The last but by no means least First Blood feature at FrightFest 2025 is the balls to the wall, found footage film Healing Andy, so we chatted to the man behind it, Villablanca.
NYX: Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be a filmmaker?
V: Yes, absolutely. One of my earliest memories, when I must have been five or six, was wanting to make films - or at least whatever I thought making films meant at that age. Someone gifted me a box set of Spielberg movies, and as soon as I saw E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park, I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I never really questioned it since. So thank you, Steven.
NYX: Where did the idea for Healing Andy come from?
V: It started with my fascination for the found footage genre. I’ve always been a fan, but it’s also very saturated and repetitive - most of the films feel like a copy and paste version of each other. I wanted to try and break that mold by approaching it through comedy first, giving it a different flavor. From there, the horror elements and influencer satire came in. Structurally, I wanted it to feel almost epic, like a big Hollywood style adventure, which was partly inspired by The Hangover.
NYX: Did it take long to write?
V: Not at first - I wrote the initial 40 page treatment in about a week. Then I spent three months rehearsing with the actors and during that time I kept refining ideas and eventually turned it into a full screenplay - about 190 pages long. Which, funnily enough, explains why the first cut of the film was nearly eight hours long...
NYX: Was it written with a cast in mind?
V: Absolutely. I wrote most of the main characters with those specific actors in mind - in particular the four boys (Holger, Maverick, Andy, and Malcolm) as well as Ginger. For Ginger, I wanted a really twisted female villain, and I knew it needed someone exceptional to pull it off. Gemma was the perfect choice. She’s incredibly talented and made the character unforgettable.
NYX: It has a lot to say about influencers. Was that part of the idea from the start?
V: No, it wasn't - actually in the very first version, Holger’s character didn’t even exist - it was just the other three boys filming each other. But I felt something was missing. The story needed a glue, a perspective that could drive the narrative forward. That’s when Holger came in, inspired by TikTokers, YouTubers, and Instagram content creators. His influencer persona gave the film a new energy and justified the iPhone shot format. It felt like the most natural way to evolve the found footage style.
NYX: How hard is it to balance horror and humor in a movie like this?
V: It’s probably the hardest part of the whole process - and also the main reason why the film took three years to finish. We went through countless cuts, variations, and even reshoots to get that balance right. Horror and comedy are polar opposites, so mixing them convincingly is tough. But when you get it right, it creates something really special.
NYX: How long did it take to write all the viewers’ comments we see?
V: Great question! It took me about a few days to come up with all the usernames, comments, and timing of the emoji reactions. Honestly, it was one of the most fun parts of the process. If you watch closely, you’ll even catch some little Easter eggs hidden in there.
NYX: Why set in Italy, and what issues did that bring while filming?
V: Italy felt like the most logical choice. The story follows a British guy on what was supposed to be his honeymoon, and Lake Garda is a popular holiday and honeymoon destination for British couples - especially during the summertime. It’s also a stunning backdrop, which elevated the film visually. Of course, filming in public there wasn’t always easy - we got stopped by the police many times and nearly arrested once during some of the louder and wilder scenes. But overall, it was an amazing experience!
NYX: Which scene was the hardest to set up and film?
V: Definitely the big climactic hostage sequence with Ginger’s monologue. It was intense on every level - the staging, the buildup, the prophecy elements, and of course her long monologue. We shot it over three or four nights, and it was by far the most demanding sequence of the whole shoot.
NYX: What, as a new director, did you learn about filmmaking?
V: A lot. Healing Andy has been the biggest learning experience of my career so far. I picked up lessons in every department - prep, production, and post - and I’ll carry them all into future projects to make the process smoother and faster. The biggest takeaway? Don’t take three years to finish a film. I think I’ve got that one sorted for the next project.
NYX: It’s a cool spin on the found footage genre. Are you a fan of such movies?
V: Yes, definitely. Every time a new original found footage film comes out, it always makes it onto my watchlist.
NYX: Do you believe in paranormal things?
V: Let’s just say I don’t not believe in it. I’m open to all possibilities, but I’m also the kind of person who needs to see something to believe it. So far, I haven’t had any paranormal encounters - and it's probably for the best.
NYX: The movie is showing as part of the First Blood strand at FrightFest 2025. How nervous are you?
V: I’m more excited than nervous. Playing as the Midnight movie in the First Blood strand is a huge honor. Of course, Midnight audiences at a festival like FrightFest expect nothing shorter than a crazy, bonkers-wild ride from these late night screenings, so I hope we can live up to those expectations. It’s the perfect platform to premiere my debut feature film, and I couldn’t be happier.
NYX: What are you up to at the moment?
V: I’m in prep for my second feature, which I plan to shoot later this year. This one’s a full-on horror - so way fewer laughs than Healing Andy, and a lot more scares. It’s going to be a wild, messed up ride, and I can’t wait to dive right into it very soon. Hopefully we could be back at FrightFest next year with it!
NYX: Villablanca, thank you very much.
V: Thanks again.
