What’s Next for Cinematographer Christopher Rejano: Thriller Collabs with Jennifer Reeder, Jim Vendiola

It’s been a busy year for cinematographer Christopher Rejano, and he is just getting started. This week marks the worldwide premiere of the highly anticipated horror feature Night’s End, which he shot for acclaimed Chicago filmmaker Jennifer Reeder. And there is another thriller Rejano has in the works for this year. SCREEN spoke with the talented DP about his collaboration with Reeder as well as his upcoming feature set to shoot this Summer…

Rejano’s Latest Premieres March 31st

Few filmmakers were able to stay busy with full-fledged feature film work during the pandemic, but Rejano was one of them. He lensed the latest thriller from Jennifer Reeder, Night’s End, which premieres on Shudder March 31st. “Over the course of the pandemic there was so much uncertainty in film production and the hope for independent filmmaking was bleak,” Rejano shared with SCREEN. “So when Jennifer Reeder reached out to me about doing our third feature film together [the two had teamed up on Signature Move and Knives and Skin], I was so ready.”

Leading a superb cast that includes Oscar nom Michael Shannon, Steppenwolf ensemble member Kate Arrington, and Chicago theatre stalwart Geno Walker, Reeder and Rejano rolled camera in July of 2021, right in the middle of the pandemic.

“One of the things I liked was the challenge of even making a film in a pandemic. I think even now, Spring 2022 is very different from Summer 2021 in regards to COVID,” Rejano shared with SCREEN. “We hadn’t even had the threat of Omicron yet when we shot this film. The entire production was filmed in one location which was convenient but also tough at times. Much of the story is told through webcam. So the challenge was to make the image dynamic and to create a unique visual language that is more on par with the world of a Jennifer Reeder film. Jennifer has an amazing way of turning genre expectations on its head so everything from her casting, mise-en-scene, and even her tweaks to Brett Neveu’s script were really refreshing and made the film truly a pleasure to photograph.”

In Night’s End, an anxious shut-in moves into a haunted apartment, hiring a stranger to perform an exorcism which quickly takes a horrific turn. Here’s your first look at the thriller…

Click here to experience Night’s End when it premieres on Shudder March 31st.

What’s Next for Christopher Rejano

From one supernatural thriller to another. On the heels of the Night’s End release, Rejano is now ramping up for his next project, a dramatic suspense feature called Homesick, directed by Jim Vendiola.

“I’m super excited to shoot this film because I’ve been wanting to work with Jim for some time now,” Rejano shared with SCREEN. “We really clicked when we first met and as I got to know him more I realized that we held many similar interests and influences. Which to me is everything when I work with a director. We were able to work together this past January on a horror comedy short film called Pretty Pickle and it proved to be a great experience. So now I really can’t wait until we get Homesick going.”

In Homesick, a nineteen year old art school brat suffers a traumatic breakdown. While in recovery, she stumbles across a dark decades-old mystery.

Rejano and Vendiola are targeting mid- to late Summer to film Homesick in Chicago.

Check back here at SCREEN for updates as this feature film forges ahead into production. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.