INTRODUCTIONS

Hi! My name is Matteo Wentarmini, writer and director of They Came From The Woods. Thanks to my mom and a tiny video store down the street from our house, I fell in love with horror movies, maybe a bit too young. Nevertheless my lifelong passion was born, and now my best friend and I are setting out to make our own mark on the horror world with a story about grief, trauma and of course, blood thirsty creatures. Writing stories has been something I've done since I learned how to put words on a paper, and when I realized I could write movies and see my creations reflected back at me, it changed the game forever. If you're a horror lover or a movie lover, I hope you'll consider donating so I can share that same feeling I get when I watch my favorite movies!

And my name is Jaida Votolato, the producer of our horror proof of concept TCFTW. Based in Los Angeles, I've been working in the film industry for the last three years, learning the ins and outs of production. My passion for cinema started at a young age too, where my dad and three siblings would lay arm-in-arm on the living room floor having what we liked to call Monday Movie Nights. While horror may not relate to all of you, know I was in a similar boat, until I read Matteo's script that brings real, human emotions into the supernatural universe where there just might be aliens lurking around... If that sounds like at all your style, I hope you consider donating to our story to bring it to fruition. Thank you!

THE STORY

So, what is They Came From The Woods all about you may ask? The story follows Jonas, a recovering addict suffering from delusions who becomes convinced something is following him. Through recurring nightmares and the help of his eccentric therapist, he soon realizes everything may not be what it seems.

WHY ARE WE MAKING IT?

Matteo wanted to make a movie exploring grief and trauma that mixes with the otherworldly. One of his favorite things about horror is the ability to blend scares with regular human experiences. It can be hard to make sense of the darker parts of life, but horror is an outlet that can help. Matteo’s hope is that we can find parts of ourselves in Jonas’ story, and maybe we can navigate our own difficult emotions alongside him. After all, grief and trauma can often feel alien to us.

SCHEDULE

We intend to shoot in early June, 2026, and hope for an autumn release date (spooky season awaits!) That gives us a few months of pre-production to layout the groundwork of our project [casting, fundraising, prep work], as well as several months for post-production [editing, sound design, SFX], where we can finalize all elements of our storytelling to give our audience the spine tingling horror short they dreamed of!

THE BUDGET

Considering these elements, it comes as no surprise that making a movie is, unfortunately, costly. While we have a vision that we believe strongly in, and are confident it can be depicted with a low-to-no budget, there are still some financial practicalities that must be addressed in actuality. That being said, we are so grateful to anyone and everyone who can contribute to bringing this story to life through a financial donation. However, we also understand that times are tough! For those who can’t afford to donate directly, you can still help us by sharing this link and spreading the word of our goal/story. Helping our fundraiser reach more individuals who want to support independent filmmakers is just as considerate. We appreciate any help and couldn’t do this without you.

Any donations received will go directly toward production costs, such as high-quality rental equipment. Specifically, we require a camera and lights for promising visuals, microphones and recording devices for the best audio tracks, as well as certain hair/makeup and art supplies to make the characters and universe as immersive as possible. Further, the setting for our story (as revealed in the title) is the woods. Certain location aspects may require financial support too, as travel may be necessary considering we are based in Los Angeles. Then in post-production, funds will be put toward sound effects and music, as well as certain special effects to truly capture our audience, you!

THE DREAM

If you're not familiar with a proof of concept, it's a bit different than a regular, stand alone short film. This short is an excerpt version of a feature-length script that Matteo has already written. Our goal with shooting the short film is to appeal to greater audiences, spread word of the project, and hope that someone, somewhere, resonates with the story well enough to help bring the full-length film to see the light of day. The best way to reach that goal is to submit our project to film festivals, so the funds raised here will also contribute to festival submission fees.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

We couldn’t be more excited to see TCFTW come to life. This film is a labor of love and a lot of hard work, and we appreciate you even taking the time to read this. Any amount helps bring us closer to our goal so that we can enter the horror-sphere with a bang! You can find us on instagram @theycamefromthewoods where we will post updates about the project. Feel free to reach out to us directly with any questions you may have. We are so excited to share this journey with you! Please consider donating to help us bring something truly terrifying to the big screen!