Happy Halloween! Tuesday was the October edition of IndieWorks, and our annual Halloween Special! As big horror film fans and makers ourselves, Halloween is always a treat for us. We screened 6 spooky shorts that were all extremely entertaining and often thought-provoking. The films ranged in style, gore, sub-genre and tone, showcasing the variety that exists in the world of horror. We’re really proud of the lineup we were able to put together. We had over 30 people in house; a nice sized crowd considering the rainy evening! Some people even turned up in costume, which was especially fun for us to see since our team was decked out as the Tethered versions of ourselves!

We'd like to say thank you to the filmmakers and the audience for coming out to spend the evening with us. We hope all enjoyed the films, as well as the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We hope some collaborative connections were made! We also hope to see YOU at our November screening on the 19th, which will feature a diverse mix of films focused on coming of age, identity and finding one’s path.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

Jack and the Box (Written & Directed by Michael Dimitroulakos)
A guy comes home to realize what he just escaped from outside, found its way inside.

Laundry Night (Written & Directed by AK Espada)
Having a laundry room in your building can be a great amenity…unless it’s in a dark, creepy basement.

It’s Normal (Directed by Nicole Solomon, Written by Sean Mannion & Nicole Solomon)
Kay is a young office worker just trying to get by in an increasingly scary New York City. When Lucy stops coming to their grief support group, Kay decides to stop by her friend’s house to see what’s going on. She finds Lucy and her roommate Reina coping in their own ways, and takes up their invitation to crash overnight rather than risk going home in the dark. The potluck dinner that ensues introduces Kay to new friends...and dangers.

Matryoshka (Directed by Manny Serrano, Written by Manen Lyset, Lindsay Serrano, and Manny Serrano)
On Halloween night, a group of friends play a game, with a supposedly haunted Matryoshka doll, which unleashes more than a few tricks or treats.

Too Late (Written & Directed by Clayton Dean Smith)
Chad's ready to apologize to the woman he wronged. He can't screw up--the stakes couldn't be higher.

Come Be Creepy With Us (Directed by Beth Fletcher, Written by Michael Calciano)
A millennial nightmare that follows Anna, a young woman stuck in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, who learns how to keep on living after being haunted by the undead spirit from her summer camp past. It’s about emerging adulthood and millennial angst; about letting go of our pasts and embracing what it means to grow up.

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories: Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April.

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project.