Some horror films make you jump. Others make you think. The Door does something far more unsettling—it forces you to sit with a fear most people don’t want to name. Premiering in Los Angeles this August at the HollyShorts Film Festival, filmmaker Alexander Seltzer delivers a tightly crafted short that lingers long after the final frame.
Set one year after a child’s disappearance, The Door explores grief, marriage, and obsession through the lens of psychological horror. When a mysterious door appears in Kara’s kitchen, the film asks a question that cuts deep: does parenthood override morality? It’s intimate, unnerving, and—yes—deeply haunting.
Today’s conversation with Filmmaker Alexander Seltzer from “The Door” has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
The Story: Grief, Obsession, and a Door That Shouldn’t Exist
At its core, The Door is about Kara and Felix, a couple fractured by the disappearance of their daughter. While Felix tries to move forward, Kara remains emotionally trapped. When an unexplained door materializes inside her kitchen, Kara becomes consumed by what lies behind it—even as it threatens to tear open wounds that never healed.
This isn’t horror built on cheap scares. It’s dread born from emotion, loss, and choice. The door isn’t just a supernatural device—it’s a moral threshold. Once crossed, there’s no going back.
Relatable moment (in the worst way): every viewer silently asks themselves, What would I do?
“I Make Movies About What Scares Me”
For Alexander Seltzer, the film is deeply personal.
“I like to make movies about things that scare me,”
Seltzer explains.
“With The Door, I’ve been terrified of becoming a parent… I wanted to ask whether parenthood transcends morality.”
That question drives the entire short. Seltzer deliberately avoids giving easy answers, letting the audience wrestle with Kara’s final choice. It’s smart storytelling—and ruthless. Good horror should leave you uneasy, not comforted. This one succeeds.
Tight Production, Big Ambition
Shot in Toronto over three jam-packed days, The Door is a masterclass in doing more with less. While budget is always a challenge, the most complex sequence—revealing what’s behind the door—required meticulous planning, practical builds, and clever visual effects.
Seltzer and his team created a “mirror world” using in-camera planning and post-production flips, down to wardrobe details no one will consciously notice—but everyone will feel. (Yes, even shirt buttons mattered.)
Lesson learned? Precision beats spectacle. And horror lives in the details.
A Cast That Carries the Weight
The film stars Tanaya Beatty, Raymond Ablack, and Mercedez Gutierrez—all bringing restraint and emotional intelligence to performances that could easily tip into melodrama.
One standout moment involves Kara throwing away her child’s belongings in a single, rain-soaked take. No VFX. Just repetition, patience, and emotional endurance until the shot landed perfectly. That commitment shows on screen.
Sense of humor (dark, filmmaker-style): sometimes the scariest thing on set isn’t the story—it’s waiting for a teddy bear to fall just right.
The Team Behind the Fear
Seltzer surrounded himself with collaborators who could balance technical execution with artistry, including cinematographer Justin Black, whose background in high-end TV and features helped ground the film’s visual ambition.
Producers Mark Delottinville and Sam Rudykoff helped assemble a seasoned crew—many fresh off major productions—making The Door feel far bigger than its runtime suggests.
From Slamdance to HollyShorts—and Beyond
Seltzer is no stranger to the festival circuit. A previous Slamdance winner, he used that momentum (and prize money) the right way: by putting it straight back into new work.
Following its Los Angeles screening at HollyShorts, The Door heads to Popcorn Frights in Miami, with more festivals to be announced. A feature-length version of The Door is already in development, alongside other film and TV projects.
Translation: this short is just the beginning.
Mini FAQ: Alexander Seltzer The Door
Q: Where can I see The Door?
A: At the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles this August.
Q: Is The Door a jump-scare horror film?
A: No. It’s psychological horror rooted in grief, fear, and moral ambiguity.
Q: Is there a feature film planned?
A: Yes. Alexander Seltzer is currently developing The Door as a feature.
Conclusion / CTA
The Door is the kind of horror short filmmakers admire and audiences can’t shake. It’s precise, emotionally devastating, and brave enough to ask questions it refuses to answer for you. If you’re attending
My website is just AlexanderSeltzer.com
But the best place to track me is Instagram: Alex_Seltzer. And my producer’s production company is BigPigCo.
