Canadian filmmaker Sean Cisterna’s Silver Screamers, celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. As a fan of both horror and documentaries, I was really excited to check this one out. Paired with the short film, The Rug, the documentary delves into the process of making the film with an unconventional crew featuring seniors.

Starting off, the short film was quite enjoyable. It follows a senior woman that finds a rug on the side of the road. Little does she know, is that this rug has a sinister power. I’m not going to lie, I’m guilty of finding treasures on the side of the road, so this is a warning to stay away!

The Rug is the perfect starter to Silver Screamers, as you soon learn that the documentary follows the process of the short film’s culmination. The documentary follows Cisterna as he tries to enlist seniors who are interested in the process of filmmaking. It’s really funny seeing the lack of enthusiasm as they are introduced to the project; many are weary of participating with anything horror related, but eventually Cisterna finds eight willing participants.

As you follow the process of the making of The Rug, you’re introduced to each senior who is assigned to various roles according to their experience. They’re assigned as an assistant director, production designer, sound designer and more. It is inspiring seeing the whole process and witnessing the creativity and determination of each elder. While of course, the focus is on the filmmaking, you do get to learn a bit about each person, which leaves you both teary-eyed and smiling.

I really enjoyed Silver Screamers. If you’re a fan of documentaries and of course, horror, you should definitely check this one out. It is a film about the love of filmmaking, as well as an often overlooked part of society. I left the film feeling inspired, and it really goes to show that its never to late to learn or do something new.