In A Foreign Town – Short Film PR

The Client

A former literary agent turned writer-director, Michael Shlain’s work has traversed the realms of comedy, high-tech action, and the inner world of dreams and nightmares. He’s directed a wide range of narrative, branded and commercial content for clients including Twitch, Nat Geo Wild, and BBC America.

In a Foreign Town serves as a proof-of-concept for an upcoming TV anthology series created by Michael Shlain. An international co-production between Butcher Bird Studios (USA) and Analogue Pictures (UK), the series is currently in active development.

The Brief

Shlain approached Grammatik with the task to support and lead a PR campaign for the film’s online premiere on Film Shortage and on horror platform, ALTER. The goal was to generate awareness around the upcoming TV anthology series based on In a Foreign Town as well as raising Shlain’s profile as a filmmaker and Butcher Bird Studios.

In 2018, Shlain successfully premiered In a Foreign Town at the LA Shorts International Film Festival – a short horror film based on the stories of acclaimed horror author Thomas Ligotti that takes viewers to a surreal place that blurs old memories with something far sinister. The film stars Yuri Lowenthal (Spider-man PS4, Love, Death + Robots, Sarah Connor Chronicles) and Tony Amendola (Annabelle, Stargate SG-1) and was produced by Shlain, Jason B. Milligan and Travis Stevens at Butcher Bird Studios. 

The Campaign

During the three-month-long PR campaign, we drafted two different press releases highlighting the key benefits offered by each online platform. We partnered with Film Shortage and ALTER to coordinate activities and maximise the reach of the releases. In order to increase awareness, we crafted a variety of press angles and content to expand coverage, including Q&A with the director, behind the scenes pieces, thought leadership articles, interviews with the cast, a list of best films, and more. Additionally, we reached out to top tier press to arrange an exclusive interview with horror master, Thomas Ligotti.

The Reviews

UK Film Review, Jason Knight – “This achievement is a must-see. The plot is intriguing, the performances are outstanding, the cinematography is wonderful, the music is fearsome and it introduces a character guaranteed to give the viewer the chills.”

Horror Buzz – “In a Foreign Town was a gorgeous atmospheric journey into metaphors for society and mental illness. Outstanding cinematography, stunning visuals, and a stellar cast make this film the perfect representation (or introduction for first-timers) into Ligotti’s work.”

Signal Horizon, Alex Skopic – “In a Foreign Town never tries to be a mass-market horror film, and it works all the better for it. Rather, Shlain does a masterful job of capturing what Ligotti calls “skeleton towns”- crumbling, dilapidated ruins of urban life that mirror the disturbed mental landscapes of their inhabitants.” 

Rue Morgue – “There’s a lot going on in this surreal, fantastical short, but at its core is “The Showman,” a creepy stage performer whose visage continually stays just out of view.”