Advice and insights from a fascinating Fantastic Fest genre thriller. After making its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, The Beta Test made its way to Austin, Texas, to screen for a slimmed-down but raucous crowd at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Written, directed by, and starring Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe, the film is dubbed a “horror thriller” on IMDB, yet to classify it as any one or two genres would feel shortsighted. As we’ve covered on No Film School in the past, Cummings has made a new name for himself in the world of indie filmmaking with his heartfelt comedy-drama blending shorts and features. From the Thunder Road short (which won Sundance) to his Thunder Road feature (which won SXSW), to his more recent indie horror The Wolf of Snow Hollow, Cummings has demonstrated that indie filmmaking has moved beyond simple genre classifications. Which, from a filmmaking perspective, is what makes The Beta Test so interesting as it definitely feels like a hard genre film—yet one which you’re not quite sure what to classify as. Read More...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Thursday, 7 October, 2021