DON'T FRET THE DEVIL

SYNOPSIS:
When a shady Guitar player claims to have captured The Devil in his guitar, a disgraced Priest reluctantly decides to rescue his soul. Unbeknownst to the Priest, The Devil is the least of his problems, and he is about to come face-to-face with a blasphemous question:
Who is truly to blame for sinful deeds?

  • Law Ferreira
    Writer/Director
  • Mike Daniels
    Key Cast
    "Guitarist"
  • W. Richard Johnson
    Key Cast
    "Priest"
  • Ruth Anne Young
    Key Cast
    "The Devil"
  • Nick Froment
    Sound
  • Stacy Aurelio
    Costumes
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Horror, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 11, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    17:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Law is an independent filmmaker from Providence, RI. He has been assisting other local filmmakers shoot their films since 2009, working as sound, lighting, A.C. and production assistant on numerous short films in the Southern New England scene. While he has made smaller short films in the past, "Don't Fret The Devil" marks many firsts for him: first film physically behind the camera, first submission into the festival universe, and first wholly original score.

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Director Statement

"Don't Fret The Devil" is a micro-budget short film inspired by classic "The Twilight Zone" & "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" suspense; specifically Douglas Heyes' episode "The Howling Man". The film seeks to explore who is really to blame for sinful choices: does humanity require a scapegoat to sleep at night? Is the Devil really the biggest threat to the human race, or it is humanity itself?

Production Notes:
'Don't Fret The Devil' is a collaboration between 3 crew members and 3 actors filmed over the course of 3 days. In order to capture the retro feel, the film is shot with 1970's lenses and presented with a grainy, gritty, black & white film emulation. The score is completely original, establishing the main musical motif within the first frames of the film. In a nod to Georges Méliès, the film features a short semi-rotoscoped sequence, emulating the "magic" effects of early film. "Don't Fret the Devil" wears its inspirations on its sleeve and hopes to entertain while also encouraging discourse on accountability.