Exclusives
OMFG of the Day: Watch the Entire Short ‘Exist’!!
Thanks to technology and the internet, being discovered is much easier than it had been in the past. Anyone with the right training, programs, and talent can create something “special” that gets the right people to take note.
Last week we caught wind of Tyson Johnston’s upcoming short Exist, which stars Curtis Simmons and Alain Singaye as two men who accidentally stand in the middle of the world’s first encounter with extraterrestrial life. While the trailer was a big tease, the poster was absolutely stunning, and the added visual effects demo reel added more fuel to the fire (check it all out here). We were so excited about this project that we got in touch with the young Australian director who provided Bloody Disgusting with the first ever exclusive look at his short film!!! You’ll find the goods inside, along with a little big more on the short, such as the insane budget of $0.
The 19-year-old Johnston was born and raised in Australia before moving to the States at 15. He’s a giant sci-fi fan, UFOlogist, and extraterrestrial fanatic.
He wrote, shot, edited, and cut ‘Exist.’ It was shot on both a Sony EX3, and a Canon 5DMII. The Sony was supplied by supporting actor Curtis Simmons, and the Canon was ownded by Johnston.
“The budget for ‘Exist’ was literally $0. Nothing” Johnston tells us. “A budget that small is never something to brag about, but it’s great to have people backing you to make it work. My cast and crew all woke up with me at 3am, drove to downtown and started shooting. We shot in my lead actors (Alain Singaye) car, we moved on to the Subway and shot that scene extremely quickly, then we moved to the alley way and had a few minutes there. When you’re shooting guerilla, everything has to be fast. If it isn’t you’re gone and you’ll never see the location again.”
He hopes to eventually turn this into a full-length feature: “The plan for ‘Exist’ is simple for us: Raise as much money as we can, then shoot our first independent film!”
Tyson Johnston: Show some love!
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Exclusives
New Documentaries Explore the Cult Legacies of ‘The Keep’ and ‘Wolfen’; Watch the Trailers Now [Exclusive]
Undersung werewolf gem Wolfen and Michael Mann’s The Keep get the spotlight in a pair of feature documentaries acquired by Antenna Releasing.
A World War II Fairy Tale, which covers the infamous production of and reception to The Keep, will receive a limited theatrical release in October, followed by a TVOD release on Apple/Amazon. The Keep will also screen as a double feature for some showings.
For Uncovering Wolfen, Antenna eyes a limited theatrical release for 2027. Both films are currently available for booking via Antenna prior to their theatrical and digital releases.
Both documentaries are directed by Stewart Buck, who co-helms with Stéphane Piter on A World War II Fairy Tale.
“We at Antenna are obsessed with film history,” said Chief Acquisitions Officer Billy Ray Brewton. “Stewart has done such a remarkable job of really diving into the deepest recesses of how these films were made and, in doing so, has created the definitive histories of both projects.”
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Antenna Releasing!” said director Buck. “It’s refreshing to see a filmmaker-friendly approach to distribution with people who know what it’s like to be in the trenches with independent projects that struggle to find a home in the crowded marketplace.”
Check out our exclusive trailer and poster reveal of both documentaries below.
Released in 1983, Michael Mann’s The Keep was a notorious box office bomb, critically lambasted and all but forgotten for years, save for the fascination with Tangerine Dream’s iconic score. In recent years, the film has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence and is widely considered a cult classic, though director Michael Mann and many cast members refuse to acknowledge it.
Wolfen, on the other hand, was critical success but was overshadowed heavily by its flashier 1981 siblings An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. It’s also a trailblazer for socio-political horror, and the doc will explore that via the craftspeople who made it.
Look for them both in theaters soon. Stay tuned for more as it arrives.
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