I Be a Witch – Trailer

Release Date

This is our first feature. It started as a one-woman show, written and performed by Lori Prescott Hansen. Cherie and Matthew traveled to Idaho and saw a performance of it at the Romance Theater in Rexburg, and Matthew suggested that it might make a good short film.

A few months later, and production was under way. We shot the entire film in a 19×29-foot, non-climate-controlled garage in Orem, Utah. We built a number of sets, some of which were only one wall that had to be moved from one side to the other when we changed angles. The building of the Salem Jail took months as we hand carved the stones out of rigid insulation foam. The jail cell scenes were therefore shot in the hottest part of the summer.

The film was completed by the autumn and screened for the first time back at the Romance. The screenplay was originally around 30 to 35 pages long, so we expected it to be a fairly long short. But our first cut of the film was over 50 minutes long. We put our heads together and decided that given that it was already officially feature length, we should add a few more scenes.

We wrote new scenes and shot them at the end of the following winter. At least Lori no longer had to pretend to be cold. In the spring, we traveled to Massachusetts and visited Salem and Andover. We shot a few clips of locations there, and used those clips in the end credits of the film: the only ones not shot in the garage.

The experience overall has been wonderful for us. We were delighted with many powerful and insightful performances from our actors. The relationships that came from this film will last us a lifetime.

Director Cherie Julander, Matthew C. S. Julander
Producer Lori Prescott Hansen, J. Omar Hansen, Cherie Julander, Matthew C. S. Julander
Writer Cherie Julander, Lori Prescott Hansen, Matthew C. S. Julander
Director of Photography Matthew C. S. Julander
Editor Cherie Julander
Cast
Ann Foster Lori Prescott Hansen
Mary Foster Lacy Cherie Julander
Mary Lacy Jr. Ashley Coles
Andrew Foster Jr. Ayden Tyler Hatch
Hugh Stone Shane Morrissun
Magistrate 1 Elwon Bakly
Magistrate 2 William McAllister
Magistrate 3 Matt Mascaro
Magistrate 4 Steve Lesser
Andrew Foster Sr. Joel Applegate
Hannah Foster Stone Kandace Robertson
Martha Carrier Miriam Estrada
Salem Girl 1 Ainsley Burns
Salem Girl 2 Dannia Tan
Salem Girl 3 Laylee Julander
Examining Woman Debbie Sainsbury
Constable Ballard J. Omar Hansen
Neighbor Janiel Miller
Abigail Williams (Voice) Georgia Coles
Elizabeth Hubbard (Voice) Stacey Ann Turner
Grandchildren Ainsley Burns, Trey Taylor, Jocelyn Taylor, Jack Vestal
Ann's Family Erika Ericksen, Max Fitt, Al Stumphy, Doug Julander
Hanging Women Mallory DeForest, Eva Herey, Judith Peebles
Other Crew
1st Assistant Camera Alberto Nunes
2nd Assistant Camera Jonathan Nelson
2nd Assistant Camera Caleb Keller
Gaffer Shane Morrissun
Grip Ayden Tyler Hatch
Production Sound Bridger Nebeker, J. R. Andrus, Rebecca Paez
2nd AD Shytei Corellian
2nd 2nd AD Mari Harrison
Production Assistants Mallory DeForest, Max Fitt
Office PA Elizabeth Martinez
Production Design Cherie Julander
Art PA Laylee Julander
Wardobe Cherie Julander, Lori Prescott Hansen
Wardrobe Assistant Jacob McLay
Special Wardrobe Assistance Laurie Christensen
Makeup Department Head Ambria Powell
Makeup Assistants Marquie Walton, Amy Adamson
Post Production Cherie Julander, Matthew C. S. Julander
Executive Producers Bryce Cranmer, Sean Curtis, Al Stumphy, Mariya Ivanushkina, Catherine Hansen
Associate Producers Annie Howington, Polly Martin, Jackson Sullivan, Shane Morrissun