Indie
Beware… Love Can Lead to Death in ‘Demons’ and ‘Communication Is Key’! [World of Death]
Relationships are tricky business. Either they end in disaster or they end with the two of you dying in bed next to each other like in The Notebook. Heartbreak or death are the only two options you get. This month’s selection of World of Death pairs together better than the couples they depict. People are complicated. Relationships are hard.
Thankfully horror movies based on them can still be fun.
Demons, written and directed by Ariana DiValentino, is an estrogen-soaked tale that expounds the horrors of low impact, post teen/college relationships. Equal parts Lena Dunham and David Cronenberg, the use of still photography is seamless and adds an inspired bit of storytelling. The short is also beautifully lit and photographed.
Also for your viewing pleasure is Communication Is Key by A.D Burnett, which is tense, unsettling, brilliant in its simplicity. From the start, the audience knows who the monster is, but the story manages to captivate as it draws towards its inevitable conclusion. The metaphor of people wearing masks in relationships is not lost on the audience, but the metaphor it conveys is nonetheless powerful.
All good things must come to an end, including this month’s World of Death. Rock over London, rock on Chicago.
– Pat O
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.
Five Horror Anthologies to Stream This Week
‘Jason Universe’ – Horror Inc. Begins a New Era of the ‘Friday the 13th’ Franchise; Here’s the Plan
Stephen King’s ‘You Like It Darker’ Finds Beauty and Hope in Nihilistic Horror [Review]
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ – New Poster Promises New Trailer This Week
Rumour: Capcom Planning ‘Resident Evil’ Remake for Series’ 30th Anniversary, ‘Resident Evil 9’ Reveal Coming Soon
