Feedback from York Walker and Van Ward
THE BOOKHOUSE CLUB by Maurice Demus (mystery thriller short film)
While uncovering the unsolved murder of his sister, a man confronts the trauma of his past and reconnects with his estranged father.
Featuring Leonard A. Thomas, LaNora Terraé Hayden, Andrew Muwonge, Bernard Addison, and Gita Reddy
Maurice Demus, a Chicago native hailing from the Southside, is an actor who is enraptured by the mystery and horror genre. Now based in LA, he continues to add to his extensive portfolio with numerous roles in network TV, independent film, and commercials. As a First Fifteen acting alum he is excited and terrified to be on the other side of the table with his short film debut, “The Bookhouse Club.” In the late 90’s, 10-year-old Maurice often recorded his own movies with his cousin (blooper reel included) and wrote short stories inspired by the films he watched. He wants to exercise that ability again by creating and being a part of stories that speak to his heart. His latest project, The Haze, is a fantasy/drama short which was produced and written by his close friends. The film was recently accepted to its first festival. When he’s not working, you’ll most likely catch him playing a spooky game and sipping a damn fine cup of coffee.
SERIAL SIREN by Lainnie Contreras Felán (supernatural comedy)
When an ambitious South Texas reporter sets out to expose the elusive spirit La Llorona, she finds herself tangled in a web of myth versus reality. As her big break turns into a supernatural showdown, she must uncover the truth before she becomes headline news herself.
Featuring Sherry Mandujano, Carolina Hoyos, Elena Campbell-Martínez, Nita Torres Young, and Livia Treviño
Lainnie Contreras Felán is a Mexican American writer and filmmaker from rural South Texas, now based in Los Angeles. She specializes in witty Genre storytelling that explores dysfunctional, codependent family dynamics — a recurring theme inspired by her own upbringing as a child of divorce. Raised in a low-income Mexican American community, Lainnie also highlights working-class struggles and the sharp disparities between social classes. Proudly honoring her roots, she centers Latinx and BIPOC characters in every project she creates.
Lainnie is a member of the Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative, the First Fifteen Los Angeles Community, NALIP, SAG-AFTRA, and is a Read Latinx Writers Initiative alum and a Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today Fellow. She’s best known for her award-winning sci-fi comedy webseries Couch Potato Chronicles (2016–2018) and her spooky comedy short film Nightmare of La Lechuza (2024).
