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.
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Charlie QueenWriter/Director/Producer
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Bo CrossDirector of Photography
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Lauren LeshanskyExecutive Producer911 Crisis Center
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Trevor ElliottExecutive ProducerDear...
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Cory FehrenbacherExecutive ProducerThe Social Dilemma
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Les LannomKey Cast"Mort"Harry O, Southern Comfort
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Andy FarmerKey Cast"Edgar Underwood"
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Josh BernsteinKey Cast"Lane Matheson"
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Maggie DegenKey Cast"Mrs. Lancaster"
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Megan StanleySpecial FX Makeup
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Comedy, Horror, Black Comedy, Absurdism, Zombie
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Runtime:16 minutes 23 seconds
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Completion Date:July 31, 2022
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Production Budget:12,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital, Arri
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Days of the DeadChicago
United States
Best Illinois Filmmaker -
Indie X Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
Best Dark Comedy -
Indie X Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
Best Special Makeup -
Chicago Horror Film AwardsChicago
United States
Audience Choice Award -
The Strange Days Horror Fest
Best Short Film -
Austin Comedy Film FestivalAustin, Texas
United States
March 26, 2023
Best Picture
Distribution Information
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Bloody DisgustingDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: Video on Demand, Paid TV
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.
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.