HELLBOUND FUGITIVE, 5min., USA
Directed by Christopher Patrick Vallone
In a desperate bid for freedom, a convict seeks refuge in a decaying fortress within the mountains. He inadvertently enters a nightmarish arena where ancient demons punish the wicked, and survival means fighting hell itself.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
SO this film is just a piece of a feature length script I wrote 18 years ago when I was just getting out of indie filmmaking after 10 years. AI came into my life almost 2 years ago, and so I started to dabble in it. I started to make a film trailer to that feature I wrote, and then started to see some AI horror, thriller contests online, and decided to make a short "Hellbound Fugitive" as a piece off of the trailer I was producing. I figured I had some scenes made already from the trailer, why not make a short from some of the clips? So that's what I did.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
About 4 weeks.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Sinister reckoning

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Getting the AI to do what you want. I still think of myself as a newbie to AI filmmaking coming from a tradition filmmaking world. I know folks think it is easy to do AI, they feel you just tell it what to do and it does it... but that is not true, there were many times when you really have to put on the directors hat, and get very specific in your directing words.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Very cool, so glad everyone enjoyed it, and the constructive criticism was great too, great advice to help me improve next time.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was in grade school! I used to film with my dads VHS camera and make lil stories.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Terminator.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? Oh gosh not sure... maybe in person meetups, networking event? Festival party? 1 on 1 zoom consults on the film?

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Very good.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Currently? I love Italian Sushi! If you look it up, you will see what it is, I make it all the time now, it's a great appetizer or meal.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Currently working on my next action AI short, polishing my old feature scripts I wrote 18-25 years ago and making trailers for those.