American Gothic - (Student Cut)

If we disagree, promise to never disappear…

Twins known as Brother and Sister contemplate their existence and the permanence of memory in this mind bending Bomar Brothers horror film.

  • Grant Lee Bomar
    Director
    Self Portraits or: How to talk endearingly to possible victims, Fringe, My Dinner with an Android, Falsehood, Tomato Records
  • Grant Lee Bomar
    Writer
  • Dean Lee Bomar
    Writer
  • Geoffrey Lee Bomar
    Writer
  • Geoffrey Lee Bomar
    Producer
  • Cristina Lisa Bomar
    Producer
  • Alan Boell
    Key Cast
    "Father"
    Creed III, The eyes of Tammy Faye
  • Danielle Carrozza
    Key Cast
    "Mother"
    GetAWAY, Kiara
  • Caitlin McPhail
    Key Cast
    "Daughter"
    Crowhand, Self Portraits or: How to talk endearingly to possible victims, Content: The Lo-Fi Man
  • Bryson Bonta
    Key Cast
    "Son"
    Self Portraits or: How to talk endearingly to possible victims, Parlous
  • Dean Lee Bomar
    Director of Photography
    Self Portraits or: How to talk endearingly to possible victims, Fringe, My Dinner with an Android, Falsehood, Tomato Records
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Horror, Psychological, Drama
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 21, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.76:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Arizona
Director Biography - Grant Lee Bomar

Half-Hispanic Director Grant Lee Bomar (18) has been making films with his older brother Dean (20) since they were 8 & 10. Born in Scottsdale, based in the O4W, and currently attending the University of Arizona for degrees in Film and Television Studies, their films have been featured in theatres numerous times, with festival selections and screenings of their work across the country and internationally.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I was 17 when I directed American Gothic as a student of the University of Arizona in September 2023. It was shot over 4 days in a secluded mountain environment. The small 10-person team had to operate in a highly mobile, fast-moving, on-location shoot. The film is shot in a stunning 2.76:1 aspect ratio. It features an original score by singer Olivia Zoe.

American Gothic is an exploration of the nature of reality, perception, and being. At the core of the film is a traditional narrative considering the struggles between creative and family lifestyles. The story is told in two timelines, of the children pondering the validity of their memories of their youth and of their parents in the past making formative decisions in the children’s lives while maintaining their creative freedom, which facilitates a time warping story interpreted through memories. Furthermore, the family is divided on lines of creation and creator, offering an exploration of whether or not consciousness and reality are solely defined by perception. The film poses, as a parable of the mind and of God, questions of the role of the artist as either a creator of worlds through meticulous design or accidents outside of their control, and presents a scenario where characters are beings with lives of their own that exist beyond their creator.

The film deals with the topics of family, marriage, birth, death, infanticide, mass murder, and a coming-of-age story with existential questions of memory and how it shapes one's reality. I am very pleased with the final film and how we were able to achieve an ending of multiple interpretations that is dependent upon the viewers unique perspective to the subject matters.

P.S. If you’re a festival screener and you just watched the film, please rate and review it on Letterboxd! Thanks!!