By MICHAEL GINGOLD
The independent chiller will get in viewer’s faces later this month.
SLAPFACE, written and directed by Jeremiah Kipp based on his short film of the same title, will play as part of the Cinequest/Cinejoy festival, which runs on-line March 20-30. Tickets are now available here. August Maturo (THE NUN), Dan Hedaya, Mike C. Manning, Libe Barer, Lukas Hassel, Mirabelle Lee, Bianca D’Ambrosio and Chiara D’Ambrosio star; the synopsis: “SLAPFACE follows the story of Lucas [Maturo], who is being raised by his alcoholic older brother Tom [Manning] after the loss of their parents. Lucas is a troubled and bullied young boy who befriends a monster in the nearby woods, and the two develop a dangerous relationship. Barer plays Anna, an outsider in their small town who becomes romantically involved with Tom and who grows increasingly concerned about the welfare of Tom’s little brother. Hedaya plays Sheriff John Thurston, a man who has a history with Tom and Lucas’ deceased mother and who feels a responsibility to look out for the well-being of her orphaned children.”
“We’re delighted to be premiering SLAPFACE at Cinequest,” Kipp tells RUE MORGUE. “Cast members like August Maturo, who was 12 when we shot the film, and Dan Hedaya, who I saw in BLOOD SIMPLE back when I was August’s age–it was a formative movie for me–have been extremely supportive in getting the word out. I’m really looking forward to seeing the actors and crew again, even if it’s virtually. For a movie about the horrors of trauma manifested in the form of a deadly monster, this project was made with great love and care.
“And to finally share the movie with an audience is what it’s all about,” he continues. “Horror fans like myself have always held their outsider status as a badge of honor. This movie was made for them.” Check out our previous coverage of SLAPFACE here and here.
