Guests

Heather Dorff was born and raised outside of Chicago, I.L. until she was 11 years old. She moved to Rome, Georgia with her family for nearly 9 years. Heather realized her passion for acting through high school and community theater productions while in Georgia. She has spend time in New York and New Orleans as well, giving her a wide perspective of people and cultures around the country.

Upon her return back to Chicago, she decided to explore her attraction to acting further through Act One Studios. Not long after starting this training Heather landed her first acting roles in music videos featuring Ross Crean and Etare Neged. To further herself as an actress, Heather began studying Mesiner with acting coach, Ed Hooks. Shortly after, she received her breakout role in short vampire thriller, Afraid of Sunrise. From there she received a number of featured and lead roles in Richard Diaz’ Dark Light, Keith Romine’s Acceptance, and Nevermore Productions’ Midnight Rain. She is also producing and starring in the short dark drama, What They Say, a film based on a short story she penned.

She has been featured in several indie films, shorts, music videos, commercials, and has worked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, makeup artists, and photographers all over the country.

Apart from acting, Heather has experience in modeling, public speaking, event hosting, and has interest in taking stunt and fight combat classes. She plans to continue expanding and perfecting her acting technique by continuing courses in Chicago.

Heather is very excited to be hosting this years Chicago Horror Film Festival and her much anticipated film “What They Say” will world premier at the festival as well!

For more details about Heather Dorff visit: www.HeatherDorff.com

Jason R. Davis

Jason R. Davis is the founder of the Chicago Horror Film Festival and the Indy Horror Film Festival. He has an education in film studies and screenwriting. However, before he went into film, he had another love that had driven him. Writing. Reading. The Art of Fiction.

He has spent much of his life both reading and writing. As a child in middle school, he would often wake up in the early morning hours before school and start pounding away stories. He would use his father’s alarm clock that he could hear in their bedroom and know that it was his time. His first typewriter was a Christmas present that year, and he would clatter away.

All through middle and then high school he continued to write. When it was time to go to college, he even thought that he would just go on and continue his education in the English arts. However, instead of continuing with just writing, he had a moment of inspiration and decided to follow another passion. He went to Columbia College where he could study filmmaking and writing.

In 2003 he founded the Chicago Horror Film Festival. With very few outlets that supported the horror genre at the time, it gave him a venue to not only show his own films, but for other great horror films from around the world. In 2005, the festival grew to a point where he created its sister festival, the Indy Horror Film Festival.

Now, with a strong knowledge in horror, and what makes a terror filled story, he has transitioned himself from festival director and filmmaker to fiction writer. He is currently on break from both festivals to pursue his writing. “Inside the Mirrors” was released December of 2009 as is available for order wherever books are sold.

Word on the street is that Jason might just lead a pack of zombies to the festival… Beware!!!

Visit Jason on the web at:   IAmDavis.com Twitter Facebook