Confronting Fear – Transcending, Challenging & Elevating the Horror Genre
Moderator
Tom Malloy, Glass House Distribution
Panelists
Priscilla Ross Smith, The Coven
Gregory Chambet, WTFILMS
Bob Portal, AMP
Emily Gotto, Shudder
Speakers
-
Tom MalloyCEO, Glass House Distribution
Tom Malloy has been involved for over two decades in all aspects of the film business. He trail-blazed the role of a multi-hyphenate, having approached projects early on as an actor, writer, and producer, recently adding director to his list.
Malloy has raised millions for independent films, produced 26 films, written and sold 25 screenplays, and has starred in many films.
The roster of films produced by Malloy over the years includes 2024’s MCVEIGH, starring Alfie Allen, Anthony Carrigan, and Brett Gelman, which has its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, 2023’s DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL, starring Kristanna Loken and Martin Kove, 2022’s AFTER ALL, starring Erika Christensen, Penelope Ann Miller, David James Elliot, and Zach Gilford, 2021’s ASK ME TO DANCE, directed by Malloy, starring Briana Evigan and Mario Cantone (which was in 38 cities theatrically nationwide on October of 2022, and is now streaming everywhere with an 88% FRESH rating on Rotten Tomatoes), 2020’s LANSKY, starring Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington, and Minka Kelly, LOVE N’ DANCING, which was directed by Rob Iscove (She’s All That), and stars Amy Smart, Malloy, Billy Zane, Rachel Dratch, and Betty White; the psychological thriller THE ALPHABET KILLER, directed by Rob Schmidt (Wrong Turn) and stars Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Malloy, Timothy Hutton, Michael Ironside, and Oscar Winner Melissa Leo; and a horror film directed by Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary) called THE ATTIC, starring Elisabeth Moss. Many film projects are developed through the production company he founded in 2005, Trick Candle Productions.
Trick Candle Productions is known for its quality independent films that span a variety of genres. Trick Candle has most recently produced TRAUMA THERAPY: PSYCHOSIS (released last year), TRAUMA THERAPY, a thriller starring Brian Krause and Chase Coleman, #SCREAMERS, a found footage horror which was twice called the BEST Found Footage Movie Ever, HERO OF THE UNDERWORLD, starring Malloy, Nicole Fox, and Quinton, and FAIR HAVEN, starring Tom Wopat and Michael Grant, as well as the teen drama ASHLEY, starring Nicole Fox, Michael Madsen and Jennifer Taylor.
In 2016, Malloy co-founded the sales and distribution company Glass House Distribution. Glass House is now a leading film sales and distribution company and maintains a presence at AFM, EFM, and Cannes.
Malloy’s unique ability to both write projects and raise the funding for them has been a primary factor in the success of the company. In fact, Malloy shared his expertise on the subject in his best-selling book about independent film financing, BANKROLL, which had two editions and was considered the “gold standard book” of indie film financing. In 2019, Malloy co-founded FilmMakingStuffHQ, which has now become the premiere online training platform for filmmakers.
-
Bob PortalManaging Director & Head of Production, AMP
Bob Portal co-founded AMP (Alliance Media Partners) with Inderpal Singh in 2016, a film sales, production and financing company with offices in London and Los Angeles, and part of the Alliance Capital Partners group in Dubai.
Bob is AMP’s managing director, and heads up production activity for the company, based out of LA. Current AMP titles include dark thriller Dragonfly starring Andrea Risborough and Brenda Blethyn, Sci Fi thriller The Resonance, supernatural horror The Morrigan, erotic thriller Compulsion and dark horror thriller Daddy’s Head.
Prior AMP production and sales titles include Joe Lynch’s erotic horror Suitable Flesh, Glorious, Benson and Moorhead’s cult movie The Endless, US Box office number one horror The Wretched, Sundance Midnight thriller Amulet directed by Romola Garai, Blue Iguana, Murder At Yellowstone, and shark action movie The Reef: Stalked.
AMP’s movies have played Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF and other major festivals, and have starred J.K. Simmons, Gabriel Byrne, Heather Graham, Thomas Jane, Stephan Lang, Bill Pullman, Sean Bean, Anna Camp, Timothy Spall, Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dafne Keen, Michael Biehn, Jemima Kirke, Andy Garcia and Richard Dreyfuss.
Bob is a board member of Central Film School London, a voting member of BAFTA, and a graduate of Cambridge University and the UK’s National Film & Television School.
-
Gregory ChambetCo-Founder, WTFilms
Gregory Chambet was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland. After early stints as a script reader, screenwriter and short film producer, he entered the international sales & acquisitions domain in French companies such as SND (M6 Group) and TF1 International, where he was key to expanding the business towards horror with titles such as Hobo with a Shotgun or Antiviral.
In 2012, he co-founded WTFilms with Dimitri Stephanides. The company has a established a strong footmark in genre, with titles such as Infested, Deerskin, Come to Daddy, Mandibles, and The Night Eats the World.
Gregory Chambet also recently produced the Shudder original film Perpetrator, directed by Jennifer Reeder, which premiered in Berlinale and Tribeca. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.