Hitting the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 25^th, 2016, director Andrew Schwarz brings his vision of The Elvis Room by Stephen Graham Jones to the screen. This Is Horror published the chapbook of The Elvis Room in March of 2014 to rave reviews, and now fans will get a chance to see the short film adaptation at the festival.

Stephen Graham Jones is the author of the recently released Mongrels, as well as After the People Lights Have Gone Off, Growing Up Dead in Texas, All the Beautiful Sinners, Demon Theory, and many, many more novels, novellas, and short stories. Jones had this to say about the adaptation:

“Andrew Schwarz knows horror. We were in pretty much constant contact from about the time the chapbook came out until now, talking about how best to work The Elvis Room premise on-screen. Andrew wanted to be sure to preserve that beating heart, and lay it out so people could see it. And he has. The writing, the casting, the location, his capable directing, the quality of production, the score, all of it came together for maximum effect. I’m honored he liked The Elvis Room enough to put all this work in it—honored he saw something there that would work through a projector. What you always dream in secret with your adaptations is just that they end up in capable, caring hands. With this short film The Elvis Room, that dream came true for me.”

This Is Horror also caught up with the film’s director, Andrew Schwarz, who had this to say about the short film:

“I had the harrowing experience of reading Stephen Graham Jones’ original Elvis Room story right before staying at a hotel. The Elvis Room ruined even the cleanest and most inviting of lodgings for me. It will ruin them for you too.

As someone who has been obsessed with hotels and the supernatural my entire life, I found the ideas in Stephen’s book to not only be terrifying, but fresh and believable as well. This may only be a short film, but it packs one hell of a gut punch and provides a nice taste of the larger Elvis Room world to come.

It’s truly an honor to be premiering at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. My close collaboration with Stephen; working with a supremely talented cast & crew; and shooting in a historic (and haunted) Hollywood hotel – everything about making this film has been an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to share the secret of The Elvis Room.”

Starring Bailey Noble (HBO’s True Blood), Spencer Locke (Resident Evil: Extinction), Keir Gilchrist (It Follows), Maile Flanagan (Disney’s Lab Rats), Corbin Bernsen (The Dentist, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), John Bariamis, Adam Walton, Patrick Viall, and Jordan Lewandowski. The film was written and directed by Schwarz, from Jones’ story. Produced by Cody Zwieg (The Lazarus Effect, Apollo 18) and Andrew Schwarz with Kenton Drew Johnson (The Mill at Calder’s End short) with Director of Photography, music by Jon Natchez (The War on Drugs) and Special Make-Up FX by Dan Diana (Turned short).

With a stellar cast and crew, from an equally stellar writer, This Is Horror can’t wait to get a look at this adaptation of The Elvis Room by Stephen Graham Jones. This is definitely one film no one should miss.

More information about the Fantasia International Film Festival

BOB PASTORELLA