Cannibal Nights: Anchored Lens Studios Horror Feature Sets Alabama and Oregon Shoot for Spring 2027

Horror crews and genre specialists, take note. Anchored Lens Studios is moving forward with Cannibal Nights, a graphic survival horror feature that is currently in casting and pre-production ahead of a confirmed April 4 through April 30, 2027 shoot split between Alabama and Oregon. The film is described by producers as sitting squarely in the tradition of Wrong Turn, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Hills Have Eyes, which tells you everything you need to know about the department-level ambitions here: this is a practical effects-heavy, stunt-intensive, blood-and-prosthetics production with serious festival aspirations and a theatrical release strategy already in motion. For crew working in the genre space, this is a project worth tracking now.

The film is written and directed by Felipe Cisneros, who also serves as writer alongside Acoryé White. Cisneros steps into the director's chair on a project that, based on its scope and references, demands a filmmaker comfortable with physical production challenges, tight location shooting, and coordinating complex practical effects sequences. White carries triple duties as co-writer, casting director, and executive producer, which is a signal worth noting for agents and actors: the person making creative decisions about your audition is deeply embedded in the story itself. That kind of integrated creative authority often results in casting choices that are unusually well-matched to the material. Executive producer Patrycja Kepa and producer Sydney Williams round out the producing team, with Kepa and White sharing the EP responsibilities.

The most immediately exciting name on the crew list for genre enthusiasts is special effects lead Barney Burman. Burman is an Academy Award-winning makeup and special effects artist, recognized for his work on Star Trek (2009) among a long career of creature and prosthetics work across film and television. His attachment to Cannibal Nights is a strong signal that the film's practical effects ambitions are being backed by genuine craftsmanship. This is not a low-budget horror production cutting corners on the gore that defines the genre. Stunt coordinator Kirk Riley is also on board, confirming that the action and physical sequences will have professional coordination from the start. An intimacy coordinator position is listed as TBD, meaning that role is actively open. Directors of photography will be working under Mariano Suarez, whose background in independent genre production makes him a natural fit for the logistical demands of a location-heavy shoot across two states.

Anchored Lens Studios is producing independently, with a post-festival theatrical release strategy that draws on the team's established distribution relationships. Producers note that previous films from this team have screened at AMC, Regal, Harkins, Marcus Theatres, and a number of regional chains including Malco, Classic Cinemas, and B&B, which speaks to a real track record of getting independent horror in front of theatrical audiences rather than routing everything to streaming. The studio is targeting major genre and prestige festivals including Sundance, TIFF, SXSW, Fantasia, and Cannes, an ambitious slate that reflects genuine confidence in the material. For crew considering whether this is a serious production or a passion project with big dreams, that exhibition history is meaningful context.

Filming is scheduled across two states, Alabama and Oregon, with the full shoot compressed into a tight 27-day window in April 2027. Alabama has become an increasingly attractive destination for independent productions, offering a 25 percent basic transferable tax credit through the Alabama Film Office, with additional incentives for productions meeting local hiring thresholds. The state has a growing crew base centered around Birmingham and has hosted a range of features and series in recent years, though larger productions often supplement with talent from Atlanta, which is a short drive away. Oregon brings its own incentive structure through the Oregon Production Investment Fund, which offers rebates typically in the 20 to 25 percent range depending on in-state spend, and the state's diverse natural landscapes make it an ideal canvas for survival horror. The Pacific Northwest's dense forests, rugged terrain, and remote locations are a near-perfect physical match for the kind of isolating, threatening environment this story requires. Productions filming in Oregon frequently base out of Portland while utilizing locations in the Coast Range and Cascade foothills. The two-state structure suggests the production may be capturing distinct visual environments for different sections of the film, which is a smart practical choice for a story built around escalating dread in unfamiliar wilderness.

With a shoot this effects-heavy and stunt-intensive, the departments most actively staffing in the months ahead will include the art department and production design team, special effects makeup artists and prosthetics fabricators working under Burman, the stunt team under Riley, costume, locations, and camera. The compressed 27-day production window also puts a premium on experienced production coordinators and ADs who can keep a multi-department practical effects shoot on schedule. Given the two-state logistics, a strong locations department and transportation coordinator will be essential. Union status has not been confirmed in the available production data, though the independent financing structure and festival-first strategy suggest this may operate as a non-union or modified low-budget production, but prospective crew should verify that directly with the production office.

With more than a year of runway before cameras roll, Cannibal Nights is early enough in its lifecycle that getting in front of the right people now could make all the difference. ProductionList.com carries the full listing for this production, including production company contacts, crew list updates, and location information as it becomes available. If you work in practical effects, stunts, or location-based genre production, this is exactly the kind of project worth bookmarking and revisiting as the hiring pipeline opens up through late 2025 and into 2026.

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