Deadline Extended to April 15 For Filmmakers to Submit Applications for Shudder Labs
Due to popular demand, filmmakers who would like to submit to the 2016 Shudder Labs programs will now have until April 15th.
Shudder, the horror streaming video service backed by AMC Networks, recently launched Shudder Labs, an intimate and immersive workshop for aspiring genre filmmakers. Shudder Labs is a one-of-a-kind retreat that will bolster and support the next generation of horror storytellers as they develop their projects under the guidance of established creators and tastemakers.
The inaugural Shudder Labs program will take place June 13-18 in New Paltz, New York, and will feature a variety of workshops including directing, screenwriting, and special makeup FX. Masters-in-Residence will lead classes and talks based on their skill set and personal experience, while workshop leaders will be on hand for invigorating and informative discussion of essential avenues like crowdfunding and on-set makeup FX. Additionally, the selected filmmakers will sit for crucial one-on-one time with our filmmakers, where they can dive deeper into the specifics of their projects.
Each program participant will graduate as a Shudder Fellow and take home a $5,000 grant and a year-long mentorship from one of the Masters-in-Residence.
The first wave of year-long mentors include actor, producer, and director Larry Fessenden and CEO of Snowfort Pictures Travis Stevens. Both Masters-in-Residences have strong backgrounds in horror films. Fessenden is no stranger to taking on the role of mentor, having produced early works by genre veterans Jim Mickle and Ti West. Stevens will bring his producing expertise having worked on award-winning films such as Cheap Thrills, Starry Eyes, and We are Still Here.
Kickstarter’s George Schmalz will be leading workshops alongside Josh & Sierra Russell of Russell FX.
Shudder Labs is now open to filmmakers who have produced at least one short film or micro-budget feature. Further details on the program and application can be found at labs.shudder.com
Larry Fessenden is an actor, producer, and director of several art-horror movies including No Telling, Habit, Wendigo, and The Last Winter, as well as the TV films Skin and Bones and Beneath. Fessenden has operated the production shingle Glass Eye Pix since 1985 with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts. Fessenden has also been a producer on various projects including Rick Alverson’s The Comedy, Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy (nominated for two 2009 Spirit Awards and on over 60 “Top 10 Movies of the Year” lists), and Ti West’s The House of the Devil and The Innkeepers. Under his low budget horror banner ScareFlix, Fessenden has produced 9 films including Jim Mickle’s Stake Land (winner of the 2010 Toronto Film Festival Audience Award), Joe Maggio’s Bitter Feast, Ti West’s The Roost and Trigger Man and Glenn McQuaid’s I Sell The Dead which opened the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival where it won awards for best cinematography and best actor (Fessenden). I Sell The Dead won the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival award for best Independent Film.
Travis Stevens is the founder and CEO of Snowfort Pictures; a boutique production company specializing in the development, financing and production of commercial genre films. Recent Snowfort productions include the 2013 SXSW Audience Award Winner Cheap Thrills (Drafthouse Films), the 2013 Cannes Director’s Fortnight documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune (Sony Classics), the 2014 SXSW / 2014 BUFF Director’s Choice Award winning Starry Eyes (MPI/Dark Sky Films), We Are Still Here (voted one of 2015’s best horror films by Rolling Stone) and the 2016 SXSW high-school thriller Teenage Cocktail. Prior to launching Snowfort Pictures, Travis worked in film development, acquisitions and international sales.?
George Schmalz, a native of West Virginia, received a B.A. from Bethany College in Communication and an M.A. from San Diego State in Television, Film & New Media. While in San Diego he worked in film exhibition with Landmark Theatres and in film production with Kovarova and Wormwood Films respectively. After moving to New York he shifted focus to film distribution, having worked for both Oscilloscope Laboratories and Kino Lorber before coming to Kickstarter, where he currently works as a Film Outreach Lead, specializing in Genre Cinema and Animation.
Russell FX was founded by east coaster Josh Russell and LA-born Sierra Spence. The pair met while working for their childhood heroes at Studio ADI with the instant chemistry and mutual love of all things monsters and gore quickly led to their marriage and the birth of a new kind of beast: Russell FX. Within no time at all, the new “mom and pop FX shop” began planting firm roots within the indie and horror film communities. Their charismatic enthusiasm for film of all genres, paired with their gamut of FX talents and unflappable work ethic has made them one of the fastest growing FX houses in the business, and the go-to for the new generation of horror filmmakers. Their work can be seen ranging from cult favorites (YELLOWBRICKROAD, Rites of Spring), high profile music videos (Ty Segall, Anthrax), to more recent projects such as the critically acclaimed Southbound (working under genre favorite David Bruckner) and the forthcoming Psychopaths from director Mickey Keating.
About Shudder???
Shudder is a diabolical premium streaming video service, serving horror fans with curated worldwide programming ranging from hard-to-find independent fare to cult grindhouse classics to Hollywood blockbusters. Shudder has something for everyone, from the casual fan to the hardcore horror devotee. Backed by AMC Networks, Shudder¹s growing library of curated horror is available ad-free and for unlimited viewing on Shudder¹s website, mobile apps for iOS and Android, Chromecast, Apple TV, and the Roku platform with a free 14-day trial or $4.99 monthly/ $49.99 yearly membership. To sign up or learn more about Shudder, visit www.shudder.com