Picaroon Pictures has announced the premiere of “Hypnonaut,” a new short film that strikes into the thrilling depths of Sci-Fi Horror. This locally directed and produced feature was masterminded by director Jonathan Chuby and written by R.D. Muirhead. A cast & crew of roughly 50 people was assembled in Prince George–Lheidli T’enneh over the past year to bring the project into fruition, with financial aid from TELUS Storyhive Editions.
Set Designer/Actor Bradley Charles joins us in the CFUR studio with the film’s Cinematographer Sam Ellis to keep us in suspense ahead of the March 13th Premiere at the Prince George Playhouse. In summary:
The story follows Jacob (Chase Wamderdam), suffering from fatal insomnia, whose rare condition is not just extreme, but fatal. Desperate to survive, Jacob seeks out an experimental treatment at a secluded sleep clinic in northern British Columbia, run by the enigmatic Dr. Stygian (Gil Botelho). But the scientist’s motives may be more sinister than therapeutic.
Hypnonaut’s script was written about 8 years ago, and what may appear as a leap into this project now is actually the result of many prior stepping stones. While the team has its share of credentials with Charles’ live theatre directing credits, Sam Ellis’s Emmy in cinematography, & Jonathan Chuby’s Indie Series Award, that isn’t where they started. While the collective accreditations may indeed be serious, Charles speculates that the film’s funding application was secured because of its heavy reliance on the Northern BC setting and the crew’s proven track record. While the project experimented with a number of techniques in order to build the crew’s skill set, Charles emphasized, “If you can prove that you have capacity to do something, you’re that much closer to getting that funding.”
Get your tickets on Eventbrite by searching Hypnonaut
The March 13th premiere promises more than just the screening of Hypnonaut, but also a live performance which takes advantage of the crew’s experience in theatre, as well as a curated selection of Picaroon short flicks ready for the big screen.
- Ian Gregg, CFURadio 88.7FM, Due North
