A horror movie filmed using local actors and crews and shot entirely in the Kitchener-Waterloo area is set to hit the big screen in the coming weeks.
After four years in the works, SHIFTED will play at Apollo Cinema in Kitchener on Oct. 1 and Oct. 6.
"I would say 80 per cent of the actors and 100 per cent of the crew are local from Kitchener-Waterloo,” said SHIFTED director Adrian Konstant. “We live here, and we made a movie here."
This is the third indie flick shot by Fable Forest Films, but the first horror-thriller one.
“Back in 2018, we were creatively stuck and so decided to shoot a film without a script. We started with a general outline, a house, and a bunch of actors. It was tough. Long nights, writing pages as we went, throwing out scenes that didn't work, adding in new intense moments. It took us four years to finally be at this point right here,” reads a description posted by the Fabel Forrest Film team.
The film’s plot surrounds a group trapped in a house surrounded by murderous creatures as they struggle to survive while trying to catch a killer.
Konstant and lead actor Derek Lackenbauer said it’s their goal to show how local talent can leave a mark on the film scene.
"It’s just wonderful to see when people get together and chase their dreams and go for it, and it takes a long time, a lot longer than you think,” said Konstant.
As for filming locally, Lackenbauer said working locally was beneficial compared to the years he spent driving into Toronto for an audition.
"I've been dabbling in acting since I was a young guy, but doing the Toronto thing all the time and travelling back and forth… it's just a real big pain to go to Toronto to audition and just hear no," said Lackenbauer.
Apollo Cinema said it is excited to showcase the film in October as fans switch their viewing habits to horror movies ahead of Halloween.
"I love the idea that they're kicking off Halloween for us with a horror movie, and it’s even better that it’s by a local filmmaker,” said Becca Dallaire, Apollo Cinema director of operations.
Having already hit the film festival circuit, the reviews are starting to come in, and the team said they are pleased with what they are hearing.
"It’s been in a number of festivals, and we've got a number of festivals coming up around the world where people are going to see this film, and it's the most amount of attention we've had with any of the films we've put out yet," Lackenbauer said.
As for what's next, the team said a spooky sequel is in the works.
