Silver Screamers: Seniors Turn a Retirement Home Into a DIY Horror Film
- Horror Movies Uncut
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Silver Screamers Brings DIY Horror From the Retirement Home to Fantastic Fest
If there were a nursing home designed for horror fans, it would look a lot like the one in Silver Screamers. This spirited group of retirees has swapped their bingo cards for boom mics, crafting a DIY horror short with the guidance of Canadian filmmaker Sean Cisterna. No AI shortcuts here—just old-school ingenuity, buckets of fake blood, and plenty of grit.
In a newly released clip ahead of its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the seniors are seen tackling one of the goriest jobs in horror: recording the squishy, stomach-churning audio effects for their film The Rug. The results are equal parts gross and delightful.
Silver Screamers will have its world premiere this fall in Austin, Texas, where audiences can see firsthand how a retirement community became a film crew.
Cisterna, known for his award-winning work, helped guide the seniors through every stage of production. From DIY special effects to on-set drama, the residents embraced the chaos with creativity and humor, proving stereotypes about aging don’t stand a chance against their passion.
“Sean Cisterna took an unconventional path and found gold—Silver Screamers is a charming, life-affirming film that proves passion and creativity don’t age,” said Fantastic Fest’s director of programming Annick Mahnert. “By handing the camera to seniors, he’s crafted a film that’s as inspiring as it is heartwarming.”
Cisterna added: “It’s a thrill to have Silver Screamers debut at the biggest genre festival in the U.S. There’s no better launchpad for a film that’s equal parts heart and horror.”
Brimming with “senior citizen sass,” Silver Screamers is more than just a behind-the-scenes chronicle. It transforms “senior moments” into scene-stealing ones, celebrating the creativity of horror fans who prove you’re never too old to scream.
