The 8th edition of the Golden State Film Festival will host the world premiere of the social justice-themed horror Silence of the Prey. As announced on Screen Daily, the opening night screening will take place Friday, February 23, at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Inspired by a true story, Silence of the Prey follows an undocumented immigrant mother who takes a caretaker job for an elderly man, only to discover a horrifying truth. The film marks the directorial debut of Karyna Kudzina, who co-directed with Michael Vaynberg.
Studio Dome’s genre label, The Horror Collective, is set to release the film on May 15 on video-on-demand and digital platforms in the United States, the UK/Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Golden State Film Festival’s programmer, Peter Greene is excited to feature Silence of the Prey as part of the opening night line-up in this year’s festival. “We are huge fans of the film and its team and believe that Karyna Kudzina’s performance is one not to miss.”
Producers Monte Bezell and Den Tolmor commented in a joint statement: “Our film encapsulates the harrowing vanishing of thousands, shrouding the boundary between the enigmatic and the inconceivable. It stands as a chilling homage to the terrors that reverberate within the void of the absent, an uncompromising, spine-tingling saga that compels us to confront the abyss lurking amidst our midst.&Rdquo;
“The film addresses the dangers that undocumented immigrants sometimes face while trying to provide for their families without the protections that most people enjoy,” said Shaked Berenson, CEO of Studio Dome. “Silence of the Prey is a perfect follow-up to The Horror Collective’s Ghosts of the Void which also explores social justice issues.Producer Den Tolmor is best known for the Oscar and Emmy nominated documentary, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom. Also produced by Kudzina, and Bezell, who also star in the film alongside Michael Doyle, Lorianna Izrailova, and Chris LaPanta. Written by Kudzina and Saro Varjabedian.
The rest of The Golden State Film Festival’s line-up will be announced later this week. More information and tickets can be found on the official website.
The Horror Collective is the genre label of Studio Dome, a finance and distribution company founded by veteran producer Shaked Berenson (TURBO KID, TALES OF HALLOWEEN). The labels’ latest productions include the killer-pants cult classic SLAXX (Shudder Original) and the critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ horror-comedy SUMMONING SYLVIA.
Silence of the Prey Official Website.