FACE ON
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror, Thriller
Inspired by the award-winning short, FACE ON is the story of a beauty-obsessed woman and her blood-soaked quest to create the perfect face. A dark, fun, and diverse film, FACE ON takes aim at today's image-obsessed social media culture, with the ultimate message of self-love and human empowerment.
FACE ON
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Horror, Thriller
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $60,737 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
484 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Inspired by the award-winning short, FACE ON is the story of a beauty-obsessed woman and her blood-soaked quest to create the perfect face. A dark, fun, and diverse film, FACE ON takes aim at today's image-obsessed social media culture, with the ultimate message of self-love and human empowerment.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
FACE ON is the story of SHERYL, a beauty-obsessed woman who, after being dumped by her serial killer boyfriend, goes on a blood-soaked rampage to create the perfect face, while navigating her new relationship with the cop investigating the murders.
SHERYL is a woman with two disturbing quirks: She’s obsessed with her looks, and she loves to kill! She combines these two habits in an attempt to create the perfect female face by harvesting the “perfect” parts from different models, celebrities, and influencers.
At the same time, Sheryl must avoid her ex, TED, and navigate the ups and downs of a budding new relationship with her new boyfriend, REYES, who, unbeknownst to her, is in charge of investigating the recent rash of face-cutting murders.
Through her journey, Sheryl learns that no matter how attractive you might look on the outside, if you want to be truly beautiful, you just might need to look inside.
While it’s told in a fun, fast, thrill-ride of a way, FACE ON is ultimately a story of self-acceptance. Too many of us know what it’s like to hide our true feelings or to feel the sting of comparing ourselves to someone else (even when we know what we’re comparing ourselves to isn’t real.). FACE ON shows the dangers of hiding behind the mask and what can happen when the mask comes off.
FACE ON draws equally from the gruesome tradition of horror-slasher films, while also interjecting action, humor, and heart. We are creating a film that is, not only visually stunning but will also leave the audience questioning today’s ever-prevalent comparison culture.
FACE ON is based on the award-winning short film, which was an official selection or finalist in eight different film festivals and currently holds a score of 4.6/5 stars on Amazon.
Director and writer, Justin Best, returns for the feature. Justin has been mentored by Michael Weiss (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) and Adam Pava (THE BOXTROLLS, THE LEGO MOVIE) and his scripts have been finalists at the Austin Film Festival, Script Pipeline, Screencraft, and many, many others. The FACE ON script was also recognized in the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting fellowship.
Anthea Neri-Best returns as Sheryl, the film’s strong anti-hero. Anthea has been featured in Tacoma FD, Mr. Mayor, Brooklyn 99, and more.
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Sheryl’s love interest, Detective Bruce Reyes, will be played by Christopher Cendana. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Christopher has appeared all over your TV screen in Silicon Valley, Kidding, How to Get Away With Murder, Lucifer, and others.
As for the entire cast, roughly 70% of the main cast are female characters.
To best tell the story of FACE ON, we sought out the best up-and-coming storytellers and found them, creating a team of young, diverse, hungry, award-winning filmmakers. And while we believe anyone can relate to the pains of today’s comparison culture, our team is comprised of nearly 75% women, including our cinematographer, production designer, composer, costume designer, hair and makeup artist, and two of our producers, among others.
We are currently planning to begin production in the Spring of 2022 over approximately 15 days. As our post-production team is already prepared, we will quickly move into post with a goal of releasing the film near the end of 2022. Once the film is fully 100 percent complete, we will begin submitting to festivals, aiming for acceptance into a major, Tier One festival, such as Sundance, Tribecca, SXSW, etc., while also seeking distribution through streaming or video-on-demand.
During production, we will follow all COVID-19 requirements, such as social distancing, testing, mask requirements, etc. as detailed by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the state of California.
FACE ON is something we are all very passionate about. All of us have, at one time or another, thought we weren’t good/pretty/smart/perfect enough. We’ve felt like we didn’t matter, no matter how hard we tried. FACE ON is not only designed to entertain, but to shatter the illusion of these impossible to achieve standards.
Good question. While, as humans, we’ve always compared ourselves to one another, today we are bombarded 24/7 through always-on social media and internet content showing us exactly how we’re lacking in our fitness, diet, wardrobe, income, or any other area of our life. Girls and women seem to be hit especially hard. According to the book, Beauty Sick by Renee Engeln, Ph.D., 34% of five-year-old girls have already engaged in dietary restraint. With social media being as popular as ever, we believe this is the perfect time to tell this kind of story.
Now is also the perfect time for some new blood (ahem…) in the horror market. Horror fans are the most loyal in the industry. Also, 60% of horror fans are female. And 58% are people of color. We believe it’s time that the majority of horror fans had a crazed psychotic killer that looked like them. :)
And who doesn’t want to see a bad-ass woman chopping people’s faces off? (Plus, movies starring women do better at the box office.).
Finally, coming out of the pandemic, it is the perfect time for independent filmmaking. As we’ve all experienced over the last year or so, art is valuable. We need stories to get us through those many days and nights stuck indoors. As an independent film, we can move faster than larger studios, and we can ensure that we tell the story that we believe horror fans want to see.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a person who loves horror movies or maybe film and/or the arts in general. Or maybe you get excited about the opportunity to find cool stuff before everyone and say, “I told you so!” Or maybe you’re my mom.
Regardless, if you’re the type of person who loves dark comedy like American Psycho or Pulp Fiction, slasher horror films like Halloween or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or just wants to see a new face (ahem again…), then you need to join us on this adventure!
Seriously, we appreciate your support and, with the FACE ON team, we believe in eating our own cooking. That’s why we’ve already put over $20,000 toward this movie, and we will continue to fund it to the best of our ability, but we also know that there is a whole army of horror fans who want to see a badass female serial killer chopping off people’s faces and are eager to help make this dream a reality. So, please know that this movie is going to get made. And with you joining in, we can make it that much bloodier, more fun, and much more face-cuttingly awesome.
FACE ON approaches topics of beauty and self-love in a fun, exciting, and extreme manner, while also flipping traditional genre tropes on their head.
Our cast and crew are ready! Please join us as we create a new and modern horror film. Together, we can leave our mark on the industry and start a whole new chapter in horror history!
JOIN US!
CONTRIBUTE | FOLLOW | SHARE
**Scroll Down For More Incentives**
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Ready For My Close Up: Camera and Lenses
Costs $7,000
With this camera, you'll get every gory detail.
Let's Rock: Music Licensing
Costs $5,000
Every Serial Killer needs a killer soundtrack. LETS ROCK!
The Perfect Look: Production Design
Costs $10,000
Help us bring Sheryl's bloody world to life.
A Killer Look: Costume Design
Costs $10,000
Help us build the next iconic horror slasher look.
Glorious Food- Crafty & Catering
Costs $4,000
Even killers need to eat. Food for our cast and crew.
Mark it: Crew Kits
Costs $1,000
All the essential tools we need for a smooth film making experience. (Slate, tape, markers, etc.)
Mic Test: Set Sound
Costs $2,000
Make sure you hear all the blood curdling screams, crunchy knife stabs and funny jokes.
Proceed: Entertainment Lawyer
Costs $1,000
This will go toward legal consulting and contracts
Bloody Perfection: HMU| SPFX
Costs $5,000
SFX Artist for on-set practical effects! Who doesn't wanna see more blood and guts?
Locations to Die For
Costs $2,000
Help us with great locations like the cabin, office building, night club, restaurant, or carnival.
Insurance
Costs $1,000
We'll need insurance for all locations and rental equipment. Gotta watch our backs.
Share this update!
About This Team
FACE ON – CREW BIOS
Please find our crew bios below. Some have won awards. Some are established in the film industry, and some are established in other industries, but all are skilled, talented, and absolutely ravenous about telling the Face On story. They live and breathe this story and will not stop until it’s complete. They are young, hungry, and scrappy filmmakers eager to create their next –or first– feature.
JUSTIN BEST – Writer & Director, Producer
Justin Best is an award-winning writer and director who has studied feature film writing under Michael Weiss (Journey to the Center of the Earth), Adam Pava (The Lego Movie, The Boxtrolls), and others. His script, Darryn the Bold and the Sword of Boldness, was a finalist in multiple screenwriting competitions, and he is currently the writer for The Days After, a virtual reality video game, selected by Oculus as part of its indie-developer START program. The short film version of Face On appeared in numerous film festivals and won awards for directing, editing, and sound design. The feature version of Face On is currently in pre-production.
ANTHEA NERI-BEST – Producer, Actor
Anthea Neri-Best is an actress, singer, and human empowerment ambassador who appears as Kailani on TruTV's Tacoma FD, NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mr. Mayor and as a chef and judge on Yummy TV's HMExpress. She can also be seen in numerous commercials and heard in many video games. Throughout her career, Anthea has performed at Carnegie Hall, Dodgers' Stadium, the Staples Center, and Lincoln Center; and she was a top-four finalist on GMA7's Pinoy Pop Superstar. In addition, she has appeared in Here Lies Love, Oliver!, Mamma Mia!, and the off-Broadway musical, Disenchanted.
MOLLY ISAAC – Composer & Sound Designer
Molly Isaac, based in the UK, loves working on the darker side of sound. After getting tired of the classical training she was brought up on, Molly embraced the dark side - inspired by the insane and the illogical aspects of sound. She is always looking to put her own unique sonic spin on any project she works on, creating distinctive soundtracks using a mixture of abstract instrumental techniques and sound manipulation. She enjoys being a part of the reinvention of the world of horror music and discovering how it can be used to scare and unnerve new audiences.
STEPHANIE NGUYEN – Costume Designer
Trained with an MFA in costume design from Purdue University, Stephanie Nguyen is an experienced costumer designer who has created costumes across the country, including her work for Assassins, Mamma Mia!, and Vietgone at East West Players (Los Angeles); The Sword in the Stone and Evy and the Pirates at Birmingham Children’s Theatre (Alabama); The Firestorm at First Folio (Chicago); and Footloose at Wilmette Center for the Arts (Illinois). She also designed costumes for Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis’ inaugural production, Infinity.
ASHLEY FRANCISCO – Key Makeup Artist
Ashley Francisco is a professional makeup artist, groomer, and makeup instructor based in the Los Angeles area. Educated at the E.I. School of Professional Makeup, Ashley has worked on music videos for artists such as Doje, Emmure, and Future Feats; while her work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Sheeba, and Elegant Magazine. When not working on set, she is an instructor at the prestigious Theater of Arts in Hollywood. Ashley has a passion for makeup and horror and is excited to be a part of Face On.
MARISSA KING –Production Assistant
A recent graduate of The University of Southern California with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Cinematic Arts. Marissa has experience in both scripted and non-scripted productions. She was an associate producer for Trojan Vision TV, as well as a production assistant for several studios and companies. Recently, she had the opportunity to create high-profile screenings for the Academy Awards.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
FACE ON is the story of SHERYL, a beauty-obsessed woman who, after being dumped by her serial killer boyfriend, goes on a blood-soaked rampage to create the perfect face, while navigating her new relationship with the cop investigating the murders.
SHERYL is a woman with two disturbing quirks: She’s obsessed with her looks, and she loves to kill! She combines these two habits in an attempt to create the perfect female face by harvesting the “perfect” parts from different models, celebrities, and influencers.
At the same time, Sheryl must avoid her ex, TED, and navigate the ups and downs of a budding new relationship with her new boyfriend, REYES, who, unbeknownst to her, is in charge of investigating the recent rash of face-cutting murders.
Through her journey, Sheryl learns that no matter how attractive you might look on the outside, if you want to be truly beautiful, you just might need to look inside.
While it’s told in a fun, fast, thrill-ride of a way, FACE ON is ultimately a story of self-acceptance. Too many of us know what it’s like to hide our true feelings or to feel the sting of comparing ourselves to someone else (even when we know what we’re comparing ourselves to isn’t real.). FACE ON shows the dangers of hiding behind the mask and what can happen when the mask comes off.
FACE ON draws equally from the gruesome tradition of horror-slasher films, while also interjecting action, humor, and heart. We are creating a film that is, not only visually stunning but will also leave the audience questioning today’s ever-prevalent comparison culture.
FACE ON is based on the award-winning short film, which was an official selection or finalist in eight different film festivals and currently holds a score of 4.6/5 stars on Amazon.
Director and writer, Justin Best, returns for the feature. Justin has been mentored by Michael Weiss (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) and Adam Pava (THE BOXTROLLS, THE LEGO MOVIE) and his scripts have been finalists at the Austin Film Festival, Script Pipeline, Screencraft, and many, many others. The FACE ON script was also recognized in the Academy Nicholl Screenwriting fellowship.
Anthea Neri-Best returns as Sheryl, the film’s strong anti-hero. Anthea has been featured in Tacoma FD, Mr. Mayor, Brooklyn 99, and more.
Sheryl’s love interest, Detective Bruce Reyes, will be played by Christopher Cendana. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Christopher has appeared all over your TV screen in Silicon Valley, Kidding, How to Get Away With Murder, Lucifer, and others.
As for the entire cast, roughly 70% of the main cast are female characters.
To best tell the story of FACE ON, we sought out the best up-and-coming storytellers and found them, creating a team of young, diverse, hungry, award-winning filmmakers. And while we believe anyone can relate to the pains of today’s comparison culture, our team is comprised of nearly 75% women, including our cinematographer, production designer, composer, costume designer, hair and makeup artist, and two of our producers, among others.
We are currently planning to begin production in the Spring of 2022 over approximately 15 days. As our post-production team is already prepared, we will quickly move into post with a goal of releasing the film near the end of 2022. Once the film is fully 100 percent complete, we will begin submitting to festivals, aiming for acceptance into a major, Tier One festival, such as Sundance, Tribecca, SXSW, etc., while also seeking distribution through streaming or video-on-demand.
During production, we will follow all COVID-19 requirements, such as social distancing, testing, mask requirements, etc. as detailed by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the state of California.
FACE ON is something we are all very passionate about. All of us have, at one time or another, thought we weren’t good/pretty/smart/perfect enough. We’ve felt like we didn’t matter, no matter how hard we tried. FACE ON is not only designed to entertain, but to shatter the illusion of these impossible to achieve standards.
Good question. While, as humans, we’ve always compared ourselves to one another, today we are bombarded 24/7 through always-on social media and internet content showing us exactly how we’re lacking in our fitness, diet, wardrobe, income, or any other area of our life. Girls and women seem to be hit especially hard. According to the book, Beauty Sick by Renee Engeln, Ph.D., 34% of five-year-old girls have already engaged in dietary restraint. With social media being as popular as ever, we believe this is the perfect time to tell this kind of story.
Now is also the perfect time for some new blood (ahem…) in the horror market. Horror fans are the most loyal in the industry. Also, 60% of horror fans are female. And 58% are people of color. We believe it’s time that the majority of horror fans had a crazed psychotic killer that looked like them. :)
And who doesn’t want to see a bad-ass woman chopping people’s faces off? (Plus, movies starring women do better at the box office.).
Finally, coming out of the pandemic, it is the perfect time for independent filmmaking. As we’ve all experienced over the last year or so, art is valuable. We need stories to get us through those many days and nights stuck indoors. As an independent film, we can move faster than larger studios, and we can ensure that we tell the story that we believe horror fans want to see.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a person who loves horror movies or maybe film and/or the arts in general. Or maybe you get excited about the opportunity to find cool stuff before everyone and say, “I told you so!” Or maybe you’re my mom.
Regardless, if you’re the type of person who loves dark comedy like American Psycho or Pulp Fiction, slasher horror films like Halloween or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or just wants to see a new face (ahem again…), then you need to join us on this adventure!
Seriously, we appreciate your support and, with the FACE ON team, we believe in eating our own cooking. That’s why we’ve already put over $20,000 toward this movie, and we will continue to fund it to the best of our ability, but we also know that there is a whole army of horror fans who want to see a badass female serial killer chopping off people’s faces and are eager to help make this dream a reality. So, please know that this movie is going to get made. And with you joining in, we can make it that much bloodier, more fun, and much more face-cuttingly awesome.
FACE ON approaches topics of beauty and self-love in a fun, exciting, and extreme manner, while also flipping traditional genre tropes on their head.
Our cast and crew are ready! Please join us as we create a new and modern horror film. Together, we can leave our mark on the industry and start a whole new chapter in horror history!
JOIN US!
CONTRIBUTE | FOLLOW | SHARE
**Scroll Down For More Incentives**
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Ready For My Close Up: Camera and Lenses
Costs $7,000
With this camera, you'll get every gory detail.
Let's Rock: Music Licensing
Costs $5,000
Every Serial Killer needs a killer soundtrack. LETS ROCK!
The Perfect Look: Production Design
Costs $10,000
Help us bring Sheryl's bloody world to life.
A Killer Look: Costume Design
Costs $10,000
Help us build the next iconic horror slasher look.
Glorious Food- Crafty & Catering
Costs $4,000
Even killers need to eat. Food for our cast and crew.
Mark it: Crew Kits
Costs $1,000
All the essential tools we need for a smooth film making experience. (Slate, tape, markers, etc.)
Mic Test: Set Sound
Costs $2,000
Make sure you hear all the blood curdling screams, crunchy knife stabs and funny jokes.
Proceed: Entertainment Lawyer
Costs $1,000
This will go toward legal consulting and contracts
Bloody Perfection: HMU| SPFX
Costs $5,000
SFX Artist for on-set practical effects! Who doesn't wanna see more blood and guts?
Locations to Die For
Costs $2,000
Help us with great locations like the cabin, office building, night club, restaurant, or carnival.
Insurance
Costs $1,000
We'll need insurance for all locations and rental equipment. Gotta watch our backs.
Share this update!
About This Team
FACE ON – CREW BIOS
Please find our crew bios below. Some have won awards. Some are established in the film industry, and some are established in other industries, but all are skilled, talented, and absolutely ravenous about telling the Face On story. They live and breathe this story and will not stop until it’s complete. They are young, hungry, and scrappy filmmakers eager to create their next –or first– feature.
JUSTIN BEST – Writer & Director, Producer
Justin Best is an award-winning writer and director who has studied feature film writing under Michael Weiss (Journey to the Center of the Earth), Adam Pava (The Lego Movie, The Boxtrolls), and others. His script, Darryn the Bold and the Sword of Boldness, was a finalist in multiple screenwriting competitions, and he is currently the writer for The Days After, a virtual reality video game, selected by Oculus as part of its indie-developer START program. The short film version of Face On appeared in numerous film festivals and won awards for directing, editing, and sound design. The feature version of Face On is currently in pre-production.
ANTHEA NERI-BEST – Producer, Actor
Anthea Neri-Best is an actress, singer, and human empowerment ambassador who appears as Kailani on TruTV's Tacoma FD, NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mr. Mayor and as a chef and judge on Yummy TV's HMExpress. She can also be seen in numerous commercials and heard in many video games. Throughout her career, Anthea has performed at Carnegie Hall, Dodgers' Stadium, the Staples Center, and Lincoln Center; and she was a top-four finalist on GMA7's Pinoy Pop Superstar. In addition, she has appeared in Here Lies Love, Oliver!, Mamma Mia!, and the off-Broadway musical, Disenchanted.
MOLLY ISAAC – Composer & Sound Designer
Molly Isaac, based in the UK, loves working on the darker side of sound. After getting tired of the classical training she was brought up on, Molly embraced the dark side - inspired by the insane and the illogical aspects of sound. She is always looking to put her own unique sonic spin on any project she works on, creating distinctive soundtracks using a mixture of abstract instrumental techniques and sound manipulation. She enjoys being a part of the reinvention of the world of horror music and discovering how it can be used to scare and unnerve new audiences.
STEPHANIE NGUYEN – Costume Designer
Trained with an MFA in costume design from Purdue University, Stephanie Nguyen is an experienced costumer designer who has created costumes across the country, including her work for Assassins, Mamma Mia!, and Vietgone at East West Players (Los Angeles); The Sword in the Stone and Evy and the Pirates at Birmingham Children’s Theatre (Alabama); The Firestorm at First Folio (Chicago); and Footloose at Wilmette Center for the Arts (Illinois). She also designed costumes for Storefront Theatre of Indianapolis’ inaugural production, Infinity.
ASHLEY FRANCISCO – Key Makeup Artist
Ashley Francisco is a professional makeup artist, groomer, and makeup instructor based in the Los Angeles area. Educated at the E.I. School of Professional Makeup, Ashley has worked on music videos for artists such as Doje, Emmure, and Future Feats; while her work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Sheeba, and Elegant Magazine. When not working on set, she is an instructor at the prestigious Theater of Arts in Hollywood. Ashley has a passion for makeup and horror and is excited to be a part of Face On.
MARISSA KING –Production Assistant
A recent graduate of The University of Southern California with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and Cinematic Arts. Marissa has experience in both scripted and non-scripted productions. She was an associate producer for Trojan Vision TV, as well as a production assistant for several studios and companies. Recently, she had the opportunity to create high-profile screenings for the Academy Awards.