DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT:
Hello, and welcome to our funding campaign for THE GREYWITCH CHRONICLES! My name is John FreelyKirk, I am a 24 year old, independent filmmaker from Albuquerque, New Mexico. For as long as I can remember I have loved cinema. It wasn't long before I found myself to have a fascination with the horror genre, in particular. Films like The Evil Dead, Trick r' Treat, The Thing and The Conjuring (just to name a few) quickly became favorites of mine, and inspirations for films of my own.
I tried various career paths after high school, but came to realize my heart still lied with filmmaking. In 2021, I began to dedicate my free time to filmmaking. Since then, I began to study film at the University of New Mexico, in addition to writing and directing various short films. These have included shorts such as, THE MIMIC, OMINOUS, and I'VE MISSED YOU, as well as two 48 Hour Film Projects; The Chameleon Effect (ABQ 2022 48HFP) and the award winning horror short, Happy Anniversary (OKC 2022 48HFHP).
After each project, I have felt my abilities as a filmmaker grow, as well as my confidence of bringing stories to life. After a lot of thought, I realized I was ready to jump into directing my first feature film. After nearly 6 months of hard work, the story of THE GREYWITCH CHRONICLES was created by a team of passionate filmmakers. We are extremely proud of what we are creating and are excited to bring it to life. Now, there is no denying that this is an ambitious project, but we are confident that with your help, we can make this happen!
So on behalf of the entire team, thank you, and welcome to Greywitch County! We hope you enjoy your stay.
John FreelyKirk
DIRECTOR
WHAT MAKES THE GREYWITCH CHRONICLES UNIQUE?
Inspired by films and series' like The Evil Dead,Trick r' Treat, The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror, and V/H/S, THE GREYWITCH CHRONICLES is a horror anthology feature film. The film is the collaboration of five writers, Becca Elbrecht, Yvon Streacker, Candice Marie, Sean Kelly and John FreelyKirk. The film features four interconnected stories and is set in the fictional town of Greywitch County. Audiences will follow a mysterious character known only as "The Gentleman" as he patrols the streets of Greywitch County on various Halloween nights. THE GREYWITCH CHRONICLES is a decade spanning, horror anthology set through the 1960's to the 1990's. The film will be shot on location in the land of enchantment; New Mexico.
Once the team decided to create an anthology film, we knew we wanted each story to feel distinct and stand out just as much as they flowed into one another. This lead to choosing a different writer for each of our four stories. The inclusion of a branching narrative and centralized character, tying them all together, only helped to strengthen each story and allowed them to flow smoothly into one another. Each story features a different cast of characters and locations, in addition to varied ranges of themes and horror sub-genres.
The idea to have our film split up into multiple decades was something that came up early in pre-production. We feel that this is the most unique element of the film and are very proud of how we have formed the story around it. This decision allows a lot of room for creative freedom. Each story will feature a unique flow, style, color palette, lingo and use of set design, props, makeup and wardrobe. Each story feels unique and distinct and we are very proud of this.
(This poster, designed by Stephen Gilliam, will be one of the perks available to our contributors)
MEET THE TEAM:
JOHN FREELYKIRK - DIRECTOR/WRITER OF "THE STARLIGHT MOTEL"
MICHAEL LUDWIG - DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY/COMPOSER
Michael's Portfolio: http://mludwigmedia.com
BECCA ELBRECHT - COWRITER OF "LOOK AT ME!"
YVON STREACKER - COWRITER OF "LOOK AT ME!"
SEAN KELLY - WRITER OF "SANATORIUM"
CANDICE MARIE - WRITER OF "AMELIA"
BENJAMIN A. FULLER - "THE GENTLEMAN"
Happy Anniversary - Slate 505 [Winner of the Best Supporting Actor Award OKC 48HFHP 2022]
The Chameleon Effect - Slate 505
Office Remand - Story Quest Studios
Figments - Liminal Line Pictures
THE STORY
When writing this film, there was a desire to create distinct stories with a central character and branching narrative. There is no doubt, that horror is a subjective genre, this meant approaching each story as its own, contained narrative. Having a different writer for each short has really helped bring variety and style to each story, and we are incredibly proud of what has been produced.
Halloween plays an important role in our film. The Gentleman patrols the streets of Greywitch County every Halloween to observe it's residents, and if the time is right, punish the wicked. The film will follow The Gentleman through four decades as he experiences four unique stories. Those stories are:
CHRONICLE I: 'LOOK AT ME!'
Written by Becca Elbrecht and Yvon Streaker, 'Look at Me!' is a psychological horror story set in the early 1960's. The story follows an Au Pair who begins to obsess over the perfect life of her live-in family. She grows an unhealthy obsession with the mother, father and daughter, and begins to act strangely around the house. It is not long before she finds herself willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her desires.
CHRONICLE II: 'SANATORIUM'
Written by Sean Kelly, 'Sanatorium' is a noir/detective story. Heavily inspired by Eldrich and Lovecraftian lore, the story follows a seasoned detective in the mid-1970's investigating a string of suicides across Greywitch County. It is not long before he finds himself pulled into the strangest and most dangerous case of his career.
CHRONICLE III: 'THE STARLIGHT MOTEL'
Written by the film's Director, John FreelyKirk, 'The Starlight Motel' is the story of three friends who travel to the mysterious "Starlight Motel", America's only motel built atop a UFO crash site. Set in 1984, these three friends find themselves experiencing the strangest Halloween of their lives.
CHRONICLE IV: 'AMELIA'
Written by Candice Marie, 'Amelia' is a romance/horror story. Set in the 1990's, the story follows a ballet dancer named Amelia. She feels disconnected from her fellow dance mates but quickly realizes she has a deep connection to one person, the mysterious character known as "The Gentleman".