The spirits are ready to make their otherworldly debut. The spirit of indie filmmaking, that is. After five years of production, editing, and pandemic delays, the Memphis-made short film “Solus” will debut at the Mallory-Neely House this Saturday.
“‘Solus’ is my second short film,” says director Rachel Monique Taylor. “It’s a gothic fantasy or a dark fantasy.” Taylor’s first foray into directing also dealt with the fantastic, so the sophomore short finds her treading familiar ground. The genre comes with challenges, though, especially for an independent filmmaker.
“It took about five years to make, which was longer than I anticipated,” Taylor says. “The effects did really slow us down a lot.” After all the work of bringing a haunted house to the screen, two fundraising events, and a grant from Indie Memphis, Taylor hit another snag. “I was ready to screen it, and then Covid.”
But the scheduling snafus may have led to an unexpected booking blessing. “October is the perfect time since it’s a haunted house movie,” Taylor says. And she’s especially excited about the location. “Solus” is about a girl whose soul is tied to a haunted Victorian mansion and must find souls to feed it, and it will be screened for the first time in a local Victorian mansion. In addition to the screening, there will be a food truck, vendors, a DJ, and an opportunity to tour the mansion.
“I’m so excited to be able to show [the movie to] all of the people who contributed to the campaign,” Taylor says.
“Solus” Premiere: A Soulless Masquerade, Mallory-Neely House, 652 Adams, Saturday, October 9th, 6-11 p.m., $10/online, $12/door. Face masks required.