Filmmaker Spotlight
David Calbert
Infestation
Director: David Calbert
Country : USA
Runtime: 14:59
Genre: Queer Horror
Language: English
Completion Year: 2026
Links: https://slashtagcinema.com/
Synopsis
Jason, a man burdened with the care of his abusive, dementia ridden mother, takes a job as an exterminator. He steals something from his client, who turns out to be a witch, and suffers the consequences.
About the Director
David Calbert earned his MFA in screenwriting from UCLA. His contributions to the horror genre include films, podcasts, web series, and fiction. His 2024 feature film Consumed is available on most streaming platforms.
Director Statement
Infestation is an exploration of generational trauma and the ways it infiltrates, festers, and rots from within. How the most vulnerable and least deserving often come to bear the brunt of its toxic weight. The idea for this short was, in part, inspired by my father’s experience caring for his emotionally abusive mother as she died of dementia. Her final days took away whatever piece of youth my father still possessed.
There is a swarm of hatred in the world today. In my own life I’ve seen my friends in the LGBTQ++ community become targets of this hate, as those who are different always do. The feelings of unfairness, rage, and helplessness coalesced in my imagination into a young gay man named Jason, trying to survive a predatory plot set in motion by the one person who is supposed to love and protect him.
I hope my film captures even an ounce of these emotions. If it also manages to scare a few people, that’d be an added bonus.