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Hair Wraith

After the death of her abusive mother Candice, Sally returns to her rural hometown and reunites with her sister Emma—only to discover a grotesque wreath made from Candice’s hair. As eerie phenomena escalate, Sally learns the wreath is cursed with Candice’s spirit. When Emma becomes possessed, Sally must break the curse by returning a lock of hair to Candice’s corpse, leading to a deadly confrontation—and an ominous hint that Candice’s evil may still linger.

  • Jenny Popovich
    Director
  • Jenny Lee Popovich
    Writer
  • Ahsha Davis
    Producer
    Righteous Self
  • Ashley Greenwood
    Key Cast
    "Sally Torrance"
    The Wolfman Revisited
  • Amelia Mahrie
    Key Cast
    "Emma Torrance"
    Spider-Gwen: Last Dance
  • Annie Bayliss
    Key Cast
    "Candice Torrance"
  • Nola Bayliss
    Key Cast
    "Young Sally Torrance"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 16, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • WPRN Women’s International Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
    United States
    January 1, 2024
    Exceptional Merit
  • Hollywood Blood Horror Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    January 1, 2024
    Winner, Best Horror, Winner, Best Director, Winner, Best Young Actress, Winner, Best Ensemble.
  • Independent Horror Movie Awards
    Online
    United States
    January 1, 2024
    Winner, Best Atmosphere
  • Independent Horror Movie Awards
    Online
    United States
    January 1, 2024
    Nominee, Best Original Concept
  • The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards
    London, United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
    February 5, 2024
    Nominee, Best Horror
  • The Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards
    London, United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
    February 5, 2024
    Nominee, Best Script
  • Fright Nights Film Festival
    Pasching, Austria
    Austria
    October 16, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival
    Chapel Hill, NC
    United States
    September 30, 2024
    Best Special Effects
  • Lady Filmmakers Film Festival
    Beverly Hills, CA
    United States
    September 25, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Insólito: Festival Internacional de Cine Fantástico
    Lima, Peru
    Peru
    October 23, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Toronto Indie Horror Film Festival
    Toronto, CA
    Canada
    October 1, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Horror Fest
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    October 7, 2024
    Best Original Story
  • Halloweenapolooza Film Festival
    Ottumwa, IA
    October 7, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Sinister Horror Film Festival
    Mexico City, Mextco
    Mexico
    November 30, 2024
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Jenny Popovich

Jenny is an Assistant Professor of Film Production at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Jenny’s scripts and films tell relevant twenty-first century stories with memorable and engaging characters. Jenny is a strong advocate for female representation both in front of and behind the camera. Her female-centered films and screenplays offer believable characters and unique plots. Her films have screened and won in over 38 festivals, including festivals in Mexico, Peru, Austria, Canada, and Switzerland. In the United States, Jenny’s films have been showcased at the Central Florida Film Festival, Best Horror Shorts Film Festival, WPRN Women’s International Film Festival, and The Cutting Room International Film Festival.

Jenny’s Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi, and Horror scripts have been honored at several prestigious film festivals. These include the WPRN Women’s International Film Festival, Summer in the South Film Festival, and FilmQuest. Jenny’s work received recognition at The New York Science Fiction Film Festival. It was also acknowledged by the ScreenCraft Film Fund and Coverfly’s Red List. Additionally, she received honors from The Richmond International Film Festival. Her feature screenplay, Monster Girl, a coming-of-age comedy-drama, was workshopped and received a table reading with SAG-AFTRA performers at The Lady Filmmakers Film Festival in Beverly Hills, CA. Jenny was interviewed by Sinister Magazine for an article on her horror short, Hair Wraith.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I was four, my mother came home with a bizarre wreath woven from twisted vines that curled inward. Scattered among the tendrils were tiny red plastic apples. Two of the apples were placed in a way that made the wreath appear to have sinister red eyes. My mom had the bright idea of hanging the mutant wreath on the wall across from my bed. Night after night, I drifted into a recurring nightmare where the wreath would come to life. Its tiny plastic red apple eyes ignited into cruel glowing red eyes. The twisted vines sprouted arms and legs, and from its warped form, sharp gleaming teeth emerged. In my dreams, it would leap off the wall and chase after me, snapping its teeth at my feet. These dreams went on for months until, eventually, the wreath was put away for good.

While reading about the Victorian custom of memorializing the deceased by creating wreaths from their hair, I was reminded of the sinister wreath from my childhood. I was searching for a new concept for a script and wanted to write a story that was both entertaining and scary. The combination of this Victorian custom and my childhood memories of the wreath sparked the idea for Hair Wraith.