HORNED, 4min,. USA
Directed by Jerrod D Brito
When a cocky cam boy jokingly live-streams a creepypasta dare, he inadvertently summons an ancient demon who craves more than just his soul.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Funny story. I attended Dan Savage's HUMP Film Festival, a traveling film fest that features short films of an adult nature, and though they had many diverse films, I didn't see any strictly horror movies. I felt there might be an opportunity there, so I tried to come up with a way to merge horror—my signature genre—with sex. I just started jotting notes and tried to find a way to combine them both, but be fair to both, too, and then I added a little humor. Those were the ingredients for "Horned." But I really wanted to make sure it stood alone as a horror story, with a beginning, middle, and end, and as much character development as I could squeeze into a short in under five minutes of length. So I cut it two ways—a more explicit version for HUMP with thirty more seconds of content and a better punchline to the film (it was selected, by the way—it tours this fall), and the somewhat censored version we were lucky enough to screen at Horror Underground.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

This probably took about four years to get off the ground. I wrote it, but didn't really have the means to make it at the time. Then, in around 2022, I felt like my film career wasn't going anywhere, so I tried to think of how I wanted to "go out" if this was the end, and decided to have some fun and do something risky and weird. Go out with a bang, so to speak. I got my producer, Erin Delaney, on board—we used to work together at a well-known company that broadcast adult content—and a few other frequent collaborators, and everything just fell into place. Once we cast it, it was a matter of waiting a few months until everyone's schedules lined up, and we shot it in one night. After that, I edited it fairly quickly (found footage is easier, I find), and it was finished by the end of 2023.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Hmmm... "Sexy Horror."

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I think that's a toss-up between the casting process and the location not working out at the last minute, but both ended up working out in the end.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was frickin' thrilled! I think it can be very difficult to connect with an audience, but they seemed to pick up on everything I tried to put in there, so that felt really good. Overall, they seemed disturbed by it, but still laughed at the parts that were meant to be humorous. I think that's a gift Sam Raimi has, and that's what I strived for. So the fact that they reacted to the humor and the horror was a great feeling. It was sooooo good to hear, and I immediately showed it to my producer and makeup person, and they were equally thrilled.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Unofficially, probably three-years-old. I wanted to act, and forced my cousins into being stage plays I directed in the living room, and I wrote and drew shitty little comic books. Everything was there to point me in the direction of film. Officially, though, when I found out that I COULD become a filmmaker, and it wasn't just for people in New York or L.A., but indie film was for everybody, I was about 19.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I'm going to guess "Batman Returns."

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I'm not really sure. What you offer is great and unique, and one of the best experiences I've had in festivals. If there was a way to tie in agents or managers watching the winners, that would be huge, too, but I don't know the likelihood of that. I know there's a lot that goes into festivals as it is, and I love what you're already doing.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I like FilmFreeway. It keeps track of everything and makes it easy to sort through submissions, wins, losses, etc., I dig it.

10. What is your favorite meal?

A Chicago Deep Dish style pizza with extra cheese and that chunky tomato sauce on top. I don't care what anyone says, it's a whole damn meal.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Lots! I'm co-developing a cryptid fantasy horror feature called "The Hairy Ones" with my frequent co-conspirators, Aaron Whitrock and Timothy Navarro, and I have a list of short films I'd like to get off the ground this year, too. I also wrote a demonic possession short called "A Dance With the Devil," directed by Jake Byrd ("Adalynn") that's in the late stages of post and set to roll out this year, and I have a six-issue graphic novel that I'm dying to get out there, but I'm still looking for just the right artist to draw it. I'm also looking for others to collaborate with and networking every week, always looking for something new to try. I'll write, they can make the movie, then we'll either succeed or fail together. I just love the process and always excited to do something new.