‘The Calling’ World Premiere Set for Dances With Films on June 21 [Trailer First Look]
“The Calling,” the highly anticipated home-invasion thriller from director Mark Wilson will make its World Premiere at the 28th Dances With Films festival at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood later this month, on June 21st.
The film represents Wilson’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed “Wade in the Water,” which also played at Dances With Films, earning the festival’s coveted Audience Choice award. Renowned author Stephen King called the filmmaker’s debut feature “a little movie with a big heart.” Now, as if taking cues from the master of horror himself, Wilson and much of the same team return with “The Calling,” venturing into the horror genre with a sophisticated thriller that completely subverts audience expectations.
The film centers around Virginia (Danika Golombek) and her young brother Edward (Grayson Eddey), who find themselves under siege in their isolated home by a mysterious woman who appears to embody their late author-mother’s most infamous fictional creation – The Calling Witch. As the siblings fight to survive, they also uncover shocking truths about the real nature of the threat they’re facing that force them to question everything.
Here is your first look at ‘The Calling’…
“The film continues the tradition of home-invasion thrillers like ‘The Strangers’ and ‘Funny Games,’ but completely reinvents the formula in ways that I won’t spoil here,” Wilson shared with SCREEN. “We were very conscious of the classics and crafted a lot of the film’s elements to honor them, while delivering something genuinely new. Dances With Films and their audiences have always championed bold, original filmmaking, so we can’t wait to share our vision with them.”
Screenwriter Chris Retts, who also penned “Wade in the Water,” earned recognition for the script as a semifinalist for the prestigious Nicholl Fellowships of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Also named to Austin Film Festival’s list of “25 Screenwriters to Watch,” he brings his signature blend of character-driven storytelling and genre innovation to “The Calling.”
Also returning is Cinematographer Thomas Rose. With input from legendary Panavision lens designer Dan Sasaki, Rose and team were able to achieve the rich, saturated look of classic Kodak 100T 5247 film stock – the same 35mm format that created the iconic visual language of late ‘70s and early ‘80s Hollywood thrillers – while also taking advantage of the flexibility that digital provides. Rose’s images emphasize natural light and deep shadow to create an atmosphere of mounting dread as the narrative develops. Recognizing the project’s artistic merit, Panavision made a substantial grant that provided a complete digital camera package to help shape the film’s distinct look and feel.
Composer Jacob Boyd also returns to score “The Calling,” this time with a full orchestral recording that elevates the thriller’s emotional and psychological depth. Boyd’s haunting compositions for this new film provide an essential layer to its atmosphere – one that is only heightened by his decision to capture it live.
“The Calling” features a veteran cast including: Danika Golombek (“The Cycle”), Grayson Eddey (“City on a Hill”), Nathalie Söderqvist (“The Look-See”), Marcus DeAnda (“Lioness”), Zachary Cowan (“NCIS”), Greg Lutz (“Big Sky”), and Hilary Barraford (“Kevin Can F**k Himself”), who also executive produces.
Retts and Wilson produce for their company Reflect Entertainment, and are joined by Jesse Bontreger (“Jurassic World: Dominion”), and Alex Swickard (“Jules”).
Dances With Films, now in its 28th year, has established itself as one of Los Angeles’ premier showcases for independent cinema. The festival, which runs June 19-29 at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, operates under this year’s theme “Find Your Truth” and has consistently championed unique voices in filmmaking.
“The Calling” joins an impressive slate of 254 films at this year’s festival, including 42 narrative features making their world premieres. The festival maintains a strong track record of launching films that achieve significant distribution success and critical acclaim.
“The Calling” will screen as part of Dances With Films’ world premiere program on June 21st, 2025. Tickets are now available by clicking here.
For more information about “The Calling,” follow the film on Instagram or Facebook.
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