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KHAF World Premiere
November 21 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Pittsburgh produces quite a bit of independently made horror films. Rarely, though, do those cinematic endeavors venture into folk horror territory.
For the uninitiated, “folk horror” is a cinematic sub-genre known for isolated environments, an emphasis on nature, and utilizing real or fictional folklore to invoke terror and dread. That’s exactly what Jess Kaeden was aspiring for with KHAF, her locally filmed feature about a Pennsylvania farm family being terrorized by a demon hellbent on obtaining their firstborn child.
KHAF will have its world premiere on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. as the next entry in the The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center’s ongoing Emerging Filmmakers Showcase series. That screening will be immediately followed by a Q&A with writer-director Kaeden; co-writers Jason Burke and Justen Kimball; and other members of the KHAF filmmaking team.
Tickets are free, but RSVPs are encouraged in advance due to space limitations.
“What makes KHAF sort of different from anything that anybody’s doing around here is that it’s more folk horror,” says Kaeden, the founder of locally based Spinning Web Productions. “The A24 atmosphere and aesthetic, you don’t really see that around here.”
KHAF stars a slew of recognizable local talent, including Samantha Ainsworth, Hattie Baier, Brian Ceponis, Kenneth Pierce and David Ogrodowski. The film was produced by, among others, Mike Ancas (Day of the Dead) and Wes Fisher (Children as Giants).
Ainsworth plays Vera Darling, who is forced to confront her family’s dark past that’s tied to an ancient cult and child-sacrifice rituals in service of Moloch, an ancient Carthaginian demon. Kaeden said she drew inspiration for KHAF from recent Hollywood folk horror hits like Robert Eggers’ The Witch and Ari Aster’s Midsommar.
She wants to make sure everyone interested in attending the KHAF world premiere knows that her film deals with “deep psychological traumas.”
Kaeden is a 24-year-old Connellsville native and graduate of the George A. Romero Filmmaking Program. KHAF was shot during summer and fall 2022 largely on farmland in Belle Vernon. Kaeden also set her film in the Keystone State because “I didn’t want to make a film out of Pennsylvania and call it somewhere else.”
She can’t wait for this unique example of Western Pennsylvania-filmed folk horror to debut next week at The Lindsay.
“We’re all about supporting independent filmmakers,” Kaeden says. “Pennsylvania is very centered around independent filmmakers, but it’s very special to have a venue that has these Emerging Filmmaker Showcases. As an independent filmmaker, I feel very honored.”
