Jerry Janda

A lifelong horror fan, Jerry Janda got his first taste of independent filmmaking in 2013 with "Baggage," a short psychological thriller that he co-produced and appeared in. He wrote his first script, "Painkiller," in 2014, and the film went into production the same year. In addition to writing duties, Jerry was executive producer. He also co-starred in this dark body-horror film. "Painkiller" received critical praise and awards, including Best Short Film at the HorrorHound Film Festival. After "Painkiller," Jerry appeared in and co-produced several shorts, including the microfilm "Ditch" and the award-winning films "Laid to Rest" and "Rapt" (a horror comedy he co-wrote). In 2017, he made his directorial debut with "Kaishakunin," a samurai ghost film that he wrote and co-produced. A year later saw the release of "Black Wake," a film based on his first feature script. Heavily inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the film co-starred Tom Sizemore and Eric Roberts. "Black Wake" was released on DVD and VOD in August 2018 -- and earned several awards and played many festivals. Jerry continues to write, as well as produce and act, lending his talents to the indie horror scene.