Abi is a short sci-fi horror film about a scientist named Vincent Forrester who creates an organic computer with the help of his assistants Abi and Julie.  A catastrophic virus has infected the prototype bio-processing system, and as they race to save their work, the virus jumps from computer to human and infects Abi.  Now her violent madness puts much more than careers at risk...

We love making movies, especially the kind of genre films we grew up with.   We've loved sci-fi and horror movies pretty much since we understood what movies were.  Monsters, spaceships, mad scientists, things that go bump in the night-- these were the films we were drawn to, and naturally these are the films we want to make as well.

So Abi is 100% a love letter to all those genre influences we wear on our sleeves.  Abi is the kind of film we want to watch, and we hope it's a film you'll want to watch too. 

There's nothing better for a filmmaker than sharing their movie with an audience where the oohs, aaahs, and screams all come at just the right place.  We want you to experience that good feeling too!

Working in the film industry for our day jobs, we hold ourselves to the same professional standards when we go out to make a film.  We've self-funded previous projects, including the monster movie Ding Dong (https://youtu.be/I39HLAjyUzc) that played festivals across the country. 

Abi is the next step, and it's much more ambitious.

We're trying to put images on the screen that are both incredible and original, and to do them practically.  Vincent's organic computer will be a showstopper if we fulfill our goals.  Add to that stunts, makeup fx, blood effects... not to mention the gear to light and shoot them at a pro level.

Risks and Challenges

The challenges of this project are ones we've set for ourselves:  make it look good.  We've worked on the script for over a year, and we'll keep trying to improve it right up through shooting.  Bringing it to life in the way we know it should be done is why we chose to start a campaign.  But if we fall short of our goal, we'll still make the film as good as we can with the resources we have.  That's what indie film-making is all about.

We're looking to raise $14,000, to add to the money we've have already pledged to the project.  We've got skin in the game ourselves!

That money is going to:

As you can see, production design far outweighs anything besides paying the professional actors we've cast.  That's how it should be in a genre movie-- we want you to believe this world from beginning to end.  Even though we have the (highly discounted) help of a lot of our friends who work in the Chicago film community, they need the supplies and materials to create those fantastic images you love to see.

Timothy Troy, Dan McGuire, and Corey Gilbert are filmmakers based out of Chicago.  

Tim and Dan met at Columbia College Chicago in the early 2000s, when Dan's script for a short horror film called Dorothy Greene fell into Tim's hands and became one of his earliest directing projects.  We became great friends (roommates for a few years, too) and collaborators, constantly trading ideas, work, and good-natured ribbing.

Corey got involved in the project after Tim and Dan's previous project Ding Dong screened at DragonCon in 2017.  He and Tim realized that they both lived in Chicago, and hit it off.  Corey, who has produced a slew of successful projects, was on the lookout for new indie projects to help bring to life, and Abi was in a perfect place to hit the ground running.  It was a perfect match.

The team is completed with cinematographer, Jamison Acker, and production designer Colin Bach. Jamison works on Chicago PD in the camera department and has done several short films and features as a DP.  Colin has done prop mastering and production design on many feature films and various union shows in Chicago, including several of the One Chicago productions.

Tim has been making films since he saved his own money to buy a video camera in junior high.  A graduate of Columbia College, he’s worked as a filmmaker for all of his professional life.  

For the last four years, Tim has been pushing a dolly for the hit NBC television show Chicago PD. He never wastes an opportunity to apply the lessons he learns from working on larger sets to his own independent film-making. 

A committed nerd, Tim loves both the sci-fi and horror genres.  He was immediately drawn to Abi from the moment he read the first draft, and he has dedicated all of his energy to ensure the final film will be as amazing as the vision in his head.

Tim lives in Chicago with his exceedingly patient wife and crazy little monster Jack Russell terrier.

Dan has had a passion for visual storytelling since he first started experimenting with an old video camera as a child, and his excitement for the art of filmmaking has not calmed down since.

After graduating from Columbia College, Dan has spent the last decade working in film and television postproduction, editing programming for networks such as Discovery, History, A&E, Biography, and TLC.

Dan first developed the concept for Abi while attending college. Though the idea took a backseat to other projects for over a decade, he always knew he would return to his story about a mind-bending organic computer virus when the time was right. Now, he is thrilled to see his story brought to life by the most talented cast and crew he could ask for.

Dan lives in Chicago with his brilliant six-year-old daughter, who is a constant source of inspiration and also remarkably adept at keeping her father on course.

Ever since Corey can remember, he has wanted to make art and make movies.  He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in Graphic Design and worked for several years as a professional designer in Chicago from 1994 to 2003.  

In 2003, Corey started his film and video production company, p3 mediaworks, with his brother. Still based in chiago, Corey has created many projects over the past 15 years both commercially and independently.  His work has appeared on television, in film festivals, and online platforms.

As soon as Tim handed Corey the script for Abi, he immediately fell in love with the concept and the story. He knew he needed to be a part of making the film a reality. He has worked tirelessly and put all of the resources available to p3 mediaworks toward that goal.

Clare Cooney: "Abi"

Clare is a Chicago-based theater, film, tv and commercial actor. A Detroit native, she moved to Chicago to pursue acting after graduating from The University of Notre Dame. Clare is a proud graduate of The School of Steppenwolf and has also worked with Chicago Dramatists, Northlight Theatre, Theater Wit, Redtwist Theatre, and the Backroom Shakespeare Project.

Clare received an award for Outstanding Acting at Sidewalk Film Festival in 2016 for her performance in the short film Bird of Prey. Her other recent film/TV credits include Hot Date on Pop TV, Shrink on NBC, Soul Sessions, directed by Vincent Gaffney, and Widows, directed by Steve McQueen and due for release in 2018.

Clare has enthusiastically dived into the bloody business of horror filmmaking with Abi. Her excitement for the project is evident in her performance, as she commits full throttle to the madness of the film's title character.

Clare is also a director and filmmaker. Her short film RUNNER recently World Premiered at Sidewalk Film Festival 2017, and won Best USA Short Film at Fairhope Film Festival 2017.

Rom Barkhordar: "Vincent"

Rom has been living and working as an actor in Chicago for nearly 20 years. His credits include Yasmina's Necklace for the Goodman Theatre, Uncle Vanya, or that's Life for Rasaka theatre, Mosque Alert for Silk Road Rising, and In a Garden for A Red Orchid theatre, which earned him a Jeff award nomination for best actor. 

Rom's regional credits include The Who and the What for the Huntington Theatre and Around the World in 80 days for Centerstage Baltimore and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Television credits include Chicago Justice, Chicago Fire, Mind Games, Boss, and The Beast.  

Rom quickly became hooked on the visceral sci-fi psychological horror goodness crammed into Abi's twelve-page script. He cannot wait to start shooting with the determined and professional cast and crew. He knows it's going to be a blast.

Rom is currently preparing to play Amir in Ayad Akyar's pulitzer prize winning play, Disgraced, at Virginia Stage Company.

Emily Berman: "Julie"

Emily is a Chicago-based actor, musician, and voiceover artist, who was named one of the Chicago Tribune’s Hot New Faces in July of 2014. She grew up in the Chicago area, and is a proud graduate of Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's Emerging Residency Program and the University of Michigan, from which she holds a BFA in Acting and a BA in Economics.

Emily loves collaborating on new theatre work. Her Chicago credits include the roles of Tessa in the world premiere of Days Like Today at Writers Theatre, Lucy Steele in the world premiere of Sense and Sensibility at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Mary Bennet in the world premiere of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly at Northlight Theatre.

Emily can't wait to work with "this top-notch team on such an exciting, unique, well-written script." Even just after one day of pre-production work, she is already sure that we're going to create something audiences will enjoy, and have a lot of fun doing it!

Emily works extensively in Chicago's voiceover scene. She has also played the roles of paramedic Jen Brenner on NBC's Chicago Fire and Ella Porter on Chicago PD.

Jennifer Goodman "Dispatcher"

Jennifer is an actress, screenwriter and director from the northern suburbs of Chicago, where she sits on several charity boards and focuses her energy on developing her craft in writing and acting.

Graduated from Ohio Wesleyan with a B.A in Theatre, Jennifer has grown her career focusing primarily on television and film. She's been seen in several commercials and films, including Commencement and The Break Up, and is recognized for her role as Katy Conrad in Conrad, a new crime/drama web series focusing on female empowerment, which Jennifer also writes.

Jennifer is thrilled to be a part of making Abi come to life. Calling it "a perfect dose of what society is facing today when it comes to computers taking over the industry," she feels lucky to be included with such a collaborative and creative group.

Jennifer currently owns Conrad Series, LLC with co-partners Ryan Atkins, and Jessica Lawson. She is currently hard at work on The Nest, a psychological thriller due to be released in 2018.

If You Can't Contribute

Maybe you want to join us, but can't back us right now.  That's fine!  There's still plenty you can do to help, and it's easy!  If you love sci-fi and horror as much as we do, you probably know a lot of people that would be interested in this film too.  Let them know it's out there!  Hit like and follow on this page, and share it out with your friends!

Maybe you're not convinced yet.  That's fine too!  Hit like on this page, and keep up to date as we release more about the film.  You can join us whenever you're ready!

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Thanks so much for checking us out and for supporting independent film!