The Recluse, 13min., USA
Directed by Matt Webb
In early 2025 a breach at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory puts residents of Oak Ridge and surrounding counties at risk. During a mandatory curfew imposed by local officials, a man reluctantly allows strangers who show up at his doorstep to spend the night waiting inside, and it quickly becomes evident that things are not as they seem.

https://instagram.com/themattwebb21

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to create a film that drew on some of my favorite just creepy or unsettling films and television: Signs, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files, Stranger Things, and others, while exploring the dynamics of an eclectic group of personalities forced to interact during a mandatory lock-down. No surprise that part of the genesis of this film was the feelings of isolation and uncertainty that most of us felt during the first year of the COVID lockdowns.

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

The idea happened a few years ago - post COVID lockdowns, but the script sat for a few years while I finished some other projects and established a great relationship with my Director of Photography - Thomson Nguyen. After we began pre-production in earnest, the film took about 6 or 7 months to fully come together and finally premiere at Film Fest Knox in my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Being mindful of cast and crew time. We wanted to keep the shoot to 3 10-hour days, and the script was just at 15 pages. Time management was challenging.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was really rewarding to hear that some of the intentional moments in the film resonated and that there was audience payback.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

It's been since about 2022. I am 50 years old and films are not my career, just something I love and want to excel at.

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

Probably National
Treasure, Signs, Moneyball and Shawshank Redemption. Definitely an eclectic mix.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think networking is really key, especially meeting mentor and colleagues at different stages of their film journey. Giving us the opportunity to connect is huge.

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

It has always been a positive experience.