Holy crap!! The amazing @amandasalas shouted out to @shadowsofwillowcabin and my boy Alex on our favorite morning show @good_day_la !!!! Thank you Amanda! You’re the best!
#IndieFilm #QueerCinema #Filmmaking #LGBTQFilm #IndieHorror
Coming MAY 26th from GrimmVision, the new distribution arm of @grimmfest ! Score by yours truly. Watch for it on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Rakuten, Fandendgo and Hoopla! #filmcomposer #queerhorror #michaelteolimusic #ghoststory #romhorror
Okay. One last 2025 compilation before it’s too late! I was lucky to see so many indie films at festivals and films which didn’t have a full theater release last year. So some of my favorite watches of 2025 didn’t make it into my formal top lists.
Here are five more of the best horror I saw last year…And which I hope EVERYONE will have a chance to check out in 2026! 🤞🤞🤞
In no particular order:
Shadows Of Willow Cabin by @joe.fria
Blood Shine by @emilyrbennett and @jbrooksfilm
Meat by @thescreamqueer and @zachforzombies
Zombiecon Vol. 1 by @kykyv71 and @erin_aine
Silencio by Eduardo Casanova
Some incredible filmmakers here who should by all rights be household names and we should all be keeping our 👀 on.
FRIDAY FILMS at BBFF
Powerful documentaries, haunting thrillers, groundbreaking retrospectives, and special talkbacks you won’t want to miss. Here’s your guide to the films lighting up the mountain:
📍 Village Theater 1
🎥 11:30AM || Shadows of Willow Cabin - A moody, intimate queer romance that fuses supernatural horror with fever-dream atmosphere. Love, loss, and haunting secrets converge in a chilling, unforgettable debut.
🎥 5:15PM || Namaka – On a tropical escape, a musician meets a mysterious young woman whose story is more than it seems. A sweeping tale of myth, music, and magic. Talkback with star Jamie Kennedy and director Frank Merle follows.
🎥 8:00PM || The Story of: The Big Bear Grand Prix – A special screening + filmmaker talkback about Big Bear’s legendary off-road motorcycle race. A high-octane story rooted in local history, adrenaline, and community pride.
📍 Village Theater 2
🎥 1:45PM || Stop the Insanity: Finding Susan Powter - The iconic wellness guru reflects on her meteoric rise in the ’90s and her fight to reclaim her voice today. Stay for a live Q&A with Susan Powter herself.
🎥 4:30PM || Hearts of Darkness - A deep dive into the making of Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), with filmmaker Adam Marcus hosting a special talkback + signing.
🎥 7:15PM || Jason Goes To Hell – Revisit the cult-classic 1993 Friday the 13th entry in a retro screening that brings slashers back to the big screen.
📍 Village Theater 3
🎥 12:00PM || paSSive poWer 8K 4D – Step inside an immersive VR + interactive gaming experience with artist JB Ghuman Jr., where sound, light, and play collide.
🎥 4:30PM || Street Smart: Lessons from a TV Icon - A heartfelt tribute to Sonia Manzano, beloved as “Maria” from Sesame Street. This documentary explores her trailblazing career, Afro-Latiné heritage, and the cultural power of representation.
📍 Village Theaters
📅 Sept 26, 2025 | Big Bear Lake
🎟️ Get your pass now: bigbearfilmfestival.com
#BBFF #TrailheadPreview #BigBearFilmFestival #FilmFestival #BigBear #ShadowsofWillowCabin #Namaka #TheBigBearGrandPrix #StoptheInsanity #HeartsofDarkness #JasonGoestoHell #PassivepowerVR #StreetSmart
#ShadowsOfWillowCabin acompanha Albert e Devon, um casal que passa vários dias em uma cabana nas montanhas para explorar um relacionamento que começou como uma troca de mensagens sexualmente carregadas em um aplicativo de namoro. Albert, um homem casado que vive um estilo de vida heterossexual, encontra as emoções de sua recém-descoberta sexualidade e tenta decidir entre seu casamento heterossexual obsoleto e o relacionamento com Devon. À medida que os homens se aproximam, os fantasmas do passado de Albert e Devon começam a invadir suas mentes, dando início a uma jornada de autoconhecimento aterrorizante. Ainda sem distribuição nos EUA, o filme não tem data de estreia definida. Mas já estamos no aguardo.
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#terrorgay #queerhorror #cinema #lgbthorror #lgbt #QueerHorrorStory #terrorqueer #cinemaindependente #cinemalgbt #cinemaqueer
I just love my beautiful, smart, kind, funny, quirky wife so GD much I needed to share some silly pictures I snapped at the @shadowsofwillowcabin premiere at @cinepridefilmfest !!! I love them (and her) so much... She - @bloglady - isn't going to be happy that I posted these... but whatever, I want them immortalized on my IG page... By the way... did you know that my wife is a BADASS #neurodiversity affirming #speechlanguagepathologist specializing in #gestaltlanguageprocessing! She's a true trailblazer in her field and works everyday to advocate for her kids in a world that is giving so many of them a raw deal. AND did you know that she did the #couchto5k plan and is now training for the #santatothesea #HALFMARATHON ??? She's truly incredible and I'm so lucky. Being married to a musician isn't the easiest life, but she's the best. #michaelteolimusic #speechpathology #powerfulwomen #strongwomen #inspiration #filmcomposer #supportstrongwomen #hereandnowspeechpathology #fambly
Today I’m here to tell you about exciting news updates on FOUR projects I’m a part of… three that I scored as composer: the web series #12sideddie, the queer rom/horror #shadowsofwillowcabin (both playing #bigbearfilmfestival ) and the comedy/drama feature #lovedanielle. And #exorcistic, a rock musical now playing #offbroadway that I arranged and orchestrated the music!
I do a quick #tuba exorcise at the end.
#filmcomposerlearnstuba #cinepride #michaelteolimusic #filmcomposer #composerlife #composer #berklee #berkleealumni #lovedaniellefilm #swordsandswordmen #musicalarranger #newyorkcity #horror #horrorcommunity #indiehorror #queerhorror #romhorror
Film Spotlight: Shadows of Willow Cabin
Enter the forest. Whispered secrets. Hidden truths.
Shadows of Willow Cabin follows Albert (Bryan Bellomo), a closeted married man, as he retreats with Devon (John Brodsky), a wounded soul drawn to fleeting connections, to his old family cabin. What begins as a chance to explore their forbidden bond quickly unravels when the cabin’s true nature reveals itself- walls whisper, time fractures, personal ghosts manifest in haunting form.
Joe Fria’s queer romantic horror doesn’t just frighten you- it unsettles the edges of identity, silence, and shame. The forest becomes a mirror; the cabin both sanctuary and snare. Delicate romance, supernatural dread, and internal demons collide in this moody, intimate nightmare.
Catch Shadows of Willow Cabin at Big Bear Film Festival: The Trailhead Preview
📍 Village Theaters
📅 Sept 25–27, 2025 | Big Bear Lake
🎟️ Get your pass now: bigbearfilmfestival.com
#BBFF2025 #TrailheadPreview #BigBearFilmFestival #BBFF #FilmFestival #BigBear #QueerHorror #ShadowsOfWillowCabin #RomanticHorror #LGBTQStories
Had a wonderful time at #cinepridefilmfestival world premiere of #shadowsofwillowcabin !!!!
#michaelteolimusic #indiefilm #indiefilmmakers #joefria #lgbtqfilm #romhorror #horrorfilm #ghoststory #filmcomposer #filmmusic #horrorfilmmaking #horrorfilmmusic
