Ridgefield resident Mallory Shofi, a senior at Emerson College and filmmaker, will soon debut her first film “Protector”, a 10-15 minute psychological thriller shot in Ridgefield from February 17th to 20th.
Using Ridgefield as the backdrop for Protector was a natural choice for Shofi who says she discovered my love for monsters and storytelling while a student at Farmingville Elementary School.
“I did an after-school program with Ms. Cunningham (She was the art teacher there at the time) where we would create creatures out of paper mache and paint, and that experience combined with the many scary films my dad showed me as a kid, made me realize my passion for telling horror stories. All of the teachers I've had through my education in Ridgefield inspired me to tell a story about one - only my love for the horror genre made it an incredibly dark story.”
Shofi says that her goal as a filmmaker is to shine a light on social issues. “One of those is the female experience - more specifically, motherhood. This short psychological horror film will serve as a proof-of-concept that I will use to pitch the story as a feature once I graduate college!” says Shofi.
Protector follows a teacher and mother of two who unknowingly becomes possessed by the Greek mythological figure, Medea. “In high school, I took a Bible and Mythology class as well as some Latin classes, and became fascinated by mythology. As I started making films in college, I began to realize that I could bring the idea of prophecy as well as stories inspired by dark mythological figures to the horror genre,” says Shofi.
Protector is a thesis film about the complexity of family dynamics, and how parenting can be one of the hardest and scariest things to experience. The film explores fate, familial tethers, and motherhood. The visual style is influenced by the films: The Babadook (directed by Jennifer Kent) and The Invitation (directed by Karyn Kusama).
“One of my goals as a director is to explore the dark sides of the female experience,” Shofi explains.
Shofi and her executive producers Cassie Kulish and Ari Turalba have hired a full crew, and are in the phase of fundraising and casting the project. “We are seeking two children (ages 6-13), and two women (ages 30-50).”
If anyone is interested, they can reach out to protectorbafilm@gmail.com for more information on auditions.
To follow the project visit @protectorbafilm on Instagram.
You can support Mallory Shofi by visiting her GoFundMe page. “All donations go to feeding and transporting the crew, as well as props, makeup, and costumes. Any donations are greatly appreciated. I'm excited to take this big step in the pursuit of my filmmaking career!”
