What happens when kids and teens make horror films? This campaign funds a feature-length PhD documentary following young filmmakers from the UK, Italy, and the US as they make their first horror films. With teens leading the creative charge and adults scrambling to keep up, this project isn't just about making scary movies. It's about witnessing what bloody magic unfolds when we follow young people with a vision.

What?

Hi! I'm Xanthe Pajarillo, a PhD student and filmmaker. When people hear me say "I research children's horror," the first reaction is usually "Wait… what?!" Children's horror is exactly what it sounds like: films aimed at young audiences, like Frankenweenie, Gremlins, or Wendell & Wild. But my main passion is even stranger and scarier: children who make horror films themselves.

Yes, they exist. An iconic example is Emily Hagins, who directed a full zombie feature at just 12 years old. Kids making horror isn't just possible. It's extraordinary.

This campaign funds a feature-length documentary following the filmmakers as they develop, shoot, and survive making their debut horror films. We also sat down with groups of young people and asked them about the horror films they love. Spoiler alert: Terrifier 2 came up.

The Final Variation: a ballet horror short from the West Midlands, UK. A working-class teen snags a scholarship to an elite ballet academy, only to find the real dance is surviving privilege, petty rivalries, and a suspicious death.

7 Days Left: a DIY horror film from Italy, directed by Dario Heidari, a first-time 15-year-old filmmaker who started the project from scratch with limited resources and sheer determination.

.MP4: horror short from the USA, directed by Jaiden, a 16-year-old who had spent years in front of the camera as a child actor but had never directed a horror film. And guess what? He didn't even identify as a horror fan.

Three films. Three approaches.

For peace of mind: I hold an advanced DBS check, and the University of Birmingham's ethics committee has approved the project.

Why?

My love for amplifying young voices in horror began with the Kindergeist Podcast, which I co-hosted with my niece when she was 12. We discovered something fascinating: kids overwhelmingly prefer horror meant for adults, and dismiss so-called "kid-friendly horror" as too tame or not scary enough.

This documentary gives young creators the chance to flip the script. Instead of adults deciding what children's horror "should" be, teens are leading the way. My goal is to document what actually happens when you give young people the tools, space, and autonomy to make the horror films they want to make. What I found surprised me. You'll have to watch it to find out.

When?

We are currently in post-production.

Who?

The project is an international collaboration between the University of Birmingham UK and independent US companies Bloody Rainbow Productions and Blind Salamander Films. We are seeking sponsors please reach out if you'd like to be more involved!

Biographies

Xanthe Pajarillo (Documentary Director & Producer)

Xanthe is a Birmingham UK and Los Angeles US based PhD student, director, writer, and podcaster. She holds an MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts and a BFA from CalArts, with industry experience at Fangoria, HBO, Will and Jada Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, and Michel Gondry's Partizan. At the University of Birmingham, she researches children's opinions of horror and children who create horror films. She appeared in Shudder's In Search of Darkness III and was a semi-finalist in Issa Rae and HBO's Project Greenlight. Xanthe co-hosts the Kindergeist Podcast, writes as a freelance film journalist, and is a member of BAFTSS and Veterans in Film and Television as a US Air Force veteran. www.xanthepajarillo.com

Poppy Anne Williams (Short Film Writer)

Poppy is a 16-year-old actress from Buckinghamshire who discovered her passion for the horror genre after being cast in Never Have I Ever. Following the project, Poppy became increasingly involved in the independent film scene, particularly through FrightFest. Her creative journey has now led her to make her screenwriting debut on The Final Variation. She is thrilled to contribute to this project and to further explore her passion for storytelling within genre films.

Navya Bhat (Short Film Writer)

Navya Bhat is a Communication Design student from India who loves to create meaningful visual narratives. She brings variety and a fresh perspective to every project, thanks to a curiosity that spans numerous creative sectors including art, writing, cosplay, and design.

Emily Reas (Producer)

Originally from Texas, Emily is an independent producer whose credits include the AFF Audience Award winning feature Beauty of a Blank Space and notable short films Flow and Birds, Bees, and Threes, which have screened at Oscar-qualifying film festivals. She has been part of Women in Film LA's Peer Mentoring Group, was a second-rounder in Sundance's 2024 Producing Lab and Fellowship, and co-founded the production group Blind Salamander Films. She currently works as Productions and Operations Coordinator at LA-based acting school John D'Aquino's Actor's Workshop.

Sophia Dall'Aglio (Producer)

Sophia is an actor, writer, and producer based across Cambridge, London, and the West Midlands, whose work includes all six seasons of CBBC's So Awkward, So Awkward Academy, and The Cleaner (BBC One). Over the course of her university degree at the Birmingham School of Art, she assisted in the art department on productions including Waterloo Road and Worzel Gummidge (BBC One). This year Sophia has written, produced, and directed her debut short film Man from Mars, and has previously judged and reviewed shorts for Lift-Off Film Festival.

Our other producers are UK-based Xavier Grehan and US-based Michael Hennesey.

Claudia Capria (Documentary Editor)

Claudia Capria is a Los Angeles-based editor. Their most recent credits are Rosebud, Pastor's Kid, and Sorry, Dumpling! Previous credits include Fancy Dance (starring Lily Gladstone), The Stroll, and Surviving R. Kelly. They hold a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Northeastern University and do social justice work including research, copy editing, and graphic design.

Where Does Your Money Go?

Your contributions cover the essentials of bringing the documentary to completion:

For the main goal:

- Post-production: editing, sound/music, colour grading, animation mixing

For the stretch goal:

- Festival submissions and distribution

Will This Actually Get Finished?

Yes. Unlike some crowdfunded films that risk disappearing into the void, this documentary must be completed as it's part of my PhD thesis at the University of Birmingham. No film, no degree. And trust me, I'm not giving up my chance to become a Doctor of Horror. The documentary will be submitted to the university in 2027, 2028 at the latest, followed by festival and press runs.

TL;DR

This isn't just another horror film. It's a documentary about young people from three different countries making horror films on their own terms. By supporting us, you're not just funding a film. You're helping a new generation of filmmakers shape the future of horror.