User:MichaelQSchmidt/workspace/Delaney (film)



Delaney is a 2008 horror comedy film written and directed by Carles Torrens as his undergraduate thesis film at Chapman University.

Background
Delaney was written and directed by Carles Torrens in 2008 as his undergraduate thesis film at Chapman University. It was shot in California in the cities of Palmdale and Los Angeles over a period of 7 days.

Plot
When Route 66 was built in 1927, it became one the major road system leading folks into the southwest and created a corridor of affluence for communities lining it. When it was officially decommissioned in 1985 these businesses and communities suffered and many disappeared. Facing extinction, some businesses chose a different path to survival.

Delaney (Delaney Manning) lives with her family in an an old motel situated on Route 66. Being eleven, she is convinced she has found the love of her life after meeting Hercules (Daeg Faerch), a youngster who is 12, smokes cigarettes like a 50's greaser, and is complacent with the concept of auto theft to serve his own needs. He asks Delaney to run away with him to Las Vegas and she has to make the choice to either follow her heart and accompany Hercules to Vegas, or stay home to meet the needs of sleazy opportunist Reverend Dalton (Russ Kingston) by assisting her loving father Howard (Howard Ferguson-Woitzman), and her understanding tiny Uncle (Mark Parr), and tolerating the moodiness of her uptight mother Stacy (Tara Hunnewell), while they all deal with the family business of organ theft and murder.

Cast

 * Howard Ferguson-Woitzman as Howard
 * Delaney Manning as Delaney
 * Daeg Faerch as Hercules
 * Tara Hunnewell as Stacy
 * Mark Parr as Uncle Mark
 * Michael Q. Schmidt as Ed Barney
 * Russ Kingston as Reverend Dalton
 * Maryah Cohen as Delilah
 * Gary Rolin as Show Host
 * Ron Martinez as Biker

Screenings
Delaney has played at festivals around the world, including its premiere in 2008 at Sitges- Catalonian International Film Festival in Spain, PIFFAN, São Paulo International Film Festival, London FrightFest Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, and LA Shorts among many others.

Later festivals included 2009 at Method Fest Independent Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, LA Shorts Fest, and Shriekfest Film Festival (United States), as well as A Night of Horror (Australia), Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (South Korea), (Brazil), Strasbourg International Film Festival and Court Métrange (France), (Germany),  (Spain), and in 2010 at The Dam Short Film Festival and Fallbrook Film Festival (United States) and Athens International Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival (Greece), and in 2012 at Morbido Film Festival in Mexico.

Reception
Sonic Cinema praised the film, giving it an "A-" rating and calling it it "a wicked little treat of a film." They compared it to the film Psycho through writing "compared to this family, Norman Bates was a model of propriety and proper business ownership, but in practice and in demeanor".

Horror Society

Awards and nominations
The film won Torrens the top prize at the Route 66 Film Festival, the Hollywood International Student Film Festival, and Cryptshow Festival de Badalona. At Badalona, actress Delaney Manning won for Best Actress.


 * 2009, Won 'Best Dark Comedy' Jury Award for at Hollywood International Student Film Festival
 * 2010, Won Festival Prize for Best Horror/Thriller at Route 66 Film Festival for Delaney
 * 2010, Won 'Premi Serra Circular' at Cryptshow Festival de Badalona
 * 2010, Won 'Best Actress' at Cryptshow Festival de Badalona for Delaney Manning