Grimmfest’s Grim Tidings from Victoria Fratz of ‘Beezel’

Today marks the opening of Grimmfest 2024, one of the UK’s most exciting genre festivals, and we had the chance to chat with Victoria Fratz, producer of the witchy horror film Beezel, which makes its international premiere at the festival today. Victoria, known for her work alongside Aaron Fradkin at Social House Films, has been creating a stir in the horror community with their unique approach to crafting chilling narratives. Beezel is no exception, delivering a terrifying journey through a cursed New England home and spanning over six decades of eerie, interconnected stories.

Using different formats of “found footage” ranging from Super-8 to VHS to modern-day digital, Beezel captures the evolution of its cursed household while diving into the various forms of documentation people have used throughout time. The film brings to life the sinister story of an eternal witch, thirsty for the souls of the living, and the influence she has over several generations of an unsuspecting family. After making waves with their viral horror films, Victoria and Aaron’s latest creation is an unsettling chronicle of dark legends that promises to leave a mark on audiences. We sat down with Victoria to learn more about her love for horror, her experiences, and her inspirations.

Victoria Fratz, producer of ‘Beezel’

1. Tell us why you are at Grimmfest.

Victoria Fratz: We’re at Grimmfest because Beezel, our witchy horror film, got into one of the coolest horror genre festivals in the UK! I’ve known about Grimmfest and all of the cool films they showcase, so it was a real honor to be selected for this festival.

2. How did you get into horror?

Victoria Fratz: Horror locked onto me like a virus. It’s funny, if you ask any of my childhood friends, they would tell you I was a real scaredy-cat who couldn’t watch any horror movies. I couldn’t sleep for nights! But after dipping my toe into the horrifying waters of horror short films, I had such a great time crafting scares in both writing and production that becoming a horror filmmaker mutated my imagination into a beautiful nightmare. Now it’s all horror, all the time!

3. What scares you the most?

Victoria Fratz: Here’s a weird one that I’ve only told Aaron—I’m afraid of putting the TV volume at 13. Which just so happens to be the perfect volume. I’m a very superstitious person, so anything with tainted numbers will creep me out. If I wake up at 3:33 AM, I’ll believe that a spirit woke me up, and if I spill the salt, I will toss it over both shoulders because I can never remember which one is the right one. You could say my baseline feeling is a little fear, all the time.

4. Who or what is your favourite horror character?

Victoria Fratz: I have to go with Morticia Addams. She’s just the coolest, vibiest, confident horror woman. And damn, can she dance!

5. What is the grimmest thing you have ever seen?

Victoria Fratz: My great-grandparents’ basement was pretty grim. They lived deep in the mountains of West Virginia, and the basement was the only place I could go to watch TV as a kid. The TV was also pretty grim—one of those giant wooden pieces of furniture, no remote. You’d have to toggle the heavy switch to channel 6 to watch old Gilligan’s Island reruns. Yeah, that was grim alright.

Beezel premieres at Grimmfest today, kicking off the festival with a chilling tale that spans decades. Known for its mix of found footage and a deeply unsettling narrative, Victoria Fratz and Aaron Fradkin’s latest venture promises an eerie exploration of curses, dark secrets, and generational horrors. Be sure to catch Beezel on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital from 6th January, as this is one supernatural journey you won’t want to miss.

Beezel trailer