Indie
MTV Gets Revenge in ‘Savage County’
With the success of My Super Psycho Sweet 16, MTV is already moving on a new made-for-online horror film. David Harris’ Savage County follows a group of small town Texas high school kids who play a prank that accidentally kills an old man, they’re hunted down by the man’s family of murderous hillbillies. You can get more details on the project by reading on.
THE PROJECT:
An original horror movie for new media, Savage County was filmed in high definition in the summer of 2009 in Memphis Tennessee. Presented in eight ten-minute chapters, Savage County is designed to be watched either episodically or end-to-end in its feature-length form. Executive Produced by David Gale (Varsity Blues, Jackass, Aeon Flux) and Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow), the movie is coming to multiple platforms in February of 2009. Savage County stars a mixed cast of hollywood newcomers (including Mimi Michael from Boogeyman 3) and Memphis locals as both the teen victims and killers. Directed by first-timer David Harris, the $250,000 project is a tribute to Texas Chainsaw massacre and the old-school horror of the 70’s, brought up to date with great indie rock and rockabilly music and a twist of teen drama.
THE STORY:
“On the last weekend before prom, a mismatched group of high school kids heads to a remote pond to drink beer and hang out. When the beer runs dry, the conversation turns to daring Patrick, the runt of the group, into knocking on the door of the Hardells – the reclusive family that owns the land the pond is on. Patrick takes up the dare, knocks on the Hardells’ door and finds himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun. When Patrick’s friends come to his defense, the oldest Hardell is killed in the shuffle. Scared and guilty – the teens flee the crime. When the rest of the Hardell clan finds the old man murdered, they seek out vengeance. One-by-one, the teens are hunted down by Orry, the sexually oppressed mute, Willard, the long-haired wildman, and Kasper, the cold-blooded family leader.“
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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