Indie
Techno-Terror ‘Need’ Brings Teens Their Every Desire
Covert Media has come on board to fully finance and produce a movie based on Joelle Charbonneau’s teen thriller Need, Variety reports.
“Need revolves around a new social networking site offering high school students the chance to get anything they desire in exchange for a price. A female student seeks a kidney for her younger brother learns that there is a high price to be paid — and as her peers’ demands escalate, so does the body count.”
Covert will handle worldwide sales on the feature film adaptation at the American Film Market, which opened Wednesday.
Paul Hanson, CEO of Covert Media, made the announcement. Covert’s Elissa Friedman, Media Content Capital’s Sasha Shapiro and Anton Lessine are executive producing the project.
The filmmaking team of Samantha Buck and Marie Schlingmann will write and direct the film adaptation. The duo’s credits include the documentary “Best Kept Secret,” which won a Peabody Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe, along with their shorts “Canary,” which played at the Palm Springs ShortFest, and “The Mink Catcher,” which played at Telluride & SXSW.
“Need” was awarded the 2016 Anthony Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Variety reported last year that the movie project was in development with Bill Block’s Merced Media.
“‘Need’ is a fan favorite YA novel that we know will make for an exciting and chilling look at the world of social media,” Hanson said. “With the fresh perspective of the creative team we have in Samantha and Marie and the twists and turns of Joelle’s novel, this is a film that already has us on the edge of our seats. It’s a dynamic and frightening story of our times.”
Charbonneau is the author of the New York Times Best-Selling trilogy “The Testing,” the Rebecca Robbins mysteries and the Glee Club mysteries. Paramount Pictures optioned “The Testing” following its publication.
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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