Private Project

Under the Midnight Sun

A troubled girl, triggered by the incessant, demonic voices of her talking chicken handbag, "Chickenbag" (Kevin Corrigan), embarks on a disturbing obsession to stalk and consume her favorite country singer.

  • Lisa Hammer
    Director
    Luke and Emma, Great Kills, The Venture Bros.
  • Lisa Hammer
    Writer
    Luke and Emma, Great Kills, The Venture Bros.
  • Kevin Corrigan
    Key Cast
    "Chickenbag"
    Goodfellas, True Romance
  • Ruben Rabasa
    Key Cast
    "Mr. Batista"
    I Think You Should Leave, Police Academy 5
  • Eve Plumb
    Key Cast
    "Herself"
    The Brady Bunch, Blue Ruin
  • Ruby Rechler
    Key Cast
    "Emily"
    Pox
  • Sasha Rechler
    Key Cast
    "Emily"
    Skip Skip Comedy
  • Gabrielle Sterbenz
    Key Cast
    "Mandy"
    Wheatus
  • Dylan Mars Greenberg
    Producer
    Troma
  • Levi Wilson
    Director of Photography
    Luke and Emma, Great Kills, Sexy Ugly
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, Dark Comedy, experimental
  • Runtime:
    31 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 21, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Swedish International Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    June 19, 2026
    World
    WINNER - Best horror film
  • 13HORROR.COM FILM & SCREENPLAY CONTEST
    Dublin
    Ireland
    June 29, 2026
    WINNER: Best Actress
  • London Women Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 26, 2026
    WINNER: Best Makeup FX
  • Days of the Dead Film Festival
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    United States
    July 17, 2026
    Trailer selected for repeat festival views
  • Tokyo Horror Film Festival
    Tokyo
    Japan
    July 18, 2026
    Asian
Director Biography - Lisa Hammer

"Lisa Hammer: queen of midnight movies, fusing punk chaos, gothic romance, and campy apocalypse..."

Lisa Hammer is an independent filmmaker and musician whose work has become a cornerstone of underground cinema. Emerging from the DIY energy of the 1980s and 1990s, her films, shot on Super-8, 16mm, and cheap video, and edited with whatever tools were available, blend surrealism, German Expressionist influences, and gothic-punk aesthetics into a distinctive cinematic language. Hammer’s cult classics, including Pus$Bucket (1991), Empire of Ache (1996, with Dame Darcy), and Pox (2012), embody the raw, no-budget ethos of indie filmmaking while embracing carnival grotesquerie, biting satire, and campy splendor reminiscent of Ed Wood. Her work has been recognized by institutions such as MoMA, the Getty Museum, and the Duolun Museum in China. She has had numerous solo shows at festivals and art galleries worldwide and has been honored with screenings at Nighthawk Cinema, Anthology Film Archives, and The Egyptian Theatre. Featured in Heidi Honeycutt’s I Spit on Your Celluloid: The History of Women Directing Horror Movies, Hammer stands as both a pioneering female filmmaker and a cult icon whose influence continues to resonate in feminist and countercultural cinema worldwide. ------------ BloodStream TV

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Director Statement

Under the Midnight Sun is a study in female rage and collective trauma. I don't have to explain the horrors of daily life on this planet; everything comes screaming at our eyeballs every day, every second. My experiment with this story has led to a short proof-of-concept film, and I look forward to creating the feature. The question is, is Emily a sociopath, a hopeless woman pushed to the edge, or is she mentally ill and hearing voices?