Familiar – "You have no idea…"

A film by
David j. Ellison

synopsis

Tracking down a missing person, private detective Richard Mason finds himself trapped in a decrepit old manor looking after the thing that lives in the cellar below the house, a horrific vampire which forces him through psychic torment to seek out new victims for it to feed on.

Mason obeys but slowly finds he has to fight every day; Against the noises of the bodies that won’t stay dead below the stairs, the horrific imagery the vampire puts into his head in order to break his will and from the fact that he is in a nightmare he might not be able to escape from.

As he begins to realize his life as the creatures familiar will not last long, Mason comes to the conclusion, he protected it, he cared for it and tonight…he will kill it.

"The cinematography is stellar, the tone and mood excel, it's so atmospheric - reminds me of Del Toro. The location rocks, and I love the creature. Hat's off, man!"

- Steve Johnson

"David J. Ellison delivers an incredible atmospheric tale that feels like James Wan or David Fincher had a hand in it."

- Spencer Hawken - Romford Film Festival

"It’s Ellison’s terrific appetite for atmosphere that makes it a must, building and building and building on top of some gnarly sound-design, to one sensational reveal."

- Hey U Guys

"Super evocative of your script - so much of it is how I exactly imagined it in my head!"

- Nick Clement - Variety Magazine

"A rather detailed short film that at first glance can compete with Hollywood productions."

- Thrill and Kill

Full Length Short

Familiar Short Film

Themes

Our production

Familiar highlights several topical themes

DOMESTIC ABUSE

Mason and ‘The Other’ are representative of a domestically abused spouse and their abuser – both reflecting the male and female side of this seldom talked about subject.

ASSISTED LIVING

Looking after the incapacitated or the infirm and assisted living, its mental impact on people as they’re put under immense pressure when looking after an abusive person.

ISOLATION

CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS

Two males in a co-dependent relationship, reflecting not only modern relationships but also a cruel, gay co-dependent relationship.

Film Festival Run

Familiar was entered into over 100 festivals worldwide between May 2021 and March 2022

Wins

San Diego Movie Awards (2021) – Best Horror
Los Angeles International Film Festival Awards (2021) – Best Horror
Spook Screen (2021) – Best Film, Best Scare
Independent Horror Movie Awards (2021) – Best Short, Best Cinematography
Paradise Film Festival (2021) – Best Short Horror Film
Fright Night Film Fest (2021) – Best Foreign Paranormal Film, Costume, Set Design
Uruvatti (2021) – Best Short Horror Film
Bite Night (2021) Best Short Horror
Horrorfest (2021) Best Production Design
Vienna International Film Awards (2021) Best Horror
Kosice International Film Festival (2021) Best Horror
Western Canadian International Film Festival (2021) Best Horror
Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival (2021) Best Sound Design
ShockFest (2021) Golden Stake Award
Birmingham Film Festival (2021) Best Sound Design
South African Horror Fest (2021) Best Actor
Afraid (2021) Best Horror
Ealing Film Festival (2021) Judges Commendation
Big Fridge International (2021) Best Horror
Bloodstained Film Festival (2021) Best Director
CineXpose (2021) Best short
Romford Horror Film Festival (2022) Best Short
Haunted House Fearfest (2022) Best Cinematography
New World Film Festival (2022) Best Short Film, Best Sound Design, Best Poster
The Last Howl Film Festival (2022) Best Short Film

Official Selections

Telluride Horror Show (2021)
FrightFest (2021)
LA Shorts (2021) – BAFTA / OSCAR QUALIFYING
Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival (2021) – BAFTA / OSCAR QUALIFYING
FilmQuest (2021) – MOVIEMAKERS TOP 50 FESTIVALS
Norwich Film Festival (2021) – BAFTA QUALIFYING
Dark Arts Film Festival (2021)
Pasadena International Film Festival (2021)
Popcorn Frights (2021)
Ravenna Nightmare (2021)
Freakshow Horror Film Festival (2021)
American Horrors Film Festival (2021)
American Horror Film Festival (2021)
Fargo Fantastic Film Fest (2021)
Best Horror Shorts (2021)
CortogeniAl (2021)
Lonely Wolf (2021)
The Great Canadian Horror Film Festival (2021)
The Dark Hedges (2021)
Fright, Camera, Action (2021)
CortoDino (2021)
Arizona Underground (2021)
Abertoir (2021)
Berlin International Art Film Festival (2021)
International Istanbul Film Festival (2021)
The Scarefest Horror and Paranormal Film Festival and Convention (2021)
New York City Horror Film Festival NYCHFF (2021)
Penitente Film Fest (2021)
Sacramento Horror Festival (2021)
Lift Off Global Network Genre Lab (2021)
Studio City International (2021)
El Cuervo (2021)
Thrill and Kill (2021)
CineLibre (2021)
Killer Valley (2021)
Fixion Fest (2021)
British Horror Film Festival (2021)
L.A. Neo Noir, Film & Script Online Festival (2021)
Edinburgh International Film Festival (2021)
Nevermore (2022)
MeggaXP (2022)
Nox Film Fest (2022)
The Grave Plot (2022)
Apex Film Awards (2021)
Zoom Fest (2022)
Boden International Film Fest (2021)
Bizzarya (2022)
Hollywood Short Film Festival (2022)
Haunted House Fear Fest (2022)
HorrorHound (2022)
Paradox International Film Festival (2021)
Aurora Festivale Internacionale de Cine De Horror (2022)
Landshut Short Film Festival (2022)
DracFest (2022)
International Vampire Film and Arts Festival (2022)
Focus International Film Festival (2022)
Ravenheart Film Festival (2022)
Days of the Dead Film Festival 2022