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The Woods | Horror Short Film | New York, NY

“The Woods” is a short horror film written, directed and produced by New York-based filmmaker, Robbie Lemieux. The short is a proof-of-concept and teaser for a feature film by the same name, which is currently in development and seeking funding. In “The Woods,” a mother is thrust into a nightmare scenario after witnessing her daughter wander off into the forest with a strange man. While frantically searching for her daughter, she encounters the inhuman beings that reside within the woods.

The short was shot on location in Kerhonkson (Rochester), NY, over the course of two days. It stars film and Broadway actress, Jeanna Schweppe as the lead, along with Maggie Stack in a supporting role as her daughter. This is Stack’s first ever film role. “This horror film takes place during the day, intentionally,” says director Robbie Lemieux. “There’s no stylized lighting or creepy locations. Through the cinematography and design, the space was made to feel familiar and peaceful, and my hope was that this false sense of security would make the horror that ensues all the more terrifying.”

The short film borrows thematic and stylistic ideas from the feature film, which is an intimate and gripping character-driven horror film. The feature focused on a divorced couple who, while vacationing at an isolated cabin retreat, struggle to save their children from an unknown fate after an inexplicable evil lures them into the woods. It’s a film about how fear can bring out the worst in people, specifically the fear of the unknown — the sort of fear that comes from seeing a loved one wander into the woods toward and unknown fate, and not understanding why they did it, what’s out there, or why you’ve been left behind.

The Woods premiered at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on October 13th, 2018, and enjoyed a second screening on October 14th. This is the second film by director Robbie Lemieux to premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival — the first being Scorch, which was a 2017 official selection.

You can join The Woods’ mailing list to be one of the first to receive a link to the film, shortly before it is publicly released in the spring. You’ll also receive updates on the progress of the feature. Visit the official website (below) to join the mailing list and watch the trailer.

Official Website: https://thewoodsfilm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewoodsfilm/

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