Private Project

Roadside Assistance

A mysterious woman stranded by the side of the road hitches a ride with a passing stranger – neither of them is who they seem.

  • Bears Fonte
    Director
    The Secret Keeper, iCrime, Smurf #47
  • Bears Fonte
    Writer
    The Secret Keeper, iCrime, Smurf #47
  • Amy Martinez
    Producer
  • Sara Fletcher
    Key Cast
  • Joel Gross
    Key Cast
  • Kelsey Deanne
    Key Cast
  • Andrew Scott Baird
    Director of Photography
  • Peter Ostebo
    Editor
  • Eric Friend
    Sound Design
  • Cory Perschbacher
    Composer
  • Paradise Lost
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Horror, SciFi
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 2, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • LA Film Prize
    Shreveport LA
    October 2, 2015
    World Premiere
    SemiFinalist
  • Buffalo Dreams
    Buffalo, NY
    November 6, 2015
    East Coast Premiere
    Horror Short - Runner Up
  • Other Worlds Austin
    Austin, TX
    December 4, 2015
    Southwest Premiere
    Ineligible
  • Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival (MiSciFi)
    Miami, FL
    January 15, 2016
    Florida
    Best Horror Film
  • Boston SciFi
    Boston, MA
    February 6, 2016
    New England
  • Crossroads
    Jackson, MS
    March 31, 2016
    Southeast Premiere
  • Capital City Film Festival
    Ann Arbor, MI
    April 6, 2016
    Midwest Premiere
  • Taos Shortz
    Taos, NM
    April 7, 2016
    New Mexico Premiere
  • SENE Film Festival
    Providence, RI
    March 19, 2016
    Rhode Island
    Best Horror Film
  • Hill Country Film Festival
    Fredericksburg, TX
    United States
    April 30, 2016
  • SciFi London
    London
    United Kingdom
    April 27, 2016
    International Premiere
  • Black Hills Film Festival
    Rapid City, SD
    United States
    May 6, 2016
    Upper Midwest Premiere
  • High Desert International Film Festival
    Parhump, NV
    May 27, 2016
    Nevada Premiere
    Best SciFi Film
  • Dances With Films
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    June 2, 2016
    West Coast Premiere
  • Horror Hotel
    Clevaland, OH
    United States
    June 9, 2016
  • Film Festival of Columbus
    Columbus, OH
    United States
    June 2, 2016
    Ohio Premiere
  • Little Rock Picture Show
    Little Rock, AR
    United States
    July 10, 2016
    Arkansas Premiere
  • FilmQuest
    Salt Lake City, UT
    United States
    June 19, 2016
    Utah Premiere
  • Snake Alley Festival of Film
    Burlington, IA
    United States
    June 25, 2016
    Iowa Premiere
  • Fantasia International Film Festival
    Montreal, QE
    Canada
    July 16, 2016
    Canadian Premiere
  • Indy Film Fest
    Indianapolis, IN
    United States
    July 14, 2016
    Indiana Premiere
  • Middle Coast Film Festival
    Bloomington, IN
    United States
    July 28, 2016
  • San Antonio Film Festival
    San Antonio, TX
    United States
    July 28, 2016
  • Indie Gathering
    Hudson, OH
    United States
    August 27, 2016
  • DragonCon
    Atlanta, GA
    United States
    September 1, 2016
    Georgia Premiere
Director Biography - Bears Fonte

Bears Fonté is the Founder and Executive Director of Other Worlds Austin, a festival in Texas’ capital focused on SciFi.  Prior to that, Bears served as Director of Programming for Austin Film Festival from 2012-14, overseeing some 200 films selected to screen at eight venues over eight days.  The 2013 Festival saw 28 world premiere features and 7 films picked up at the festival or the week after.  Bears also serves as a consultant for film festivals and filmmakers beginning the film festival circuit. This year alone has been working on the launch of the Greenwich International Film Festival, Alexander Valley Film Festival, and the St. Lawrence International Film Festival, where he is also serving ad the Director of Programming. Bears is also programming for SF Indiefest, and a few other places. He also writes for AMFM Magazine covering indie film and the festival circuit. His most recent short film, THE SECRET KEEPER, has been selected by over 35 US Film Festivals since September of 2012.  His feature thriller iCRIME, which he wrote and directed, was released on DVD, VOD and streaming by Vicious Circle Films in 2011.  Bears also self-produced two web-series which have been seen by a combined ten million viewers.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The idea behind the film is based on the Indian version of the Succubus. Unlike the western version, which casts these female sex vampires in pretty negative light, in India, the ‘Yakshi’ is often a woman who has been wronged by a man (usually killed during rape), and wandered abandoned roads until they could have their revenge. This revenge was usually not on the person who wronged them, but rather some other male who just happened to be passing by. I took this legend and put it in a modern context, and made the women, well, not dead, and able to actually save someone in trouble. I wanted to spin the usual stalker and prey set-up and see how we could toy with the audience about who is good and who is bad. I also liked the idea of ‘sex as a weapon’ – which is always a part of vampire and succubus stories – and making that a force for good.