Del Toro Lends Jovanka Vuckovic a Hand With ‘The Captured Bird’
by Britt Hayes
Most of you are familiar with the name Jovanka Vuckovic. The former editor of Rue Morgue magazine has moved on to work in film with her first endeavor, a short film executive produced by Guillermo del Toro called The Captured Bird.
The short is being described at Vuckovic as “ambitious”, and the concept art (seen in this article) from the official
site acknowledges that statement. Vuckovic says her inspirations are “a childhood nightmare, by the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, the fables of the Brothers Grimm and the contemporary paranormal phenomenon referred to as The Shadow People”. I assume the photo to the right is of the Shadow People; I’m intrigued by the design and their large, glowing eyes, which call to mind the image of an owl.
The Captured Bird seems to blend the elements of the darkly magical and aesthetically captivating in a way that would attract someone like del Toro to throw his support behind it.
According to the site, The Captured Bird has already been picked up for a handful of festivals, including Fantastic Fest in Austin, Toronto After Dark, and Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. The film is in pre-production, and you can help contribute to the making of the film by clicking here. Every donation size comes with an incentive, from small (a thank you in the credits) to large (a signed copy of Pan’s Labyrinth by del Toro) to huge (a donation of $5000 or more allows you to ask the filmmakers for something particular). The film will begin shooting in the spring of 2011 and will travel the festival circuit in 2012.
You can keep track of the production and the donations at the official site, where Vuckovic and co. will post video updates and blogs covering the production process from beginning to end, and showcase interviews on how to make your first indie film with masters of horror including John Landis, Mick Garris, and del Toro himself.
We’ll continue to keep you posted as new developments occur.
