Horror comes in all shapes and sizes. It is the one genre that can make you scream while making you laugh, cry, or feel like you can take over the world or run from it. The fine folks at 20th Digital Studio are premiering a series of 30 diverse, genre-bending short films for Halloween 2020 called BITE SIZE HORROR. The delectable 2 minute capsules range from horror comedy to psychological thrillers and everything in between. Their only motives, to entertain and scare.
Created by a diverse group of up-and-coming filmmakers, these films will screen across digital and broadcast platforms Freeform, FX, and Hulu’s Huluween platform hub and YouTube channel. David Worthen Brooks, EVP of 20th Digital Studio, says, “20th Digital Studio and the Bite-Size series provide a platform for emerging storytellers and give them the resources needed to realize their vision.”
Easily one of the more exciting events this Halloween the series offers what Brooks describes as, “A low-risk proof-of-concept for a feature version of the short, providing the filmmaker concrete steps toward their larger ambition. This energy and excitement in short form horror provide a global arena for a community of diverse filmmakers.”
Bite Size Halloween 2020 features 30 exciting new filmmakers, amplifying their voice in the film
community. This year’s cohort includes a well-rounded group of filmmakers representing different countries, identities, and backgrounds. The long term goal of 20th Digital Studio’s short film programs is to continue to guide and finance the growth of these filmmakers and their carreers.
Featured writers and directors include Naledi Jackson (ANNE WITH AN E), Aislinn Clarke (THE
DEVIL’S DOORWAY), John McPhail (ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE), Matthew Irving Epstein (ZOEY’S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST), and Sofia Alaoui (Sundance Grand Jury winner SO WHAT IF THE GOATS DIE?). On-screen, featured actors include Charlie Barne (RUSSIAN DOLL), Hari Nef (YOU, TRANSPARENT), Dalmar Abuzeid (DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION), acclaimed Off-Broadway thespian Kara Young, and Samm Levine (FREAKS AND GEEKS).
Diversity and artistic philanthropy aside, the end result should entertain. Boy do they. We had the chance to check out the shorts and actually speak to a number of the creative voices behind them. Below we share three shorts and ask the creative force behind it one question.
You can see all of the shorts HERE.
Clock – Alexis Jacknow
One minute everything is going so smoothly and the next, life gets in the way. That’s the case with a hard-working businesswoman who begins to have a sort of biological clock/Twilight Zone moment after a long day. Shot with a rapid succession of absurd imagery and little explanation, the mundane quickly becomes surreal as we watch a woman deteriorate at the hands of her maternal instincts.
HorrorBuzz: If the same clock were ticking for you, what would appear in your back seat?
Director, Alexis Jacknow: Oh, this piece is 100% personal for me, so that baby would be back there no question. I wrote this piece about my greatest fear: waiting for the moment my biological clock kicks in.
THIRST – Stefan Dezil
Ravenous humanoids roam the arid wasteland in search of one thing; Water. They will sense it, smell it, and kill for it and a young girl and her dad must make their way to a safer place in this bite-sized bit of horror. Think of it as A Quiet Place but, instead of sound, these creatures are drawn to moisture. The inclusion of a diverse cast is as refreshing as a tall drink of water on a hot day and the performances are solid.
HorrorBuzz: What is the world thirsting for right now?
Director, Stefan Dezil: The world is thirsting for more modern myths about underrepresented folks and I’m here to help quench that.
RETREAT – Jessie Kahnweiler
A young woman attempts to give herself over to the serenity of a luxurious retreat in the woods when she soon realizes her hosts may have other plans for her. More haunting than scary, this creeper of a tale utilizes voice-over and inner monologue as tools to set a great pay off. It’s hard to quiet your mind when you are forced to do so. It’s even harder to quiet someone else’s.
Q: What are the first signs that any RETREAT might have been a very bad idea?
A: If the men are shirtless and the eye contact is penetrating.
