MOONCASTLE
FILMS
elevating the narrative
horror
CENTERING WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
IN STORY, CAST, AND CREW
mission
Mooncastle Films is committed to creating the next wave in genre film. Our projects have all the attributes of mainstream, blockbuster-worthy horror films that audiences crave, but with a fresh and unique approach.
We are tapping into a whole world of possibilities by elevating new perspectives in the industry.
values
We are committed to hiring talented women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ into creative leadership roles to elevate unique, engaging voices in the industry.
Our latest film had 65% women and/or underrepresented groups behind the camera, above- and below-the-line. 50% of our production crew identified as women.
FILMS
ABIGAIL
In 1976 Alabama, Abigail and her mom move to a new town for a fresh start. Abigail befriends and takes the quiet boy next door under her wing. As they stand up to his bullies together, he starts to discover her more disturbing side.
Starring Warner Bros. Lights Out star Ava Cantrell, Karimah Westbrook of CW's All American, and Gene Farber of Captain America.
Completed
LADY TIMES
When Kate brings home her date for a romantic evening, she is thwarted by a very unusual menstrual cycle.
Post-Production
WEEKEND AWAY
At a futuristic luxury resort Dave attempts to jail-break his favorite in-house sex-bot, Jenny. But when he grants Jenny access to her memories, she seeks revenge on all the resort customers...including Dave.
Horror/comedy co-written and directed by Blumhouse director Brea Grant (TIFF, Tribeca, SXSW).
In Development
THE HOLLOW
A woman unable to cope with the downturns in her life secludes herself in an old family home, and there discovers a bizarre creature that will fulfill any of her wishes... for the cost of her flesh.
In Development
MY LEFT ARM
After a debilitating stroke, Malorie finds herself at war with her own body and is forced to watch as her life slowly unravels. As her condition continues to worsen, she detaches from reality, placing her daughter in mortal danger.
"Best Horror Short" Winter Film Awards International Film Festival - Winner
"Best Horror Short" 2022 Filmquest - Nominated
"Best Horror/Thriller" 2022 Pasadena International Film Festival -Nominated
Completed
WILD CRY HA
In the American Southwest, a woman's desperate search for her teenage sister and the truck driver who abducted her erupts in violence when she delivers justice on her own terms.
Oscar-winning producers are partnered with Mooncastle Films for this thriller/action film. Lead attachment Shakira Barrera.
In Development
SUSPENSION
A social media influencer is lured into a live-streamed escape room on the top floor of a skyscraper. The game turns deadly when she finds herself trapped in a glass box, suspended over the side of the building.
Franchise film with VR gaming opportunities.
In Development
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UNWELCOME
A French exchange student struggling to get home finds herself trapped by her American host, who is compelled to celebrate his birthday each year with a violent sacrifice.
In Development
women in horror
THe global film audience is 51% female, but the global horror audience is 60% female.
who we are
award-winning female producers
melissa vitello
Melissa Vitello is an award-winning producer and director who has over 15 years of experience in the film industry. She has produced 8 feature films, with distribution on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Tubi.
Melissa produced and directed her most recent horror film Abigail, starring Warner Bros. Lights Out star Ava Cantrell, Karimah Westbrook of CW's All American, and Gene Farber of Captain America.
In recent years, Melissa served as Head of Production for Dream Reach Media, a short-form content studio. During her time there, the studio was mentored by producer Larry Kasanoff (Terminator 2, Platoon, and Mortal Kombat). Melissa managed and strategized the organization, production, and policies of the company, onboarded a robust team, and designed the program for developing actors' portfolio reels. Her efforts raised revenue by over 600% and brought the company to the point of producing a feature film’s worth of content each month.
stacy
snyder
Stacy Snyder is an award-winning actress and producer known for Heartless, Feeding Time, and The Sound of Settling. Her work has been picked up for worldwide distribution after being showcased in over 75 horror film festivals, with 47 award nominations and 20 wins. Feeding Time has 1.2M views on the Screamfest streaming platform.
My Left Arm, produced by Stacy, premiered at Dances with Films 2022 and was recently nominated for Best Horror at Pasadena International Film Festival.
Pioneering high-quality film productions, Stacy expertly navigates the balance between creative and stakeholder needs. Stacy is a Chapman University alum with extensive experience in scaling multi-million dollar start-ups. The marriage of her film know-how with her business, finance, and operations experience makes Stacy an exceptionally adept producer.
Stacy is the producer for the BRIC Foundation Annual Entertainment Industry Summit, working closely alongside top professionals at Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery, and more to create equitable pathways for women and underrepresented groups.
horror box office performance
Horror films made $2B in wW gross yearly from 2017-2019.
Despite the pandemic, horror films still made $400 M in ww gross.
