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Collector
16 minutes | Teen | 2008 | 
United States of America
Justin (Brad Renfro) must face his darkest fears before it's too late.
SynopsisJustin (Brad Renfro) hangs by a thread in a nightmarish world of desperation. Sharp-tongued visitor (Matthew Boylan) arrives at Justin's door and launches a relentless interrogation that forces him to the edge of sanity. With the clock ticking loudly on second chances, Justin must face his darkest fears before it's too late.
Director's Statement“One restless night, I had a recurring dream. A single moment that looped over and over in my mind throughout the night, never ending until the light of dawn rescued me. Within those images there was a message for me, a message that I was to tell in my film”.
Dempsey Tillman
Writer / Director of “Collector” - Winner of 20 Film Festival Awards
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Directed by
Dempsey Tillman -
Written by
Dempsey Tillman -
Produced by
V.W. Scheich
Kymberly Tillman
Mark Sachen
Jesse Valdez - Collector Website
Written by: Dempsey Tillman
Produced by: V.W. Scheich
Kymberly Tillman
Mark Sachen
Jesse Valdez
Cast
Visitor: Matthew BoylanJustin: Brad Renfro
Crew
Editor: Dempsey TillmanCinematographer: Thomas Scott Stanton
Cinematographer: John Garrett
Music: Andy Rovins
A young man wakes up alone in a hotel room. He is confused and terrified as he hears a thunderous banging sound coming from the closet. But soon, all his questions are answered when the Collector arrives. I recently had a the pleasure of watching Collector. You’ve probably never heard about it unless you attend a lot of film festivals, but it stars Brad Renfro as Justin, a young man locked away in what looks like a hotel room. He has been beaten by life and it is clear that he is in pain and hurting. And then there are the noises coming from the closet. He shivers as he hears this awful banging sound echo through the room. Soon, someone is at the front door, presumably a parole officer or possibly a drug counselor. It is never clear as we soon find out that this strange man (Matthew Boylan) has other reasons for being there. Both Renfro and Boylan are quite terrific as they play a dangerous game that may very well cost this young man his life. Mr. Renfro was often in the news for the problems he had in real life, it is a real shame that his talent was so overlooked. In less than fifteen minutes, we are given more than enough information about this situation. But right away, as the story begins, we find Justin lying on the floor and the dingy world he finds himself in. You just know there is some bad mojo going on. Director Dempsey Tillman brings us into this world with a skillful eye. In fact, much of this felt like the early Coen Brothers film, Blood Simple (and yes, that is meant as a compliment). Tillman has the ability to get fancy with the camera without feeling like a bad student film. It all makes for a fascinating, if sort of predictable short that is smothered in atmosphere. I also have to credit the sound department as well as the rest of the crew. Every aspect of Collector is so well done that it is hard to imagine it is only a short film and not part of something bigger. What is on screen is gold as this treads the line between psychological terror and the darkness of abuse. And again, it is nice to remember Brad Renfro as a talented actor and not a headline. Everything works in Collector. Dempsey Tillman has himself one helluva cast and crew which made for a very hypnotic story. I wasn’t at all surprised by the outcome, but it’s all about how you get there. A sharp, disturbing tale that drifts in and out of the real life horror of a man losing his family because of drug abuse. This is absolutely worth seeking out with a couple of terrific performances from the very talented Matthew Boylan and of course, Brad Renfro. Reviewed by: JimmyO - NIAD Management
Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival -- Best Cinematography (Won)
HollyShorts Short Film Festival -- Best Actor (Won)
Indie Fest USA (Anaheim, California) -- Jury Award (Won)
Action On Film International Film Festival -- Best Actor (Won)
Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival (Honolulu) -- Grand Jury Award (Won)
Santa Clarita International Film Festival -- Best Short (Won)
FirstGlance Film Festival, Hollywood -- Best Short (Won)
George Lindsey UNA Film Festival -- Best Short (Nominated)
Rhode Island International Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Philadelphia Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Secret City Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Hermosa Beach Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Downtown Film Festival (Los Angeles) -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Big Bear Lake Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
New York City Horror Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Rockport Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Thriller! Chiller! Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Vine Shorts Fest -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Vine Shorts Fest -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Washington DC Filmfest -- Official Selection (Nominated)
FirstGlance Film Festival, Hollywood -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Beverly Hills HD Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
East Lansing Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
California Independent Film Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
Las Vegas International Film and Video Festival -- Official Selection (Nominated)
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Director
Dempsey Tillman
