"Halfhaus" is a female-driven story with complex characters that represent a multifaceted approach to mental issues such as anxiety and BPD. Both our cast and crew list equally balance male and female roles, as well as the film itself creating a dialog on reexamining our views of recovering addicts.

Our demons are close to home.

 

Many horror movie gurus believe the “new age” of horror began with supernatural, family-centered themes as we can see in films like “Insidious” and later, “Hereditary”. I wanted to tell a story that captured the same kind of cinematic atmosphere as new age horror, while mixing up the formula.

 

The result is Halfhaus - a twenty-minute film about Danielle, an ex-addict recently released from a ten-year prison sentence who is introduced to a Halfway House. Only, this house is not a home. A malefic spirit haunts Danielle and she must lay it to rest before it takes the lives of her new “family”.

 

 

Halfhaus will deliver horror elements that appeal to the jumpscare junkies and the slow-burn seekers. Even if you aren't a horror fan, the nuanced characters and intimate moments provide interesting looks into the human psyche. I'm incredibly excited to tell this story.

 

Meet the characters

Kaylynn Hawkins as our lead: Danielle Cross.

 

 

An ex-heroin addict with a will to survive. She’s faced countless hardship in her life and her
experiences have left her jaded and emotionally closed-off. She’s angry at the hand she’s been
dealt but doesn’t take it out on others – she internalizes. She and her brother Josh were in the foster
system, abused and bounced from house to house – each other their only lifeline. Josh’s premature
death has kept her from making any close relationships, only supplemented by her time on the streets
and drug addiction. She’s never known a normal life but is still a genuinely good person and wants to
make a future for herself.

 

Isaac Pauls as the scruffy and kind supporting character: Franklin. 

 

 

A resident of the Halfway House who hides his anxiety and fear with kindness. Franklin has been at the
house the longest of any characters and has become a mentor to new arrivals. His previous drug
addiction drove his family away, and now he looks to find a family in his fellow residents. We get the
feeling he could leave the house anytime, but he doesn’t want to be alone again. He has a beaten-down and tired appeal – a careful outside conceal a warm heart.

 

Emma Pope as a punk-rock supporting character: Gwen. 

 

 

A resident of the house. She’s aggressive and straightforward, unafraid to speak her mind. Gwen has
feelings for Franklin, which she insinuates as often as possible, waiting for him to make the first official
move. She has a large presence and makes herself known in whatever space she’s at, but in intimate
moments she falls into a submissive role. She doesn’t rely on anyone and does whatever she thinks will
best suit her desires. She sees Danielle as a threat to her romance with Franklin and wants to keep
Franklin’s eyes on herself only.

 

Noah Dominick as a whimsical, disturbed supporting character: Barry. 

 

 

A resident of the house, the newest addition besides Danielle. He is skinny, shivery and jumpy with manic and repetitive movements. Barry clearly has undiagnosed mental health issues, with heavy anxiety being one we can tell right away. He doesn’t trust anyone and keeps to himself. His addiction was due to hallucinogens – which he took to escape his own mind. Barry doesn’t do social interaction and has difficulty communicating. Half his mind is always somewhere else, which leaves him trailing off, staring, or listening to things we can’t see or hear.

 

See our cast in action when the film premieres June 2019!

 

Culmination

The production of Halfhaus represents the sum of much of our team's experiences in college at Central Washington University, and we all want to do it justice. I believe that with the right execution, we'll have a major shot in the festival curcuit. But we need your help to get all the way there. Any support is immensely appreciated, and any sharing of this fundraiser equally so. You're telling everyone that you believe in the arts, and in us.

 

Visit our website! -  www.halfhausfilm.com 
Ask me questions about the film! - [email protected] 

Thank you so very much for following the team and I on this ambitious journey to create a truly chilling supernatural horror short. We can’t wait to show you what we create.

--

Zane