A film by
David j. Ellison
synopsis
It is 1942. For the past year, Richard Mason has found himself trapped in a barren, old mansion, caring for the thing that lives in the cellar below the house – a horrifying vampire, forcing him through psychic and physical torment to seek out new victims for it to feed on.
Mason’s mind is assaulted by this hideous creature, which appears to him mentally as a refined older man, blaming the other ‘persona’ for the violence waged against him. Mason is pushed to the point of madness unless he assists in the murder of innocent people.
Mason obeys but slowly finds he has to fight every day – fight against the noises from the bodies below the stairs that won‘t stay dead, the horrific imagery the creature puts into his head in order to break his will and from the fact that he is in a nightmare he cannot escape from.
Mason soon realizes: the monster he’s been protecting must die….
"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!"
"David J. Ellison delivers an incredible atmospheric tale that feels like James Wan or David Fincher had a hand in it."
"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."
"Super evocative of your script - so much of it is how I exactly imagined it in my head!"
"A rather detailed short film that at first glance can compete with Hollywood productions."
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
Loneliness and repetitive routine as a means of both imprisonment and relief, especially in light of modern events.
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 has gathered 55 wins and 138 Official selections between March 2021 and April 2023
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
Lit Scares Fest (2022) Best Micro Horror Short
Venice Shorts California (2022) Best Thriller
Haunted Pamlico Carnival of Darkness (2022) Best Director
Chicago Horror Fest (2022) Best Score
Macabre Faire (2022) Best Sound Design
Pittsburgh Moving Picture Festival (2022) Best Horror Short
War of Film (2022) Best Horror, Best Cinematography, Best Grade
Island of Horror (2022) Best Monster, Best Cinematography
Serra Electrica (2022) Best International Short Film
Focus International Film Festival (2022) Best Horror Short, Horror Excellence Award, Best Horror Short Director, Best Horror Short Lead Actor, Best Horror Short Cinematography, Best Horror Short Editing, Best Horror Short Sound Design
Moonrise (2022) Best Short
Video Hackers (2022) Best Director, Best Short Horror, Best Actor
Sandgrounder (2023) Best Cinematography
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)
Zblizenia (2022)
International Vampire Film and Arts Festival (2022)
Ravenheart Film Festival (2022)
Days of the Dead Film Festival (2022)
Fright Nights (2022)
Origen Film Festival (2022)
Alter (2022)
Origen (2022)
Macabre Faire (2022)
Atlanta Underground Film Festival (2022)
Trash Film Festival (2022)
Galician Freaky Film Festival (2022)
Huldra Horror Shorts festival (2022)
Pumpkin Fantasy Film Festival (2022)
The Dead of Night Film Festival (2022)
Horror Movie Freaks Film Fest (2022)
Happenstance HorrorFest (2022)
Feratum (2022)
Dead and SudBuried (2022)
Highlands Film Festival (2022)
Atlanta Horror Film festival (2022)
Curtas (2022)
Jacksonville Film festival (2023)
Spooky Empire (2022)
Ethereal Horror Fest (2022)
Espanto Film fest (2022)
FICL Leon International Film Festival (2022)
Film Front (2022)
Anomaly Rochester Film Festival (2022)
Fixion Fest (2022)
Derpycon Film Festival (2022)
TUFF (2023)
Black Cat Award (2022)
Fogfest (2022)
Scream Queen (2022)
Another Hole in the Head (2022)
T.I.F.A. Tiete International Film Awards (2022)
Death’s Parade Film Festival (2022)
Horror Unleashed Film Festival (2022)
Corto Nero Noir Short Film (2022)
Dark Veins (2023)
Mad Monster Party (2023)
Frostbiter (2023)
The Chicago Horror Film Awards (2023)
Bloody Flicks (2023)
Beeston Film Festival (2023)
Familiar Screenplay
FULL LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS
The Latest News
Stories & events
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Terror Weekend Interview
https://www.terrorweekend.com/2022/09/entrevista-david-j-ellison-director.html Translated version https://www-terrorweekend-com.translate.goog/2022/09/entrevista-david-j-ellison-director.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
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Romford Film Festival Screening
Amongst the many festivals we entered we had the privilege to actually attend Romford's Horror Festival.After nearly
