Film” award from the Long Island International Film Expo.
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VILLAIN (UK)
SYNOPSIS:After a dragon destroys young Georgia’s home, she journeys to its lair to enact violent revenge but instead finds an innocent child in the cave. When the dragon then returns, Georgia must reckon with the price of vengeance.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Sparky Tehnsuko
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sparky’s love for films began as a child on England’s south coast, where he rejected the sea and sunshine for staying indoors and staring at screens. He’s put his own stories on those screens for about a decade now.
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VIOLET BUTTERFIELD: MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE DEAD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Violet Butterfield, a mortician beautician, helps her clients discover the beauty in death they could have had in life.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language
DIRECTOR: Brooke Cellars
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Brooke (she/they) is an accomplished filmmaker who has received recognition for her outstanding work. Holding a BA in Moving Image Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry. With a focus on the horror genre, Brooke has written and directed a portfolio of seven short films, including the highly regarded “Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead.” Brooke’s passion for horror storytelling dates back to her childhood, where she would immerse herself in writing captivating tales of terror. It was a lifelong dream of hers to become a filmmaker, but it wasn’t until the age of 37 that she finally had the opportunity, support, and self-assurance to direct her first short film. Since then, she has demonstrated her versatility as a filmmaker by taking on various roles in both her own productions and others’.
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VIRGIL’S RINGS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A she-devil with a taste for onion rings informs a newly deceased soul of his unfortunate situation.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Troy DeWinne
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Troy DeWinne is a director, animator, writer, and alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin radio-television-film program. He is an award-winning filmmaker whose projects have been showcased in prestigious film festivals across the globe. In 2018, his short film “Boys’ Club” was an official selection for the Overlook Film Festival, BIFFF, and the Nashville Film Festival. In 2020, “Chef Giants”, his animated proof of concept for his animated TV show “Gobble”, was featured in many festivals including Sidewalk and the episodes program at Slamdance Film Festival. Currently, Troy is on the 2023 festival circuit with his new devilish horror short, Virgil’s Rings. Whether it’s creating detailed and dynamic visuals for his projects, exploring powerful themes within his narrative structure, or bringing fresh perspectives to the world of animation and filmmaking, Troy DeWinne is always pushing the boundaries of his creativity and talent.
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VISITORS (AUSTRALIA)
SYNOPSIS: Visitors is a dreamy and enigmatic vignette of displaced animals, menacing lights in the sky, and two young women stranded in an abandoned country house. Despite not sharing a common language, they grow closer and form a unique unspoken intimacy.
RATINGS GUIDE: VMild Language
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 26th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alex Badham is a filmmaker whose work has ranged from music videos, commercial projects, art films and narrative projects. He recently premiered his experimental short ‘Regrets’ at Dances with Films in Los Angeles, and is directing a hybrid documentary piece about the stolen head of a German silent film director.
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VOLITION (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After getting kidnapped and taken to a sex trafficking house on the outskirts of a southern town, Emma enlists the other victims to dive head first into a volatile escape plan where every girl must fight for her life.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Adult Content
DIRECTOR: Ashley George
GENRE: Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ashley is an award-winning director and producer based in New York. Her prior work includes DIABLA, a female revenge horror set in Mexico City, and 90s queer drama SOMETIMES, FOREVER. A proven storyteller in the socially conscious genre space, Ashley is able to build cerebral, character-driven work that creates conversations and pays tribute to underrepresented voices in communities in the United States and around the globe. DIABLA played dozens of Oscar & BAFTA-qualifying festivals such as Cleveland International, Foyle, Norwich, Cine Huesca as well as fright favorites Fantasia, FilmQuest, Final Girls Berlin & more. DIABLA earned awards such as Best Short, Best Director, Best Actress (Ruth Ramos), Best Ensemble Cast, Best Script & Best Cinematography. Her work has received over 6M+ views on YouTube and premiered in Times Square. She’s currently developing feature psychological body horror BLAZER set during a wild wedding weekend in rural Oregon, as well as BENNY, a family drama based on a real experience involving a life-altering car accident her brother survived in the early 2000s.
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