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DAMN HANDY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When plumber Roger Clark makes a house call to the remote farmhouse of two murderous sisters, he’ll need a trick up his sleeve to survive.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Peter Filardi
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #4 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Peter Filardi is best known as the screenwriter behind “Flatliners”, “The Craft” and Exec. Producer of “Chapelwaite”. He was born and raised in Mystic, CT.
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DANCE WITH ME (USA)
SYNOPSIS: We find ourselves in an “EC horror” comic book reality of Riktus Grim and Edward Mise, two elderly Casanovas well past their prime…and their lives for that matter.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Mild Violence
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Academy Award-winner JOEL HARLOW is one of the most innovative makeup and special makeup artists and designers in American motion pictures. He has proven himself to be one of a very few number of artists who is able to span the world of makeup effects design and creation to the world of on set makeup application. With his company Morphology Inc., Harlow has worked on some of the industries most popular tent-pole films to date.
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DARK MOMMY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Ben is the only night shift 911 operator in a small town. His bubble of self-isolation is only ever punctured by drunks or prank calling kids, but tonight Dark Mommy has her own intentions for Ben…and the rest of the town.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Courtney Eck
GENRE: The Beyond, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Courtney is possessed by the endless ways to tell stories about the abstract and existential nightmare that is the human condition through the absolute blast that is the horror genre. She’s equally infatuated with the beauty of light and liminal space, the absurdity of our constructed reality, and the danger in abandoning our elemental selves. She exercises all of these things through her narrative horror podcast and corresponding production company, Please Leave. Her previous films have screened at SXSW, Fantasia, and Fantastic Fest.
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DEAD END (RUSSIA)
SYNOPSIS: A young man, marked by a rigid patriarchal education, struggles to escape his abusive and violent boyfriend.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Sensuality, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Dima Barch
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Dima Barch was born in 1998 (Moscow). He graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University as a journalist and almost finished High School of Economics as a filmmaker. Dima used to be a film journalist and critic for more than nine years. His essays were published in GQ, Esquire, Forbes, Iskusstvo Kino, etc. Dima had to flee his homeland because of being prosecuted.
As a huge genre-film lover and openly gay, he made his short film debut with Dead End, a queer horror, which had a North American Premiere at Beyond Fest and a UK Premiere at London Short Film Festival (LSFF). Also, it was selected by more than fifteen international film festivals, including Panic Fest, Morbido Fest, and Salem Horror Fest. It won the Best Short Award at the Portland Horror Film Festival. Recently Dima was named a recipient of the George A. Romero Film Fellowship, receiving the mentorship of Carter Smith (The Ruins, Jamie Marks is Dead, Swallowed). He also graduated from NAFF Fantastic Film School in 2023.
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DEFECT (NETHERLANDS)
SYNOPSIS: In the heart of the Dutch countryside, two boastful delivery guys are on their way to replace an old washing machine at an isolated farm. But when they meet the mysterious, demented lady of the house, they realize her ancient washing machine holds secrets that defy explanation.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Guust Mulder
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Guust Mulder is a filmmaker from Tilburg. Besides directing commercial work he likes to direct short fiction films (and hopefully one day a longer one). So far he directed short films like “Chained”, “Alaraph”, “Home”, “Untie” and most recently: “Defect”
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DEJA VU (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: John is convinced he’s been on this planet for longer than his lifetime. This feeling of knowing more than what meets the eye troubles him deeply.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Jean Frenette
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: North America Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jean Frenette is a highly creative and effective director, known for his cinematic vision and masterful storytelling. In 2024, his short film Deja-Vu took the JEAN international FRENETTE film festival circuit by storm. With over three decades of experience in the film and television industry, Jean’s career began as a stunt performer and stunt coordinator before transitioning to 2nd Unit Director and Action Director. His extensive background, including over 190 film credits and work on more than 250 episodes of TV series, provides him with a comprehensive understanding of every facet of filmmaking. Based in Montreal, Canada, Jean Frenette is a dynamic and accomplished director, recognized for his unparalleled ability to bring stories to life with cinematic brilliance.
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DEVOTEE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: While up late one night, a precocious boy uncovers his mother’s dark devotion.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Richard J. Bosner
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Richard J Bosner is best known for producing the true story Fruitvale Station starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan which received the Sundance Film Festival U.S. Grand Jury Prize in the Dramatic category and the Sundance Audience Award, U.S. Dramatic, presented by Acura along with 44 nominations/wins during the 2013 Awards Season. Bosner has also produced numerous breakout films such as Other People starring Molly Shannon, Black Bear starring Aubrey Plaza, Axelle Carolyn’s horror feature The Manor with Blumhouse TV/Amazon Studios, and Netflix’s Take the 10 starring Josh Peck and Tony Revolori. He is currently in post-production on Michael Tyburski’s feature Turn Me On starring Nick Robinson and Bel Powley.
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DISFIGURA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Step into a world of 1950s suspense, where forward-thinking Anya is shaken by her husband’s strange new behaviors and the terrifying secret behind the word ‘Disfigura.’
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Jake Bradbury & Toni Blando
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 27th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jake Bradbury is a UCSC graduate who’s directed and produced over 50 short films. Toni Blando is a transwoman writer/director/producer from Illinois, former Second City and UCB student..
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DON’T FORGET (CANADA)
SYNOPSIS: The story of a fella about to take his partner for a trip… That is if he can remember everything first.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Jeremy Stuart Thompson
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 2nd @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Born in Scotland, but raised in the east coast of Canada, Jeremy grew up drawing and consuming all things pop culture. Eventually he somehow managed to stumble into the advertising industry that took him to Toronto where he would provide Storyboards, Photography, cinematography and motion design to a variety of clients. Eventually this would lead to him being a commercial director. And now a short director.
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DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS (SPAIN)
SYNOPSIS: My mom always told me not to talk to strangers, but Agustín is not a stranger, because whenever we go to his store he offers me treats.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Imanol Ortiz López
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Producer, director and screenwriter of several short films with more than 250 selections in national and international festivals. He is currently preparing his first feature film, “#thechallenge”, a found footage horror film, as well as other genre projects such as the horror thriller “Delivery”, the fantasy drama “Bramble” and the teen horror movie “Mommy Will Always Protect You”.
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DOPPLEGANGER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A cinematic short based on the Mandela Catalogue and the subsequent social media trend, a man wakes up to an emergency broadcast, warning him to stay away from doppelgängers.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 28th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: From Sacramento, CA, Brian Mitchell & Ian Start create the duo Mitchell & Start, a collaboration as producers, directors and cinematographers with an emphasis in genre – including cinematography on the upcoming indie film, Grizzly Night, producers of the upcoming indie film, Breeder, campaigns for NBC’s Dracula, The Walking Dead and Skybound Entertainment’s plethora of IP’s, programming for Tyler, The Creator’s GOLF MEDIA, developing and directing series for Mattel’s Barbie & Hot Wheels brands, producing short films with creators such as Mike Diva, Cody Blue Snider and Louis Leterrier, and our own narrative work, including the award-winning short films Helix and Dave Live, licensed/rights acquired by Crypt TV, and True North, a proof of concept short film licensed by Gunpowder & Sky and Alter.
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DROP (KAZAKHSTAN)
SYNOPSIS: A young woman working late at night in an empty office begins receiving creepy videos via AirDrop from an unknown sender.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Chingiz Ondasynov
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #1 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Chingiz Ondasynov is a stand-up comedian, writer, director and producer from Kazakhstan. He co-wrote two television series, QUEEN OF THE PLAYGROUND and TARGET, which were both acquired by major CIS streaming services. DROP is Chingiz’s directorial debut.
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TRAILER: Coming Soon!
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DUMMY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Dummy is a thrilling short about inanimate objects. Bill is a recent divorcé whose life goes from mundane to surreal when a respiratory dummy named Anne seemingly “follows” him home from work.
RATINGS GUIDE: Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Lukas Hassel
GENRE: Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 30th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Lukas Hassel is a multiple award-winning actor, writer, and director. As an actor, he has appeared in several TV shows, such as Blue Bloods (CBS), Limitless (CBS), and The Blacklist (NBC).
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DUMMY! (USA)
SYNOPSIS: An aspiring cabaret singer struggles to break free from her controlling mother — a ventriloquist dummy who was once a star herself. DUMMY! is a surreal technicolor melodrama about fearing you weren’t built for the world you’re meant to inhabit.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Francesca Pazniokas
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: North America Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #4 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Francesca Pazniokas is a New York-based playwright and filmmaker making work about disability, illness and alienation, told through a fantastical lens.
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EARWORM (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A composer, facing writers block, hears a tune that gets stuck in his head.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Will Ilgen
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 26th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Will Ilgen is a USC grad who’s been making short films for years. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
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TRAILER: Coming Soon!
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EDEN (ITALY)
SYNOPSIS: Anna lives her days in solitude and isolation, taking care of the many plants that populate the garden of her country house. The slow and monotonous rhythm of her existence is broken when she finds a strange seed, from which the most beautiful plant of all will be born
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Brief Nudity
DIRECTOR: Gabriele Lenzi
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #3 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Born in Massa in 1994, Gabriele Lenzi has been passionate about cinema since he was a child. Already in adolescence he tried his hand at making amateur short films. In 2017 he graduated in communication, with an experimental text that concerns the invisible in cinema. In 2021 his project Il Labirinto was selected at the pitch day of the Oblia Film Network. Eden is his first professional short film
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EMPRESS CLAWSCREAM (IRELAND / UK)
SYNOPSIS: When gawky Irish teenager Róisín has to tell her uber cool best friend Jess that she loves her, she summons up help from an unusual source – 1980s cartoon villainess ‘Empress ClawScream’.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Stephen T. Lally
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #2 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Stephen T. Lally (https://stephentlally.com/) is an award-winning Irish and LGBTQ+ Director with a quirky eye for detail, a passion for visual storytelling, and a flair for colour, camp & fantasy. An imaginative filmmaker working across commercials and content, Stephen’s talents for design and illustration add another level to his creative work as he immerses himself in the Concept, Costume, Set, and Storyboard Design on all of his projects.
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EMPTY JARS (CHILE)
SYNOPSIS: A lonely landlord falls in love with a charismatic spirit and helps him find a new body so he can feel again.
RATINGS GUIDE: Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Guillermo Ribbeck
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Chilean filmmaker from Valparaíso, his student short film “Gol de Oro” (2005) has its premiere at the 52nd Oberhausen International Short Film Festival. His first feature-length documentary, “Mocha” premiered at the 17th Valdivia Film Festival. Empty Jars is his first work in narrative film, after almost 10 years.
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ESCAPE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Awakening on the floor of a destroyed suburban bedroom, we discover a global invasion has begun and we are not alone in the house…
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 1st @ 12:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: As a director, Lorenzo recently completed the high concept sci-fi horror short ESCAPE which is currently on the festival circuit. Previously, Lorenzo directed the short SCRAMBLED EGGS, worked in the writers room of HAWAII FIVE-0 and independently sold and developed numerous film & TV projects. Lorenzo is preparing to direct his first feature, THE RED TAPES, a psychological horror-thriller he co-wrote.
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