Vera Drew’s Found-Footage Horror Comedy Trandemic Could Be Our Next Indie Horror Obsession

If you’re a fan of the audacious, award-winning film The People’s Joker, then buckle up. Director Vera Drew, who helmed the aforementioned satirical trans Batman parody film despite facing legal threats over rights to the character, has been announced as the first recipient of the Transgender Film Center Found Footage Feature Fund award. The award comes with a cash grant that will fund her next film, Trandemic, per Deadline.Described as a “cosmic found footage horror-comedy,” the particular details of Trandemic are still under wraps, but Chroma, a film distributor focused on the horror genre, has already offered to pick up the film, according to Deadline. The Found Footage Feature Fund award process included an initial bid by the Transgender Film Center before being presented to Duplass Brothers Productions, who selected the winning project. The production company, owned by brothers Jay and Mark Duplass, are also original supporters of the fund, which helps finance microbudget features by trans directors. (Mark Duplass was also a producer on the recent queer indie Blue Film.) The award comes with a $25,000 cash grant to fund Trandemic, as well as support from the Duplass Brothers Productions, including mentorship with Mark Duplass and screenwriter Patrick Brice, as well as a final script review from Duplass and developmental guidance from Kevin Nicklaus of Sandstone Artists. Additionally, Drew will receive 15 days of post-production services — including conform, color grading, light VFx and more and a $37,000 post-sound package from Aura Sound and Color. Additionally, fees for certain film festivals will be waived. “I’m so wildly stoked and honored to be receiving this grant from the Trans Film Center and Duplass Brothers Productions,” Drew said in a statement. “Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass reinvented the found footage genre with the Creep franchise, so their support means the world to me as I gear up to do the same with my sophomore feature film