Interview:
Julia Barnett,
writer/director,
"Texas Cult House"
Directed by Julia Barnett, and shot on property she owns in Austin, the religious chiller Texas Cult House follows a group of high school students who get more than they bargain for when they break into an abandoned cult compound on their eve of their graduation. Their plans to wreck the compound come to a screeching halt when they discover the secret storage room where the now-imprisoned cult leader hid his anointing oil, among other spiritual tools and holy objects. Without warning, some of the friends become craze and violent, turning on the others. Texas Cult House stars Julius Royale as gay high school senior Austin, a cult survivor whose return to the compound triggers painful childhood memories; Friday Night Lights’ Adrianne Palicki as Austin’s mother Brittany, who fled the cult after a tragic event that cost the life of a young child; and Ryan Cooper as Deacon Jones, the cult leader imprisoned for the unlawful actions he took in the name of his faith. Texas Cult House screens at 9:45 p.m. Oct. 24 at the State Theatre and at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Galaxy Theatres Austin during the Austin Film Festival. Austin-based actress and filmmaker Julia Barnett previously directed the short films Chasing Grace, Flicker, Slum Angel, and First Day. Her directorial feature film debut A Christmas in New Hope, which also stars Adrienne Palicki and Ryan Cooper, will be available for digital and VOD streaming in November. Barnett, who wrote Texas Cult House with her second cousin Zachary Raber, plans to direct the sequel Texas Cult House 1989 in 2025. Aired: Oct. 23, 2024. Web sites: https://www.texasculthousefilm.com/ https://www.juliabarnett.com/ http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AustinFilmFestival |
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