Witches Rave (Evelyn Ivison, 2026)
10min 23seconds, aspect ratio 4:3, colour
Synopsis
This is a work of improvisational experimental fiction, achieved by working with a strict set of limitations. These included only filming through transparent and semi-transparent layers, such as pieces of clothing and glass bottles, and shooting in locations none of the cast & crew had visited before. These creative working methods produced a lived-in history with each shot. |
Artist Statement
Witches Rave (2026) uses fantasy to explore the dark underbelly of love and closeness. Visual motifs emerged throughout shooting, which would inform the narrative and tone. Namely, hands, and hands touching or not touching, so as to explore intimacy, loneliness and self-reflection, and lips; blowing kisses or leaving lipstick stains in a mirror, a depiction of how intimacy can turn sour. I interpret the theme- Power of Two- in terms of destruction. Forged of passion and rage, this film examines the toll of betrayal in loving relationships between two people. Self-absorption is personified by the exchange of love for beauty, while the resurrection represents control and an unwillingness to let go. Contrastingly, the undead lover who returns to a broken relationship in a ritualistic self-sacrifice embodies the self-flagellation of staying with someone who does not respect you. The power of two, then, is the devastating level of importance romantic relationships can have to one’s own self-worth; be it something you gain or lose.
Evelyn Ivison
I am a recent MA Film Studies Graduate and feminist filmmaker. Witches Rave (2026) is my second experimental film, and allowed me to continue working with fabrics, textures and colours to illicit what I call ‘rythmic visuals.’ This is a technique I first adapted for Invivo (2024.) My recent credits include The Bastard Queendom (Elliott Smitt, 2026,) for which I was cinematographer, co-producer and primary editor, and the feature film Horrors of the Flesh (Elliott Leon, 2026,) where I did SFX makeup & a small acting role. I am currently working on a short, mythical, reflective piece.