Filmmaker from Sudbury Makes Debut with 'Smoke Island' [Video]

Woodbridge, Conn., resident Serena Chandler has lurked on the fringes of the movie and entertainment industry for much of her life. Her brother has worked in films for the past 12 years, and her husband, Chris Wragg, is a producer with ESPN. Making a film of her own, Chandler says, was just a matter of time. And the time, she says, is definitely now, especially since her first film, Smoke Island, is, “Paranormal Activity meets Blair Witch on an island,” perfect for a pre-Halloween release.

According to Chandler, a freelance journalist originally from Sudbury and an alum of , the story is based on a real private island, a real family, and a real ghost. “The legend, anyway,” she says mysteriously. “Some people don't believe . . .until it's too late.”

The short film, 40-minutes long, was filmed entirely on an iPhone over the summer at Chandler’s uncle's island in Massachusetts, which, like the one in the movie, is known to be haunted by a ghost named Edna. The premise, says the film's creator, is not so far from the reality.

The subject of the film is the Hargrove family that has gathered on the island to celebrate Labor Day weekend and character Samantha’s 25^th birthday.

“A few weeks earlier Samantha Hargrove had a paranormal encounter in which she had been injured,” Chandler says. “So my character decides to stay by her side for the entire weekend, and sleep in her room, which is the one known to be haunted, and record the entire weekend on an IPhone. Things slowly but surely go terribly wrong and no one is sure what’s happening. The family starts disappearing, and the footage taken by my character mysteriously ends up on the desk of the local police chief.”

The film premiered on the Internet Oct. 18.

Most of the film was shot over a four-day weekend, with another four days of follow-up filming, and the editing was done over a period of two months with help from Chandler’s husband, who is proficient with iMovie.

The plan, Chandler says, is to enter Smoke Island in film festivals, and it’s already been accepted into Bleedfest and Filmshift. The film's website is designed to encourage interaction with fans.

Aside from being available for viewing online, Chandler expects to have a showing of the film at a New Haven area venue.

“I hope it’s scary,” Chandler says.

You can take a peek at the trailer here and decide for yourself.