All this month, 20th Digital Studio is premiering a wild selection of genre-bending short films for Halloween 2020. Ranging from horror comedy to psychological thrillers and everything in between, these films were created by a diverse group of 30 exciting new filmmakers from different countries, identities, and backgrounds. 20th Digital Studio’s continuing mission is to guide and finance the growth of these filmmakers’ careers beyond this program, and in this weekly series, we’re introduced to the artists behind these scaretacular shorts. Today we get to know Stefan Dezil, whose film THIRST is now screening across digital and broadcast platforms, via Freeform, FX, and Hulu’s Huluween platform hub and YouTube channel.
What draws you to the horror genre?
Creatively, the genre has always scared me, which I think is why I ended up trying to conquer those fears. The notion of crafting new myths that feature underrepresented communities is exciting and along with that, the opportunity to create thrilling visual sequences that push the boundaries of cinema. Horror raises the stakes for global audiences and that’s a fun playground to explore.
Who or what are your biggest influences as a filmmaker?
If I start listing the directors who inspire me, I’ll be here for days, but I gotta say movies like Wild Strawberries, The Matrix, Lawrence of Arabia, The Prestige, and Minority Report have had such a massive impact on cinematic language for me. I enjoy pictures that feel like moving paintings, have a large thematic scope, and are fun to watch for people around the world.
What do you hope viewers take away from your film?
Most of all, I hope viewers feel something, which I think is paramount for making movies. I love it when people get excited about a concept as much as I had crafting it with my team, but I truly hope they feel for our characters and their journey and want to see more of their story.
Stay tuned for more mini interviews with Bite Size Halloween filmmakers every week this month!
