Independent horror cinema has long thrived on passion rather than polish, but ZombieCon Vol. 1 (2025) feels like a particularly pure expression of that tradition. A zombie film centred on a group of cosplaying friends, the project is a clear love letter to convention culture. Moreover, it was made without a marketing budget and championed almost entirely through direct outreach and social media word of mouth.
My own introduction to the film came not through a press release or PR agency, but via an Instagram DM inviting me to watch and review the film. As it turns out, I was one of many. Across horror-focused and indie film spaces online, critics, reviewers, and general movie lovers were receiving similar messages; part of a deliberate grassroots strategy spearheaded by co-creators Kyle Valle and Erin Áine.
“I kind of spearheaded the marketing campaign when it comes to anything reviews or interview-related,” Erin, who co-writes, produces and stars, explains. “In the beginning, there was a lot of outreach. I went to Rotten Tomatoes critics and YouTube critics. At first, we were looking through the horror community specifically, since the movie’s subject is anime cosplay horror.”
“Then I started to reach out to other people, who are movie lovers in general,” Erin adds. “I thought I might as well try to get through to other audiences and get them to give the film a chance.” The response, she notes, exceeded expectations. “Thankfully, I got loads of people who were willing to check out this independent film that they’d never seen, and it just kept snowballing from there.”
Social media was central to that snowball effect. “It was not only easier to communicate through DM messages rather than emailing, but also we got tagged in the reviews, so other reviewers started reaching out to us in return,” Erin explains. What emerged was a feedback loop of visibility and enthusiasm, driven entirely by goodwill rather than financial incentive.
Karl concurs, adding that the absence of money was not a creative choice so much as a reality. “We didn’t have a marketing budget,” he says. “You hear about these big movies with hundreds of millions of dollars coming out. Even smaller movies like Good Boy (2025) that had about $2 million can pay people to place reviews. We were just relying on good faith and word of mouth.”
For Erin, that lack of formal PR infrastructure had an unexpected upside. “It’s actually been cool not having a PR agency, because this has been a lot more personable. We end up getting to meet people and have a one-on-one connection and relationship.” In a digital landscape often defined by impersonal algorithms, ZombieCon’s success feels rooted in human connection.
Creatively, ZombieCon Vol. 1 draws on classic zombie cinema without simply replicating it. Kyle cites Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead (2004) as a key influence, calling Wright “one of my biggest inspirations” and “an absolute genius.”
“Then came the challenge of making it unique,” Kyle states. That search for originality led to the film’s defining choice: centring cosplayers as survivors rather than punchlines.
“It was one part fantasy as a filmmaker, and another wanting to share this world that I grew up with and love,” he says, recalling a time when cosplay and conventions were far less visible. In ZombieCon, fandom isn’t a joke or a gimmick; it’s the characters’ lived experience and, ultimately, their greatest strength. The team uses an opening prologue purely to boost convention culture and their livelihoods revolving around their passions.
“Being a part of that, I know how creative and resourceful people within the cosplaying community can be,” he says. “And I thought that was the perfect archetype for our movie’s personality—if you’re going to have people trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, at least go with what you know.”
Anime influences further shape the film’s identity. “I grew up as a fan of anime,” Kyle explains. “They were always great archetypes and something I wanted to see more of in film.” He cites Dragon Ball Z in particular, describing one arc as formative to his storytelling instincts. “I can’t draw very well,” he admits, “but doing this film is my way of drawing anime; through the film camera, if you will.”
Both Erin and Kyle discussed the process behind independent filmmaking and the challenges that come with it. “Doing this for the first time, everything seemed to be our biggest challenge; from creating the cosplay to the makeup on the zombies,” Kyle says. His solution was methodical, if exhausting. “You write all the problems down, because you have a thousand to solve, and you start plugging through the list. Then all of your solutions fall apart on set, and you’re left scurrying, trying to solve them in real time.”
Erin’s workload embodied that chaos. “When you’re the writer and producer and one of the main actors, you are doing 99 thousand jobs all at once,” she says. “That’s the case for all indie film sets.” Her favourite part? “When I could just be Claire, those were my most fun times on set. I could leave producer or writer Erin aside and really just live in the world that we created.”
That world is only beginning. When asked about the future of the ZombieCON series (evident from the words ‘Vol. 1’), Kyle reveals, “We’ve got up to five films already planned, and a total of potentially ten episodes in the whole series.” The reception to the first instalment has been a blessing, he adds: “This will allow us to turn Volume 2 into something potentially special and with a much higher budget.”
In the meantime, the two hinted at other projects currently in motion and confirmed that another horror feature, It’s Watching, wrapped filming last year. The feature is again directed and written by Kyle and stars Erin.
In many ways, ZombieCon Vol. 1 feels like a manifesto for contemporary indie filmmaking. It embraces niche culture without irony, champions outsiders as heroes, and relies on community rather than capital to find its audience. In doing so, it reminds us that the most compelling genre films are often born not from market research, but from genuine love for horror and for fandom.
ZombieCON Vol. 1 is currently available on all major VOD platforms, including Apple TV, Prime, YouTube Movies, Fandango at Home, Vudu, and Plex.
Words by Joseph Jenkinson
Support the Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.