BRATTLEBORO-Austin Rice, lead producer and production coordinator at Brattleboro Community Television and a key player in the area's film scene, is becoming known for idiosyncratic comedy woven with camp horror. Having given us the shorts Lil' Balzac 1 (2018) and Lil' Balzac 2 (2022), Rice and company have a new film project in the incubator: Nightmare at Nana's.
This feature-length film, according to a project press release, aims to be "a nostalgic tribute to '80s genre films, blending classic horror elements with comedy and Vermont's unique charm."
In an interview with The Commons, Rice, the film's writer, director, and producer, said, "It's a mixture of a lot of different inspirations and styles, all done with the appropriate attention to detail and authenticity."
He called it "kind of a genre blender, so it takes the horror seriously, while also taking the comedy seriously."
"But there's some heartfelt drama in there, and an artistic eye" guiding the cinematography, he added.
Having traveled all over the country, Rice has found that "there's nowhere quite like Vermont," especially when one leaves a town for the state's mountains and forests in which Nightmare at Nana's will be set.
Speaking as a lifelong Vermonter, Rice said he has always appreciated "the unique vibe we have" in terms of the state's people and "their inclination to assume the best in each other." He aims to infuse the film with beautiful shots of the Vermont landscape.
Gearing up for a three-week shoot in summer 2025, Rice; Angus Reid, director of photography/visual fx and producer; and Sam McFarland, first assistant director and producer are hosting two events this month to raise funds for the project.
A kickoff this Friday at 7 p.m. at 118 Elliot will give the public a chance to meet the cast and crew and hear live readings from the script.
"We'll be showing some clips from past projects, answering questions about the film, and making our pitch in person," Rice explained.
The filmmakers will also launch a crowdfunding campaign on Seed&Spark, a platform designed for storytellers and creators to raise money to support grassroots projects.
The thrust is "to start really localized, to tap into the community that we all are familiar with and that knows us, knows our work," Rice said.
Thus, he hopes Friday's event will be a strong launch to the crowdfunded campaign. Refreshments will be served, and participation is free.
The following Saturday, Nov. 23, the public is invited to a double feature screening of the Lil' Balzac films at the Hooker-Dunham Theater on Main Street. Donations at the door will go directly toward funding the Nightmare project as well.
With $10,000 pledged to date, the production team seeks to raise at least another $35,000 - all to cover special effects and compensation for cast and crew, "at least enough that they feel like they can pay their rent; they're appreciated, and they can focus on just making the movie for a few weeks," says Rice.
What's it all about?
The spine of the film's story, according to the press release, is that two brothers are stranded in the Vermont woods. They take refuge with a kind elderly woman, only to discover a psychopath is stalking them.
"Simon has always supported his brother Nick's dreams of becoming a rock star, even after leaving the band himself to focus on local politics. But when Nick's behavior begins to hinder Simon's ambitions, he agrees to do one last favor before setting a boundary: drive Nick to a make-or-break audition."
On the way, they encounter Judd, "a mysterious and hostile loner."
The brothers, along with another couple, "find refuge with a kind elderly woman, Nana."
"Unbeknownst to them, Judd is watching their every move, and their stay quickly turns into a night of horror."
Cameron Lloyd, originally from Westminster, plays Nick in the film and offers an actor's perspective: Based on the script and what the team has in mind for special effects "makes me think about a lot of the B-splatter-horror movies that I loved growing up," he said - but he said that Rice's "attention to detail and its thoughtfulness" makes Nightmare at Nana's "an homage."
Reid said the content of the film is "all speculative at this point."
"You know, we're eight months out," he said. "But we're planning to do something that from the [description above] you would think, 'oh, okay, I know exactly what that's going to look like.' And then when you see it, it'll differ from the expectations you had in surprising ways, hopefully positive ones."
"I just want to emphasize: Austin did point out that there is heart in this film," Reid said, noting that the new film "for sure has this underlying story of connection and coming together and trying to overcome whatever personal struggles we have to be better to the people we love."
"We got a lot of good practice on what Austin's been trying to achieve," McFarland said. "Angus has a good eye for that, and we'll be able to get it done."
A completely different project
Rice explained that the plan was originally to make the new film a Lil' Balzac 3, "but for a variety of reasons decided to do something completely different."
"And so I'm excited to not have the restrictions that come with making another sequel with existing characters," he said. "We're able to explore a different tone and a different style with this. And that's, I think, exciting for us."
"Just the move from Lil' Balzac to Nana's represents a big step in production style and in just the size and scope of the project," Reid added. "So tonally there're some comparisons to be made, but I think if you're familiar with the Lil' Balzac thing, you should be prepared to see something much more impressive visually and storytelling-wise in the upcoming project."
The cast of Nightmare at Nana's includes Cameron Lloyd, Vito Trigo, Rosa Palmeri, Annie Tisdale, Joshua Cunningham, Stephanie Ward, Cameron Cobane, Djeli Celestia, Wyndham Maxwell, and Maechyl Lloyd.
The production team, in addition to Rice, Reid, and McFarland, includes Elle Kurata, David Szehi, Cassidy Majer, Tegan Greenberg, Brian Bashaw, and Frederic Noyes.
McFarland credited Rice with engaging him, a relative newcomer, in the area filmmaking scene.
"I felt very fortunate in being introduced into this community that I would otherwise not have been part of, because everyone knows Austin, everyone loves Austin," and many have been willing to support his work.
In the press release, Rice returns the tribute.
"I strive to create projects that showcase our state's beauty, engage the community in the creative process, and represent our sense of individuality," he said. "I am thrilled to make a campy horror film with so many talented locals."
Rice said that he "couldn't have gotten to where I am in my career without the support of my neighbors, mentors, and friends in the Brattleboro area, and I am excited to invite the community to help us bring this feature film to life."
Lloyd was eager to add his hope that people will "become part of this exciting project that is going to try to put us on the map."
"Just showing up is supporting the project," he said. "Even if it's donating a dollar or five - even just attending the event is showing your support."
For more information about the Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 23 events to raise funds for production of Nightmare at Nana's, visit facebook.com/nightmareatnanas. To contribute to the film on Nov. 15 and beyond, go to seedandspark.com/fund/nightmare-at-nanas.
This Arts item by Annie Landenberger was written for The Commons.