MISTER SANDMAN
Vancouver, Canada | Film Feature
Horror, Fantasy
MISTER SANDMAN is a dark fantasy feature film set at an abandoned summer camp that asks us to confront the meaning of our nightmares while exploring the five stages of grief. It's a dark adventure, a monstrous mystery, and a survival tale that slides something sinister into our subconscious.
MISTER SANDMAN
Vancouver, Canada | Film Feature
Horror, Fantasy
2 Campaigns | British Columbia, Canada
Green Light
This campaign raised C$8,850 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
37 supporters | followers
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MISTER SANDMAN is a dark fantasy feature film set at an abandoned summer camp that asks us to confront the meaning of our nightmares while exploring the five stages of grief. It's a dark adventure, a monstrous mystery, and a survival tale that slides something sinister into our subconscious.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A SPINE-TINGLING SYNOPSIS
A mother-daughter road trip down memory lane turns into a nightmarish fight for survival as the pair teams up with an oddball group of former summer-camp misfits to confront MISTER SANDMAN, the author of their greatest fears.
OUR MYSTERIOUS MYTHOLOGY
The story of Mister Sandman spans centuries. In fact, the character's origins may stretch back even further than our literary history tells us. From the early aboriginal cave drawings of ‘star-people’ to the baroque illustrations of the incubus, there are countless similarities between mythological creatures across continents and cultures. Likely the most famous fairy-tale version of an entity created by Hans Christian Andersen in the 1800s describes a being who weaves our dreams and crafts our nightmares, while Morpheus from Greek mythology sends human-like shapes to unsettle unsuspecting sleepers. Extraordinary similarities also exist between the folktale figure of Mister Sandman and present-day alien abductions. Even Pat Ballard’s lyrics for the famous song Mr. Sandman read “Please turn on your magic beam, Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream”, evokes imagery shared by 1000s of abduction victims who have been paralyzed by beams of light during their abduction experiences, and who often witness the use of a needle-like wand to put them to sleep.
So what if it was possible? What if those who have encountered this elusive being have simply mistaken it for one of hundreds of mythological creatures throughout time? What if what we're seeing in our night terrors are only what we've been conditioned to see by our belief systems and culture?
Then, perhaps, no single story of a dark and twilight traveller is true, but they're ALL true — and they are all one in the same. Which means there may be only ONE thing for us to truly fear at night, when we turn out the lights... the architect of our dreams and most dreaded nightmares: M I S T E R S A N D M A N.
THE MONSTROUS MASH-UP
Conjuring some serious STRANGER THINGS vibes, we aim to relive the most macabre moments from the last 20 years of fantastic filmmaking. Our goal is to re-capture that 80s & 90s monster-movie magic by packing this cinematic "trip" full of featured-creatures: Vampires, Aliens, Goblins and Ghosts, Oh MY!
OUR SLEEPLESS SOULS
Each of the main characters in MISTER SANDMAN represent one of the five stages of grief…
DENIAL
IZABEL "IZZY" ENDORMI (ELODIE DOUMENC) is the embodiment of the unexpected. Part protector, part neurotic bookworm, and ALL Ash vs. The Evil Dead. She fancies herself a psychological sleuth and is obsessed with Flamingos. Greatest fear: HER OWN PAST.
ANGER
SAMSON (MATTHEW MANDZIJ) is a small-town cop with a true-blue sense of morality. But his grip on reality is tested by seizure-like flashes of the impossible. Loyalty to the badge keeps him sane - though he moonlights as a UFO researcher. Greatest fear: ALIENS.
BARGAINING
NOLAN (ALEXANDER MOONIE) is a priest-in-training. He does his best to follow the righteous path to a holier life, but in a world of mortal temptation, even the most pious person may stray for the sake of love - or lust. Greatest fear: VAMPIRES.
DEPRESSION
MAUDE (AMY KING) inherited the summer camp after her parents passed, making her an unlikely camp director. She is a victim of childhood bullying and ironically the camp is where she spent most of her cruel summers. Greatest fear: GOBLINS.
ACCEPTANCE
OLIVIA (JUSTINE WARRINGTON) is Izzy’s mother, yet she often struggles to act like it. She's been absent from Izzy’s life for far too long and attempts to win back her daughter’s love and respect by being her new best friend. Greatest fear: Losing her DAUGHTER.
AN ESPECIALLY SPOOKY STORY
A road trip down memory lane turns into a nightmarish fight for survival as Izzy and her mother team up with a motley crew of summer-camp misfits to confront MISTER SANDMAN, the author of their greatest fears.
Together they eventually face their individual terrors and overcome a shared childhood trauma while drawing the ‘dream-eater’ into the real world so they can destroy him once and for all. But despite their collective relief, something doesn’t seem right... And after venturing into a dream-like realm where this baleful being is the architect of illusion and master of memory, one cannot help but ask...
“Where do the nightmares end and our waking lives begin?”
Almost all of my personal stories spawn from dreams, and I sincerely believe that our dreams speak to us. Dream imagery ties us together in ways we rarely share, and perhaps our nightmares even more-so. They can help reveal the core of who we are, and often shed light on the subconscious challenges we all face, both as singular souls and as a species.
My own and ongoing psychological challenge is dealing with loss. Until very recently I had not realized that I am in a constant battle with grief, due to the loss of my mother at age 14. Grief is a subconscious hole from which no-one entirely escapes, and the lingering effects of this life-long trauma crawls into every story I tell. Perhaps that is why MISTER SANDMAN has been the focus of my attention for the past few years... It is a story about the things we are too fearful to face or most terrified to admit. It’s about the masks we place over our fears to make them more manageable. Setting out to write this story, my only intent was to invest in a project that would allow me to do more of what I love - produce films full of practical effects and monster magic tricks! But, along the way, I started to realize that the visual/special/creature effects I’ve always loved are actually an essential part of the deeper message behind MISTER SANDMAN…
“By avoiding our deepest fears and denying our own pain, do we create the monsters?”
THE SINISTER STYLE
MISTER SANDMAN will be deliciously dark, featuring day-4-night shoots and high-contrast interiors that favor the dramatic (and intentionally heavy-handed) lighting of late 80’s and early 90’s horror flicks like THE EVIL DEAD. Overall, the approach to this film is to pay homage to the classic and creepy movies our entire team loves.
There are also moments where we tumble into a Tim Burton film, with extreme angles and colours as the weirdness runs amok. This movie is meant to be a super-saturated soup of wickedness, whimsy, and FUN!
OUR MONSTER-MEN
MISTER SANDMAN is a chameleon-like creature as old as time itself. It relies on sleeping souls for survival, draining our unconscious energy each night, and although it tends to draw most heavily from children (with their pure, imaginative spirits), it is a living, breathing creature that hunts and waits for us all inside darkened closets and deep within the shadows under our beds.
The many manifestations of MISTER SANDMAN are played by the fantastic quartet of LINDEN PORCO (Nightmare Alley, Leprechaun Returns), RICHARD MEEN (The Stand), THOMAS NICHOLSON (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and veteran creature performer KEITH ARBUTHNOT (X-Files, Cabin in the Woods, Resident Alien) who is playing the big bad boss creature that will ultimately face off against our heroes.
THIS IS OUR MOMENT!
Thanks to our Seed & Spark pre-production campaign, we were able to prep, plan and design the creatures for our film. And two years of isolation has given us time to save and build our vision. Now, with the generous support of The Vancouver Film School, local equipment houses, and our ideal filming locations re-opened, we are finally making MISTER SANDMAN!
We still follow provincial COVID-19 guidelines, testing cast and crew and isolating if anyone shows symptoms, but this, and all of the aforementioned details, have left us struggling with rising costs. So we are reaching out to YOU, our amazing Seed & Spark community, to help us cross the finish line.
THANK YOU!
We genuinely appreciate the time you took to get to know MISTER SANDMAN. Movies are ALL about building a community so don't hesitate to get in touch even if just to let us know... "What do your NIGHTMARES look like?"
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The Spooky Summer Camp
Costs C$4,000
Still reeling from COVID-19, we're so happy to be a client for this locally-owned summer camp.
A Sound Investment
Costs C$750
No matter how beautiful the shots, without pro sound, everything else falls short.
Grip and Lighting Team
Costs C$1,750
Without dazzling skills of our lighting team, it'd be a DARK dark film. Help us equip them!
Camera Team
Costs C$2,500
We have the cameras but to really elevate the look, we need a robust team with the right add-on gear
People and People Mover Fuel
Costs C$1,500
The increase in food & gas have hit us hard and your support will help keep bellies and tanks full.
Volunteer Support
Costs C$500
We have stellar volunteers learning on set but more people = more overhead -- help us support them!
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We're a diverse team of digital creators and film professionals who have planned and plotted together to make some amazing monster movie magic! ....We are THE SCREAM TEAM!
CHAD COSTEN (Writer/Director)
A child of the Canadian prairies, Chad is a veteran writer and director who began his career in animation, puppetry and prop-making. Some of his most notable directorial credits include GAIA_TheSeries, The Legend of Zelda: A Missing Link, the feature film The Coming (3.3M views!) and the multi award-winning short film Death Wish. Chad is currently a senior instructor at the Vancouver Film School.
STEPHANIE JOAN (Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager)
Stephanie is an independent writer and producer located in Vancouver, BC. She has produced many short films, including her own passion project, En Dehors de Toi (Winner “Best LGBTQ+ Short” - Lady Filmmakers Festival, 2022). Stephanie is also a little afraid of the dark… and hopes that Mister Sandman doesn’t know where to find her!
SHEN LIN (Director of Photography)
An experienced cinematographer hailing from China and based in Japan, Shen is experienced in both commercial and narrative works. To see some of Shen's past work, hop on over to: www.THE-SHEN.com.
ASHLEY BRATKIN (Production Designer)
A multi-talented art department professional and independent producer, Ashley leads the crew in the building of Flamingo Cabin, where our heroes must face their worst nightmares, and in designing the visual aspects of the film.
KEITH ARBUTHNOT (Creature Fabricator)
Keith has an amazing wealth of experience in creating, building and acting inside creatures. With dozens of credits including Cabin in the Woods, X-Files, Van Helsing, Stargate and Child’s Play, he is an amazing creative mind. Our director, Chad Costen, has worked with Keith numerous times over the years, including Chad’s award-winning film Death Wish.
NATALIE PELLETIER (Associate Producer)
Originally from Saskatchewan, Natalie is from the Plains Cree Cowessess first nation. Recently graduated from Vancouver Film School's Writing Program, she has already worked with our team on the MISTER SANDMAN prequel series. Natalie has a background as an educator before getting the film bug.
MARK ANDERSON (Producer)
Mark Anderson is a producer, cinematographer and editor who teaches the art of visual storytelling. His experience spans many different parts of the industry, including radio,television and stage. In stage productions, he worked with Lighting and Audio. In TV, the disruption of TV short and long-form media. In film, he is continuing the legacy of the dedication of the arts.
TIMO PUOLITAIPALE (Producer)
Raised in small town Finland before moving to the Canadian prairies, Timo is a producer with a proven track record of success in managing projects through development and production, having produced projects for Telefilm Canada, Movie Central, Creative BC, CBC, Finnish Film Foundation, Manitoba Film & Sound, and the Directors' Guild of Canada. Timo is a producer graduate of the National Screen lnstitute's Features First program.
THE REST OF OUR CRAFTY CREW
We have a talented and diverse team, hailing from all corners of the globe, working on MISTER SANDMAN and we will spotlight our crew in our Behind the Scenes footage from set. For the full list, see our listing on IMDB page.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
A SPINE-TINGLING SYNOPSIS
A mother-daughter road trip down memory lane turns into a nightmarish fight for survival as the pair teams up with an oddball group of former summer-camp misfits to confront MISTER SANDMAN, the author of their greatest fears.
OUR MYSTERIOUS MYTHOLOGY
The story of Mister Sandman spans centuries. In fact, the character's origins may stretch back even further than our literary history tells us. From the early aboriginal cave drawings of ‘star-people’ to the baroque illustrations of the incubus, there are countless similarities between mythological creatures across continents and cultures. Likely the most famous fairy-tale version of an entity created by Hans Christian Andersen in the 1800s describes a being who weaves our dreams and crafts our nightmares, while Morpheus from Greek mythology sends human-like shapes to unsettle unsuspecting sleepers. Extraordinary similarities also exist between the folktale figure of Mister Sandman and present-day alien abductions. Even Pat Ballard’s lyrics for the famous song Mr. Sandman read “Please turn on your magic beam, Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream”, evokes imagery shared by 1000s of abduction victims who have been paralyzed by beams of light during their abduction experiences, and who often witness the use of a needle-like wand to put them to sleep.
So what if it was possible? What if those who have encountered this elusive being have simply mistaken it for one of hundreds of mythological creatures throughout time? What if what we're seeing in our night terrors are only what we've been conditioned to see by our belief systems and culture?
Then, perhaps, no single story of a dark and twilight traveller is true, but they're ALL true — and they are all one in the same. Which means there may be only ONE thing for us to truly fear at night, when we turn out the lights... the architect of our dreams and most dreaded nightmares: M I S T E R S A N D M A N.
THE MONSTROUS MASH-UP
Conjuring some serious STRANGER THINGS vibes, we aim to relive the most macabre moments from the last 20 years of fantastic filmmaking. Our goal is to re-capture that 80s & 90s monster-movie magic by packing this cinematic "trip" full of featured-creatures: Vampires, Aliens, Goblins and Ghosts, Oh MY!
OUR SLEEPLESS SOULS
Each of the main characters in MISTER SANDMAN represent one of the five stages of grief…
DENIAL
IZABEL "IZZY" ENDORMI (ELODIE DOUMENC) is the embodiment of the unexpected. Part protector, part neurotic bookworm, and ALL Ash vs. The Evil Dead. She fancies herself a psychological sleuth and is obsessed with Flamingos. Greatest fear: HER OWN PAST.
ANGER
SAMSON (MATTHEW MANDZIJ) is a small-town cop with a true-blue sense of morality. But his grip on reality is tested by seizure-like flashes of the impossible. Loyalty to the badge keeps him sane - though he moonlights as a UFO researcher. Greatest fear: ALIENS.
BARGAINING
NOLAN (ALEXANDER MOONIE) is a priest-in-training. He does his best to follow the righteous path to a holier life, but in a world of mortal temptation, even the most pious person may stray for the sake of love - or lust. Greatest fear: VAMPIRES.
DEPRESSION
MAUDE (AMY KING) inherited the summer camp after her parents passed, making her an unlikely camp director. She is a victim of childhood bullying and ironically the camp is where she spent most of her cruel summers. Greatest fear: GOBLINS.
ACCEPTANCE
OLIVIA (JUSTINE WARRINGTON) is Izzy’s mother, yet she often struggles to act like it. She's been absent from Izzy’s life for far too long and attempts to win back her daughter’s love and respect by being her new best friend. Greatest fear: Losing her DAUGHTER.
AN ESPECIALLY SPOOKY STORY
A road trip down memory lane turns into a nightmarish fight for survival as Izzy and her mother team up with a motley crew of summer-camp misfits to confront MISTER SANDMAN, the author of their greatest fears.
Together they eventually face their individual terrors and overcome a shared childhood trauma while drawing the ‘dream-eater’ into the real world so they can destroy him once and for all. But despite their collective relief, something doesn’t seem right... And after venturing into a dream-like realm where this baleful being is the architect of illusion and master of memory, one cannot help but ask...
“Where do the nightmares end and our waking lives begin?”
Almost all of my personal stories spawn from dreams, and I sincerely believe that our dreams speak to us. Dream imagery ties us together in ways we rarely share, and perhaps our nightmares even more-so. They can help reveal the core of who we are, and often shed light on the subconscious challenges we all face, both as singular souls and as a species.
My own and ongoing psychological challenge is dealing with loss. Until very recently I had not realized that I am in a constant battle with grief, due to the loss of my mother at age 14. Grief is a subconscious hole from which no-one entirely escapes, and the lingering effects of this life-long trauma crawls into every story I tell. Perhaps that is why MISTER SANDMAN has been the focus of my attention for the past few years... It is a story about the things we are too fearful to face or most terrified to admit. It’s about the masks we place over our fears to make them more manageable. Setting out to write this story, my only intent was to invest in a project that would allow me to do more of what I love - produce films full of practical effects and monster magic tricks! But, along the way, I started to realize that the visual/special/creature effects I’ve always loved are actually an essential part of the deeper message behind MISTER SANDMAN…
“By avoiding our deepest fears and denying our own pain, do we create the monsters?”
THE SINISTER STYLE
MISTER SANDMAN will be deliciously dark, featuring day-4-night shoots and high-contrast interiors that favor the dramatic (and intentionally heavy-handed) lighting of late 80’s and early 90’s horror flicks like THE EVIL DEAD. Overall, the approach to this film is to pay homage to the classic and creepy movies our entire team loves.
There are also moments where we tumble into a Tim Burton film, with extreme angles and colours as the weirdness runs amok. This movie is meant to be a super-saturated soup of wickedness, whimsy, and FUN!
OUR MONSTER-MEN
MISTER SANDMAN is a chameleon-like creature as old as time itself. It relies on sleeping souls for survival, draining our unconscious energy each night, and although it tends to draw most heavily from children (with their pure, imaginative spirits), it is a living, breathing creature that hunts and waits for us all inside darkened closets and deep within the shadows under our beds.
The many manifestations of MISTER SANDMAN are played by the fantastic quartet of LINDEN PORCO (Nightmare Alley, Leprechaun Returns), RICHARD MEEN (The Stand), THOMAS NICHOLSON (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and veteran creature performer KEITH ARBUTHNOT (X-Files, Cabin in the Woods, Resident Alien) who is playing the big bad boss creature that will ultimately face off against our heroes.
THIS IS OUR MOMENT!
Thanks to our Seed & Spark pre-production campaign, we were able to prep, plan and design the creatures for our film. And two years of isolation has given us time to save and build our vision. Now, with the generous support of The Vancouver Film School, local equipment houses, and our ideal filming locations re-opened, we are finally making MISTER SANDMAN!
We still follow provincial COVID-19 guidelines, testing cast and crew and isolating if anyone shows symptoms, but this, and all of the aforementioned details, have left us struggling with rising costs. So we are reaching out to YOU, our amazing Seed & Spark community, to help us cross the finish line.
THANK YOU!
We genuinely appreciate the time you took to get to know MISTER SANDMAN. Movies are ALL about building a community so don't hesitate to get in touch even if just to let us know... "What do your NIGHTMARES look like?"
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
The Spooky Summer Camp
Costs C$4,000
Still reeling from COVID-19, we're so happy to be a client for this locally-owned summer camp.
A Sound Investment
Costs C$750
No matter how beautiful the shots, without pro sound, everything else falls short.
Grip and Lighting Team
Costs C$1,750
Without dazzling skills of our lighting team, it'd be a DARK dark film. Help us equip them!
Camera Team
Costs C$2,500
We have the cameras but to really elevate the look, we need a robust team with the right add-on gear
People and People Mover Fuel
Costs C$1,500
The increase in food & gas have hit us hard and your support will help keep bellies and tanks full.
Volunteer Support
Costs C$500
We have stellar volunteers learning on set but more people = more overhead -- help us support them!
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We're a diverse team of digital creators and film professionals who have planned and plotted together to make some amazing monster movie magic! ....We are THE SCREAM TEAM!
CHAD COSTEN (Writer/Director)
A child of the Canadian prairies, Chad is a veteran writer and director who began his career in animation, puppetry and prop-making. Some of his most notable directorial credits include GAIA_TheSeries, The Legend of Zelda: A Missing Link, the feature film The Coming (3.3M views!) and the multi award-winning short film Death Wish. Chad is currently a senior instructor at the Vancouver Film School.
STEPHANIE JOAN (Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager)
Stephanie is an independent writer and producer located in Vancouver, BC. She has produced many short films, including her own passion project, En Dehors de Toi (Winner “Best LGBTQ+ Short” - Lady Filmmakers Festival, 2022). Stephanie is also a little afraid of the dark… and hopes that Mister Sandman doesn’t know where to find her!
SHEN LIN (Director of Photography)
An experienced cinematographer hailing from China and based in Japan, Shen is experienced in both commercial and narrative works. To see some of Shen's past work, hop on over to: www.THE-SHEN.com.
ASHLEY BRATKIN (Production Designer)
A multi-talented art department professional and independent producer, Ashley leads the crew in the building of Flamingo Cabin, where our heroes must face their worst nightmares, and in designing the visual aspects of the film.
KEITH ARBUTHNOT (Creature Fabricator)
Keith has an amazing wealth of experience in creating, building and acting inside creatures. With dozens of credits including Cabin in the Woods, X-Files, Van Helsing, Stargate and Child’s Play, he is an amazing creative mind. Our director, Chad Costen, has worked with Keith numerous times over the years, including Chad’s award-winning film Death Wish.
NATALIE PELLETIER (Associate Producer)
Originally from Saskatchewan, Natalie is from the Plains Cree Cowessess first nation. Recently graduated from Vancouver Film School's Writing Program, she has already worked with our team on the MISTER SANDMAN prequel series. Natalie has a background as an educator before getting the film bug.
MARK ANDERSON (Producer)
Mark Anderson is a producer, cinematographer and editor who teaches the art of visual storytelling. His experience spans many different parts of the industry, including radio,television and stage. In stage productions, he worked with Lighting and Audio. In TV, the disruption of TV short and long-form media. In film, he is continuing the legacy of the dedication of the arts.
TIMO PUOLITAIPALE (Producer)
Raised in small town Finland before moving to the Canadian prairies, Timo is a producer with a proven track record of success in managing projects through development and production, having produced projects for Telefilm Canada, Movie Central, Creative BC, CBC, Finnish Film Foundation, Manitoba Film & Sound, and the Directors' Guild of Canada. Timo is a producer graduate of the National Screen lnstitute's Features First program.
THE REST OF OUR CRAFTY CREW
We have a talented and diverse team, hailing from all corners of the globe, working on MISTER SANDMAN and we will spotlight our crew in our Behind the Scenes footage from set. For the full list, see our listing on IMDB page.