In December 2018 a team of Pittsburgh filmmakers launched a crowdfunding campaign for an exciting holiday horror film, The Elf in the Room to be filmed and produced in Pittsburgh in 2019.
The campaign is currently running until 8th February 2019 on Indiegogo with a fundraising goal of $10,000.
The Elf In The Room is a twisted but cautionary psychological thriller inspired by the popular holiday family tradition of hiding the elf around the house. The story provides perspective on the notion that we are a product of our environment, by exploring the themes of parenting and the consequences of neglect. The idea of “present but absent” occurs when parents are emotionally unavailable to nurture their children. Since attention and affirmation are important to a child’s development, this void can lead to low self esteem and a tendency to act out and misbehave in order to get the attention they crave.
By way of fable, the story examines what happens when present but absent backfires. What if the elf is really watching? What if he’s able to teach a lesson? Despite the serious subject matter and themes of the film, the film is a creepy horror film that plays with the folklore of this holiday tradition and will appeal to fans of the genre.
The Pittsburgh based filmmaking team consists of emmy award winning director, Darin DiNapoli; writer, Jonathan Joseph; and producer, Amanda Williams. DiNapoli and Joseph have partnered on six short films, including a Best Film nomination at the Los Angeles 48 hour film festival for their short film “Nakama”. Williams has a 12 year career in professional production, including 4 years as the casting coordinator and associate producer on the Emmy nominated game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.
The team already has a cast in place that utilizes accomplished local talents; Allan Snyder (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, The Fantasticks) as the Dad, Andrew; Jennifer Andrada (Outsiders, Jack and Emma) as the Mother, Alison; and Payten Fisher, who is making her acting debut, as the daughter, Megan. The Elf Doll that will be used in the film is being designed and handcrafted in Pittsburgh by world-renowned doll maker Rafael Nuri.
“We fell in love with the idea of turning the pop-culture icon into a nightmare inducing horror. It is going to be dark. It is going to be creepy. And it is going to be extremely stylized. Because of this, the film requires a much higher commitment to production value than our previous works, which is why we need funding and are launching a crowdfunding campaign” says director Darin DiNapoli.