“Once You Reply, You Die”: Micro-Budget Indie Dark Comedy-Horror Feature CHAT Unleashes Digital Terror This Holiday Season
Austin-based writer, director, and producer Ole J Hartmann announces the independent release of his debut feature film, CHAT. Shot on a $25,000 budget over an intensive two-week schedule, the 114-page genre-bending project blends sharp dark comedy with horror, suspense, thriller, and crime.
Self-financed and produced alongside Michael AKU Rodriguez, CHAT is being self-distributed without a major studio or distributor attached, bringing an unfiltered, DIY vision directly to audiences.
Synopsis
A family’s fresh start unravels when their son discovers an AI-powered tablet, unleashing a wave of terror tied not only to the supernatural, but to dark secrets of greed and corruption that surround them.
Cast & Crew
CHAT stars Carter Sirianni and Alexis Schrepple in the lead roles, with a supporting cast featuring Grant Griffin, Christopher Fusselman, and Ole J Hartmann.
The film is directed by Ole J Hartmann and produced by Ole J Hartmann, Miranda Hartmann, Michael AKU Rodriguez, Clark Earl Farrell IV, and Jeff Peterson.
CHAT | Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0H55LLNMV
About the Filmmaker
Based in Austin, Texas, Ole J Hartmann is a writer, director, and producer making his feature-length directorial debut with CHAT. Driven to create something audiences had never seen before within the genre, Hartmann tackled an ambitious 114-page screenplay in just 14 days of principal photography on a $25,000 micro-budget.
Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po_XCoSWWyY
