Award-winning filmmaker Ryan G. Kelly ("Cameo", "Mania") has announced a new project: a psychological short film he describes as the best short film script he has yet written. The short, titled "Stay Buried", tells the story of a live-in domestic assistant coerced into covering up a murder by her unstable and manipulative employer.
Blending elements of suspense, film noir, and dark comedy, the ten-minute chamber piece is designed to be both tightly constructed and visually striking. "I became fascinated by the idea of elegance masking dysfunction," Kelly said. "That served as the creative foundation of the project: the ways in which horror, beauty, and absurdity collide. Then, once I had the chance to bring in two fantastic actresses and human beings for the leads, I knew this had the potential to become something special."
Producer Emily Yelverton ("Cameo", "Mania") describes the script as "excellent," adding that "the film will be a self-contained refinement of all of our previous short projects, combining our familiar thematic elements of crime, domestic turbulence, and horror with a macabre sense of humor that I am certain will be a hit with festival audiences."
The film will reunite director Kelly with New York City actress Sarah Schoofs, whose leading performance in "Cameo" garnered multiple acting awards. Schoofs said she was "thrilled to be joining the cast of 'Stay Buried' alongside the insanely talented Heather Drew... Working on 'Cameo' with Ryan was one of the most gratifying experiences of my career and I cannot wait to see where we take this project. Jacqueline is a juicy, beautifully flawed character that I cannot wait to sink my teeth into."
Joining the cast is New Jersey-based actress Heather Drew, recently seen on ABC's What Would You Do? "This role is a gift," Drew said. "The audience will hate, love, cheer, and applaud... What a fun situation to play out and watch."
The film will be shot by New Jersey cinematographer Nicholas Pietroniro, and is expected to go into production this fall in New Jersey. In addition to "Stay Buried", Kelly is developing several feature projects. His Gothic thriller spec script Crimson Seed has been earning accolades on the festival circuit. He is also developing his debut feature, a micro-budget horror film set during an outbreak.
For more information about "Stay Buried" and future projects, follow the film's writer and director on Instagram @ryan_g_kelly.
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