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A LIGHT THAT DOESN’T DIM (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Sister Jones has a life-changing decision: to go home and disappoint her family or to continue as a Mormon missionary in Mexico and betray herself amidst various familial and cultural pressures.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Colby Barrios
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Colby Barrios is an L.A. based Venezuelan-American writer and director. He is a 2024 Directing Fellow graduate from the American Film Institute Conservatory. Having began his career in comedy and produced over a hundred standup comedy specials, he finds interest in the comedic but also the questions that scare us the most. Barrios is currently developing a handful of feature films that explore deep seated fears, horrifying comedy, and strange character relationships.
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AMOEBA (IRELAND)
SYNOPSIS: After surviving a brain eating parasite, Levi’s reality begins to collapse as his unrequited feelings for an old crush eat away at him.
RATINGS GUIDE: Violence, Strong Language, Brief Nudity, Strong Sensuality, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #1 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Ian Fallon is a writer/director from Ireland. He graduated from the National Film School at IADT Dun Laoghaire in 2023, majoring in directing and minoring in sound. His psycho-sexual horror graduate film ‘AMŒBA’ has so far screened at the Oscar qualifying Cork International Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival as well as many other international festivals.
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AND WE’VE CALLED THEM (TURKEY)
SYNOPSIS: There are certain protocols to follow for Close Encounters Five. As long as you follow them and follow them step by step you can have an effective experience.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Buğra Mert Alkayalar
GENRE: Horror, Sci-Fi, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #2 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Alkayalar completed a Bachelor’s degree in Cinema and Television at Anadolu University in 2020 and a Master’s degree in Cinema and Television in 2024. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cinema at Marmara University. He has participated in national and international festivals such as the Golden Boll Film Festival, the Fabisad GIO Awards, the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and the Morbido Fest. He is currently working as a Research Assistant at Istanbul Kültür University and continues his studies in cinema.
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DAISY (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When the love of his life moves in across the street, a boy becomes dangerously obsessed and will do anything to be near her, oblivious to her own secret habits.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence
DIRECTOR: Nico Valentine
GENRE: Thriller
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 24th @ 3:15 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nico Valentine is a Los Angeles based Director/Editor from New York who thinks that writing his own biography in the third-person is “a bit weird”. Often combining his love for film with his passion for music, aside from narrative projects, he has worked alongside dozens of artists on their music videos, album rollouts, and live performances to bring their projects to life.
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FISHMONGER (USA)
SYNOPSIS: In this supernatural dark comedy, a pathetic Irish fishmonger must survive a sex pact with an ancient fish creature in order to save his mother’s soul from hell.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Violence, Mild Language, Strong Sensuality, Brief Nudity, Adult Content, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Neil Ferron
GENRE: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Nov. 2nd @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Neil Ferron is a Seattle-born writer/director based in LA. His first feature screenplay, FISHMONGER – a supernatural dark comedy about Irish tentacle sex and vulnerability – won the Grand Prize at Slamdance (2021). His AFI thesis, a short film version of FISHMONGER, received a Cannes Lions Young Directors Award (2023), world premiered at Fantastic Fest, and was nominated for a Student Emmy (2024). Neil’s work has been described as “wonderfully surreal” (Sub Pop), “shocking, horrific, and funny” (Rolling Stone), and a “Ph.D testing of what ‘works’ on the human consciousness” (Seattle Weekly).
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HOW TO SKIN A CHEETAH (IRELAND)
SYNOPSIS: Bobby’s tales of hunting game on the plains of Tanzania inspire a sinister side in her mollycoddled co-worker Lucas.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Meghan O’Shaughnessy
GENRE: Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #3 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Meghan O’Shaughnessy is a multi-award winning director from Limerick, Ireland. Her most recent documentary ‘They Killed Us For Existing’ won a Royal Television Society Award for ‘Best Factual Piece 2023’. This documentary has also won ‘Best Film in a Student Category’ in The Richard Harris International Film Festival and The Disappear Here International Film Festival 2022.
Meghan received a First Class Honours degree from the National Film School with her graduate production, ‘How To Skin A Cheetah’. The film is an exploration into surrealism and German Expressionism. Meghan is interested in themes such as parenting, coming of age and violence. Her greatest influences for this project were ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (Dir. Brad Silberling, 2004), ‘Coraline’ (Dir. Henry Selick, 2009) and ‘The End of the F***ing World’ (Dir. Jonathan Entwistle & Lucy Tcherniak, 2017).
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LA BRUJA – THE WITCH (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A boy and his grandma find hope in a magical witch’s fairytale as they face an immigration raid.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Manuel Villarreal
GENRE: Fantasy, Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 30th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Manuel Villarreal is a queer, first-generation Mexican American filmmaker whose work delves into identity and culture through the lens of fantasy. In 2024, he was one of four filmmakers selected for the mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program, receiving a $50,000 grant to create El Colibr, which was featured at LALIFF and the Bentonville Film Festival. Villarreal was also nominated for the Tim Burton Visionary Award for his film La Bruja at the Burbank International Film Festival and earned a spot in the Film Independent Project Involve ’24 Directing Fellowship. He holds an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory and is dedicated to showcasing Latino diversity in his films.
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LET US OUT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A struggling painter begins to question her own sanity when her latest nightmarish creation inexplicably escapes its canvas.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Chris Allan
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: A horror filmmaker born on Halloween? It’s not cliché if it’s true. Chris grew up just outside Boston and studied film production at NYU before pursuing his MFA at Loyola Marymount University. He seeks to play his part in the horror revolution by demonstrating that the genre is just as capable of profound audience impact as any other.
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LOLA (USA)
SYNOPSIS: AA thirteen-year-old science prodigy journeys into her grandma’s deteriorating mind to save one precious memory they have together.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences
DIRECTOR: Grace Hanna
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 1st @ 12:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Grace Hanna is a Filipino-American filmmaker based in LA. Their latest film, “Halcyon Days,” is sponsored by Film Independent and received Panavision’s NFP Grant. Their AFI thesis, “Lola,” won the Directorial Debut Award at Indy Shorts International. Grace previously worked as a director’s assistant on AQUARIUS (NBC) and CHANCE (Hulu). Grace loves genre: finding magic in the mundane is at the heart of the stories they tell.
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MIDNIGHT INK (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A brash young boy and his shy friend embark on a moonlit journey to get a tattoo.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: John Chiodi
GENRE: Fantasy, Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th @ 8:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: John Chiodi is a director from New Jersey, looking to tell stories about individuality, recklessness, and coming of age. He graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
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MIS-ALIGNMENT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When an engineer who destroys malfunctioning androids encounters a shocking abnormality in a rebellious patient, she risks everything to save her new friend and herself.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Brief Nudity
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 27th @ 1:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Pablo Riesgo is a Spanish filmmaker who grew up moving between countries before settling in Los Angeles to pursue writing and directing. His films have won awards and screened at major festivals, including SXSW and AFI FEST. He holds an MFA in directing from the American Film Institute and has directed both short films and a debut feature, Marco Polo, which premiered in Spain and is set to release on Amazon Prime and FilmIn.
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MORT (USA)
SYNOPSIS: Set on a barren planet, a creature named Mort’s daily routine is interrupted by the crash landing of a human spaceship.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Giselle Bonilla
GENRE: Sci-Fi, Comedy
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 31st @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Giselle Bonilla received her MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2023, and is a recipient of the AUDI Fellowship for Women which sponsors one promising female director with a full-tuition scholarship for the program. Her AFI thesis film, THE BULLFIGHTER, won the 2023 Student DGA Grand Prize Award and received Special Mention for Best Comedy at the 2024 Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.
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MY CHILD (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A recent college graduate must confront his fear of adulthood, his childhood nostalgia, and the supernatural entities which pursue him through the halls of his old elementary school.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Deniz Akyurek
GENRE: Comedy, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Sunday, Oct. 27th @ 11:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Deniz is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, with a passion for exploring personal themes through genre-blending experiential storytelling. His films have played at Academy Award qualifying festivals such as Nashville Film Festival and Chicago Int’l. They have played at top genre fests such as FilmQuest and Screamfest, and prestigious youth fests like NFFTY. His films have broadcast on PBS, and been featured in the popular filmmaking magazine No Film School. He holds a BFA from Emerson College in film and media production.
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PLEASURE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A young woman accidentally finds pleasure through her own physical pain. As the desire for pleasure grows uncontrollably, she must decide how far she wants to go.
RATINGS GUIDE: Strong Sensuality, Adult Content Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Yinghui Li
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Saturday, Oct. 26th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Jorn and raised in China, Yinghui is a bilingual writer and director with a passion for telling rebellious stories about womanhood, identity, and transformation. Holding an MFA degree in Film Production with Directing Emphasis from Chapman University, Yinghui is honing her craft in visual storytelling as an emerging filmmaker in both narrative film and episodic television.
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POLYMORPHIA (UK)
SYNOPSIS: After an accident leaves his face entirely bandaged, a neurotic office worker undergoes an identity crisis.
RATINGS GUIDE: Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Henry Fish
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: World Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Monday, Oct. 28th @ 11:00 AM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Henry Fish is a London based filmmaker and writer. He is a BFI Film Academy alumni and a member of Directors UK. Co-founder of S&H Films and H2 Films, Henry is primarily interested in nightmarish character studies with a darkly comedic edge.
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POPPY’S SATURN (BELGIUM / NETHERLANDS)
SYNOPSIS: When nightclub singer Poppy is confronted by a black-eyed man she is overcome by fear. The event triggers a buried trauma that she has to overcome in a kaleidoscopic world of glitter, music and blood.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Sensuality, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Nicole Tegelaar
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Virtual Exclusive Block #3 – Watch via EO FLIX
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Nicole Tegelaar (1991) is a Dutch filmmaker and art director living in Ghent, Belgium. Her short film Lips (2020) screened at multiple national and international film festivals. Poppy’s Saturn (2023) is her masters graduation project at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ghent.
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SERAPHIM (USA)
SYNOPSIS: When a spiritual entity takes harbor in her family’s basement, Jude must grapple with the ramifications of what it really means to be an agent of God after being made to decide between her faith and her family.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Intense & Scary Imagery
DIRECTOR: Oscar Ramos
GENRE: Horror, The Beyond
PREMIERE STATUS: None
SCREENING DATE: Thursday, Oct. 31st @ 5:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Oscar Ramos is a first generation Mexican-American director currently based out of Los Angeles, CA. Having discovered his passion for filmmaking at an early age, Oscar spent the majority of his teenage years shooting small short films in and around his hometown of Fairfield, California before moving out to Los Angeles to continue pursuing filmmaking.
Raised as the eldest son of two undocumented immigrants, Oscar tries to gravitate towards projects that allow him to empower the Latino community to tell stories that typically are not given the opportunity to be told from a Latino perspective. His most recent short, Seraphim, has been screened as an official selection at 2023’s Austin Film Festival as well as Screamfest LA. Currently, Oscar has partnered with Calavera Media and Rustic films to produce his debut feature film, They Know Not What They Do, which is slated for completion Fall 2024.
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THE LIGHTS ABOVE (USA)
SYNOPSIS: A series of unidentified aircraft sightings over Los Angeles at the height of WWII prompt a journalist and a Japanese American photographer to uncover the meaning behind the lights in the sky.
RATINGS GUIDE: All Audiences, Mild Language
DIRECTOR: Luke J. Salewski
GENRE: Sci-Fi
PREMIERE STATUS: Regional Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Friday, Nov. 1st @ 12:30 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Luke J. Salewski is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, originally from Idaho. He’s a recent MFA grad of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and his thesis film “The Lights Above” is a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.
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THE THINGS WE KEEP (USA)
SYNOPSIS: While packing up her estranged mother’s hoarded possessions, Kate discovers the insidious nature of her mother’s illness lying behind the house’s walls.
RATINGS GUIDE: Mild Violence, Mild Language, Intense & Scary Imagery
GENRE: Horror
PREMIERE STATUS: Utah Premiere
SCREENING DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29th @ 2:00 PM
DIRECTOR’S BIO: Joanna Fernandez is a genre writer and director who earned her BFA at NYU’s TSOA. While in USC’s MFA program, she was awarded the Jeffrey Jones Award for Excellence in Writing. After working as a showrunner’s assistant for BEACON 23, her film SERAPHIM won the Jury award at the Austin Film Festival. The origin of myth, the complexities of morality, and the study of monsters and scapegoats are central themes in her work.
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