Filmmaker Patricia Chica Directs Horror Short for Soska Sisters’ Women in Horror Month Massive Blood Drive PSA.

Award winning filmmaker Patricia Chica directs short horror film Ripe N’ Bloody for the Soska Sisters PSA for their Women in Horror Month’s blood drive. Read on for all the details.

From The Press Release

Every year internationally renowned identical twin filmmakers, the Soska Sisters (American Mary, See No Evil 2), invite you to bleed for an incredibly good cause: Women in Horror’s PSA for a Massive Blood Drive. Donating blood is something that many people find off-putting and terrifying. By using humor, innovation, and provocative imagery, this PSA will encourage viewers to face their fears and help out those in need of blood.

For this occasion, the Soska Sisters are launching an anthology of horror shorts directed by celebrated women filmmakers from around the world. The PSA premieres February 1^st 2015 on YouTube in honor of Women in Horror Recognition Month (#WiHM666).

Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through altruistic events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support. The collaborative vision is a world wherein all individuals have equal opportunity to create, share, and engage in freedom of expression.

The Soska Sisters and Women in Horror have invited award winning Canadian filmmaker Patricia Chica to present her darkly comic short Ripe N’ Bloody to be included in this anthology of films from some of the most innovative, unique, and irreverent female directors across the globe.

“I am a huge fan of the Soska Twins’ work, so I’m thrilled to be part of this project which supports two causes that are dear to my heart: the empowerment of Women in Film and Blood Donation”, says Patricia Chica.

“I started getting involved with blood donation when my mother was diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and needed a lot of transfusions in order to survive. It made me realize how important each litter of blood was for the survival of my own mother and all of the patients at the hospital who were suffering from similar conditions. My recent film Ceramic Tango dealt with the issue of blood and HIV awareness”, explains the director.

“This PSA is not only aligned with my purpose of making films that serve society and elevate the viewers’ consciousness but it was morbidly fun to make!”, concludes Patricia Chica.

Ripe N’ Bloody is a Canadian production that was written by award winning filmmaker-screenwriter Kamal John Iskander (Jesus Comes to Town, Montréal Girls), produced by Patricia Chica, Grace Santos (Odessa, Silk), and veteran Byron A. Martin (Serpent’s Lullaby, My Babysitter is a Vampire). The short was executive produced by Tara Kurtz (Blue Weekend, Something About Her), co-executive produced by Adonai Interiano of HNI Productions, and artist Morris Umali. Practical effects were created by Danny McCarthy of 800 LB Guerilla. Visual effects were created by Henry Lipatov, Anton Golovchenko, and the crew at FAME CUBE based in the Ukraine. Director of photography Imad Rhayem, production designer Gabrielle Giraud, and makeup artist Valentina Badaracco round out the production team. Starring Leonard Waldner, Stephen Brewster, Andrea Fletcher, Keira McCarthy, and introducing Marco Reilly.

An expanded version of the short will be presented on the festival circuit during the 2015/2016 season.

Patricia Chica (@PatriciaChica) is a Canadian/Salvadorian 35-time award winning filmmaker who has built a loyal audience and cult following internationally. Her films explore “dark” subject matter in order to find the “light” and frequently feature elements of psychological drama and suspense. Screening in more than 200 international film festivals, her films Rockabilly 514, Day Before Yesterday, Ceramic Tango, and Serpent’s Lullaby have been enthusiastically received by audiences worldwide. Variety recently described her as “a prolific director of shorts and TV projects.” Patricia is attached to direct acclaimed screenplay Wolverine Hotel, a finalist at the Los Cabos Film Co-Production Forum and at the Oaxaca FilmFest. (www.PatriciaChica.com)

Kamal John Iskander is an award winning writer and director whose acclaimed short comedy, Jesus Comes to Town, screened in over 30 international film festivals and won 7 awards including the Cine Golden Eagle (Washington, DC) and the Best Short Narrative (Virginia Film Festival). Mark Bell, editor of Film Threat, called his work “a delight to behold.” Kamal is currently developing six other screenplays in various genres including horror. The Gospel According to Charlie (winner of Best International Screenplay at the Oaxaca FilmFest) is his most personal work and a wild journey featuring characters from the outskirts of Los Angeles. (www.jesuscomestotown.com)

Tara Kurtz (@kurtz_tara) has worked in all facets of film development including production, location management, casting, and distribution. In addition to producing, Tara has extensive experience in talent management. Her feature credits include Something About Her and Blue Weekend for Cineville Productions.

Grace Santos (@Grace_S_Feeney) is an award winning producer and actress known for Spun (Honorable Mention – Producers Guild of America’s Weekend Shorts Challenge) and Silk (starring Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo of House of Sand and Fog). (www.gracefeeney.com)

Danny McCarthy manages the Special FX Makeup and Wardrobe departments at Stu Segall Productions and Strategic Operations in San Diego, CA. He leads a team of makeup artists that have assisted in the training of members from every branch of the U.S. military and Special Forces as well as the law enforcement and first responder communities. As a graduate of the Tom Savini Special Effects School, he had the great honor of learning his trade from several makeup masters including, Dick Smith. (www.facebook.com/pages/800-lb-Guerilla/103539906441412)

SYNOPSIS

A man is kidnapped by a very strange family, and his fate is held in the hands of two kids.

Ripe N’ Bloody presents a shocking tale of the unexpected with a twist that reminds the audience that “It’s in You to Give.”