Well if you get down with a DJ today, you are sure of more than a few surprises….and this is what happens when the beats of old confront the bleats of the dead in Faith Elizabeth‘s latest wild-eyed short, GRANNY DJ.
Jill Stanford is the energetic title character, younger than her age suggests, who is having a bit of a do with her daughter Hannah (Ellie Torrez) who turns up during a night of spinning to seek her own daughter Lola (the director’s own daughter, Summer in good form). Lightning strikes – and all of a sudden these hedonists are transformed into translucent zombies out to bite their way into hip without the hop….
Enjoyable short which encompasses the spirit of classics like THE EVIL DEAD, THEY LIVE and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA with the visual reference of SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD in a playful mix which helps to solidify Elizabeth’s imaginative style of direction – and a complete contrast to her previous emotional work MY BABY CRIES.
A good festival run will aid its’ chances.
ABOUT THE FILM:
“Neon-drenched horror-comedy with a heavy emotional punch”
Granny DJ had its’ world premiere at Horror on Sea Film Festival on Friday 23 January 2026, launching the festival run of this bold, genre-blending short from director Faith Elizabeth, produced by Faithful Films and Tripod Productions.
A neon-soaked horror-comedy with a sharp emotional punch, Granny DJ follows a woman who refuses to fade quietly. As she slips into her sunset years, Granny reinvents herself as a DJ, throwing herself into the noise with humour and reckless confidence while deliberately distancing herself from her family. What begins as fun and defiant gradually reveals itself as something more unsettling.
Told largely through the eyes of her grandchild, Lola (played by Summer Elizabeth) the film blends heightened comic-book visuals with horror iconography to externalise grief and denial. Monster “Smilers,” hypnotised and euphoric, spiral into chaos as the emotional cost of silence becomes impossible to ignore.
The film stars Jill Stanford as Granny, delivering a performance that balances anarchic humour with emotional restraint, and Ellie Torrez as Hannah, the high-strung mother whose tension and vulnerability ground the story’s heightened world. Comic elements by James Eatock add visual and narrative punch, amplifying the film’s darkly playful tone.
Edited by Jake Francis, who helped shape the film’s rhythm and emotional arc, allowing comedy and unease to coexist. Balancing reckless fun with an unsettling aftertaste, the film asks whether shielding the people we love sometimes does more harm than honesty ever could.
ABOUT THE FILM-MAKER:
Director Faith Elizabeth (photo centre above) is a UK-based filmmaker working in genre cinema, with previous work including the award-winning dark drama short My Baby Cries. Granny DJ marks her latest exploration of grief through heightened genre storytelling. Alongside her filmmaking, she is an advocate for supporting women in film through her Yes She Cannes initiative. She has recently hosted a women-in-genre panel at the Marché du Film, Cannes Film Festival, and supported the Women in Fan programme at Sitges Film Festival, reflecting her ongoing commitment to advancing women in genre cinema.