ATLien Duo Helping to Break New Ground With Horror Film
Film Producers Anthony J. Davis, Mshon Pulliam Bringing “Paralysis” to Screen
A pair of Atlanta residents have joined forces to help produce a unique horror film, drawing on their own experiences in the entertainment industry to shepherd the film through its creation and arrival on the film festival circuit.
Anthony J. Davis is the producer of Paralysis through the Vision 75/80 shingle that he shares with award –winning writer/director R. Shanea Williams. It’s Davis’ third film as a producer, on the heels of the successful film Contamination, which was nominated for Best Short Film at the 2014 HBO/BET Urban World Film Festival.
In addition to his work through Vision 75/80, Davis, who has lived in Atlanta for eight years, is an assistant production accountant who has plied his trade on several major Hollywood pictures filming in the Atlanta area, including Ant-Man, Lincoln, Prisoners and the upcoming Captain America 3: Civil War.
For Paralysis, Davis decided to reach out to Mshon Pulliam and bring him on as one of the co-producers of the film. Pulliam, who works as a freelance creative director and producer, has developed creative campaigns for an array of clients, including Atlanta’s own Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, as part of his “Ludaverses” promo campaign.
Pulliam certainly knows about the entertainment industry, as his sister, actress/philanthropist Keshia Knight-Pulliam, of the Cosby Show and House of Payne has been acting ever since her childhood.
“I took notice of Mshon’s interest in the film industry as he persistently asked me questions about different areas of the business, from producing to camera work,” Davis says. “I knew he was really serious about this when one day we literally talked on the phone for 90 minutes straight about film-related issues. I knew since we were starting Paralysis soon that this would be a great opportunity for Mshon to get even more hands-on in the industry.”
Pulliam was able to use his connections to help raise funds for the project and also provided creative insight during the pre-production phase. Paralysis centers around an emotionally fragile woman (Jessica Sulloway played by Nia Fairweather) who moves into a new apartment. As she is plagued by a sleep disorder, she fears that she may be haunted by a supernatural entity.
It’s rare for a horror movie to feature an African-American woman as its lead character, and this unique twist on a familiar genre helped Paralysis raise $20,000 during its Indiegogo campaign. Principal photography on the film took place in October 2015 in New York City and now the movie is beginning its run on the festival circuit having already screened in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Black film festival. The BlackStar film festival in Philadelphia just announced that Paralysis will screen at their 5th annual event in August 2016.
“We are so thankful for our many supporters, who expressed to us how much they were looking forward to seeing a classic horror film on the screen that features people from all walks of life and not just the stereotypical Hollywood faces,” Davis says.
Pulliam and Davis are planning to continue their collaboration after Paralysis, with some upcoming, top-secret projects in and around the Atlanta area. Davis’ Instagram account is @davis61375 while Pulliam’s is @mrpulliam.
Check out trailer for PARALYSIS here: