DON'T LET THEM IN, 15min., Canada
Directed by Peter Collins
While dealing with the aftermath of escaping an abusive relationship, Heather starts to believe there is a vampiric shape shifting creature trying to trick her into getting inside her home. Memories of witnessing a traumatic event years ago involving the same creature come flooding back after she is mysteriously gifted the creatures calling card – a smooth stone engraved with a strange symbol. With the help of a supportive friend, Heather must finally confront her demons in the form of the monster that is haunting her, and summon her inner strength to finally defeat it.

https://www.instagram.com/dontlettheminshortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I had recently gone through a separation, so I guess I had that topic and those themes that comes with it on my mind and just wanted to express it somehow. I wanted to do something involving a character going through a similar situation to that as well, where they kind of want their ex-partner back but deep down they know it's not good for them in the long run. The story sort of grew from there, to involve an abusive ex trying to worm their way back into the main character's life, and the main character's trust in people being damaged to a point where they can become suspicious of anyone at their doorstep. That's where the title Don't Let Them In comes from, it's a cautionary warning about letting abusers from your past back into your life.

Around the same time I had an initial idea of a creature inside a room in a house, trying to trick the homeowner into opening the door to that room. That sort of got spun out into the shape shifting, vampire-like creature on the doorstep that's in the final film. I thought that concept paired really well with the aforementioned theme of ex-partners trying to get back into your life, and that's how this film came to be.

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

I wrote the first draft of Don't Let Them In several years ago, back in 2020. It really wasn't until Spring of 2023 that things actually began moving forward on pre-production. We had a 3 day shoot that October, and post wasn't finalized until May 2024. So overall, it's been roughly a 4 year journey.

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

Metaphoric Vampire?

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

I'd have to say that the biggest obstacle was just getting the ball rolling in the first place. It kind of felt like I was floundering aimlessly a bit at first, but once I had the producers on board things started to slowly but surely fall into place.

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

To be honest I wasn't exactly sure how people were going to react. At this point I'm so familiar with this story and had seen it so many times I'm not even sure if it's scary or fun or whatever, or if the themes are too heavy handed or handled in a clunky manner or not. I'm really glad that people seemed to enjoy it, though! Hearing the feedback put a giddy smile on my face. I love that all the hard work and effort that everyone put into this project has come together into something that seemingly resonates with people.

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

I feel like I was kind of a late comer to the world of filmmaking. I was actually working as an engineer for years before an untimely layoff made me want to try something else. I had always enjoyed films, and I liked watching breakdowns and analysis of movies, so I guess at some point there was kind of an 'ah-ha' moment where I realized that filmmaking was something I could actually try and do. I eventually started writing scripts and shooting small films on my own, and then some more with a few friends, and it just sort of progressed from there.

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

That's a tough question, I have so many favourites. I think I'm going to have to say Jurassic Park. I watched the hell out of that movie growing up, and it's still something I watch once a year at least.

Maybe an honourable mention goes to Halloween (1978). That's required watching every October.

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 really enjoyed the viewer feedback video this festival does, but I think it would be beneficial for the reviewers to try and give even more pieces of constructive criticism. I know there's definitely lots of room for improvement in my work still, so having people point out more areas that might be lagging would be a huge help!

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

The entire process is so streamline. It's easy to search and discover festivals, including ones that you might not have known about, and it makes the process for applying to festivals incredibly simple as well. So, overall I've had a very positive experience with FilmFreeway.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I'm a sucker for pasta. A nice spaghetti and meatball dish is one of my main go to comfort foods. It's something I ate a lot as a kid growing up so I guess there's some aspect of nostalgia to it.

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

I'm doing a lot of writing. I have several scripts and ideas that I'm currently developing, both shorts and features, but I think my next immediate project will be another short film. I want to do something that starts off as a bit of a slow burn that builds into something very tense and suspenseful, and just dripping with atmosphere.