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LOS ANGELES - Californer -- Killing Off Connor a psychological thriller meticulously crafted over twelve years and described by test screening audiences as "riveting," "captivating," "horrifying," and "it made me want to crawl out of my skin," will make its world premiere as the opening night film of the prestigious 34th Independent Filmmakers Showcase LA Film Festival on Wednesday, May 14th at 5:00 p.m. at Regal LA Live.
The film, directed by Laurence Cohen (Rusted Pyre, The Rocket Man), stars Jacob Loeb (Lost Transmissions, Zeroville) and Hannah Pearl Utt (Omni Loop, Before You Know It), immerses viewers in an intensely claustrophobic battle between a socially awkward drama student and his captive teaching assistant. As lines blur between reality, fantasy, and theatrical performance, audiences report feeling "on the edge the entire time."
"I challenged myself to create genuine, skin-crawling tension in broad daylight with just two actors in a single location," says Cohen. "No dark corners, no shadows to hide in. Just raw psychological warfare that leaves viewers feeling exposed and uncomfortable."
This meticulously constructed psychological chess match pulls viewers into a deceptively idyllic forest setting that transforms into a psychological prison where power continually shifts despite physical constraints. The film deliberately takes viewers on an emotional journey that mirrors the psychological experience of its characters, creating an excruciating yet captivating immersion.
More on The Californer
Shot in late 2012 and painstakingly edited and refined until 2025, the film's creation story parallels its central theme – the torturous nature of artistic obsession.
Cohen, whose editing work on XYZ Films' "Blackout" helped the Netflix thriller reach 15 million viewers in its first week, brings his signature tension-building expertise to Killing Off Connor in dual-duties as both director and editor. His previous directorial work has screened at Festival de Cannes and numerous other international festivals, winning multiple awards including the National Screen Institute's prestigious Drama Prize.
The Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival has established itself as a premier showcase for boundary-pushing cinema, having featured works by celebrated filmmakers including Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Greta Gerwig. The selection of Killing Off Connor as the festival's opening film places it in distinguished company.
"The film's tagline 'Making true art is torture' speaks to both its content and Cohen's decade-long journey from shooting to this world premiere, making it one of the most uniquely developed independent films in recent memory", says Producer Travis Mendel.
Killing Off Connor is directed and edited by Cohen; Co-written by Suri Parmar (Never Mind the Bolsheviks, You're Smart) and Cohen; Produced by Mendel (Destination Heaven, A Better Place) and Cohen. Andrew Raiher (Room, Hannibal Rising), serves as Producer and Co-Composer alongside Co-Composer Jacob Shelby. The film was shot by cinematographer Megan Richardson (Seventy-Nine, Delirium), and Executive Produced by Emmy-nominated David Cormican (Tokyo Trial, The Tall Man). Screen Wizards Pictures distributes. Cohen is currently in pre-production on the horror-comedy The Cheerleaders Must Die! and has re-teamed with Cormican under his Fun Republic Pictures banner.
More on The Californer
The premiere screening for Killing Off Connor kicks off the 34th Independent Filmmakers Showcase LA Film Festival at 5:00 p.m. at the Regal LA Live.
##30##
ABOUT LAURENCE COHEN
Laurence Cohen is an award-winning Writer/Director/Editor whose work blends emotion, humor, and relentless tension. His films have screened at Festival du Cannes, with "Rusted Pyre" recognized among the Top 100 Films of 2011. Cohen edited Netflix's "Blackout" (starring Josh Duhamel and Nick Nolte), which debuted at #2 on Netflix's Global Top 10 with 15 million viewers in its first week, and contributed editing on Apple TV+'s premium sci-fi epic "Invasion."
For Further Information, visit:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/LaurenceCohenFilm
The film's official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenceCohenFilm
The film, directed by Laurence Cohen (Rusted Pyre, The Rocket Man), stars Jacob Loeb (Lost Transmissions, Zeroville) and Hannah Pearl Utt (Omni Loop, Before You Know It), immerses viewers in an intensely claustrophobic battle between a socially awkward drama student and his captive teaching assistant. As lines blur between reality, fantasy, and theatrical performance, audiences report feeling "on the edge the entire time."
"I challenged myself to create genuine, skin-crawling tension in broad daylight with just two actors in a single location," says Cohen. "No dark corners, no shadows to hide in. Just raw psychological warfare that leaves viewers feeling exposed and uncomfortable."
This meticulously constructed psychological chess match pulls viewers into a deceptively idyllic forest setting that transforms into a psychological prison where power continually shifts despite physical constraints. The film deliberately takes viewers on an emotional journey that mirrors the psychological experience of its characters, creating an excruciating yet captivating immersion.
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Shot in late 2012 and painstakingly edited and refined until 2025, the film's creation story parallels its central theme – the torturous nature of artistic obsession.
Cohen, whose editing work on XYZ Films' "Blackout" helped the Netflix thriller reach 15 million viewers in its first week, brings his signature tension-building expertise to Killing Off Connor in dual-duties as both director and editor. His previous directorial work has screened at Festival de Cannes and numerous other international festivals, winning multiple awards including the National Screen Institute's prestigious Drama Prize.
The Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival has established itself as a premier showcase for boundary-pushing cinema, having featured works by celebrated filmmakers including Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Greta Gerwig. The selection of Killing Off Connor as the festival's opening film places it in distinguished company.
"The film's tagline 'Making true art is torture' speaks to both its content and Cohen's decade-long journey from shooting to this world premiere, making it one of the most uniquely developed independent films in recent memory", says Producer Travis Mendel.
Killing Off Connor is directed and edited by Cohen; Co-written by Suri Parmar (Never Mind the Bolsheviks, You're Smart) and Cohen; Produced by Mendel (Destination Heaven, A Better Place) and Cohen. Andrew Raiher (Room, Hannibal Rising), serves as Producer and Co-Composer alongside Co-Composer Jacob Shelby. The film was shot by cinematographer Megan Richardson (Seventy-Nine, Delirium), and Executive Produced by Emmy-nominated David Cormican (Tokyo Trial, The Tall Man). Screen Wizards Pictures distributes. Cohen is currently in pre-production on the horror-comedy The Cheerleaders Must Die! and has re-teamed with Cormican under his Fun Republic Pictures banner.
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The premiere screening for Killing Off Connor kicks off the 34th Independent Filmmakers Showcase LA Film Festival at 5:00 p.m. at the Regal LA Live.
##30##
ABOUT LAURENCE COHEN
Laurence Cohen is an award-winning Writer/Director/Editor whose work blends emotion, humor, and relentless tension. His films have screened at Festival du Cannes, with "Rusted Pyre" recognized among the Top 100 Films of 2011. Cohen edited Netflix's "Blackout" (starring Josh Duhamel and Nick Nolte), which debuted at #2 on Netflix's Global Top 10 with 15 million viewers in its first week, and contributed editing on Apple TV+'s premium sci-fi epic "Invasion."
For Further Information, visit:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/LaurenceCohenFilm
The film's official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenceCohenFilm
Source: Screen Wizards Pictures
Filed Under: Film
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