Even before its release, Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs had become the stuff of legend, anointed by tastemakers as “nightmare fuel” of the highest order. And by the time the public had their fill, Longlegs was not only the most successful release in NEON’s history, but also the most successful independent film of 2024.
In this lively VIFF Talk, Perkins shares his methods for depicting madness and delves into the dark secrets of Longlegs’ success. Expect some welcome candour as he discusses borrowing liberally from his influences to create familiar narrative constructs, while also retaining enough freedom to explore the themes that fascinate him as storyteller. This deep dive will illustrate his creative process of amassing narrative connections, establishing thematic underpinnings, and assembling a group of collaborators who can make it all a nightmarish reality.
Presented by
Talks Supported by
 |
 |
Community Broadcast Partner
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Osgood Perkins
Osgood Perkins most recently wrote and directed Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage with Range and Oddfellows producing. Released wide by Neon, Longlegs grossed over $100 million, becoming Neon’s highest-grossing film to-date. He is also currently in post on The Monkey, which he adapted and directed based on the Stephen King short story of the same name, with Peter Safran and Atomic Monster producing and Theo James starring, as well as on Keeper, his original idea that he directed with Tatiana Maslany starring. Both projects sold to Neon in competitive bidding wars, making them the second and third films Neon bought from Osgood this past year.
Osgood made his directorial debut with The Blackcoat’s Daughter. The film stars Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka and premiered at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival to rave reviews before going on to release through A24. He also directed Gretel & Hansel, which was released theatrically in 2020 by MGM / Orion and stars Sophia Lillis. Additionally, he wrote and directed I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House, which premiered at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, and is currently streaming as an original on Netflix.
In 2020, Osgood directed his first episode of TV as part of the CBS All Access reboot of The Twilight Zone. His episode was unlike most as he was able to write and direct his own anthological episode, an idea and process that was supported by producer Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw team.
Kier-La Janisse, Moderator
Kier-La Janisse is a film writer, producer and acquisitions executive for Severin Films. She is the author of House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films (2012/2022) and A Violent Professional: The Films of Luciano Rossi (2007). She has also been an editor on numerous books including Warped & Faded: Weird Wednesday and the Birth of the American Genre Film Archive (2021) and Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s (2015). She wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021), and produced the acclaimed blu-ray box sets All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror (2021) and The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle (2023). She is currently in development on several book and film projects. For more see kierlajanisse.com
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony
The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony follows a group of young female gymnasts in Pakistan's Machar Colony, a highly conservative fishing settlement. Habiba Nosheen's deeply empathetic documentary is a celebration of girlhood, resilience, and self-expression.
Midnight Momo
Kunga, a waiter at a Queens momo shop, finds himself trapped in a loop of the final minutes of his shift. Midnight Momo is a frenetic, distinctly Tibetan American indie comedy that puts a working-class spin on the Buddhist cycle of suffering and rebirth.
Tangles
Based on the graphic memoir by Vancouver artist Sarah Leavitt, Tangles is a stunning, hand-drawn animated feature about a cartoonist coming to terms with her mom’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Nominated for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes 2026.
Death Has No Master
When Caro returns to Venezuela to sell her late father’s cacao plantation, she finds the family mansion occupied by its former staff, who have no intention of leaving. After legal action proves ineffectual, Caro decides to dispense justice herself.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
