Special Slamdance Coverage: Woody Bess

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My guest, Woody Bess, makes it sound happenstance, but don't kid yourself: Keith David and Richard Kind aren't signing up for just any independent film. But if you've extremely talented and put your heart and soul into a film -- and the script is great -- well, they will, and you've got PORTAL TO HELL (2025), which debuted at Slamdance. Glad Woody didn't go in the portal, and he joined me to discuss this riveting horror comedy feature.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he took so many jobs on PORTAL TO HELL;
• a pitch-perfect film between campy and serious to make one of the best horror comedy films of the year;
• how he wrote the script and "held for talent", betting on himself and his team to land great talent like Keith David and Richard Kind, separating the film from a lot of other independent projects;
• his thoughts on the horror genre;
• why Slamdance and what his thoughts are on its role in marketing and distribution;
• when PORTAL will be available to see (especially in theaters);
• his approach to limited social media in an age where directors almost have to have a presence;
• what's next for him -- a scary horror -- and how he feels about comedy as a genre to write for;
• "actors want to act" -- how to land fantastic actors in your indie project, even without a casting director;
• Woody's Indie Film Highlights: LOCKJAW (2025) dir. by Sabrina Greco; FOUL EVIL DEEDS (2024) dir. by Richard Hunter; MadS (2024) dir. by David Moreau

Links:

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