Bring 'Hide' to Life: Donate Now

OUR STORY:

"Hide" is a horror short film written by Justin Kohlas and directed by Cory Pratt. It stars an ensemble cast who have collectively acted in some of Hollywood's biggest productions like The Leftovers, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Euphoria.

The story centers around Levi, a handyman for a wealthy family in the Hollywood Hills, who faces poverty, lives paycheck to paycheck, and occasionally sleeps in his car. One night when he believes the family is out of town, he decides to sneak into the property and take some money from the safe. He figures they'll never know and he'll replace it down the road. Unfortunately for him, he soon realizes the house may not be as empty as he thought when the sound of someone groaning in pain seeps out from the darkness of one of the rooms. He follows the sound and finds a young man he's never seen before. He's slumped in a wheelchair, hanging on for dear life, and tethered to an IV drip. Before he can try to help the guy, the family suddenly comes home. Levi hides in a closet just as they bring in several guests for what seems to be a pre scheduled dinner party. Levi soon realizes that his desperation for a quick pay day will soon turn into the most horrifying night of his entire life, which he's forced to witness through the cracks of the door he's hiding behind.

Our film explores a dark fantasy of well-meaning sustainability taken to the utmost extremes. We started our GoFundMe to help feed and pay the cast and crew, to secure our location, to get our production insured, and to pay for equipment, post production, special effects, and all of the talented artists we have brought together to make this vision a reality.

"Hide" is a haunting exploration of sacrifice, survival, and the dark corners of human nature, set against the backdrop of an upscale dinner party. This film delves into the psychological horror of what happens when people envision a future societal collapse, where morality is twisted, and the lines between humanity and monstrosity blur. Through atmospheric tension, complex characters, and a chillingly beautiful aesthetic, "Hide" will challenge viewers to confront the unsettling truths about what we are willing to consume and what we are willing to become.

Your support will help bring this thought-provoking, A24-style vision to life, inviting audiences to a feast they’ll never forget.

MEET THE TEAM:

THE CAST

Matthew Mikita

Matthew Mikita is a versatile SAG-AFTRA actor, voice-over artist, and screenwriter. He recently co-starred in NCIS: LA, Euphoria, and America's Most Wanted. Matthew has acted in leading roles for iconic plays and musicals, and he has originated multiple characters for world premiering theater productions. His unique voice has been compared to Will Arnett and Sam Elliott and he actively works with casting directors in voice-over. For the past 8 years Matthew partnered with USC where he helped train their graduate students in psychotherapy. He created a unique experience for USC’s Master of Social Work program and acted in thousands of hour-long mock therapy sessions with their students who were studying to become licensed therapists. His work with USC helped to inspire a passion for screenwriting and Matthew has written multiple feature films that are currently in development. He has headlined comedy improv shows in LA and performed at The Groundlings Theatre, UCB, and The Second City. In addition to starring in 'Hide', he also is producing the project.

Lara Clear

Lara Clear is a multifaceted talent who acts and produces both on stage, screen and commercially. Lara trained at prestigious institutions in London, UK both at the Urdang Academy and RADA, where she honed her craft. From her portrayals in television series like NCIS: Los Angeles, Becoming Bond, Big Bang Theory and Young & Hungry to her standout role as Ada in the upcoming Utopia psychological Thriller feature film I Live Here Now directed by Julie Pacino, starring alongside Matt Rife, Lucy Fry, Sheryl Lee and Marilyn Brewer she works across a variety of genres. Her filmography also includes Shadow Wolves alongside Cody Walker, BET Movie Secrets, Best Mom + horror film Harmony in Gold. On stage she has performed on stages both in the West End London and Broadway, NY across a variety of shows both plays and musicals.

Briana Marin

Briana Marin has been performing in film & television, dance, and theatre for over a decade in both New York City and Los Angeles. She began her performance career as a professional ballerina with The Dance Theatre of Harlem, relocating from Northern California to New York City. Film & TV highlights include recurring roles on The Leftovers (HBO), The Night Shift (NBC), NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS); guest starring roles on Love Life (HBO), Blue Bloods (CBS), Law and Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); and supporting roles in feature films Sleepless and A Walk Among The Tombstones. She created the leading role of Swissy, in the original series Palomino & Swissy for MadRiver Pictures. Briana also works in VR and motion capture having made her episodic directing debut with Mindshow, an animation production and technology company.

Adam George Key

Raised in a diverse household in Chicago, Adam learned a love for filmmaking and acting early. After performing in middle school plays and writing short stories, he went on to studying TV Production at Whitney Young H.S. then theatre and film at The University of Illinois Urbana / Champaign and Columbia College Chicago. While in college Adam found inspiration from life experiences and worked in several indie films. The response from these projects motivated him to find work on the Chicago portions of such films as Roll Bounce, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight. Having these experiences gave Adam the push to leave it all behind and move to Los Angeles. Once in LA, he was able to carve a place for himself working on several films and television shows and indie films. Adam recently worked as Staff Writer on the last season of the long running CBS hit show NCIS: Los Angeles where he also featured as recurring character LAPD OFFICER HARRISON. Adam's previous short film Wasteland won at Cannes Shorts, Vermiose Film Festival, and twice at the Independent Shorts Awards.

Liza Dean

Liza Dean is an actress/writer/producer currently residing in Los Angeles. Notable acting credits include ABC’s “Stumptown” and Netflix’s “Arrested Development”. In 2021 her independent film “Sukiyaki” was recognized as an official selection of Tokyo International Short Film Festival. Prior to living in Los Angeles, Liza hailed from Cleveland where she worked in various departments behind the scenes of many features, commercials and short films. She is thrilled to be working with writer/producer Justin Kohlas on this project, as he was the initial point of contact for her first foray into the film industry 11 years ago.

Kelby Keenan

Kelby Keenan is a British Actress from London. Keenan works in both the UK and Los Angeles. Since graduating from Theatre School in 2009, she has worked across the board in film, TV, commercial and Voice over. Keenan began her career producing and starring in a low budget feature "Cassette", which she went on to sell at the film market in Cannes. She has since worked with Elizabeth Moss and David Tennant in British Indie movie "Mad to be Normal," for the BBC in daytime show "Doctors", NCIS: Los Angeles, and several shorts, including award winning "Fragments Of May" in which she played the lead.

Keenan Buchanan

Keenan Buchanan is an actor, writer, and comedian from Los Angeles. He studied improv and sketch comedy at The Second City and The Upright Citizens Brigade. His most recent productions include Beginners Luck and Kingpin Katie. He is currently cohosting Nice Mic at the Clubhouse Theater in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Alycia Kunkle

Alycia Kunkle is a Los Angeles-based actor working on stage, film, and all areas of voice over. Originally hailing from the east coast, she’s appeared in plays and musicals in New York City and regionally, and has a special affinity for workshopping new scripts. Favorite credits include The 39 Steps (Mile Square Theatre), Off Broadway’s Ten Minutes, Please (The Chain Theatre), and She Loves Me (Monomoy Theatre) directed by Tony nominee Jonathan Freeman. Her voice can be heard in commercials across all platforms and in a yet to be released AAA game. She holds an MFA in Acting from Ohio University.

THE CREW

Cory Pratt - Director/Producer

Cory Pratt is an award-winning director and filmmaker from the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. His films Doll, When Skies Are Gray, and Notes From Another Room have been presented at Nightmares Film Festival, Dances with Films, The Mill Valley Film Festival, The Athens International Film Festival, and the TeaDance LGBT Film Festival. Beyond his passion for movies and filmmaking, Cory's second love is cooking. He recently competed on Dinner Budget Showdown, a cooking competition hosted by Sandra Lee on Roku TV. Cory is currently based in Los Angeles.

Justin Kohlas - Writer/Producer

Justin Kohlas was most recently a writer for the CBS drama, NCIS: Los Angeles. He’s currently very busy in development, developing for television the mystery thrillerThe Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka with writer and executive producer Frank Military, along with the New York Times bestselling mountaineering epic The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier by Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughan for the big screen. His feature screenplay ... And Then She Was Gone based on the book The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion is set up at Two Independent Eyes Productions (The Damning of a Country Merchant starring Peter Sarsgaard and Mackenzie Davis) with Daniela Ruah of NCIS: Los Angeles executive producing. His writing has been placed in numerous writing competitions/fellowships all over the country including Final Draft Big Break, Atlanta Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and Fresh Voices.

Leander Edmiston - Assistant Director/Producer

Leander began working on Indie films in New York and the Midwest before moving to Los Angeles where he stepped off set and began working at agencies and production companies in Hollywood. He still loves to get behind the camera, whether it's directing, producing or assistant directing. He also thinks pickleball is the greatest sport in the world.

Alexander L. Dunn - Director of Photography

Alexander L. Dunn grew up in a household surrounded by movies so it only seemed right to pursue a career in it. After taking some classes at Pasadena City College he honed in on doing Cinematography as to what he would focus on. Alex went from PCC directly into freelancing and working at a rental house where he began to learn his techniques and knowledge about equipment. Inspired by works from many different cultures and cinematographers, Alex continues to try and perfect his craft one project at a time.

Alyssa Darryl Bass - Costume Designer

Alyssa Darryl Bass is a Costume Designer, Professional Dancer and Certified Nerd from Baltimore Maryland, and now has made a home in Sunny California. She is an entertainment double agent who loves to work in front of & behind the camera. She’s danced for Beyonce, Demi Lovato and Nickelodeon, has costume designed for USC Film School, ACD’ for AFI and is currently working in the Costume Dept. for Marvel Studios. She takes joy in her ability to reach deep into the heart of a story and help bring the emotions of characters to life through even the tiniest details. When she’s not busy manufacturing and designing, she loves, and specializes in building her own Cosplays for Events & Conventions.

Christopher Burgoyne - FX Makeup Artist

Christopher Burgoyne is a distinguished professional makeup artist recognized for his innovative techniques and creative vision. With over 25 years of experience, Christopher has established himself as a leading expert in makeup and special effects artistry, bringing a unique blend of originality and technical skill to every project he undertakes. Throughout his career, Christopher has collaborated with some of the most prominent names in film and television. His exceptional talent has earned him a reputation for transforming concepts into reality, with a portfolio that includes work on critically acclaimed films and popular television series. He is an Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie, or a Special (2008) for John Adams starring Paul Giamatti. He has also been nominated several other times.

Hillary Cohen - Executive Producer

Hillary Cohen is a DGA assistant director, UPM, Producer, and the co-founder of Every Day Action, a nonprofit that has changed the way Hollywood sees food waste. With over a decade of working on film and TV sets, Hillary and her co-founder Samantha Luu continually asked why the leftover gourmet food from catering was being put into a dumpster instead of being donated. They decided to take action and, during the pandemic shutdown, filed the paperwork to become an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In the autumn of 2020, Every Day Action was born. Hillary continues to work actively in film production, working on set in many capacities as well as running Every Day Action.

Portions of the location budget for "Hide" will be donated to Every Day Action.

Here is a link to learn more about her organization: https://www.youreverydayaction.org/

Chad W. Murray - Executive Producer

Chad W. Murray is a producer with over 300 episodes of network television under his belt. In addition he has produced several shorts and features. Chad continues to work actively in TV as well as independently produce.

HOW YOUR DONATION HELPS:

The aftermath of the recent writer and actor strikes has left many of us creatives in a precarious position, with industry-wide disruptions causing financial strain and uncertainty about future projects.

As major productions stall and independent film hangs on by a tiny thread, those of us involved in self-driven projects are struggling to gain traction in an environment that is less supportive than ever. Supporting independent artists and Hollywood labor is crucial right now if you love movies and TV; we're the lifeblood of the entertainment industry, working hard to keep the spirit of storytelling alive while the industry recovers.

Donating to a GoFundMe for a short film is an impactful way to help during these unprecedented times. The public's support provides the resources we need to bring our visions to life, ensuring that work continues to thrive during this challenging period, and that creatives can continue to grow their careers in a time of severe slowdown.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and learn about our project 'Hide." We hope you can donate, share, and spread the word as we work hard to give movie loving people everywhere something truly unique for the Halloween season.