Rio Grind Film Fest: Vancouver

Me, Jen, Sylvia & Tristan.

I think every director dreams of being able to attend a screening of their film with their cast & crew in tow. For me that has been especially a challenge with one actor in England and the other in Canada. I have been fortunate enough to meet with Laurence R. Harvey at two screenings. I was beginning to think I would never get the chance to see it with Tristan Risk. 

That was before I saw the Rio Grind Film Festival pop up out of what seemed to be no where about a month ago. It's in Vancouver, where Tristan is from. I had heard of the Rio Theater a lot from her and jumped at the opportunity to submit the film. 

Vancouver is also home to the twin powerhouse directors, Jen & Sylvia Soska (American Mary). When I arrived last Friday afternoon Tristan and I met up with them and their composer, Kevvy Mental. All of us worked on the Soskas' ABCS OF DEATH 2 segment- which was making its Vancouver premiere at Rio Grind that evening. It was really special to see the film together. 

Me and Tristan.

The short film program started Saturday afternoon and included lots of films CALL GIRL has played with in the past like - SHE, RUBY'S SECRET, SPLIT, NO PETS ALLOWED. It's a cool thing because my film feels like an extension of myself. I feel so connected with these other filmmakers, even people I've never met in real life. It's such an awesome and close community. My favorite short of the day (that I hadn't seen before) was EL GIGANTE by Gigi Saul Guerrero.

OH!! We won our first award! Laurence R Harvey won Best Actor (short film)!! I am so proud!!


Sunday Tristan took me on a lovely walk through Stanley Park.  Vancouver is such a beautiful city.  We passed a creek where they filmed a scene in the movie, IT.  And we got lunch at this adorable place, Prospect Point Cafe, with an incredible view of the water and Lions Gate Bridge.  Many films have been shot on that bridge including FINAL DESTINATION 5. I love that scene!

Other highlights of the trip would be sushi, sushi and more SUSHI! I ate so much sushi! Everyday we got sushi! YUM!

Thank you Tristan, Jen, Sylvia & Kevvy for showing me such a great time!

Tristan, Jen, Kevvy, me, & Sylvia.

Mile High Horror Film Fest - Denver

Last weekend I attended the Mile High Horror Film Festival held at the Alamo Drafthouse Denver.  I met Jerry Pyle there and we screened both of our films- CALL GIRL & SERVICE!   The festival was amazing!  When we pulled up to the theater the parking lot was full.  We took this as a great sign!  Every movie we saw- the theater was nearly sold out.  Even when we were seeing the underdog film (multiple films showed a the same time) they were packed full.  This is the biggest fest I've been to besides Film4 FrightFest in London.

Jerry Pyle and me.

Mile High likes its short films!  They had 7 blocks of shorts- 6 horror and 1 scifi.  Each block played twice throughout the festival.  CALL GIRL and SERVICE played in block #5 with a slew of great films.  We were in the same block as THE MUCK, by Tony Walsh, a gnarly creature movie set in the 80s.  That was shot by Robert Patrick Stern, who I plan to work with on my next project!  There were some serious stars in these shorts.  One of my favorites starred Amanda Seyfried, DOG FOOD, and was super disturbing.  Another that stood out- THE BODY by Paul Davis starring Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) was very clever, funny, and morbid.  I met Jeffrey Reddick, writer of FINAL DESTINATION (I'm a huge fan), who was there with his short GOOD SAMARITAN.

The film I was most anticipating seeing was EXISTS by Eduardo Sanchez, who also directed THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.  It's a found-footage film about Bigfoot and it fucking blew me away.  I loved it.  It was fucking scary!  I'm serious.  It's for REAL scary.  He did it again!  Eduardo and his producer Gregg Hale were both there.  It was awesome to meet them as they are a huge inspiration to me.

Eduardo will be here in Kansas City on October 29th for a double-feature screening of EXISTS and THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT at Screenland Armour.  DownRight Creepy is hosting a Q&A with him.  It will be a blast.  I'll be there.  Get your tickets while you still can!

Eduardo Sanchez and me.

ABCs of Death 2: World Premier

With the Soskas at Texas Frightmare Weekend.

ABCs OF DEATH 2 had its world premiere last Thursday at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.  And they did something I've never heard of before- Fantastic broadcasted their opening night to multiple Alamo Drafthouse cinemas across the country, including the one here in Kansas City.  I was so excited to watch the film at the same time as the premiere.  Plus, they broadcasted the Q&A afterwards with all the filmmakers who were down in Texas.

I had the honor of working on the film!  I was asked by Jen & Sylvia Soska aka the Twisted Twins to second unit direct a scene for their segment.  I was head over heels excited to have an opportunity like this.  This was September 2013, right after we shot CALL GIRL.  Laurence R. Harvey was still in town and the Twins wanted him in the film.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time!  Brian Hicks shot it and Adam Roberts did damn near everything else.  We filmed it in my friend, Lindsay Solomon's, awesome loft.  I don't want to spoil it, but we had a blast.  Laughed our asses off.

So, last Thursday a group of us went to see the movie.  I was impatiently waiting throughout the film for our segment to play and the scene we shot wasn't in the Soskas segment.  I started to freak out.  We watched the credits to see if we'd still be in there.  And much to my SURPRISE the scene was at the very end of the credits.  The secret scene!  Just like all the superhero movies do!  SO COOL!

Today the movie released on VOD & iTunes.  If you're free you should join the watch party and live tweet along with the cast and crew tonight.  The plan: push play at 9 PM (CST) and include  "#DeathParty" in your tweets.   I'll be there.

With Laurence R Harvey on set.

Mascara & Popcorn Film Fest - Montreal

Zombie Boy and me.

Rewind!  Before my trip overseas, I went to Canada for the first time to attend the Mascara & Popcorn Film Festival in Montreal, August 14-17th.  CALL GIRL screened there.  Not unlike everywhere I've gone lately- I saw a lot of inspiring films and met a ton of incredible people.

M&P is a 4 day festival founded and ran by Florence Touliatos.  This was their fifth year.  The day I arrived I went straight to the opening party.  I met "Zombie Boy," the dude who is tattooed from head-to-toe in Lady Gaga's video "Born This Way".  The next two days were filled solid with short films.  I must have saw over 60 films in 2 days!  I can't remember half of them.

Me and Erik Pavone with the wall o' boobs!

I also ate a lot of amazing food.  One evening I went for sushi with Hakk Wylde aka Bonnie Knapp Pavone and her husband, Erik Pavone.  The restaurant was complete with a wall of boobs to ogle at while waiting for your food to arrive!

That Saturday night, after the festival, the plan was for everyone to meet at this club called Katacombs.  This was my first goth club experience.  And it was awesome.  Only a few of us ended up going- the gang behind THE LAST HALLOWEEN, RUBY'S SECRET and a couple others.  They dragged me out to get poutine after the club closed, the local specialty- fries covered in gravy and cheese curds.  YUM!  It was a blast.

Lilly Roussel, me, Marc Primeau, Ronnie Basch,
and Bonnie Knapp Pavone at Katacombs.

The fest concluded with a party and award ceremony.  I felt incredibly welcomed the whole weekend- and that means a lot to me.

I'm currently working on bringing the films I saw in Montreal to screen here in Kansas City at Slaughter Movie House!

The CALL GIRL tour isn't over yet.  This weekend alone we have 4 screenings: Scream in the Dark Film Fest in Omaha, Oshkosh Horror Film Fest in Wisconsin, Fantom Fest in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Filmstock Film Fest in Denver, Colorado!  I will be at the Oshkosh screening and most likely Omaha too.  We have screenings booked through the end of the year.  Check out our site and follow us on social media to keep up!

Florence Touliatos, Izabel Grondin, Heather Buckley, Nadine L'Esperance, me and Isabelle Giroux.

Ireland with Spade Lion Productions

I was invited by Spade Lion Productions to screen CALL GIRL in Limerick, Ireland with their new short film by Paddy Murphy ENSNARED. They knew I was going to be on that side of the pond already for FrightFest, so we took advantage of the opportunity.

St. Mucnhin's

The one thing I begged them to do while I was there- show me a castle!!! And they went above and beyond!

I arrived in Shannon, Ireland last Thursday (August 28th) morning and from the plane I was already in awe of the green scenery. Paddy met me at the airport and first thing took me to Bunratty Castle. Across the road from the castle is a pub called Durty Nelly's. And he told me "Mac" on Always Sunny in Philadelphia often wears a t-shirt from this pub on the show!

Once we got to Limerick we met Steve Spade (producer and magician) for lunch. Then we went on a walk around town where they showed me St. Munchin's church and cemetery, King John's castle, River Shannon and so much more. It's a magical town. A dream come true to see this kind of architecture in the flesh. 

Our screening was that evening in this beautiful venue, Cellar Door. Literally in a cellar. Adorned with vintage furniture and candlelight. The place was packed and CALL GIRL received the most exciting and flattering reaction I've ever seen. They laughed and screamed!!

Afterwards, I did an interview with the Emerald Gore Society. It was lovely to meet the entire crew. I am excited to share that video with you all when it is posted!

And then everyone from ENSNARED and the screening showed me how Ireland parties and I could not keep up. We went to three bars, running from closing time. And topped the night off with some gyros- not the best.

St. John's Cathedral.

Next day, I went to lunch with Steve and Paddy. Then Paddy and I met up with his family- his wife Kathy and daughter Piper.  First we went to St. John's Cathedral. The highest steeple in Ireland. Built in 1861. It was gorgeous.

The Murphy's took me to their home. A short drive outside of Limerick along the river, with gorgeous hills behind their house and a mountain in the distance.  It looks like a fairly tale. We went on a walk down the river, where Paddy shot ENSNARED. It was awesome. The perfect end to my trip to Ireland.

I wish I could have stayed a few more days.

The ENSNARED gang and me at Cellar Door. Photo by Billy Hayes.

Want to see and hear more? Follow me on Instagram & Twitter (@JillSixx) and Facebook- CALL GIRL, Jill Sixx Gevargizian & Sixx Tape.

Manchester with Starburst Magazine

Martin Unsworth, a writer at Starburst Mag, has been nothing but supportive of CALL GIRL from day one. He contributed to our Kickstarter, wrote one of our very first reviews and more recently mentioned us in an article about independent filmmakers in Starburst- our first ever appearance in a printed magazine. I attribute that to our actor, Laurence R Harvey, his cult status- especially in the UK where the magainze is from.  

Martin mentioned in the past that he would like to screen CALL GIRL in Manchester at the Fab Cafe. When I found out the film was accepted into Film4 Frightfest we realized this would be the perfect opportunity for me to actually attend the event. So we set the date for the day after FrightFest ended. 

In the Starburst article I mentioned above, he also wrote about Jerry Pyle's shorts, SERVICE and BURN.  I told Martin that Jerry would be with me in England, so why not show his films too? He agreed and set up an amazing event for us. 

And of course, Laurence met us there as well. Living so far away from eachother I savor every time I get to see him. Plus, we know that's why the fans came out. Anyone who meets Laurence falls in love. He's so sweet, gentle and caring- you feel lucky to have him in your life. 

The night was incredible. We started off with dinner- Martin, Laurence, Jerry, Shauna (another staff member from Starburst) and me. I had the best fish and chips of my life. Also shared a few cocktail pitchers. 

Then Martin and Shauna took us to the Starburst offices. It was an honor. The entire staff was so gracious and welcoming. They talked movies with us, took shots from their liquor cabinet and gave us copies of the new issue. Then they all came to the screening with us. I didn't expect that at all. 

The screening went off without a hitch. The crowd was very interested in what we've done. Asked some great questions. They also screened an older short Laurence stars in, as a surprise, called MOTHER. It was awesome. 

The night doesn't begin to end there. Afterwards they took us to a club called Satan's Hollow. Yes, they know me well. Haha. It was stupid fun. You could say we were intoxicated by this point. Dancing our assess off. Singing every word of every song. I was taken back by the playlist, so much of it was stuff from my highschool days like Sum 41 and Limp Bizkit. They also played more obvious choices like Pantera. We didn't leave until they shut down and kicked us out. 

It was a fucking blast. I can't thank Starburst Magazine enough. 

Film4 FrightFest - London

Let me start by apologizing in advance for any typos or grammar errors in this blog post. I've been watching films for five days straight and partying with the most amazing people. My brain is a bit mushy right now.

I had such an incredible time in London for the Film4 FrightFest. It was my number one dream festival that I submitted CALL GIRL. I still can barely believe we played there. 

Unfortunately, United Airlines screwed me over and canceled my flight last minute so I got into London 12 hours later than originally planned. So, I missed THE GUEST and SIN CITY 2. I am not happy about it..... Moving on. 

Fest highlights:

THE GREEN INFERNO (Eli Roth):

I absolutely loved it. I'm not surprised, I am a huge fan of Roth. The thing is- I heard a lot of negative comments about the film before so I was a bit worried. But it was even better than I personally expected it to be. The gore was amazingly gnarly, the acting was on point and it was beautifully shot. He continues to inspire me. I love how his movies are often travel-themed and shot in foreign countries. I heard that he hired an almost entirely local crew in Peru, where it was shot. Which is so much more than just making a film, it's bringing industry and creating an artistic community in a place that doesn't have a lot of opportunity. F-off Eli haters!!!!!!!!

THE BABADOOK (Jennifer Kent):

A beautiful film from Australia that transcends genres. From the outside it appears as a super creepy ghost story. But turns out to be so much more. It spoke volumes to me as I interpreted it as a metaphor for grief. How we go on living after we lose someone incredibly vital to our lives. Not to mention the lead actors were mind-blowingly talented. The little boy, Noah Wiseman, was doing things I don't know how a child could comprehend and the mother is impeccably played by Essie Davis. 

HOUSEBOUND (Gerard Johnstone):

A super fun and surprising flick out of New Zealand. I watched this without any knowledge of the synopsis and really enjoyed it. It kept me on my toes thorough-out and was hysterical. Every time I thought I had it figured out another layer of awesome would appear. 

THE SIGNAL (William Eubank):

This was the closing film of the fest and it was damn near perfect. A very crazy scifi film I feel I can't say much about without massively spoiling it. The performances are great. Laurence Fishburne is something else!! 

DIGGING UP THE MARROW (Adam Green):

Another film I knew nothing about. It's a mockumentary of sorts, starring Adam Green as himself. Everyone in this film is playing themselves, for instance Josh Ethier edited the film and is in the film as the editor. Ray Wise is the only actor whom is acting as someone else- a crazy man who believes he's discovered an underground world where real monsters exist. Pretty damn funny and the jump scares got me good!

The CALL GIRL screening couldn't have gone better. The crowd reacted wonderfully and I had people come up to me nonstop throughout the festival to congratulate us. The short film showcase we played in was fabulous. My personal fav- SHE by Chelsey Burdon and Mark Vessey. 

The whole experience was a dream come true! I hope to return next year. 

CALL GiRL: World Tour

Long time no talk.

Wow, what a ride this has been! Since premiering CALL GIRL in March we have screened at 13 film festivals/screening series and we have 13 more coming up. 

We've played all over the country: Dallas, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Boston, Jacksonville, Seattle, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Indianapolis. 

Actress Tristan Risk, my muse, resides in Vancouver and I believe we can attribute that to our overwhelming Canadian support. We premiered in Hamilton, Ontario at Fright Night Theater and then played the Calgary Horror Con,



Today, I embark on a serious tour with the film-

August 14-17th:
I'm headed to Montreal for the Mascara & Popcorn Film Fest.  I am SO excited, I have never been to Canada!  It begins tonight with their "Black Carpet Event" and ends Sunday with an award ceremony + karaoke.  The film plays this Saturday evening in a block of shorts titled, "The Grindhole."

***I just found out some amazing news- CALL GiRL is nominated for "Most Weird & Wonderful", Best Special FX Makeup (Colleen May & Philip Spruell), Best Editor (Ryan Housknecht), and Best Director (that's ME)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is our first time being nominated. I AM HONORED. WOW! Thank you Mascara & Popcorn! 

August 21-25th:
Immediately after Montreal- I'm going to London- where we at screening at my dream festival, Film4 FrightFest. This is where the big timers screen their films. I may explode from excitement. This year they have THE GUEST (Adam Wingard), GREEN INFERNO (Eli Roth), SIN CITY A DAME TO KILL FOR (Robert Rodriguez), LATE PHASES (Adrian Garcia Bogliano) and on and on!!

MY FILM IS SCREENING WITH ELI ROTH'S FILM. I never dreamed I would say that. I've been a huge fan of his work since high school.


CG screens Saturday the 23rd at 12:45 PM in Discovery Screen 2 in a block of shorts including SHE by Chelsey Burdon and Mark Vessey- two people I'm very excited to meet!

Tuesday, August 26th:

Since I will already be in the UK,  Jerry Pyle and I are going take a train to Manchester and screen our films at Fab Cafe, presented by Starburst Magazine. The charming Laurence R Harvey will be meeting us there. They will be showing both of Jerry's films, SERVICE and BURN.

Thursday, August 28th:
Next, I hop over to Ireland to screen the film at the Cellar Door in Limerick at an event put together by Spade Lion Productions and hosted by Emerald Gore Society. Also showing is the directorial debut from Paddy Murphy, ENSNARED. 

Saturday, August 30th:

If you can believe this, next is the Just About Movies Film Fest in Scotland! This event is held on the grounds of the Tullibole Castle! I don't think I can make this one. But I will try my damnedest.

Sunday, August 31st-
Home sweet HOME!

We have a lot to look forward to this fall.  I can't possibly manage to (or afford to) attend most of these, but that doesn't make me any less pumped to have CALL GIRL screening at them!

In September we premier in Australia at the Sydney Underground Film Fest (again with Eli Roth!) and make our way back up north to screen at the Montreal Comic Con.

October (so far) we have Filmstock Film Fest in Colorado, Scream in the Dark in Omaha, Fantom Fest in Scranton, PA, and the Malta Horror Fest.

And, I just got news that we have been selected to screen at the Twisted Tails Film Fest in Dallas in December.  Plus there's a few we can't yet announce and many we are anxiously waiting to hear from!

Follow me on twitter, instagram and Facebook to keep up with my travels.
And follow CALL GIRL on twitter and Facebook.

#IamJada

Jada is a hero.

Jada is an extremely brave 16 year-old girl who is speaking out about her sexual attack.  Photos and video from her attack were posted online and went viral.  People have gone as far as mocking her pose in these photos and reposting their own versions.  This is horrific.

Jada has taken control of her story by coming forward.  She posted this photo (left) before her interview on Ronan Farrow Daily yesterday.  When he asked her why she spoke out she said, “The pictures that were posted is not how I am or who I am.  So, I’d rather just show them how I actually am.” 

I could not be more moved by her courage.

What she is doing now is so valuable.  Women have been shamed for their sexuality since the dawn of time and that has resulted in countless unreported rapes.  How can we change this??  HOW?

I'd like to give you some examples on how women have been shamed for their sexuality -

-Before recent years where it's become more “acceptable”- families would hide their daughters from society if they got pregnant. They would take them out of school and/or send them off to live with relatives in the middle of nowhere until the pregnancy was over.  They were so embarrassed.  Were the boys who impregnated these girls ever outcast? 

-Slut-shaming, that doesn't exist for men. For instance, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe - he's known for having been with a lot of women.  Can you think of a female celebrity who has bragged about that and been praised for it?  I can't.  I believe they are called "whores", even by other women.

-A few months ago I happened to catch Bill O'Reilly ranting about Beyoncé’s “Partition” music video.  He was appalled!  He asked, how she could “glorify sex in a limo.. as a female role model?!”  How could SHE?  I found the whole thing to be extremely funny because she's one of  the strongest females out there to idolize in pop culture.  She speaks to feminism and independence in her music often.  She is a great role model.

The worst part?  What happened to Jada is not uncommon.

In order to press charges we need need victims to go to a hospital immediately after the assault, get a rape-kit examination, and report it to the police.  Too often then not, victims are scared and embarrassed.  Are you beginning to see the trap?

We need to change that.  

Quanell X, the family's spokesperson, nailed it-

“We as a nation, as a whole, we have to begin to support victims and stand behind victims.  And encourage them to speak out.  Because this culture of silence goes back for decades...  We must create an environment that says to a victim- 'If you’ve been sexually assaulted- you can stand up, you can speak out, and those of us who love justice will stand with you and support you.'"

Post your photo in support of Jada today!  Don't forget to hashtag #IamJada and #JusticeForJada.

#YesAllWomen - I Just Want to DANCE!

I was reading Adrienne Fox’s (WatchPlayRead.com) coverage of Crypticon Seattle because, to be honest, she reviewed CALL GiRL (MY film).  She said some GREAT stuff but what really got my attention was a little further down the page.  I noticed she attended a panel called “Is Horror Still a Boy’s Club?”  Where, I guess, the discussion got a bit heated and uncomfortable.  Fox linked to another women’s blog, Anthea Carns, where she spoke in detail about her experience in that panel and at Crypticon.

Carns describes how her friend and her arre harassed throughout weekend by men.  What I found interesting is that she refers to it not feeling like a "safe space for women".  She mentions things I’ve experienced countless times, almost every time I go out in the world.  And Crypticon Seattle stepped up to the plate!  They almost immediately posted a new Code of Conduct on their website. 

I was most taken back by Carns’ post because I'm just not used to feeling safe as a woman.  I was like .... Wait. It's possible to make it safe for us?!  Her words are actually causing people to make positive changes?  I am so inspired by this.

Every time my girlfriends and I go out dancing it’s a constant battle to keep the creeps away.  Last weekend we ended up dancing behind a roped-off area, to get some peace of mind.  I can recall a night out a few months ago where one man in particular kept trying to dance with us- over and over and over- no matter how many times we said “no” and/or moved away.  He, then, stopped and starred at us down for a super long awkward time, trying to intimidate and threaten us.  It was scary….scary that this behavior isn’t uncommon.  I have often experienced a hostile reaction when turning down a man who wanted to dance or get my phone number.

We make jokes about it because I think we don't know what else to do.  But it's not funny.  And Anthea Carns has proven that you can change it if you speak up!