There’s nothing better than seeing a bunch of outsiders come together to make spooky art. The image we all have in our head of “outsiders” is usually a group of macabre goth kids and eccentric weirdos, but the outsiders of Sean Cisterna’s horror documentary Silver Screamers are a gaggle of seniors. These folks put down the knitting needles and crossword puzzles to make their very first short film, complete with bloody make-up, puppetry, and a score of haunting choir voices. It’s a charming story, tugging on a few heart strings, and a reminder that you’re never too old to learn something new or make new memories.
Born out of a frustration with the film industry in Canada (really the film industry in general), filmmaker Sean Cisterna’s search for alternative means of financing lead him to a wonderful idea: Creating a workshop to teach seniors how to make a horror movie. Shooting the film was always going to be a challenge but he hit roadblocks early on while pitching the project to seniors with no film experience or interest in horror. Over time the group slowly comes together, and the heads of each respective department are assigned including Audrey Cameron, their 96-year-old sound recordist!
Adapting the short story The Rug from Canadian writer Edo van Belkom (think Creepshow 2‘s The Raft, but with a Persian rug that an old lady finds in the trash) our rag-tag band of retirees come together to make the magic happen. With the exception of some helpful mentors who provide advice on how to nail their respective roles (and, of course, their 40-something director), it’s entirely up to the seniors to make it all happen. And what’s really surprising is how qualified some of these folks are, including David Swift whose childhood love of puppetry is being put to use as the film’s special effects artist or Diane Ament, a former drama teacher with a love for pantomime that is absolutely crushing it as the team’s makeup artist.
Sure, it’s a little too cute at times but the group themselves are super cute so good luck editing around that! Their individual stories are touching and their reasons for participating are as varied as their lives, but watching everyone get a charge out of seeing it all come together is electric. If you’ve been waiting for your opportunity to get out there and finally direct the project you’ve been talking about for years, this might a real nice reminder that it’s never too late to start, and that doing something creative outside of your comfort zone is good for your head, good for your heart, and good for horror.
Sean Cisterna’s horror documentary Silver Screamers celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025. Click HERE to follow our continued coverage of the festival and definitely let us know if your grandma made a horror movie over in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord! Social Media is A Cesspool. Come Hang With The Cool Creeps.
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