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THE ORB (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A suburban couple clash over a mysterious product.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Josh Kirk
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov 2nd @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Josh Kirk is a writer and director, with a diverse range of experience. Josh has made a name for himself with his films Hip Cat (2022) and Funny Business (2022). Josh has also won first prize for the New England Director’s award at the 2022 Rhode Island International Film Festival. In addition to his feature work, Josh has directed award-winning short films and music videos that have premiered on Vice Noisey, Impose Magazine, and at film festivals around the world.
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THE PERFECT PLACE TO CRY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A woman cries in her car. At the edge of her headlights’ reach, she can just make out the shape of a man. He’s coming closer.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Shane Bannon is a writer and director based in Los Angeles by way of San Francisco. His work focuses on people who seek connection in a world that encourages isolation. From insects to the ocean, all his favorite things in the world scare him immensely. His first short, Only Strangers Sleep in my Bed had its online premiere with Alter, and has over 200,000 views across platforms. His first feature screenplay, co-written with Celina Bernstein won First Place at Filmquest 2022.
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THE QUEUE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: An internet content moderator confronts the darkness within the videos he screens.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Michael Rich
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, November 4th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Michael Rich graduated from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. He is currently based in Los Angeles and spends his time directing movies in the genre space.
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THE RECLAIMERS (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After her grandparents are killed by invisible creatures, a determined young woman seeks to avenge them with the help of her canine companion – the only one who can see the mysterious invaders.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Jason Sheedy
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jason Sheedy is an independent film director, screenwriter, and editor who has created award-winning short films, as well as the horror feature, Patient, which went on to air with Showtime. His screenplays have landed him various placements with Killer Shorts, Screencraft, Stage 32, Film Empire, Scriptapalooza, Slamdance, and the Finish Line Script Competition. In addition to his film work, he is also the Senior Editor for Bark Bark, a full-service production company working with top brands and networks.
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THE RINGMASTER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Alma may have found her great escape from her dysfunctional family when she discovers a secret castle full of circus performers, but as The Ringmaster crowns her his maestra, the fantasy begins to devolve into a nightmare that feels uncannily familiar.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Maya Albanese
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Maya Albanese is an international, award-winning writer-director known for surreal storytelling that jumpstarts social dialogue. She has shot commercials and films worldwide in Spanish, French and English, and her screenplays have been finalists in BlueCat, Austin, Screencraft and LA Screenplay Awards. In 2023, her psychological horror fantasy short, THE RINGMASTER, premiered at Paris International Film Festival, and she won the BEST DIRECTOR AWARD.
In 2021, she won the EMERGING DIRECTOR AWARD at LA Diversity Film Festival for her dark fantasy comedy short, FREEZE. In 2018, the Directors Guild of America awarded her the inaugural Commercial Directors Diversity Program Fellowship, and Shoot Magazine gave her the Badge of Honor for Rising Female Filmmaker. Maya has a Masters in Documentary Filmmaking from Columbia University in New York.
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THE SIN-EATER (UK)
SYNOPSIS: 1852, Wales: a desperate young mother carries out a forbidden ritual to save the soul of her unbaptised dead baby, but is tricked into taking on a terrifying supernatural burden.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Kelly Holmes
GENRE: Horror, Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Kelly is a writer/director with a love for telling genre inspired stories who has screened multiple award-winning shorts internationally at BAFTA and OSCAR qualifying festivals. Her WW1 supernatural drama ATTRITION was commissioned and broadcast on national French television in collaboration with Creative England, and her Victorian Gothic drama FAMILY PORTRAIT also sold to French television in an international co-production.
In 2022 Kelly worked as 2nd Unit Director on Sky Studios/Vertigo/Rogue States’s new crimedrama A TOWN CALLED MALICE whilst shadowing lead director Jamie Donoughue. Kelly received early feature film development funding from BFI Network and has participated in multiple talent schemes including the Reykjavik Talent Lab; she won the JETS Co-Production Market at Berlinale 2021, and was selected as part of Frontières Co-Production Market 2021 with her menopausal body-horror feature, YEAR OF THE HEART.
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THE STAND-UP (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Gabi takes it personally when her Tinder date stands her up… because she has no idea he was actually murdered.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language, Adult Content, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Mara Woods-Robinson
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 31st @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Mara Woods-Robinson is a filmmaker from San Francisco whose work oscillates between comedy and high-concept genre. She earned her BA in Film Studies and English from Wesleyan University, where her thesis film PHARMACEUTIKILLME was awarded the prestigious Stephen J. Ross and Frank Capra Prizes. She has worked as a writer and co-executive producer on the acclaimed audio drama podcast ARDEN, in post-production on films including ATOMIC BLONDE and CHAPPAQUIDDICK, and as a showrunner’s assistant on FX’s MAYANS MC and Apple TV’s upcoming BAD MONKEY. She is currently based in LA, where she works in TV comedy development and spends her free time writing songs and baking god-tier sourdough.
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THE STORM CHASER (DOCUMENTARY) (UK)
SYNOPSIS: Storm-chasing legend Thomas Traversa embarks on a perilous journey in search of a mythical storm, the likes of which the world has never witnessed. A genre-blurring documentary about the profound encounters between humans and nature at its extremes, and the harmony that can be found within.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Jack Pirie
GENRE: Fantasy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jack is a London, England-based writer, director working at the intersection of film, TV and immersive entertainment. His genre-blurring film work includes Significance (Shorts TV) , Bite (Channel 4, Alter), The Superman (Nat Geo, Vimeo Staff pick), and The Storm Chaser (Indy Shorts, Director’s Notes). His immersive work includes the THEA award-winning War of the Worlds Immersive Experience in London, and the upcoming Skychaser show.e upcoming Skychaser sho
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THE TUNNEL (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A family experiences a disturbing phenomenon in the Santa Monica mountains.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Adam Rose-Levy
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: N/A
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THE UNIVERSE AND YOU (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When Dr. Terry Hathaway, the host of a late-night 1980s public access television show, receives a call from a panicked caller who believes he’s being abducted by aliens, it sets off a chain of events with potentially deadly consequences.
RATINGS GUIDE: Language, Adult Content
DIRECTOR: Brendan Mitchell
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Oct. 27th @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Brendan Mitchell’s passion for cinema was fostered at an early age growing up in San Diego when his grandfather let him watch a number of questionably-appropriate films on VHS tape. Since graduating from Chapman University, he has worked for several film companies while developing his own projects.
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THEY CALL IT… RED CEMETARY! (PORTUGAL / NORWAY)
SYNOPSIS: Among the crosses of an old cemetery, two outlaws have a dispute over honor, companionship and greed.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Western, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Francisco Lacerda is a filmmaker from S. Miguel, Azores. His short films have been categorised as a sub-genre of Portuguese fantastic cinema dubbed “Azoresploitation” and have been screened in multiple film festivals worldwide including Slamdance, Motelx, Calgary, Imagine and Mórbido Film Fest to name a few. He continues to expand upon the “Azoresploitation” catalogue with each new film, his latest being a take on the Euro-western genre.
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THEY COME FROM THE SKY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When two sisters are hunted by mysterious creatures, they find themselves in a race against time race as one of them falls ill. After one of them tragically dies, a surprising discovery about their true identities comes to light.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: André Cherkassky Pilli
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Screening on EO App – Sci-fi & Fantasy Shorts Block #3
DIRECTOR’S BIO: André is a Latin director and content creator with over half a million followers. He’s won $80K in filmmaking competitions, and his content has reached over 100M organic views, a testament to his ability to craft engaging and impactful stories. His content has aired on social media during events like the NBA Finals and the Super Bowl; breaking records for companies such as Pepsico with some of their highest engagement ratings on YouTube; 19M+ organic views, 33K+ comments, and 1.1M+ likes.
As a sought-after partner of global brand names, including Jaguar, Microsoft, Intel, Land Rover, Twitter, Uber Eats, Amazon, Google, and many others, Andre leverages his creative prowess to inspire audience engagement across platforms. “They Come From The Sky” marks Andre’s first entry into fiction narrative storytelling.
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THEY GROW UP SO FAST (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When Brian meets Amy after a night out on the town, things move a little faster than he’d anticipated.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language, Adult Content
DIRECTOR: John F. Beach
GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Louisiana native John F. Beach is an award-winning filmmaker and actor currently based in Los Angeles, CA. In addition to being selected to screen in competition at the 2023 Tribeca Festival, Beach’s solo-directing debut, “They Grow Up So Fast”, won the 50K Grand Prize at the 2022 Louisiana Film Prize, as well as the Audience Award for Best Comedy Short at the 47th Cleveland International Film Festival and the Jury Award for Best Comedy Short at both the Indy Shorts and Cordillera International Film Festivals. Previously, Beach co-directed and produced the international award-winning short film “The Accomplice”, also starring opposite Evan Peters. He also co-directed the music video for lovelytheband’s record-breaking Billboard smash single “broken”, which has received almost 50 million views on Youtube.
As an actor, Beach is recognizable as a two decade mainstay in national commercials, including Super Bowl commercials for Dodge Ram, Kraft’s Devour, Bud Light and Diet Pepsi, among others. His film and TV credits include a supporting role in the Dayton/Faris film “Ruby Sparks” and a memorable guest star turn as ‘The Shusher’ in TV’s longest running sitcom in history, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Beach is currently in development on a feature film adaptation of his short film “They Grow Up So Fast”, as well as several other projects.
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THIN SKINNED (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Two hidden camera pranksters infiltrate a funeral home, unaware that the mortician they’ve targeted has a dark secret of his own.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Joe Imburgio
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 3rd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Joe Imburgio is a first-time director from New York City who is known for his work writing and producing (and occasionally appearing) on the television show Impractical Jokers.
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THINGS VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: After the turmoil of the Civil War, grieving families sought spiritual connection to their departed. Certain clairvoyants claimed the ability to photograph the dead.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Gary Gasse
GENRE: Fantasy, Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 1st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: It’s pronounced ‘gauze’, go figure. Gary is a writer/director focused on telling stories that celebrate human flourishing and crown the good. Gary is the Co-Founder and Creative Director at Coronation, a production company specializing in animation, documentary and narrative content.
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TLG (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Billy and Tony meet up for a clandestine and passionate sexual encounter. But once the deed is done and the alcohol has already served its purpose, their real intentions slowly start to unravel, revealing a reality much more twisted, sinister, and heartbreaking than we ever imagined.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Sensuality
DIRECTOR: Itziar Martinez
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Whether touring the world as a dancer, or singing and writing songs for successful projects, storytelling has always been at the center of her creative passion. Which inevitably led her to the Seventh Art. Itziar was part of the small production team that created the award-winning soundtrack for the Disney Channel series VIOLETTA, which sold more than 1 million records. The European tour alone sold more than 1.2 million tickets for 182 shows performed in 12 countries. Translated into 15 languages, it became Disney Channel’s most successful non-American television series.
As an actress, her credits include the series THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, JANE THE VIRGIN, LOUIE, as well as major productions for the Telemundo network. Under her production company WOL Entertainment, she co-produced and co-wrote NEREUS. A supernatural thriller that premiered on HBO’s NYLFF and received distribution in more than 20 territories, including VOD in North America and in theaters in Turkey and Japan. Her directorial debut A HEART DIES TWICE was an Official Selection of the 2021 NFMLA sponsored by the Film Academy and won Best New Director at the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival. She is currently developing a bilingual fantasy drama which was selected at the Fanpitch section of Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival 2022 and their Showrunner’s Lab.
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TOAD BOY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A concerned principal reaches out to a troubled student but quickly learns helping the boy may require a sacrifice he’s unwilling to make.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Phillip J. McLaughlin
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Phillip J. McLaughlin is a filmmaker from the midwest. As an editor he’s worked on series for AMC, Netflix, Hulu, CBS (and more). Toad Boy is his directorial debut, to be followed this November by episode 809 of Fear the Walking Dead.
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TOGGLE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When a late night security guard does her rounds at a thrift store, she finds a peculiar device among the new donations: a simple metal box with a toggle switch. But instantly she learns the device’s purpose is far from simple: it toggles her into an alternate dimension… where something monstrous lurks in the dark.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Alex Grybauskas
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 29th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alex Grybauskas enjoys making both horror and comedy films, and especially enjoys mixing the 2. He’s directed for networks like Adult Swim and Crypt TV
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TOO SLOW (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Up high, down low, too slow. After falling victim to a classic childhood prank, a deeply insecure man seeks retribution.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Strong Language, Sensuality, Adult Content
GENRE: Comedy, Fantastic
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Stephen Vanderpool and Danielle McRae Spisso are LA-based filmmakers and owners of Picture 304.
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TOOTH (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Fed up with decades of abuse from forced perfection, a vengeful TOOTH takes matters into its own hands, launching a full scale attack.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Nov. 2nd @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jillian Corsie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and editor with a passion for telling stories that draw viewers into the heart of the human experience. As a doc filmmaker, she loves telling character-driven stories with a social impact. Her feature directorial debut, Trichster, focuses on the lives of people living with the body-focused repetitive behavior, trichotillomania.
Her latest documentary, Second Assault, explores the trauma of reporting sexual violence, and the “second assault” survivors often experience when they are not believed. She also works as a film programmer at the Salute Your Shorts Film Festival and the Slamdance Film Festival and has recently finished her first narrative film, TOOTH.
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