Indie
[SFF ’15 Review] ‘Sun Choke’ Is a Hypnotic Tale of Psychosis
A kinetic tale of loneliness and madness, Stanley Film Festival World Premiere Sun Choke explores the psychotic break of a young girl and the bizarre holistic treatment her manipulative caretaker subjects her to. Ben Cresciman’s film is equal parts fever dream and bold horror that splashes crimson blood on the freshly washed sheets. Anchored by two solid roles in which genre icon Barbara Crampton and Sarah Hagan (Freaks and Geeks) both shatter any misconceptions you may have about them, the film is a divisive, hypnotic tale of female psychosis.
Something happened in Janie’s (Hagan) past to spark a violent breakdown. Ever since, she’s been left in the care of her live-in nanny Irma (Crampton), who keeps Janie isolated in a minimalistic secluded house. There she undergoes questionable treatments to help her reassemble her fractured psyche. As things progress, Janie is granted leave, if only for a few hours. During one leave, she is drawn to a beautiful stranger named Savannah (Sara Malakul Lane) and begins to follow her. Each leave sees Janie’s obsession with Savannah grow increasingly intrusive, culminating in a wickedly tense and nicely ambiguous third act that will leave many heads reeling.
Crampton takes a wicked turn here as the nanny/holistic healer whose intentions may be more sinister than bringing normalcy into Janie’s life. There’s a danger in the air every time she’s on screen. Sara Malakul Lane does a terrific job as the woman who genuinely means well, even towards her stalker. The scenes she shares with Hagan get gut-wrenching at times.
But here it’s Hagan that shines. She does an impressive job expressing the abstruse character of Janie – an emotional hodge-podge of mental issues and lethal ticks. Cresciman gives us a handful of brief flashbacks that contain sparks of murder and possible rape – though none of these are fully explained. Are they just dreams that Janie has? Why isn’t she being given proper treatment or simply thrown in a psyche ward? This ambiguity will make Sun Choke divisive for viewers, but for those that dig the vagueness, Sun Choke is a tremendously engaging work.
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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