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Saturnalia

The year is 1979, and Miriam Basconi has been shipped off to the prestigious Alstroemerias Academy, a preparatory school for America’s elite orphaned children. Miriam must survive the cruel and sadistic behavior of Headmistress Ms.Hemlock. From day one, Miriam can tell something is off with her new home. Now she must discover the truth of what’s happening to her fellow students behind closed doors. But instead, she uncovers the surreal world living and breathing inside of Alstroemerias Academy.

Saturnalia is a high concept homage to the cerebral and stylish world of Italian Giallo films and Italian Supernatural Horror of the '70s. The score was composed by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin, who created all of the music for Dario Argento's classic Giallo films.

  • Daniel Lerch
    Director
  • Daniel Lerch
    Writer
  • Max Fischer
    Producer
  • Vivian Owen
    Producer
  • Sophia Anthony
    Key Cast
    "Miriam"
  • Velvet
    Key Cast
    "Ms. Hemlock"
  • Dante Blake
    Key Cast
    "Holden"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 40 minutes 21 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 19, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    290,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Alexa 35 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Daniel Lerch

Daniel Lerch is an American film director and writer with a penchant lust for horror, 70s cinema, and rock and roll. Daniel graduated from UNCSA's directing program, whose work has been included in Munich's international film festival. He currently lives in Atlanta, GA where he works in film production, developing features and commercials.

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Director Statement

Saturnalia is my love letter to 1970's Italian exploitation cinema. When I was a boy, I would walk the aisles of my local video store, taking in all the vivid and colorful VHS box art, looking for one to call my name. Sometimes the box art represented the movie well, and you’d be in awe while watching a film like Fulci's Zombi 2, or Argento's Tenebrae (aka Unsane in the U.S.). Sometimes you ended up with a tired copy of Troll 2, but had a fun time anyway. While I love American horror, the violence of Italian horror was meaner, the shots held longer, and the visuals and musical score were like nothing else.

Saturnalia allowed us to pay homage to the Italian Gialli and Supernatural horror films of my youth. It was an exciting challenge to attempt to innovate in such a creative genre, particularly as a period piece. Movie goers were more patient back then, and filmmakers of the time were not afraid to challenge their audience. We approached our story with the same attitude and sensibility.

What a privilege it's been to work with an incredible crew in both production and post. But getting to collaborate with the legendary composer Claudio Simonetti, founding member of the seminal Prog Rock band Goblin, was icing on the cake. I remember my first time watching "Dawn of the Dead" and "Suspiria." The music haunted my young mind. Fast forward 30+ years later and when it was time to discuss who the composer of my first feature would be, the answer was clear in my mind. It simply must be Claudio Simonetti. As Claudio and Goblin defined the sound of the genre, we hope to leave a lasting imprint on the genre ourselves.

Thank you for your consideration and time.