Shriekfest Radio! Denise Gossett interviews James LaMarr & Phillip Guzman
A standout graduate of Stephen F. Austin University’s film program, writer-director Phillip Guzman has shined since bursting onto the scene with “The Lawless”, a crime-thriller feature made for just $7,500. His follow-up projects “Desdemona: A Love Story”, “2:22”, and “A Kiss and a Promise” brought numerous festival awards and acclaim. After seeing the latter, Jeffrey Reddick (creator of "Final Destination") personally endorsed Guzman to helm the author’s newest horror franchise, "Dead Awake", Guzman’s first take at both the horror genre and another writer’s material. Though born in south Texas, Guzman spent his formative years growing up in Europe, giving him a unique perspective on the world and cinema from an American. James LaMarr is an award-winning feature film producer with more than a decade of experience in the entertainment industry. A dedicated Texas A&M University alumnus, he started his career in front of the camera as an actor before transitioning to producing – though he can still be spotted doing the occasional cameo in the projects he produces. His most recent completed film is the Shriekfest 2017 winner for Best Thriller Feature, “Dead Awake”. Phillip and James have produced their projects through their Austin-based company Incendiary Features since 2007. Together they have worked on “The Lawless”, “2:22”, “Desdemona: A Love Story”, and “Dead Awake”, the latter of which was recently picked up for a theatrical release by FilmRise in early 2017. Their upcoming feature “200 Hours”, a paranormal horror set in the 80s, is currently in post-production.