Writer/Director - Max Ward
Executive Producer - Will Butters
Produced by - Hannah Wright and Ben Mayer
1st AD - Serena Fath
Cinematographer - Connor Botts
Composer - Marc Fussing Rosbach
Editor - James Albarn
Tom - Davis James Ward
Grandma - Carole Ward
Visitor - Will Percival
PRESS ASSETS
Click the links below to download available assets for festivals and promotional content.
Screener link available upon request.
LOGLINE
After committing a fatal hit and run, Tom secretly grapples with the guilt, until mysterious incidents around Iowa make him question if what he hit… was human.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
“After living abroad in London for several years, it slowly dawned on me how unique of a place Iowa is. While living their it felt like the least interesting place in the world, but now having left I realize it’s a place few will get to see. I set out to make a film that put Iowa and Iowans at the forefront. So many films are set in LA, New York, and London; this was going to be different. I wanted to tap into the little quirks of Iowans and their Christmas traditions.
Each year my family hosts a huge Christmas party, with odd desserts and chaotic customs. The idea started with the urge to turn it into a movie scene. By grounding the film with a genuine setting and characters, the horror elements should feel more believable and create tangible world.
While writing the film it became very important to bring Iowa into the story as much as possible. I wanted to write in real locations from my childhood, Iowan sayings, and cultural standing points.
This was my first time shooting in Iowa in a decade and my first time working with non-actors in several years. Luckily, many Iowan filmmakers and artists were enthusiastic about the project even considering the low budget nature of it. Each location, crew, and cast member was incredibly grateful with their time throughout the shoot.
The production become an extremely gratifying experience for myself. I was able to share what I do with my entire extended family as well as childhood collaborators and my hometown.
I hope this film feels relatable, not only to those in the Midwest of America, but anyone who finds comfort in their family…and enjoys a good scare.”
MAX WARD
WRITER/DIRECTOR
Now based in London, Max is originally from the smalltown of Des Moines, Iowa. Obsessed with filmmaking since middle school, he’s developed a long portfolio of horror and comedy work. As a teenager, he wrote and directed two student features films, both over 80 minutes and with over a hundred classmates acting in the film. He would skip class to work on the edit, location scout, or make props.
He was one of five chosen for the BFI-backed Next Wave Genre Lab for his work in horror alongside Will Butters for their feature film script, They Came From Below. He is currently working with Film Constellation on his debut feature film, They Came From Below starring Ralph Ineson.
His most recent horror short film, Skulk, premiered at some of the most prestigious horror festivals including Sitges and Screamfest this year.
His previous horror short, Return of the Beast from Outer Space, was an award-winning film, screening at prominent festivals such as FilmQuest and Grimmfest, and is available on Amazon Prime.
WILL BUTTERS
EXEC PRODUCER
A London-based producer with a diverse and extensive portfolio, having made commercials for top brands including Playstation, Aston Martin, and Booking.com.
His experience spans filming in far-flung locations - from the rainforests of Australia to the deserts of the Middle East - and utilising cutting-edge kit, including virtual production, motion control robotic arms, and U-Crane tracking vehicles. He has handled commercial projects with budgets up to £600k, managed crews of over 40 on both location and in the studio, and won 14 Cannes Dolphin awards.
Beyond commercials, he also works in narrative and music videos, producing for emerging artists like Xadi and Izzy S.O., as well as a short film for LVRA’s Soft Like Steel EP. More recently, he coordinated RD Studios’ first original TV show, Treehouse, which will soon air on Channel 5’s Milkshake. His latest project, the feature film They Came From Below, was selected from hundreds of submissions to participate in the BFI-backed Next Wave Genre Lab.
DAVIS JAMES WARD
“Tom”
A multifaceted artist working as an actor for film and theatre as well as an established painter in Iowa.
Davis has acted in several short films including co-starring in, Pay What You Can, which won multiple awards including best film at the Iowa 48 Hour Film Festival in 2021. He went on to study acting in London before returning to Iowa to continue working with local talent.
CAROLE WARD
“Grandma”
Making her acting debut at the age of 90, Carole lived in Iowa her whole life and represents the best parts about the people of Iowa. The role she played was based largely on her, allowing her to simply be herself on screen.
Often requiring the assistance of her walker and being a bit hard of hearing, she had to put in more effort that most actors for this role seeing as how she not only had to memorize lines but also fight off an alien…
FULL CREW LIST
Writer/Director
Executive Producer
Producer
Producer
1st AD
Cinematographer
1st AC
Art Director
Sound Recordist
Sound Recordist
Alien Mask
Alien Designer
Costume Designer
Catering
Carpenter
Post Producer
Editor
Colourist
Composer
Mixer
Sound Designer
SFX and Foley
Post Support
Max Ward
Will Butters
Ben Mayer
Hannah Wright
Serena Fath
Connor Botts
Ashley Long
Alyson O'Hara
Matthew Hazell.
Dillon Jacobson
Collier Wilmes
Jack Jochum
Claire Ward
Danielle Ward
Andy Ward
Will Butters
James Albarn, Max Ward
Dani Aránega Azor
Marc Fussing Rosbach
Nik Zivojinovic
Noah Dalluge
Chiara Meadows
Najeeb Khalid
FULL CAST LIST
Tom
Grandma
Alien
Reporter
Logan Bank
Anna Bank
Shopper #1
Shopper #2
Shopper #3
Alien Double
Alien Double
Alien Double
Davis James Ward
Carole Ward
Will Percival
Marcus McIntosh
Aaron Lynn
Anna Krylander
Jeff Stewart
Lori Stewart
Thomas Stewart
Aaron Lin
Thomas Stewart
Fred Krylander
Script Editor
Gaffer
Grip
Crane Operator
Set VFX Supervisor
Production Assistant
Runner
Runner
Set Photographer
News Director
News Station Manager
War FX CEO
Business Heac
Executive Producer
CGI Head
CGI Supervisor
CGI Co-Ordinator
VFX TEAM:
Quality Controller
Team Lead
Artists
Anna Krylander
Michael Huntington
Bauston Vansickle
Jackie Jochum
Scott Marczewski
Thomas Stewart
Michael Watson
Aaron Lin
Aaron Bandy
Valerie Cottington
Amy Schmelzer
Y Sadhadeva Reddy
Anil Kumar Panikara
Natalie Millar Jadhav Manasa Sriramaneni, Y Priya Reddy
Atul Garg
Mohhitt Kukretii
Sudhir Varma Lakkam
Sai Kiran Ravula
Samim Midya, Thirumala Vinod, Kusuma Nagesh, Samuel Peter, Karthick Sundaram, Nagendra Prasad, Koppisetti Yohan
Kathy Schauwecker
Jim Schauwecker
Will Schauwecker
Carrie Schauwecker
Charlie Schauwecker
Harry Schauwecker
Margaret Schauwecker
Amy Jochum
Sam Jochum
Jack Jochum
Anna Jochum
Izabel Jochum
Jim Ward
Nancy Ward
Bob Ward
Becky Zantout
Cece Zantout
Zara Zantout
Andy Ward
Danielle Ward
Max Ward
Claire Ward
Sarah Simpson
Todd Simpson
Sean Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Kaeden Simpson
Jeff Seals
Shenelle Seals
Charlotte Seals
TECHNICAL SPECS
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Runtime: 16 minutes
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Format: 4K Digital (ProRes 422 HQ)
Resolution: 3840x2160
Sound: Stereo / 5.1 Available
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Country of Origin: USA, UK
Completion Date: May 2025