THE UNCANNY
After a life shattering trauma, an art therapist seeks to escape her past by moving to new surroundings. As she attempts to focus on her fledgling career as a painter, she soon realizes you can't outrun memories.
Amidst a world where reality has become indistinguishable from make-believe, a symbiotic relationship with an enigmatic child emerges. Will that friendship create an opportunity for Zouzou to redeem herself - or be the force that pushes her over the edge?
The Uncanny, a psychological horror movie created by a mother/daughter team of filmmakers, is an exploration on trauma, alienation, loss and its aftermath. With its narrative borrowing from fairytales, it also becomes an allegory for the unrealistic beauty standards imposed upon women.
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Clara GabrielleDirectorThe French Teacher, Steel Magnolias, Coons, Guignol, The Yellow Ribbon
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Marie LaurinWriterThe French Teacher, The French as Seen by.., Creature, The Hitchhiker
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Clara GabrielleWriterThe French Teacher, Steel Magnolias, Coons, Guignol, The Yellow Ribbon
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Marie LaurinProducerThe French Teacher, The French as Seen by..., Creature, The Hitchhiker
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Bianaca ButtiProducerAn American in Texas,
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Anthony PedoneProducerMy Heart Can't Beat Unless You Tell It To, An American in Texas, The Strongest Man
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Cameron DexterProducerCherry, The Influencer
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Marie LaurinKey Cast"Zouzou"The French Teacher, The French as seen by..., Creature, The Hitchhiker
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Delilah Camille SchneiderKey Cast"Mae"
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Ben Bela BohmKey Cast"Henry"Better Call Saul
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Mike SchulteKey Cast"Ted"
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Grainne McDermottKey Cast"Lily"I Know You're in There
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Project Type:Feature
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Genres:Drama, Psychological Thriller, supernatural thriller, horror
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Runtime:1 hour 46 minutes 49 seconds
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Completion Date:November 7, 2022
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Production Budget:134,500 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:Arri Alexa 4K
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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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Paris International Film FestivalParis
France
February 11, 2023
World Premiere -
Romford Horror FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
March 3, 2023
UK Premiere
Jury Prize -
Horrorhound Film FestivalCincinnati
United States
March 25, 2023
US Premiere
Best Lead Performance - Best Writing Feature/Honorable Mention -
Hastings Rocks International Film FestivalHastings
United Kingdom
April 14, 2023
Best Feature - Best Original Score - Best Performance Award -
Scotland International Festival of CinemaPeebles
United Kingdom
April 23, 2023
Best International Feature - Best Screenplay for a Feature Film - Best Actress in a Feature Film - Best Performance by a Child Actor - Best Ensemble Cast for a Feature Film - The Alan Parsons Vanguard Award for Best Original Score - Vanguard Award fo Best Director in a Feature Film - Vanguard Award for Best Supporting Actress -
Nevada Women's Film FestivalLas Vegas
United States
June 24, 2023
Best Female Protagonist -
Cinema D'IdeaRome
Italy
June 27, 2023
Italian Premiere -
California Women's Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
July 14, 2023
Best Feature Film - Best Director - Best Actress -
Awareness Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
October 7, 2023
Special Jury Innovation Award -
LA Femme International Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
October 19, 2023 -
The Chicago Horror Film FestivalChicago
United States
October 20, 2023 -
Show Low Film FestivalLakeside
United States
October 20, 2023
Best Horror Feature -
ARPA International Film FestivalLos Angeles
United States
October 29, 2023
Nominee for Best Feature
A native Angeleno, Clara Gabrielle is an American - Canadian filmmaker who has been performing ever since she was cast in the role of Julia Roberts' baby boy in STEEL MAGNOLIAS. To conform to a world of make believe, her gender was kept secret from director Herbert Ross by the cast and crew.
Throughout her childhood, Clara studied at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and, as a teen, honed her acting skills by majoring in drama at the distinguished Los Angeles County High School of the Arts (LACHSA)
Upon graduation, Clara played the lead in three award winning shorts, COONS, GUIGNOL and THE YELLOW RIBBON.
After portraying an underage sex trafficking victim in the Off-Broadway production of the social justice play INNOCENT FLESH, Clara pivoted her career trajectory to pursue storytelling from behind the camera.
In 2017, she teamed with award-winning Brazilian director, Stefania Vasconcellos to co-write THE FRENCH TEACHER a feature film that went on to win Best Artistic Direction at the Edera Film Festival in Italy.
According to her mother, Clara is an aspiring keyboard warrior.
THE UNCANNY marks her directorial debut.
When I was initially asked to co-write and direct THE UNCANNY, I almost declined. If the idea was to work convincingly, it would require that it be written with the emotional authenticity that can only be uncovered during an excavation of the darkest part of ourselves and the universe we inhabit. However, the more I considered its exploration of such themes as depression and suicide, the more I realized how horror seemed an ideal fit for its unearthing. It’s within this context that I became convinced that this was a story that had to be told.
From THE UNCANNY's earliest stages of development, I was drawn to an aesthetic that challenged preconceptions of how these stories should be portrayed. I saw the world of THE UNCANNY in the vibrant pastels and jewel tones found in a confectioner’s shop and sprinkled with characters who retained the ability to laugh while facing internal struggles. My own experience confronting depression informed me that those in the trenches exert what power they have to wrap themselves in comforting make-believe worlds.
Arguably one of the most unique and personal aspects of the production was directing my mother. A mother-daughter creative partnership is rare in cinema, which is unfortunate given the acute awareness and knowledge of the inner workings we have of each other. If watching my mother portray a character whose unraveling summoned in me some of the most wretched feelings imaginable, the experience of directing her was compensated by the creative language we share.
With an outstanding cast and crew from sixteen nations, representing every inhabitable continent, such a variety of creative minds added a culturally rich and diverse perspective and authenticity to our narrative, mirroring the world we live in.
- Clara Gabrielle