The Kind Ones

When Mrs. Andrews intervenes in the life of her abused student Timothy, she becomes the guest of his strange family and their predatory delights.

  • Jamal Hodge
    Writer
  • Jamal Hodge
    Director
  • Patrick Thompson
    Producer
  • Jarrett Albritton
    Producer
  • Angela Trotter
    Key Cast
  • Brandon Despain
    Key Cast
  • Gjilberta Lucaj
    Key Cast
  • Taishi Hosokawa
    Key Cast
  • Adam Richlin
    Director of Photography
  • Jeff Siegel
    Assistant Director
  • Ken Wilkinson
    Sound Mix
  • Aisha Norris
    Associate Producer
  • Gina Kim
    Associate Producer
  • Alijami Hodge
    Associate Producer
  • David Rodriguez
    Art Director
  • Vineet Verma
    Colorist
  • Ron Varga
    Technical Crew
  • John Dipinto
    Technical Crew
  • Rony Portillo
    Technical Crew
  • Dan Ennab
    Technical Crew
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Horror
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cannes Short Film Corner
    Cannes
    France
    May 16, 2016
    France Premiere
  • NYC Horror Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 13, 2016
    Audience Choice Award
  • Big Apple Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    November 4, 2016
    New York City Premiere
  • Fantastic Cinema & Craft Beer Festival
    Little Rock
    United States
    May 21, 2017
  • Calgary Horror Con Calgary Horror Con
    Calgary, Alberta
    Canada
    June 1, 2018
    Canadian Premiere
  • Spotlight Horror Film Awards
    Atlanta, Georgia
    United States
    December 31, 2016
    Gold Spire Award Winner
  • The Short Film Awards
    South Orange, NJ
    United States
    January 8, 2018
    South Orange, NJ
  • Big Terror Horror Short Film Festival

    United States
    September 30, 2017
  • Tabloid Witch Awards
    Santa Monica, CA
    United States
    November 24, 2017
    Honorable Mention
  • The Indie Horror Film Festival

    March 16, 2018
Director Biography - Jamal Hodge

Emerging from New York's inner-city, in 1999 Jamal Hodge burst onto the independent film scene with his first film, ‘An African-American in Russia’. This exploratory documentary earned numerous awards, introducing Hodge to the film circuit as a daring and insightful artist. As a young filmmaker, Hodge's works have been featured in the renowned Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival. Hodge has worked on the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Bullets in the Hood as a cinematographer, and on Discovery Channel's Dupont award winning Series 'OFF To War' as an assistant editor. Jamal has been recognized with a citation award from the Hague Appeal for Peace for his brilliant directorial work in 'The Zapatista Dream 5 Years Later.' He has received various other accolades and awards including a Gold Spire Award from the San Francisco International Film Festival and the Alumnus Award from Tribeca/Urban Visionaries.

Not one to shy away from the organic pull of the New York City Theater, Jamal Hodge has worked as an assistant director on the off-Broadway play, Prayers for the Ghetto, and as a casting agent for Clifton King and Michael Horne for the sketch comedy show 'Something Outrageous'. Recently Hodge has performed as an actor opposite theatre legend Patrik Baldauff in the short film 'Patrik' (2016) and in the Feature film Wild Men (2016) as the film's main antagonist.

Jamal Hodge's first Narrative feature film as a director, ‘Threading Needles’, a gritty drama that explores the current state of American racism, the bonds of family and the fragile but unbreakable bonds of love, was one of two runner-ups at the Hollywood Black Film Festival’s 2011 feature film competition. Hodge is currently in Post-production on a slew of projects, such as ‘Modern Grace’, a faith based Documentary-series and ‘The Last Doctor’ a medical series that highlights the current state of health culture through the eyes of a 77 year old Jewish-Italian Knight. He will release 3 narrative films in 2016 ‘The Jump’ (an inspirational drama), ‘Knockout Game’ (an urban thriller), and ‘The Kind Ones’ (a horror film) which has recently become a selection in the 2016 Cannes Film festival’s short film Corner.

Having worked in the commercial world for companies such as Black Berry and Teachscape, Hodge has directed the corporate videos for the Harlem Children's Zone's Healthy Harlem Initiative from 2012-2015. An avid believer in education and an advocate for 'paying it forward', Hodge has also taught filmmaking to literally hundreds of kids from various walks of life, at the Japan Society, Keio Academy, Big Brothers-Big Sisters, The Pro-Tv Program, TRUCE, The COVE, and Mythic Bridge. Despite his humble beginnings, Hodge has risen to become one of film's most promising and dynamic new visionaries. His history of mentoring youth in underprivileged communities speaks to his depth of character and his work abroad sheds light on his ability to cross barriers and explore issues that have long remained undiscovered. As a director, writer, and producer, Jamal Hodge has only just begun to carve out his name into film history.

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Director Statement

The Kind Ones is a dark thriller, meaning it lands somewhere in between a thriller and a horror movie. Fueled by a deliberate Hitchcockian pace, It is a film that tests contemporary notions of victim-hood and explores the dangers of goodness for goodness' sake.
It will haunt the viewer long after the final frame, for no good deed goes unpunished and innocence does not survive the jaws of life.
As a child I have known fear as one knows the laughter of their mother. Growing up in the South Bronx during the crack era- where the addicted lumbered around like demons in human flesh, large in my Tween eyes. They might have been people once... or maybe they had never been people at all.
A brief stint in New York City's foster care system showed me how 'Good' people could change once the light of public scrutiny disappeared. In the darkness of their true selves, they could enact cruel tortures on the most innocent among them.
I believed in monsters then, because I knew them by name, and now I want you to believe in them too.
The Kind Ones is rooted in the darkest Taboo, asking the viewer a devil's question: Is human compassion a weakness that reduces us to prey?
As we follow the journey of Mrs. Andrews to save Timothy from his abusive parents, and ultimately to save Timothy from his own nature, the darkness inside us echos Mrs. Byleth's silky lullaby, "The young ones are the sweetest, The fat ones are the meatiest, The Kind Ones are the easiest."
This short film intentionally speaks softly of murder and betrayal. it gives a twisted spin on gentrification and the xenophobia inherent in the faces of the 'other'. The Byleth family hail from the 'old country' they move into a predominately black neighborhood and the town eerily becomes still.. empty... with few of its original inhabitants left.
Timothy tries to fit in to his new community but he is rejected, a pariah. Only Mrs' Andrews stands up for him and is willing to confront the wrongs. But the question remains, this time deeper... is human compassion a weakness? And sometimes, are the 'different' among us actually a threat?
I wrote this film to disturb the viewer, to thrust him\her into a place where logic trembles. it is the first step in an expansive world of horror where fallen angels walk among us calling themselves the Nephilim.
This film is merely an invitation.
Take my hand and let's skip through the valley of death.