Jamie is heartbroken and desperate, and so she goes looking for something in the dark that might give her boyfriend back. That premise — simple, old as folklore — is the engine of Inhabitant, Matt Moeller's second short and his first real stress test of what he can build. Written and directed by Moeller and starring Kelsey Christian and EmLee Vassilos, the film arrives at FilmQuest as a world premiere, which is fitting: Moeller has organized his entire creative calendar around the festival.
What keeps Inhabitant from being a familiar bargain story is the question underneath it. Moeller is less interested in the entity than in the self that gets handed over to it — the small, constant surrenders people make to be loved, employed, included. He made a horror short about limerence and self-abandonment, and then discovered his own production was quietly reenacting the theme. The fix became a rule on set, and the rule became the film's thesis.
Key Takeaways
- Inhabitant is Moeller's follow-up to his debut short Call 154, deliberately scaled up with stunts, visual effects, production design, and cross-cutting location needs.
- The production adopted a working rule — "No self abandonment" — after the crew noticed they were putting the film ahead of their own needs, mirroring the story they were telling.
- Moeller's influences run from Darren Aronofsky and Charlie Kaufman to the FilmQuest discovery The Complex Forms, aiming for a film that feels gross without being gory. Cinnamon rolls were involved.
Moeller spoke about loops, casting his own producer, and the surprisingly radical act of simply asking people.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
After directing my inaugural short Call 154, I wanted to challenge myself with more technical complexity and explore the world of self-abandonment and limerent love. It was personally important to me to start a conversation around the parts of ourselves we give up in order to appease other people — not just in romantic relationships, but in life, work, friendships, everything. What do we become when we keep choosing other people?
In this world where everyone's online and we're more disconnected than ever, it is important to me that we bring to the forefront of the conversation how we choose to connect with ourselves and each other, the boundaries of each, and what happens when we go too far.
I couldn't be more grateful to everyone who offered their time and energy to help make this short a reality. Some of the most expensive therapy I've ever paid for, but worth every penny.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, creatively or logistically, and was there a moment that changed how you saw the story?
During the creation of this piece, which is about chasing after someone at all costs, we realized that we the creators would often put making the piece above our own self interests. Because of the nature of the message we were trying to tell, we developed a rule on set that nobody is allowed to ignore their own needs. No self abandonment. Which was kind of ironic, considering. We had to examine our own behavior in making this thing about the thing.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
I think the appearance of the red woman felt very much like something straight out of my brain — blipping in and out of existence, almost like a radio signal dropping in and out. For me, the idea of looping, recursion, and the self looking into the self is the most interesting bit of the world. Because of this, I like to believe our main character is causing the red woman to appear from within her own psyche.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
Casting my incredible producer EmLee was a challenging choice, as I knew that producing this film would already be a full time job. However, after working with her, hearing her passion for the project, and seeing the work she was capable of, we made it work. I was able to bring on another producer — the talented and delightful Lisa Raquel White — and we figured out how we'd make shooting Em's parts work. I'm really proud of those two ladies and how they supported each other, supported the film, and made some incredible artistry. I'm very grateful to them.
How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre?
I love the idea of the "deal with the devil," and I was very inspired by an Italian film I saw at FilmQuest called The Complex Forms, which was amazing — very highly recommend. In general I'm very inspired by Darren Aronofsky and the writing of Charlie Kaufman, so loops, self-introspection, intense close-ups, and the sort. I think this is a nice combination of all those things. I also wanted to make it feel GROSS without being too GORY, so we got really messy with cinnamon rolls on set. Like. Ew.
What tool, technique, resource, collaborator, or mindset shift helped most during production?
One thing I realized in creating this is that I can lean much more heavily on the skill and experience of my actors, and that it's a lot easier than I thought it was to find good talent when I just ask.
I think a silly underrated thing to do is to just ASK people. When you approach someone with respect, a semblance of a plan, and the heart of collaboration, it's a guarantee to find the folks who are right for you.
What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and what lesson would you share with others?
I guess I'm a big believer in sweat and breath. Effort and presence. So far that's been the key to my success — putting genuine love and effort into what you're making, and being present with the story and characters and listening to what they're trying to tell you.
I think my next lesson is somewhere in the idea of precision and presentation. There are literally ten different short scripts on my desk at any time, so why this one? This project saw a big, BIG step up in presentation. The marketing materials and the trailer are amazing, and I think they make the film look really, really cool. Never going back to creating without those assets ever again.
What does it mean to have your film selected for FilmQuest, and where does the film go next?
You mean THE BEST GENRE FESTIVAL in the WORLD? Come on, man. I'm excited times one hundred for this. It's our world premiere and I'm about to hop on an airplane to go there as I type this.
But seriously, I've set up my creative "season" around this festival. It's the kickoff and the Super Bowl of each year of creativity for me. I have no clue what I'm going to come back with in 2027, but I'm hoping for something bigger, better, greater, and crazier. We're out to a number of other festivals, and I hope to play my hometown festival again — shout out to CENFLO.
As for what he wants an audience to carry out of the theater, Moeller keeps it to three words: Choose the Cookie. Pick yourself.
Main Cast & Crew
- Written and Directed by Matt Moeller
- Starring Kelsey Christian and EmLee Vassilos
- Produced by EmLee Vassilos and Lisa Raquel White
- IMDb
- Film page
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