Indie
IFC Center Showing Creepy Documentary ‘Cropsey’
IFC writes in to us that “the spine-tingling documentary Cropsey, which peels back the layers of fact and fiction behind one of New York’s most disturbing unsolved mysteries, will debut theatrically on Friday, June 4 at New York City’s IFC Center, before spreading to Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, Boston, and additional bookings through Cinema Purgatorio.” Read on for VOD information and a clip.
Gravitas Ventures has picked up North American VOD rights to the doc feature, which will be available nationwide on VOD beginning June 1, 2010. “We are thrilled to bring the visually arresting Cropsey to a nationwide Video On Demand audience. Just a few months ago, indieWIRE had called Cropsey one of the best undistributed films of 2009 and we are excited to collaborate on a such a comprehensive release strategy,” commented Nolan Gallagher, founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures.
Cropsey will also screen as a “special presentation” at the Staten Island Film Festival. This late-night screening will take place on the grounds of the infamous Willowbrook State School (now the College of Staten Island). Willowbrook, a psychiatric ward, was shuttered after its abuses were profiled in a groundbreaking 1972 expose from Geraldo Rivera.
Growing up on Staten Island, NY, filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio had often heard the legend of “Cropsey.” For the kids on the island, he was the escaped mental patient who lived in the tunnels of Willowbrook and came out late at night to snatch children off the streets. “Cropsey” remained just that, an urban legend, until the summer of 1987, when Jennifer Schweiger, a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome, disappeared from her neighborhood. She was found buried in a shallow grave five weeks later on the grounds of Willowbrook. In Cropsey, Brancaccio and Zeman return to Staten Island to undertake their own investigation of Jennifer and four other missing children as well as the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances. Brancaccio and Zeman skillfully combine a riveting true-crime drama with a personal exploration of the Cropsey myth, uncovering a reality more terrifying than any urban legend.
Cropsey is unrated with a running time of 84 minutes. For screenings, trailer and more, visit www.cropseylegend.com
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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