Official Selection - NOLA Horror Film Fest 2015

We are excited to announce our Louisiana Premiere as an Official Selection to the 5th Annual NOLA Horror Film Fest! Screening dates and times have not yet been announced, but as soon as they are, we will let you know!

About the NOLA Horror Film Fest

In our fifth year, our goal is the promotion of horror/sci-fi filmmaking in Louisiana, as well as nationally and internationally. The NOHFF is committed to celebrating the craft and advancing the art form of horror genre films. The films and shorts that are screened during the Festival are chosen by film critics and filmmakers by voting at the end of July. We will publicly announce the chosen films to be shown at this year’s Festival in the middle of August and will feature the most outstanding film of the genre by emerging filmmakers.

The NOLA Horror Film Fest is a horror film festival created by horror filmmakers for horror fans. As film auteurs ourselves, we appreciate the blood, sweat & tears that go into making movies. We also understand that the fans are ready for something different!

Find out more on their website at http://neworleanshorrorfilmfestival.com/

Film Buzz Interview: AJ Briones

Hot on the heels of our screening at FilmQuest 2015, Film Buzz interviewed The Smiling Man writer/director AJ Briones about the film's inspiration, production challenges, make-up FX and more. The article also includes some new  Behind-The-Scenes photos.

Read the entire interview on the Film Buzz website here: http://www.filmbuzz.tv/?p=1920

OFFICIAL SELECTION - HORRIBLE IMAGININGS FILM FESTIVAL

The Smiling Man comes to San Diego as an Official Selection of the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2015! We will be screening with other horror shorts at the iconic Museum of the Photographic Arts in Balboa Park on Friday, September 11th, on the "Child's Nightmares" short film block, 5:30-8pm! The writer/director will be planning to attend, and there will be a Q&A after the screening!

Tickets are available online, just click the button below! Note that we will be screening on the "Childhood Nightmares Shorts Block," or you can purchase a Friday or Full Festival Pass.

About Horrible Imaginings

The Horrible Imaginings Film FestivalTM is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that showcases art and film that explores the darker or more macabre sides of the human condition. The festival was founded in 2010 by Miguel Rodriguez in San Diego, California in order to promote and spotlight exemplary new artistic voices in what is commonly known as the horror genre. It is our mission to encourage an elevation of the genre through film discussion, question and answer sessions, panels, and other presentations.

Find out more about Horrible Imaginings on their website at http://www.hifilmfest.com/

Official Selection - Diabolique International Film Festival 2015

Fantastic news, everyone! We will have our Indiana Premiere at the 2015 Diabolique International Film Festival! Celebrating its 8th year and presented by Diabolique Magazine (the fastest growing genre cinema publication in the world), Diabolique Film Festival was recognized by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" and one of the "13 Horror Film Festivals to Die For."

It will be such an honor to screen at the historic IU Cinema on the campus of Indiana University.

About the Diabolique International Film Festival

The Diabolique International Film Festival is presented by Diabolique Magazine, the fastest growing publication in the world dedicated to genre cinema. In addition, we are pleased to welcome Sony as an official Festival partner for 2014.

Join us September 25-27, 2015 in Bloomington, Indiana for the premiere showcase of independent genre cinema, featuring horror, sci-fi, fantasy and animation.

The Diabolique International Film Festival began life more than 9 years ago as the Dark Carnival Film Festival. Since 2007 we have screened over 250 films from more than a dozen countries, and we’ve had the honor of hosting visiting filmmakers from around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Spain, and the UK.

Over the years, we have gained a reputation as a festival that truly values independent genre films and the people who make them. Many of the movies from past fests have been picked up by major distributors, and our event has provided numerous networking opportunities. The publishers of Diabolique Magazine bring their industry connections and marketing reach to the table in a way that offers our filmmakers exceptional exposure for their films.

Find out more on their website at http://diaboliquefilmfestival.com/

Official Selection - The Underground Film Festival 2015

Friends in Ireland! We are proud to announce our Ireland Premiere as an Official Selection of the 5th Annual Underground Film Festival in Cork! With submissions from 35 countries around the globe, we are excited to be among the list of films to have made the cut!

The Underground Film Festival (previously named the Underground Short Film Festival) celebrates its 5th year on August 22-29th at the Vision Centre at St. Peter's in Cork City Ireland.

Official screening dates and times have yet to be announced, but we will let you know as soon as they are.

Check out their 2015 Official Selections page for the list of short and feature films they will be showing: http://www.undergroundshortfilmfestival.com/#!official-selection-2015/c3kj

About the Underground Film Festival

We're back and this time we're not so short!

The UnderGround Short Film Festival is delighted to return for a 5th year and to celebrate we've decided we're not so short anymore! 
 
The newly renamed UnderGround Film Festival is now competitive not just for short films but also for features too with new Irish and International feature film categories!
 
We believe very strongly in supporting the local filmmaking community. That's why we are very proud to say our  "Made in Cork" shorts category takes pride of place among our wide variety of categories this year.
 
This year we have feature film categories for Irish and International as well as short categories for Drama, Comedy, Documentary/Experimental, Sci-Fi/Horror, Music Video, Local, National, International and Spanish shorts.

Find out more on their website at http://www.undergroundshortfilmfestival.com/

Composer Vivien Villani wins Best Original Score

The results are in for the Asians on Film Festival's Spring Quarter 2015 submissions and we are proud to announce that our very own Composer Vivien Villani wins Best Original Score for his work  on The Smiling Man.

We also received a Best Horror/Thriller Film honourable mention.

Of course, this also means that we will be screening The Smiling Man at the annual 2016 Asians on Film Festival.

Congratulations to all of the winners! You can take a look at the entire list on the Asians on Film website here: http://www.asiansonfilm.com/2015/07/asians-on-film-festival-spring-quarter-2015-winners/

About the Asians on Film Festival

Asians on Film's primary focus is to provide recognition to Asian/Pacific Islanders who are minorities in their film industries either as actors, actresses, writers, directors, producers, editors and/or those who work in other aspects of filmmaking. We are committed to promotion via news, information, interviews and recognition given by the festival. We hope to show the world talent that otherwise may be missed. With readership around the world we expect the marriage of the website and the festival will provide an amazing forum and recognition for great films.

Find more about them on their website at http://www.asiansonfilm.com

The Smiling Man Poster Unveiled

We've finished the poster for The Smiling Man, just as our festival season is beginning to heat up. It's an homage to the old, iconic horror movie VHS video covers of the past.

I have vivid memories of walking into video rental stores in the late 80's and throughout the 90's, back before IMDB and RottenTomatoes, when all you had to judge a film by was its cover.

We will be printing a run of these bad boys as handouts for HollyShorts 2015, and we'll be doing a very limited run of them in their proper glossy 27x40" glory.

Official Selection: Sydney Underground Film Festival 2015

The Smiling Man goes down under in September for our Australian Premiere at the 9th Annual Sydney Underground Film Festival 2015! We will be screening at the Factory Theatre with a great selection of underground films from Australia and the world over from Thursday through Sunday, September 17-20th.

We will update as soon as we the schedule is finalized and we have screening information.

About The Sydney Underground Film Festival (SUFF)

The festival programs unique, quality independent films that transgress the status quo and challenge the conservative conventions of filmmaking. The festival is devoted to renewing local interest in independent and experimental film as part of an international underground film culture and aims to change an ingrained culture of cinematic complacency and revitalise an enthusiasm for cinema.

The Sydney Underground Film Festival is dedicated to nurturing an alternative film culture through the promotion of independent and experimental films. The festival seeks to support filmmakers (especially those who operate outside established film industry infrastructures) by providing a platform for exhibition, exposure and critical discussion.

Find out more on their website at http://suff.com.au/

Official Selection: HollyShorts Film Festival 2015

We are beyond thrilled to announce that The Smiling Man will be screening at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA for the 11th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival. HollyShorts has been one of our favorite film festivals since having the honor to screen my first short film, Carolina Parakeet, there in 2014. This time, we will be returning as filmmaker alumni with The Smiling Man and we are so excited to be back!

If you are in the Los Angeles area, don't miss this screening, as it will be the absolute best way to experience The Smiling Man. We will be screening in glorious 2.39 2k Scope and sounding glorious in 5.1 Dolby Surround with our pristine Digital Cinema Package! The majority of our cast and crew will also be there, and there will be a Q&A at the end of the screening.

The festival runs for a full eleven days, from August 13-22. Our official screening date and time has not yet been announced, but we will let you know as soon as we find out!

About HollyShorts

HollyShorts is an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 40- minutes or less.

Fester July 2015 Trailer - See You in Seven Days!

The trailer for the July 2015 session of Fester: The Mindf*ck Festival, Fester Faster, is out now, featuring a clip from The Smiling Man. Join us in just seven days at the iconic Vidiots Video in Santa Monica on Thursday July 16 at 8:30pm for an evening of disturbing films and great company. 

Members of the cast and crew will be in attendance! As a bonus, there will be free beer at the screening!

You're going to want to score tickets early because there are only 35 coveted seats for this very intimate location.

Purchase tickets now by clicking the button below:

See you in seven days!

ABOUT FESTER

FESTER is a monthly film series showcasing “Mindfuck Movies,” films that crawl inside your head and stay there like the memory of a fever dream. A Mindfuck Movie is of any genre and about anything. What’s important is the way it makes you feel: fucked up! Our goal is to bring you the best Mindfucks in the world of independent film: features, shorts, webseries, anything deserving of a larger audience.

Learn more on their website at www.fester.la

ABOUT VIDIOTS VIDEO

Vidiots began as a movie rental store with a fierce commitment to making as wide an array of films available as possible—from vintage to foreign to documentary—and our event programming and outreach has that same eclectic flavor.

The Vidiots Foundation expands the reach and community involvement of Vidiots through partnerships with community organizations, schools, filmmakers, artists and educators by providing free classes, screenings, panel discussions, spoken word, live music and other cultural events.

Visit them on their website at http://vidiotsfoundation.org/

FilmQuest 2015: The Smiling Man gets an Honorable Mention from Best-Horror-Movies.com

I'm still reeling from the awesomeness that was FilmQuest 2015, what a perfect festival for our World Premiere!  I wish I was able to spend all 10 days of the fest in awesome Sandy, Utah surrounded by filmmakers and film fans, but in the 2 days I spent there, I met some really great people and got o see some fantastic films.

The Smiling Man was nominated for a couple of awards, namely Best Makeup-FX and Best Supporting Actor. While we didn't get to take home the much coveted Cthulu award, it's good to be in the running, and even better still just for the opportunity to sit in the audience and watch as they gasp, cringe and jump at all the right moments when watching our short.

To top it off, The Smiling Man received an Honorable Mention in Best-Horror-Movies.com's FilmQuest 2015 recap. It's a great honor, seeing as with over 250 films in the fest, it's great to be remembered.

Check out the full article here: http://www.best-horror-movies.com/news?name=filmquest-2015-award-winners

A great big thanks to everyone that came out to see our world premiere. We're just getting started, though. We've got some really BIG screenings coming up, and I can't wait to announce them!

Stay tuned!

The Smiling Man is "Creepy with a Capital C" - Filmpulse.net

We received some great press coverage coming out of our World Premiere screening at Filmquest 2015 this year, where The Smiling Man was also nominated for 2 awards: Best Make-Up and Best Supporting Actor.

It was really exhilarating sitting in a darkened theater watching the film with an audience for the first time! On top of that, I got to spend a couple of days meeting some great filmmakers and film fans and checking out some really great films!

Coming back home to LA, it's such a great surprise to see The Smiling Man was featured as a Filmquest 2015 stand-out short on Film Pulse, with a great write-up!

Check the full article here:
http://filmpulse.net/filmquest-2015-short-circuit-the-shorts-part-ii/ 

LOS ANGELES: WE'RE COMING TO FESTER ON JULY 16TH!

The Smiling Man comes to Los Angeles on Thursday, July 16th for Fester: The Mindf*ck Festival! The folks at Fester are near and dear to us, having been the site for the World Premiere of my first film, Carolina Parakeet. 

The Smiling Man will be screening at their upcoming event as part of a selection of short films. This time, we will be screening at the iconic Vidiots Video in Santa Monica. It's going to be an intimate event, with only 35 seats available! Cast and Crew will be in attendance, and there will be a Q&A after the screening!

Tickets are available now! Click the link below!

About Fester

FESTER is a monthly film series showcasing “Mindfuck Movies,” films that crawl inside your head and stay there like the memory of a fever dream. A Mindfuck Movie is of any genre and about anything. What’s important is the way it makes you feel: fucked up! Our goal is to bring you the best Mindfucks in the world of independent film: features, shorts, webseries, anything deserving of a larger audience.

Learn more on their website at www.fester.la

About Vidiots Video

Vidiots began as a movie rental store with a fierce commitment to making as wide an array of films available as possible—from vintage to foreign to documentary—and our event programming and outreach has that same eclectic flavor.

The Vidiots Foundation expands the reach and community involvement of Vidiots through partnerships with community organizations, schools, filmmakers, artists and educators by providing free classes, screenings, panel discussions, spoken word, live music and other cultural events.

Visit them on their website at http://vidiotsfoundation.org/

The Smiling Man - World Premiere @ Filmquest - Tickets On Sale Now!

Tickets are on sale online now for our World Premiere screening in UT for Filmquest 2015! We screen in the shorts block at 6:30pm on Friday, June 19th. 

Click the button below to select your seat and purchase tickets now!

The full shorts program lineup is below:

• The Peripheral
• The Black Forest
• Phoenix
• A bottle's Odyssey
• Total Awesome Viking Power
• The Smiling Man
• Hello
• GEAR

Writer / Director AJ Briones will be in attendance and there will be a Q&A with the attending directors after the screening.

See you there!

About Filmquest

One of MovieMaker Magazine's 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, FIlmQuest celebrates the majesty of genre filmmaking in the realms of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and the beyond. Awarding filmmakers in 2014 with over $30,000 in awards and prizes, including the coveted Cthulhu Trophy, the festival launched with great praise and fanfare . FilmQuest has been designed specifically to cater to the empowerment of the filmmaker through various events, awards, swag, connections, and more.

FilmQuest itself is the film festival branch of FantasyCon, a convention that puts the fantasy experience of the patrons first. It is an interactive convention, where dragons, magic and battle literally comes to life. Just as FantasyCon is a celebration of all things Fantasy, from horror to adventure, so is FilmQuest a celebration of all things Fantastic in film.

Find out more on their website at www.filmquestfestival.com

Makeup FX of The Smiling Man - Timelapse

It took Lead Makeup FX Artist Melanie Leandro and her assistant Rowan Walters 6 hours to transform Strange Dave into The Smiling Man, with the help of prosthetic teeth from Brittany Fontaine. We document the process in this timelapse.

We shot Dave in varying stages of makeup: one of just the hands; hands, lower body and back; and one with the full makeup.

We didn't want to scare Abbi with the full makeup during her overs, so Melanie turned him into a cuter creature with whiskers and a nose during those shots. You can see some of that if you look closely.

Thanks to Justin Denton for putting this timelapse together!

Great big thanks to the team for an awesome effort. You can catch our World Premiere at Filmquest 2015 on June 19!

Official Selection: Filmquest 2015

We are super excited to announce that The Smiling Man will have its World Premiere at Filmquest 2015, alongside a strong lineup of feature and short films around the globe, and with over 1,200 submissions, we feel extremely proud to be one of only 255 projects to make it in..

Filmquest 2015 goes off over 9 days at the Jordan Commons Megaplex Theater in Utah this June 18-27. We will update this space when we find out exact screening dates / times.

Check out the the official selections on the official Filmquest 2015 website.

About Filmquest

One of MovieMaker Magazine's 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, FIlmQuest celebrates the majesty of genre filmmaking in the realms of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and the beyond. Awarding filmmakers in 2014 with over $30,000 in awards and prizes, including the coveted Cthulhu Trophy, the festival launched with great praise and fanfare . FilmQuest has been designed specifically to cater to the empowerment of the filmmaker through various events, awards, swag, connections, and more.

FilmQuest itself is the film festival branch of FantasyCon, a convention that puts the fantasy experience of the patrons first. It is an interactive convention, where dragons, magic and battle literally comes to life. Just as FantasyCon is a celebration of all things Fantasy, from horror to adventure, so is FilmQuest a celebration of all things Fantastic in film.

Find out more on their website at www.filmquestfestival.com

The Smiling Man Trailer Featured on Horror Film Central!

We are humbled to announce that The Smiling Man Teaser is featured on genre website Horror Film Central, along with a really flattering write-up! We're working super hard on trying to finish up the film in time for the next round of film festival submissions, and it's this kind of news that really helps keep us motivated!

Click here or the image above to check out what they have to say!

Check them out on their website at horrorfilmcentral.com.

About Horror Film Central

There are people who like going to the occasional fright flick and then there are people who literally live for it. If you’re reading this, you know what we are talking about. The kind of people who read ghost stories under a blanket with a flashlight as soon as they can read. The kind of people who walk around the house with all the lights off just to freak them the hell out. The kind of people who experimented with different combinations of corn syrup and red food coloring to make the perfect fake blood for their indie horror flicks.

We can go on but the point is – we are the those kind of people. We love horror so much that we decided to make a website about it. So if you want to hear some new opinions about all things that go bump in the night; take a look around. We have a lot of big plans in store as we continue to grow. So stay awhile and listen… er read as we officially welcome you to Horror Film Central.

If you’d like to hit us up with your support, be sure to check out our official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

The Smiling Man

The awesome folks at Legless Corpse are featuring our trailer on their website, complete with a great write-up. The Smiling Man is a short horror film currently in post-production. We are working hard to finish it up and get it ready to submit to film festivals by the end of March 2015.

Head on over by clicking the image below and check it out!

About Legless Corpse

Legless Corpse is a genre website featuring horror movie reviews, news, contests and trailers. Visit them on their website at www.leglesscorpse.com.

The Smiling Man Trailer Featured on Film Shortage

I have a real soft spot for the fine people at Film Shortage. Flash back to a year ago: I was still in post-production on my first film, Carolina Parakeet, and I had no idea how people were going to react to it. Film Shortage was the very first website to feature it, complete with an awesome write-up. We received a ton of hits, some great feedback and a huge energy boost that helped us to power through and finish it off.

Way before any Film Festivals accepted us, before any of the nominations or awards, Film Shortage was there, and they believed in the promise of our little short. I'll never forget that.

And now, here we are, a year later, and I'm super excited to report that they have featured us yet again, this time for the trailer of The Smiling Man!

Click the image above or the button below to check out our page on Film Shortage, and stay to check out all the other shorts and trailers on their website, it's a fantastic resource! Share it with your friends!

About Film Shortage

Film Shortage is an online cinema dedicated to short films. They carefully curate, feature and review new mind-blowing shorts every week.

Find out more on their website at www.filmshortage.com

Behind the Scenes: A Photo Gallery

We had a great time shooting The Smiling Man over the course of two days. We had an awesome crew and a really great cast! We had all sorts of craziness going in with this one: children, heavy makeup fx and a dog friendly set, thankfully, it all turned out well and we have an awesome film that we're looking forward to showing you soon!

We've started a gallery of Behind-The-Scenes photos that you can see here. Be warned: There may be some spoilers!

Click to the right of the image below to cycle through images, or click on the Photo Gallery button in the navigation above to check it out!