Local filmmakers to put Blackfoot on map for “ABC’s of Death” contest

Despite the chilly rains and cloudy skies on Sunday afternoon, Blackfoot native and BYU student Hunter Phillips and his crew made their way out to the Wild Adventure Corn Maze to withstandhours of filming.

“Action!” the filmmakers sporadically shouted, followed by bouts of laughter, only to remind us these are still kids – no, college students in Provo, wanting to come back home to Blackfoot to make a good horror film just in time for Halloween.

“This is basically just our evil clown movie,” Phillips said. “There is just so much coming from all over the world and it is a genre that can cross language barriers really easily.”

In one week, Phillips and his crew will submit their two-and-a-half minute short comedy-horror film to the second-annual international film contest called the “ABC’s of Death”.

This is an anthology of 26 short horror films; 25 of them are done by well-known directors, while the twenty-sixth is open to amateurs to submit their films.

Each year the festival brings a new letter for contestants to base their films.

This year, the letter is ‘m.’

While Alfred Hitchcock once directed the famous “Dial ‘M’ for Murder” this group is doing a short called “M for Maize.”

(Yes, “maize” as in corn.)

Competing against contestants from all over the world, from Brazil to the United Kingdom, Phillips felt inspired to put Blackfoot on the map.

“Things that I know are mostly Blackfoot,” Phillips said. “That’s fine and I love that and I embrace it. So, this is really embracing the unique set of tools and experiences that I could come at things with.”

With little to no budget to make the film, Phillips said the community pulled together to make this happen. Starting with filming at the Wild Adventure Corn Maze, a Blackfoot tradition for many locals.

“I just remembered what Richard does up here. He said, ‘absolutely, come up and do whatever you want.’ He even let his kids be in the movie. The local dentist in town also gave us one of our most important props.”

Phillips said people can help them win by going online to watch the video on the contest website and clicking the “like” button on top of the video.

Here is a link to the website:http://26th.abcsofdeathpart2.com/

Phillips said they will submit their video on Monday, Oct. 22, and the final day to vote is Nov. 30.