SCHEDULE INFORMATION CLICK HERE
_____________________
EJECT (UK)
SYNOPSIS: After discovering a USB port in her wrist, Kate uncovers a world where she has the ability to change herself for the better. But she will slowly discover that greed will come at a cost.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: David Yorke is a multi-award-winning writer/director specializing in the horror genre. His short films have gained great online and festival success, having been selected at BIFA, Bafta and Oscar accredited festivals. He haS won many awards including ‘Best Film’ and ‘Best Director’. His latest short film ERIC, screened at Filmquest and Frightfest and was featured on Heyuguys as one of the festivals best short films. In 2022 David was shortlisted out of 600 directors to pitch on the channel 4 series On the Edge.
After seeing his films Eject and Eric, 20th Century Studios and Disney invited him to pitch for their bite size horror scheme, whilst he also recently got selected on the New Blood scheme to pitch his feature script CRAVE. With over 15 years of experience in short films, music videos and broadcast television David also works as a lead creative at NBC Universal.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
ELIXIR (NORTHERN IRELAND)
SYNOPSIS: Inspired by a cherished fairy tale, a young girl attempts to recreate a fairy’s quest to save her dying grandmother.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Sam Bell
GENRE: The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: North American Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shorts Block #3
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sam Bell is a writer/director with a Masters’s degree in film from Queen’s University Belfast, where he explored an array of disciplines and developed his approach to filmmaking. Sam is particularly interested in exploring the tension between fantasy and realism through the subversive handling of genre and iconography. Benedict Goddard is a writer/director based in Belfast. Ben has been learning filmmaking under many talented directors while working as a script supervisor. During this time, he uncovered a deep love of genre filmmaking and its ability as a vehicle to explore complex themes. Ben and Sam met while studying together and have been making films together.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
ENGLISH TUTOR (SOUTH KOREA)
SYNOPSIS: A confident tutor takes on a desperate mother’s request to teach her daughter English, but as she tries to break through the child’s resistance, she discovers a horrifying secret.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Jaho Koo
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Horror & Thriller Shorts Block #1
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jaho studied film production in California and gained professional experience in action thriller films in South Korea, Morocco, and Romania. He self-funded and directed his debut short film, “English Tutor.”
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
ENSOULED (UK)
SYNOPSIS: Clara, burdened by grief, embarks on a soul-stirring journey of self-discovery at Eternia. She forms an unexpected bond with a enigmatic man along the way, blurring reality’s boundaries and leaving her questioning the essence of existence.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Strong Language
DIRECTOR: Moe Najati
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Moe Najati is a versatile filmmaker with over a decade of experience in documentaries, fiction films and commercials. His multicultural background, blending British, Syrian and Lebanese heritage, along with his upbringing in Dubai and current residence in London, enhances his understanding of diverse cultures and human emotions. His works have been showcased at prestigious festivals, including those qualifying for the Academy, BAFTA and BIFA. In 2023, his latest film “Stealing Kind” premiered at the renowned Manchester Film Festival. Before that, “Uproar,” his film exploring the intricate gender dynamics within Havana’s Rumba scene, garnered recognition as one of the top ten short documentaries at Sheffield Doc/Fest, as acknowledged by Directors Notes.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
ENTRAINMENT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: For the Main Version: In order to prevent his own death, a broken nightclub owner has 12 hours to learn how to use a device that allows him to see moments into the future. || For the Short Version: Trapped in a fractured quantum realm, a broken nightclub owner fights to regain his memory in order to save himself and the love of his life.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Language
DIRECTOR: Bill Prokopow
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Bill Prokopow is a filmmaker and composer. Recently he scored the feature film “Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose” starring Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver, and Christopher Lloyd. He also wrote and produced a number of songs for the new “The Muppets Mayhem” show on Disney+. In addition to feature films and tv shows, Bill’s music has been heard prominently in blockbuster trailers, short films, concert halls, and rock venues all across the US. Bill started writing music as soon as he sat down at a piano at age 5, and hasn’t stopped since then. His early years were filled with composing and shooting movies in his backyard with his friends, and he continues this trend today.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
ESCAPE ATTEMPT (USA AND POLAND)
SYNOPSIS: A soldier escaping a WWII concentration camp finds himself on an unknown planet in a distant future only to discover a frozen gulag controlled by a brutal alien race.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Alex Topaller & Dan Shapiro
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: North American Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alex Topaller & Dan Shapiro are Grammy award winning filmmakers and founders of the New York based, design-driven studio AGGRESSIVE. Their work includes music videos for the likes of The Beatles, Michael Jackson and Pharrell Williams, an XR concert for Alicia Keys, and commercials for clients such as Amazon, Google, Boeing, Honda, American Express and Intel, among hundreds of others. Their pioneering experiences and activations have been exhibited at SXSW, Global Expo Dubai, The Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach, The UN General Assembly, Bloomberg New Economy Forum and more. Topaller and Shapiro’s critically acclaimed experiential film MURALS, which uses cutting-edge 3D scanning to place viewers face to face with the war devastation in Ukraine and follows captures of Banksy’s artwork, premiered at Cannes NEXT, of the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.
Their science fiction film “Escape Attempt” will premiere at the SITGES Film Festival in October 2023. Alex and Dan’s work has earned many awards and nominations, including Grammy, AICP Next, MTV VMA, ADC, D&AD, The One Show and Communication Arts awards. Their work has been featured across the globe as Vimeo Staff Picks, Behance features and festival showcases, as well as publicized by Variety, The New York Times, WIRED, American Cinematographer, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Creativity and NOWNESS among dozens of other publications.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
EVENVEIL (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A warrior in exile, bearing a fated weapon, enters the ruins of a dead city to unlock a mysterious power known as the Red Veil.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Sam Balcomb
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 4th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sam Balcomb is a co-founder of Rainfall Films, spearheading its production, visual effects, and advertising divisions. As a director, he’s filmed the company’s wide-ranging and award-winning shorts, trailers and commercials. In the post world he oversees VFX, motion graphics, and design for feature films and television, ranging from independent productions to studio tentpoles.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
EYESTRING (USA AND ARGENTINA)
SYNOPSIS: With a mysterious string growing from her eye and questionable advice from a hotline service, Veronica is led on a strange quest for answers.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Javier Devitt
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Javier Devitt is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his career working various roles in advertising production and later specialized in post-production. He began directing commercials and in 2017, he received a grant from INCAA (the Argentine National Film Institute) to direct his first fictional work, a horror/thriller called “M.” ”M” premiered in the official selection of the Episodic Pilot competition at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival and has won awards from around the world, playing at more than twenty festivals. His latest work, “Eyestring,” a horror/mystery short, premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FACIES (SPAIN)
SYNOPSIS: An inquisitor has spent years looking for a perfect torture device, thanks to the latest invention of its inventor, it seems that he is going to get it. But Elena, the inventor’s daughter, has other plans.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Adult Content
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Carlos Moriana (Madrid, Spain, 05/10/1979) is a director and screenwriter. After shooting several short films as a student, he made his debut as a director with “The White Room” (2019). This fantasy thriller was selected and awarded in dozens of festivals worldwide. “Facies” (original title “El Semblante”), co-directed with Raúl Cerezo, is his second short film as a director. Raúl Cerezo (Madrid, Spain, 07/01/1976) is a director, producer and screenwriter. He co-founded production company Eye Slice Pictures with Helion Ramalho, which focuses on fantastic productions.
He is a well-known figure in the Spanish short film industry – he has produced more than a hundred films and directed shorts such as “Escarnio” and “8”. The latest was awarded with the Melies d’Argent and the Paul Naschy Award at Sitges International Film Festival, among other recognitions. He is the co-producer and original creator of his first feature-length “The Passenger” (2021), co-directed by him and Fernando González Gómez. The film premiered at Sitges IFF and it was a success across the main fantastic film festivals in Spain. It is currently being distributed internationally and it will be premiered in cinemas in 2022. Cerezo has also written and his second feature-length film, “Viejos”, co-directed with Fernando González Gómez as well.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
FARMER ED (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After a farmer makes a shocking discovery on his land he unlocks its secrets unbeknownst to his wife.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Brief Nudity
DIRECTOR: Azwan Badruzaman
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premier
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Azwan is a filmmaker based in LA who was totally that kid making dumb/weird skits and music videos with his friends at the local public access station. That kid still lurks inside Azwan, planning his escape.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
FCK’N NUTS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Sandy is grievously forced to break it off with the boy of her dreams in order to avert him from meeting her unusual parents.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Sam Fox
GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Sam Fox is a writer, director, and producer. In 2021 Sam wrote and directed the film “Bad Acid” which won her Best Director at Nightmares Film Festival and Best International Film at Phenomena Festival. Also in 2021 Sam executive produced the comedy feature “My Divorce Party” (ft. Rumer Willis) and produced Britt Lower’s “Circus Person”, which screened at Tribeca Film Festival, won Best of Festival at Catalyst 2021, and the Audience Award at Nashville Film Festival. In 2023 Sam teamed up with MovieMaker Magazine to make “Fck’n Nuts”, which was selected to Fantastic Fest, New Orleans Film Festival (Oscar qualifying), and is nominated for Best International Film at L’Etrange in Paris. Sam is currently developing the psychosexual art thriller “Babalon Ascending” and is slated to produce 3 independent features “1996” and “Infinitely Dense” in 2023 and “Camp Girl” in 2024.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
FIRST-ISH CONTACT (AUSTRALIA)
SYNOPSIS: A lowly government worker makes first contact. Kind of.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence
DIRECTOR: Kai Smythe
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: International Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Comedy Shorts Block #4
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Kai Smythe has been creating his own theatre, music and film projects for over 20 years. In 2008 Kai attended the Victorian College of Arts studying Film and Television winning ‘Best 2nd Year Production’ and ‘Best cinematography’ at the VCA awards. His solo musical comedy project ‘Hairy Soul Man’ has been touring live nationally and internationally as well as his short comedy musicals being accepted into film festivals all over the world, receiving multiple awards. In 2018 he relocated to Los Angeles where he worked on various television pitches as well as landing a guest role on the comedy series’ Adam Ruins Everything’.
Returning to Australia in 2020, he finished his first feature ‘Mager and Smythe – Lost On The Road To Shangri La’ which premiered at the Perth International Film Festival. Currently his projects include his new comedy Sci-Fi short ‘First-ish Contact’ Which is about to embark on the festival circuit, a Hairy Soul Man feature film/concept album in planning stage, as well as a variety of television concepts in development.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FIVE STARS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Shot on an iPhone, this food delivery driver goes the extra mile to keep his five-star rating.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: N/A
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Luke is a writer/editor/director in LA. His credits include brands like Netflix, NFL Network, Youtube, Snapchat, and Paramount+. Because Nath owns all the dogs, Luke is left only with his lupine cat who refuses to get her goddamn nails trimmed. Nath has worked in the industry since 2010 on such projects as the Simpsons, Hey Arnold, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He’s worked in a variety of fields from character design to design supervisor to illustration for companies such as Disney, Fox, Nickelodeon, and others. Nath lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four dogs. Graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design in 2011 with a BFA in Motion Media and a Minor in 2D Animation.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FOR THE SAFETY OF THEO (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When casual hook-ups become too debilitating, a man suffering from OCD seeks out different ways to purge himself of the consequences from the night before.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Nudity, Adult Content, Strong Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Christopher Macken
GENRE: Horror, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Christopher Macken is an award-winning Director & Writer from Massachusetts. After graduating from Emerson College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in film production, Christopher relocated to Los Angeles, CA where he became Charlie Day’s assistant on various projects from New Line Cinema’s Fist Fight, Legendary’s Pacific Rim: Uprising to FOX’s Cool Kids, and eventually becoming a Co-Producer on Charlie’s feature film debut FOOL’S PARADISE. Christopher co-created/produced THE GAMER AND THE MOUTH, a video game competition show where Gamers get paired with Stand-Up Comedians to do their trash-talking. Featuring Jacksepticye & Chris Redd, TGATM is getting a theatrical release this September at Cinemark Theaters. With a background in comedy, Christopher hopes to explore his own struggle with OCD in a more dramatic and stylized-sense with this film.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
FREQUENCIES (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A marooned 1940s space-pilot radios for rescue while he fights loneliness with booze and memories of his partner until he stumbles upon the frequency of another crashed loner looking for camaraderie.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Justin Nixon
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Justin Nixon is a writer director from Pittsburgh, PA living in NYC and LA. His stories focus on the grey areas of life and are grounded in the raw emotion of what it means to be human. His short films have generated hundreds of thousands of views across multiple platforms.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
_____________________
FROM ABOVE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A man discovers something has landed in his backyard.
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 @ 5:00 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.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FUDGIE FREDDIE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In the final hour of a crowdfunding campaign, a struggling animator starts to transform into his most popular character: an ice cream cone named Fudgie Freddie.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jon Salmon, a member of 5 Second Films, co-directed their feature film Dude Bro Party Massacre III. He is also an award winning cinematographer with a very needy cat that meows at him while writing bios.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FUN, GUS! (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When a strange mushroom sprouts up in her balcony planter, Chloé is compelled to eat it, resulting in consciousness altering hi-jinx.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Peter McCoubrey
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 5:00 PM w/Feature “A Disturbance in the Force”
DIRECTOR’S BIO: After graduating from art school at Pratt Institute, Peter McCoubrey began his filmmaking careers with several music videos that immediately garnered accolades from MTV, Pitchfork, The NY Times, and Entertainment Weekly. His MTV series “The Gamekillers” was the highest rated program in it’s time slot as well as the recipient of a Cannes Lion and One Show award. He created the “The Left Right Project” as part of a series of international short films based around the Adidas Superstar sneaker. Peter has directed alongside Academy Award winning director Spike Jonze for the final Beastie Boys music video “Don’t Play No Games.”
Peter has written & directed the award winning short films; THE GREY MATTER a horror comedy starring Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, Andor) & Lucy Walters (Power, Get Shorty), THEREFORE I AM a lo-fi sci-fi mind bender starring Kevin Breznahan (The Deuce, Billions) and PROGRESS BAR an A.I. co-written sci-fi oddity starring Jennifer Kim (Search Party, Mozart in the Jungle). All of which have screened at film festivals around the world and been featured on AMC’s Shudder, Gunpowder & Sky’s DUST & ALTER (where The Grey Matter won 2020’s biggest one week premiere with over a millions views in its 1st week, CURRENTLY over 16 Million views), Eli Roth’s Slice of Summer, Crypt TV, Short of the Week, io9 and Vimeo Staff Picks. Currently Peter has been directing TV commercials and content for brands such as Apple, LG, Microsoft, Adidas, American Express, Playstation, EA Sports, & TWC. He currently lives in LA.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER: N/A
_____________________
FUNGUS (AUSTRALIA/UK)
SYNOPSIS: An unsettling horror parable, Fungus is a snapshot of terror for a son and his father, whose past crimes must be paid for in blood.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Ryan Maddox
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Writer and Director Ryan Maddox is an accomplished visual effects artist and supervisor that has worked for some of the world’s leading studios, both at home in Australia and in the UK. His eye for detail and passion for visual storytelling have given him a unique style that takes influences from the classical and modern masters of cinema, but all the while maintaining the hallmarks of a new and original voice in film.
IMAGES FROM THE FILM:
TRAILER:
