I’m still a little flabbergasted.
Last night, In Search of Darkness: 1995–1999 won Best Documentary Feature at the FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards.
We’ve been nominated before, but I really wasn’t expecting us to win this year. The competition was incredibly strong, with some fantastic documentaries in the category. There have been years when I thought we might have a decent chance, but this time I genuinely wasn’t expecting it.
So when I heard we’d won, it was an amazing feeling.
FANGORIA is one of the most important names in horror. It’s been part of the culture for decades, and to have our work recognised by an institution so synonymous with the genre is a huge honour.
But what makes this particular award so special is that it’s voted for by the fans.
And that means everything to me.
This belongs to the fans
CREATORVC wouldn’t exist without our backers. It’s really that simple.
Everything we do is built around the people who love these films. They help us bring the documentaries into existence, they support us throughout production, and they’re the reason we get to keep making them.
So to receive this recognition from the very audience we’ve been making these documentaries for is probably the biggest compliment we could ever receive.
In a way, I think the fans are recognising themselves, too.
They’re not simply an audience waiting for us to deliver something. They’re intrinsic to the work itself. These films exist because of their passion, their enthusiasm, and their willingness to support something they believe in.
This award is as much theirs as it is ours.
And I’m enormously grateful.
Eight years of making films together
I’m also incredibly proud of the people behind In Search of Darkness.
David Weiner and the core production team have been working on this series for eight years now. Most of that original team is still with us, which is something I take enormous pride in.
Every time David makes another In Search of Darkness, I feel like he sets himself the personal challenge of outdoing the previous one.
That’s become increasingly difficult because the bar keeps getting higher. But somehow, he keeps managing it.
I think 1995–1999 is a wonderful conclusion to our exploration of horror in the 1990s. The format has evolved so much since we started, and this film represents everything we’ve learned along the way.
Looking back, deciding to work with David was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made at CREATORVC.
He’s an extraordinary filmmaker, partner and collaborator. He’s also made a real dent in the horror universe with these documentaries, and I couldn’t be happier to see his work recognised.
I’m equally grateful to our production team and the incredible contributors who’ve given their time, stories and expertise to these films over the years.
We work incredibly hard on these documentaries. Crowdfunding and producing films this way can be hugely challenging, and there are certainly easier ways to make a living.
But we love what we do. We love working together. And there’s a real sense of purpose behind it all.
That’s something I never take for granted.
From Beyond Fest to a Chainsaw Award
Seven years ago, we premiered the original In Search of Darkness at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles.
I remember that experience so vividly.
At the time, I had absolutely no idea whether we’d ever make another one. I certainly didn’t imagine that seven years later we’d have made five documentaries and would be deep into production on a sixth.
It’s been a wild journey.
This series has changed my life, and I think it’s changed the lives of many of the people who’ve worked on it. It’s given us the opportunity to meet extraordinary fans, interview filmmakers we’ve admired for decades, and build something that has become far bigger than I ever imagined.
And the affection people have for these documentaries continues to amaze me.
I genuinely can’t think of another documentary series about horror cinema that has quite the relationship with its audience that In Search of Darkness does.
That is something very special.
And we’re nowhere near finished
The lovely thing about this award is that it comes at a time when I’m more excited about the future of In Search of Darkness than ever.
We’re currently making In Search of Darkness: 1970s, our sixth instalment, and from what I’ve seen so far, I think it could be our best yet.
And there’s still so much to explore.
I’d love us to tackle the 1950s and 1960s, and of course there’s the 2000s, which feels like a natural next chapter for the series.
I think we’ve found something quite special in this format, this team and the community that supports us.
It’s a beautiful marriage, really. And I never want it to end.
I hope we’re still making these documentaries for many years to come.
For now, though, I just want to say thank you.
To everyone who voted, everyone who’s backed one of our documentaries, every contributor who’s appeared in them, and every member of our team who’s helped make them possible.
This one’s for all of us.
Thank you.
Robin
Congratulations, great news, Robin.