Celebrity Stalker
A “celebrity stalker” broadcasts herself on social media breaking into homes of the elite, unaware that she may have picked up her own stalker along the way.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Roshni "Rush" Bhatia
Watch Celebrity Stalker here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The idea for Celebrity Stalker came from my observances of the GenZ era with the rise of TikTok and social media platforms where depending on the type of content you consume; one might find content produced to display a more superficial lifestyle to attain the goal of getting more attention, followers but on a deeper level more security and self-esteem. Celebrity Stalker twists reality by showing more horrifying consequences than one might imagine.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
On a certain level, the short open your mind to an underworld of reality where people go to drastic lengths to get what they want. While this concept is universal, it is disappointing to find that it permeates the minds of teens and adults who might suffer issues that need to be tackled internally. Watch it as a parent, as a teen, as an adult, as a human, so you know that whatever you're going through, you're not alone, and there's someone out there going through worse. It's a short that, more than anything, offers a new perspective regardless of the demographic.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
As aforementioned, a lot of Celebrity Stalker is based on my observances, but of course, being on the cusp of the GenZ era, I grew up around social media. Like others, I was desperate for attention as I watched my friends make a point, whether it's their lifestyle, their skinny figures, hanging around the popular crowd, or simply being that "Influencer." To a certain extent, I, too, am guilty of that. In my preteens, it used to be Facebook; in my teens, it was Instagram and eventually Snapchat. But through all those experiences came my maturity of understanding right from wrong and not letting social media define me. It's about the real world, the interesting people you meet as you strive to become the best version of yourself.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The turnaround for this project was pretty quick, and the filming occurred right before the pandemic. Thankfully we got the footage we needed, even though with the help of my brilliant producer, and her love for LA, I was able to borrow some of her recordings of the city and Hollywood Hills. The screenplay went through a few drafts but didn't take very long. Although, the post-production took the longest. Honestly, this wasn't my best work, as I had planned to make this a fun filming experience for my cast and crew. On the flip side, the edit lacked the pump required to make it as fun as we thought it was during filming. Eventually, it all worked out, and I'm happy with the outcome.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film has screened around the world, and I wasn't able to attend a majority of them; however, based on the ones I attended in LA and the reviews I received from those who watched it on YouTube, it turned out exactly how I set out to let it be seen -- A fun horror short with a twist.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It motivated me to continue making more films, and I have! Haha.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I hope to keep the creative flow moving amongst industry professions, to let them know never to stop producing. And enjoy!!!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Literally anyone and everyone! Haha.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When do you know that you're taking it too far?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We're working on a couple of feature films. My husband and I are also excited to be producing a feature film that will go into production in a month in Florida. We're also looking into ideas that will integrate tech and I.
Interview: August 2022
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Celebrity Stalker
Length:
4:45
Writer/Director
Roshni “Rush” Bhatia is a writer-director living in Los Angeles. Growing up in Mumbai, Rush was inspired by filmmakers and writers including James Cameron, Ridley Scott, Richard Matheson, and Rod Serling.
Rush has several films currently in the festival circuit, with selections at Leeds, Dances With Films, Cinequest, and more. Her one-minute short film, Dark Passage, shot on an iPhone, won the #SixtyScarySeconds competition at Raindance Film Festival and has been singled out for praise by Hollywood heavyweights, including Die Hard screenwriter Steven E. De Souza. Rush has also been nominated for Best Writer by the Horror Writers Association of America for her short film, Plasmid. She recently had her short story featured in an Alien vs Predator anthology called Ultimate Prey.
For more on her and her work, you can follow Rush on Instagram @roshnibhatia and Twitter @rushbhatia.
Producer
Virginia Blatter is a Swiss/American producer and director based in Los Angeles, California. She has worked on numerous award-winning productions for film and is known for directing award-winning short film 'No Longer Perfect' (2020) as well as producing horror/sci-fi films alongside award-winning writer-director Roshni "Rush" Bhatia such as 'Plasmid' (2018), 'Shadow at the door' (2019), Dark Passage (2019)- winner at Raindance Film Festival, Celebrity Stalker (2020) and Insiders (2020). She has directed the pilot episode of 'We are the Mafia' and has recently been involved as a production manager in the feature film Café Americano (2020), produced Imaginary Friend (2020) and Play It By Ear (2022). She had other successes with producing award-winning film Gay, Asian, Immigrant (2021) and You Up? (2019).
Key cast:
Inja Zalta, Grant Morningstar
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/rushbhatia
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/roshnibhatia/
Hashtags used:
#foundfootage #pov #horror #shortfilm #thriller #genz #celebritystalker #hollywood #hollywoodhills
More info:
It showed at about 20 film festivals including NoHo Cinefest and Nevada Women's Film Festival.