In Vitro Wins Top Genre Prize at Austin Film Festival and secures Vertigo Entertainment fellowship

PRESS RELEASE

IN VITRO, starring Talia Zucker, Ashley Zukerman, and Will Howarth, has been awarded the coveted Dark Matters Jury Award, presented by Vertigo Entertainment, at the Austin Film Festival (AFF). The prestigious genre prize, announced at AFF’s Awards Luncheon on Saturday, October 26, follows the film’s North American premiere in Austin after it was previously announced as the Audience Award Runner-Up at the Sydney Film Festival. The film was developed through the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, and supported by Screen Australia and Screen NSW.

IN VITRO is directed by Will Howarth and Tom McKeith and co-written by Howarth, Zucker, and McKeith. Produced by Fictious, the company founded by Howarth and the film’s Executive Producer Matilda Comers, IN VITROis a tense, atmospheric thriller that immerses audiences in a chillingly believable near-future world. The film explores the dynamics of possession, manipulation and survival against a stark and moody landscape that blends futuristic and old-world aesthetics.

The film was selected by an esteemed jury comprising some of the most influential voices in genre: Vertigo Entertainment’s founder and prolific producer Roy Lee, renowned for horror classics such as The RingThe GrudgeThe Strangers, and It, alongside family favorites like The Lego Movie and How to Train Your DragonLeigh Janiak, acclaimed writer and director of Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy, and Matthew Kiernan, a distribution and programming veteran with experience at Dark Sky Films, IFC Midnight, and the Fantasia International Film Festival, also served on the jury.

Alongside the award, IN VITRO’s filmmakers will receive a 6-month Filmmaker Fellowship with Vertigo Entertainment. The fellowship, spearheaded by Roy Lee and his team, provides unique access to Vertigo executives with opportunities to workshop projects, gain insights into Hollywood’s studio ecosystem, and explore future collaborations with Vertigo.

“Receiving the Dark Matters Jury Award at Austin is a huge honour and an incredible recognition for the whole team and their work on IN VITRO,” said director and co-writer Will Howarth. “We’re thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with Roy Lee and Vertigo Entertainment in the months to come. Austin Film Festival has been an incredible host and platform to introduce the film to US audiences, and we’re truly grateful for the warm reception and support from the festival community.”

The film will be released in Australia by Madman Entertainment, with The Exchange handling worldwide sales at the upcoming AFM.

Howarth and Zucker are represented by Anonymous Content.

Press Release

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