From award-winning filmmaker Rishi Gandhi, a fantasy-horror short exploring fear, xenophobia, and childhood resilience in post-9/11 New York
Monsters don’t always hide in the shadows. Sometimes, they wear the faces of people we trust.
The Beasts We Carry, a bold new live-action horror short film, has launched its Kickstarter campaign, inviting backers to help bring a deeply personal, visually striking, and socially resonant story to life. Written and directed by Rishi Gandhi, a South Asian American filmmaker whose life was shaped by post-9/11 xenophobia, the film channels real fear into psychological horror, asking: What if you could see the monsters inside people?
“Our monsters aren’t just scary, they’re true,” says Gandhi. “We want to create a mirror through horror, one that reflects not only what we fear, but why.”
Set in a post-9/11 New York teeming with suspicion and silent trauma, the story follows a young boy named Raju, the only person who can see what others cannot: the monstrous inner selves of those around him. These creatures aren’t ghosts or demons, they’re fear incarnate. As the paranoia around him deepens, the monsters grow more vivid, more violent… and far more real.
“This film is horror with intent,” says Gandhi. “Not just to scare, but to scar. Because some monsters aren’t fiction, they’re what happens when fear replaces understanding.”
Drawing comparisons to The Babadook and The Sixth Sense, the film utilizes stylized practical effects, creature design, and shadow-soaked cinematography to visualize internalized trauma. With key collaborators including producer Alex Torres (Darker, Letting Go), DP Mike Magilnick (Founders Day), and concept artist David Romero (The Department of Truth), the film fuses genre craft with authentic emotional depth.
Backers of the campaign will support the project’s production costs, wardrobe, makeup FX, casting, permits, and help ensure a high-fidelity post-production pipeline, festival presence, and public release. Stretch goals include expanded VFX, composer engagement, and national festival appearances.
You can see all the updates on their YouTube Channel, here.
Why Back The Beasts We Carry?
-Personal Truth in Fiction: Inspired by Gandhi’s lived experiences as a child of color navigating post-9/11 America.
-Elevated, Purposeful Horror: A story that confronts Islamophobia, fear culture, and the loss of childhood safety.
-Iconic Visual Storytelling: Creatures designed to disturb and resonate, echoing the work of Del Toro, Eggers, and early horror masters.
-Cinematic Seed for a Feature: The short serves as a proof-of-concept for a future feature film, backers help build that foundation.
“Our monsters aren’t just scary, they’re true,” says Gandhi. “We want to create a mirror through horror, one that reflects not only what we fear, but why.”
Exclusive backer rewards include behind-the-scenes access, concept art by David Romero, signed scripts, premiere invites, and producer credits.
Join us in telling the kind of story that doesn’t just live on the screen, it lingers in the soul.
Back the film now:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/beasts/the-beasts-we-carry-a-horror-short
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