First Look: The Satanic Cheerleaders of Sweethearts

There’s a good chance you know Ama Lea. The filmmaker/photographer has seen her work grace FANGORIA (her recent Barbara Crampton cover a favorite of many), Alternative Press and all manner of tattoo mags, after all. That’s not to mention her fashion, beauty and pin-up photography; compositions which often highlight the contrast of ultra-pop color and the macabre. They drum up thoughts of the vivacious, the lurid, the juvenile and the murderous. They recall the atmosphere of high school devotion, where style—be it pitch black, or intense bubblegum—is everything. Fitting then, that her first feature Sweethearts is a horror that roams high school halls in search of ultimate popularity and the sacrifice it requires. 

Today, Ama Lea and producers Jade Fassbinder and Andrea A. Albin launch a crowd funding campaign for Sweethearts, the high school horror for which Lea has already shot a teaser and a host of promo images (which Shock presents, below).

Seeking to shoot the film this summer, Ama Lea tells Shock that Sweethearts asks, “What if the secret to obtaining the highest level of high school popularity—something that seems absolutely unobtainable and all important to most teenage girls—was actually handed down through bloodlines of women over generations? What if that secret lies within a satanic cult that requires sacrifices in exchange for success and beauty starting at the age of puberty?”

“This is the world of Sweethearts,” Ama Lea explains, “with elements of Heathers, Jawbreaker, The Craft mixed with dark, gory and satanic elements and imagery. How far would you go and how much of yourself would you give up for admiration and popularity?”

Sweethearts stars Emma Julia Jacobs, Elissa Wagner, Briana Caitlin, Misha Reeves, Makaila Nichols and Colette Stone. “The main thing I want to point out that this is not about slutty evil girls as much as empowered evil girls [laughs],” the filmmaker adds. “There are strong feminist undertones, a ton of gore and crazy hot teenage psychos.”

Over the next 46 days, Reeves and the crew of Sweethearts seek to raise $100.000 to realize their dreams of Satanic pop-horror glory. For much more, including the campaign video, visit IndieGoGo. To keep up with Sweethearts, visit the film’s official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Below, find the film’s teaser, as well as a gallery of promo images.