Writer-director-producer Annabel Maclean and producer Naz Mantoo announce the launch of MR. BIG HANDS on Seed & Spark. The campaign has earned a Staff Pick designation and raised $10,000 in its first week. Pledges close June 25, 2026, at 8:15am PST.
MR. BIG HANDS is a darkly comedic supernatural horror about a five-year-old girl terrorized by a monstrous hand emerging from her family home toilet – rooted in a real childhood nightmare experienced by Annabel’s sister. A love letter to ’90s horror, the film pushes against the washed-out aesthetic of the genre with a vivid, warm visual palette. Production shoots in Los Angeles mid-July; festival submissions begin late 2026, targeting SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Final Girls Berlin, Frightfest UK, and Screamfest LA.
Annabel is a writer, actor, and director originally from Perth, Western Australia, trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute in New York. Her short Death of the Party was acquired by Canadian broadcaster Super Channel; her feature Tanami was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival. MR. BIG HANDS marks her debut as director.
The film is majority female in cast and crew, with no AI and real practical effects – including a real human hand coming up out of the toilet.
Campaign: seedandspark.com/fund/mr-big-hands
Key Cast:
Clayton Farris (Weapons, American Horror Story), Natasha Estrada (Jump Scare), Matthew C. Vaughan (Cat Sick Blues), Deanna Gomez
Key Crew:
Naz Mantoo (Producer; former VP, Legendary Entertainment), Alyssa Brocato (DP; Pretty Problems, SXSW 2022). Freya Berkhout (Composer; Netflix's The Greenhouse, 2026 SCL David Raksin Award nominee), Jacqueline Miller (Editor; NBCUniversal theatrical marketing), Monika Dalman (Casting Director; Disney, Marvel, CBC), Gabriel P. Gonzales (Production Designer; Reinventing Elvis: The 68' Comeback Special).
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the incredible team I’ve brought together for this little toilet trauma story. Naz and I have deliberately created a team that is majority female and diverse to elevate these talented creatives and be a project that makes change in this space. I am so proud, honoured, and grateful that these folks have joined the MR. BIG HANDS family.” – Annabel Maclean, writer-director-producer
“Horror is at its best when it taps into something universal, and MR. BIG HANDS does exactly that. I’m excited to bring such a fresh, frightening and funny story to life with our brilliant team of horror-loving creators.” – Naz Mantoo, producer
“When Annabel told me about MR. BIG HANDS, the title alone sent chills down my spine. The script touches on a terrifying aspect that we all deal with in our life that we haven’t seen done on film yet – it’s funny and terrifying, and I love the combination of those two things.” – Clayton Farris, cast
“It’s so cleverly written and I’m excited about being a part of a mostly women crew. As an actor it’s a dream to be a part of something that is so creative and smart and spooky.” – Natasha Estrada, cast
“MR. BIG HANDS reminds us that maybe we should still be scared. Those childhood fears – maybe they just don’t go away. I think it’s so creepy and so spooky, and I can’t wait to see the script come to life on screen.” – Deanna Gomez, cast
“The script reminded me of being a kid, being scared of everything that got under my skin – and now I get to fulfill my lifelong dream, which is living in the toilet where I belong.” – Matthew C. Vaughan, cast
“We’re going to be recording sounds from the toilet – the bowl, the water – and folding them into the score to create a terrifying experience. I’m really excited to create something unexpected and terrifying.” – Freya Berkhout, composer
“Not only is the script so well written and unique – it’s really charming for a horror film, if I can say that – but the integrity and intentionality that this project has behind it is something really unique, and I’m so excited to pull this amazing footage together in post.” – Jacqueline Miller, editor & colourist
“The opportunity to build tension in the visual language is something that’s really interesting to me. I want to use lighting, composition, camera movement, and colour to help create two versions of a world: the world of the child, where this fear feels so real, and the more subdued world of the adults.” – Alyssa Brocato, director of photography
Campaign: seedandspark.com/fund/mr-big-hands | Instagram: @mrbighandsfilm