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Mort

A slime-ball mortician and his timid new assistant scramble to distract a repugnant small-town family after their loved one's corpse turns into a zombie and wanders off minutes before the funeral.

  • Charlie Queen
    Writer/Director/Producer
  • Bo Cross
    Director of Photography
  • Lauren Leshansky
    Executive Producer
    911 Crisis Center
  • Trevor Elliott
    Executive Producer
    Dear...
  • Cory Fehrenbacher
    Executive Producer
    The Social Dilemma
  • Les Lannom
    Key Cast
    "Mort"
    Harry O, Southern Comfort
  • Andy Farmer
    Key Cast
    "Edgar Underwood"
  • Josh Bernstein
    Key Cast
    "Lane Matheson"
  • Maggie Degen
    Key Cast
    "Mrs. Lancaster"
  • Megan Stanley
    Special FX Makeup
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Horror, Black Comedy, Absurdism, Zombie
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Arri
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Days of the Dead
    Chicago
    United States
    Best Illinois Filmmaker
  • Indie X Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Dark Comedy
  • Indie X Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Best Special Makeup
  • Chicago Horror Film Awards
    Chicago
    United States
    Audience Choice Award
  • The Strange Days Horror Fest

    Best Short Film
  • Austin Comedy Film Festival
    Austin, Texas
    United States
    March 26, 2023
    Best Picture
Distribution Information
  • Bloody Disgusting
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: Video on Demand, Paid TV
Director Biography

Charlie grew up in Southern Illinois as a storyteller, nerd, gamer, musician, and movie lover. He has been making zombie movies with his friends since he was ten years old. His hobbies include film photography, roleplaying games, and music production.

Charlie lived in Gainesville, Florida for seven years where he founded an indie record label for local punk bands and met his wife, bandmate, and production partner, Lauren Leshansky. The pair moved to San Diego, California where they broke into the commercial and television industry. Charlie and Lauren decided to move back to Southern Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic to make movies using the hidden beauty and haunted locations of Southern Illinois.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Mort was produced on a micro-budget, with local actors, in a single location, on a very limited shooting schedule. I wanted to make something funny and horror-infused with what we had available - an old church. The production was a fun exercise in working with limitations rather than against them. None of this would have been possible without the overwhelming support of my film industry friends and the people of Southern Illinois.