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Chicken House

A reclusive man moves to the suburbs and starts receiving visits from mysterious strangers... dressed as chickens.

  • Jacob French
    Director
  • Jacob French
    Writer
  • Jenna Blakeslee
    Producer
  • John Bolton
    Key Cast
    "Frank"
    Gossip Girl, Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, The Equalizer
  • Gabriela Rivera Araujo
    Key Cast
    "Charlotte"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Horror
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 16mm
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Jacob French

Jacob French (he/him) is an internationally recognized filmmaker with a BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Film and Animation. With French's films, nothing is what it seems, as he blends tones and genres, crafting absurd stories with deeply felt emotional cores. With a lifelong love of storytelling and filmmaking dating back as early as first grade, he strives to go against the grain and keep audiences on their toes. His films have screened in festivals across several continents, in places such as Time Square, London, and Milan.

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Director Statement

Grief is a funny thing; sure it’s painful, but it’s also surprising, varied, and unpredictable. With Chicken House I wanted to depict just how strange the grieving process can be, and also running from grief never leads to closure.
I wanted the very serious topics of this film to sneak up on the audience, in the same way grief can unexpectedly rear its head. My goal was to use comedy disarm audiences, thinking they were in for a silly film about chickens, and then surprise them with the heart that this story has to offer. Finding a way to make these tonal shifts appropriately jarring, while not being too disorienting was a difficult balance to find. This made the film all the more satisfying to complete though, as it really felt like a unique piece.
I’d also be remiss to not mention just how hand-made and deeply collaborative every aspect of this film is. I truly had the best cast, department heads, and crew on this project and it would not have been the same without each and every one of them. It’s rare that you’re lucky enough to work on a film that is so deeply fulfilling both personally and professionally, and I’m so happy that Chicken House has proved to be just that. I hope you enjoy the film!