The Annexation

1950 TV’s SWASHBUCKLING private eye Ali Vernon insurgently investigates the mysterious crimes of a wooden X, only to get invaded by a grim world outside her traditional realms of crime. Vernon must halt the monstrous invasion of HORROR before it trespasses and alters the conventions of normality.

  • Matteo Di Giovanni
    Director
  • Matteo Di Giovanni
    Writer
  • Matteo Di Giovanni
    Producer
  • Alexia Maldonado
    Key Cast
    "Ali Vernon"
  • Ysabel Owusu
    Key Cast
    "Marjorie Florence"
  • Shakyam Levesque-Vanny
    Key Cast
    "Sterling Rexxon"
  • Dinitha Vithanage
    Original Music
    For a Coffin Full of Gold
  • Sahil Bloch
    Visual Effects
  • Ellie Charette
    Crew
  • Dominique Bellefeuille
    Crew
  • Darvin Baez Hernandez
    Crew
  • Noa Jade Shuklinsky
    Crew
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Mystery, Noir, Horror, Sci-Fi, Satire
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Dawson College
  • Couch Film Festival - Spring 2022
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    Private Screening
    1:00 - 5:00 Minutes Category - Best Horror: WINNER
  • Alternative Film Festival - Spring 2022
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    Private Screening
    Super Short Category - Best Horror: Nominee — Super Short Category - Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Nominee
  • The More Than Decent Film Festival - 2022
    Newberry, South Carolina
    United States
    April 22, 2022
  • Lit Scares International Horror Festival - 2022
    Beech Avenue Harrogate , North Yorkshire
    United Kingdom
    August 6, 2022
  • Courts d'un soir - Montreal international short film festival - 2022
    Montreal
    Canada
    September 23, 2022
Director Biography - Matteo Di Giovanni

At 18 years old, I made this film under Dawson College's Cinema Communications program.

Now, at 19, I am currently studying Film Production at Concordia University

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In this film, I explore the fear of the unknown in the context of a twisted 1950s film noir TV series. The intention was to criticize the Film Noir's more conservative archetypes of fearing the Other through an exaggerated and weird horror story about an unknown alien invasion. I drew inspiration from Twin Peaks, Peter Gunn, Alien, and The Shining in making this film.