LATEST PROJECTS
FINAL GIRLS' BLOODBATH
SYNOPSIS: A new slasher film is in the works. A casting director brings two D-list actresses, both notorious for solely playing the "final girl", in for an audition with horror legend, William Whitlock.
The two women, who seemingly couldn't be more polar opposites from each other, try to one-up each other in just about every way as they vie for the role of a lifetime. But, what starts off as a chemistry audition becomes an actual life-or-death battle as the two final girls' real-life survival skills are put to the test when they discover the studio doors are locked and the audition is not exactly what it seems...
Life imitates art in this dark comedy horror short pressure, anxiety, and fear of auditioning, along with some of the very harsh realities of some of Hollywood's casting processes. As the final girls fight to live up to their renowned titles, their true survival skills come out when their audition takes a dark turn. But- there can only be one true "final girl".
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This blood-soaked tale stars Ashley Mary Nunes (a frequent collaborator - who also wrote, produced, and directed), Jennifer Velasco, and Lindsey Lemke. The short, for which Lito performed as actor, composer, and one of the producers (alongside his wife, Jennifer), is currently thriving in its festival run! Having received a good handful of accolades and awards, the hope is that once the film is finished with festival screenings, it will be offered around the world via streaming.
The film next screens at the Chicago Horror Film Festival on May 5th! Learn more about the festival and get tickets at the following link: https://www.chicagohorrorfilmfest.com/
For now, check out the trailer and poster, below!
LES BÊTES
SYNOPSIS: A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court in this stop-motion-animated, dark fantasy.
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This short began its life as a "pandemic lockdown project" that was conceived as a zero-budget, entirely recycled film in the style of a 1930's Ladislas Starevich animation. The film was written, shot, cut, animated, and directed by Michael Granberry, a stop-motion-animator and fellow filmmaker Lito met while helping produce the multi-award-winning documentary, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. A 3-time Emmy award-winning director, Granberry's work can be seen in such films as the Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Henry Selick's Wendell & Wild, Charlie Kaufman's Oscar-nominated Anomalisa, Tales of Halloween, and numerous other feature films, documentaries, TV shows, web series and music videos, including the aforementioned Never Sleep Again, which featured his stop-motion animations in the main titles and interstitials.
After their collaboration on Never Sleep Again, the two worked together again when Granberry directed Lito in the short, Demon Garden. Michael approached Lito to score this fantastical tale after becoming enchanted with Velasco's work on Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser, which Granberry used as musical inspiration while working on this project. The resulting score is one of Lito's most ambitious works yet, featuring tracks that utilize over 150 orchestral instruments as well as choir, electronica, synthesizers, and more.
The film is very early in its festival run but has already received a handful of selections and awards (including "Best Stop-Motion Film" from the prestigious Animation Studio Festival) and is highly anticipated by everyone familiar with the works of director Granberry. For now, check out the trailer: https://filmfreeway.com/LesBetes
DEVIL'S DEN - April 12th, 2024 UPDATE!
SYNOPSIS: Clint, a bounty hunter, is saved by Marshal Slim, a grizzled cowboy who demonstrates how to slay a zombie.
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Written, produced, and directed by accomplished makeup-effects artist, David Woodruff, this film was Lito's first foray into the genre of Westerns. Making the project even more unique and fascinating in its challenges is the fact that the film also happens to be a tale of horror, executive produced by Ron Chaney, great-grandson of Lon Chaney and grandson of the legendary Lon Chaney, Jr.
The film is currently making its festival circuit run and has piled up a number of awards and laurels along the way, including an award from the Sci-Fi Horror & Action Film Festival for Excellence in Scoring for Lito's music.
HALLOWEEN II: THE GAME
SYNOPSIS: Slotting directly into the events of the 1981 sequel, the commercial for this fun new game literally places the action on that same infamous night in 1978 - the night when HE came home. Michael Myers, having just entered Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, stalks characters both new and familiar (to hardcore fans) as he seeks to eliminate any possible obstacles between him and Laurie Strode. Will anyone survive this initial rampage of terror in the hospital?
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The ad features a music score composed by Lito as well as his portrayal of Michael Myers / "The Shape". Written and directed by Matt Russell. A MasiMedia production in partnership with Fright Rags and in association with Universal Pictures Studios.
