Synopsis
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is an original feature-length found-footage horror film from How Bizarre Pictures.
Dealing with the revelations of a deeply traumatic event from her childhood, Ozzie Gray decides to video document her investigation into the mystery surrounding the horrific acts committed by her late grandmother, Dorothy Bell. Ozzie attempts to find answers by communicating with the spirit of her grandmother but unravels a much larger and darker story that puts her life in grave danger.
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Who am I?
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My name is Danny Villanueva Jr. (He/Him), the writer/director of What Happened to Dorothy Bell? My debut feature-length film, a drama/horror anthology titled I Dream of a Psychopomp, had a successful festival run, picked up multiple awards, and landed a distribution deal with Terror Films for a digital/VOD release on August 19th.
Our Team
The Cast
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Asya Meadows as Ozzie Gray
Asya Meadows (They/Them) is a Chicago-based actor and comedy improviser. They studied at the Loyola University of Chicago and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. They’ve trained at the Actors Studio Chicago and Logan Square Improv, Stepping Stone’s 10,000 Hours, and gained acting experience through various short films. Asya is known for playing Fred in The House of Baba Yaga at Imposter Theatre and Ashton in Steps in PassinArt Theatre Company.
Arlene Arnone as Dorothy Bell
Arlene Arnone (She/Her) returned to the Chicago area in 2013, having spent the previous 16 years "retired" in Florida. Once she retired, she became an integral part of a new theatre company (Curtain Call Playhouse) handling everything from acting to costume design & execution, to set dressing, props master, grant writing & other administrative duties. In 2015, she added film to her resume, appearing in several short and feature films that are still traveling through various film festivals around the world.
Sargon Odicho as Amir Kashif
Sargon Odicho (He/Him) is an actor/filmmaker and software engineer based in Chicago, IL. He worked as an actor in several independent films, including Through the Lens by director Justin Piotrowski. Sargon also practices screenwriting, which he strongly believes helps his approach as an actor. In his free time, he enjoys sports, music, and gaming.
Steven Alonte as George Hall
Steven Alonte (He/Him) is a NYC/Milwaukee, WI-based actor and former firefighter of 32 years at the Milwaukee Fire Department. He studied acting at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, New York's the Barrow group, and T. Schreiber. Some of his recent roles include Charles Valentine/The Psychopomp in Danny Villanueva Jr.'s debut feature, I Dream of a Psychopomp, and Ricky D'Ambrose's The Cathedral which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
J. Anthony Ramos as Detective Rafael Gonzalez
J. Anthony Ramos (He/Him) is a director, writer, producer, and actor whose parents migrated from Zacatecas, Mexico, was born and raised in Southeastern Wisconsin. His love of films and storytelling started at a young age, when his parents would often take him to the movies. He still resides in Wisconsin, where he hopes to continue collaborating with other talented artists on more film projects.
The Crew
We will be bringing back many of the crew members from our last film including our director of photography, Michael Thomas Determan, who will also serve as a co-producer, location sound mixer, Kevin Vicks, art department prop master and set decorator, Tori Rodriguez, stills photographer, Steve Rodriguez, and more!
Why This Project?
When I was 10 years old, I saw The Blair Witch Project at the cinema and was convinced it was a real documentary. It had changed me. For the longest time, I went about my life with the belief that those 3 college students who went out into those woods had undoubtedly experienced a true supernatural encounter. This gave validity to all the ghost stories I've heard before. It was like finding out that magic was real, which did wonders for a 10-year-old's imagination. This experience was a huge contributing factor to my love for horror/spooky stuff and why found-footage films hold such a special place in my heart.
The found-footage/pseudo-documentary style of filmmaking can immerse its viewers in ways that traditional filmmaking can't. These films put us in the point-of-view of the protagonists and present these narrative events in a way that is most real to us. This style is extremely effective in genre films with fantastical or supernatural elements by helping suspend disbelief. My goal for What Happened to Dorothy Bell? is to create an utterly terrifying film with a strong plot and relatable characters.
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Director of Photography Michael Thomas Determan and 1st AC Katherine Kuhlmey behind the scene of I Dream of a Psychopomp.
How can you get involved?
I'd like to invite you to join our team on this journey to get this film made! Being a contributor will help give us the resources needed to complete this film to its best potential. We're offering a multitude of perks for our contributors, including exclusive What Happened to Dorothy Bell? merch and exciting opportunities for you to get more directly involved with the production of this film. Our goal is to raise $7000 to add to the $2000 we already have. This will help cover expenses such as cast/crew pay, equipment rental, production insurance, catering, props, and wardrobe. If we do not hit our goal, the funds will still go to the project and the show will go on. We will alter the screenplay to make a smaller version of the film we intend to do. That being said, we want to give audiences the best version of this film and that's why your contribution is crucial.
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Behind the scenes of Danny Villanueva Jr.'s debut feature, 'I Dream of a Psychopomp'
