Peter Cornwell’s Haunted History

By Jennifer M. Wood
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/directing/article/the_haunting_in_connecticut_peter_cornwell_ward_13_20090324/
The Haunting in Connecticut, starring Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas and Kyle Gallner, is based on the true story of the Reed family, who moved to Southington, CT in the late 1980s in order to be closer to their son's cancer treatment center but wound up with a host of other problems. At the helm of this genuinely disturbing tale is Peter Cornwell, who is making his feature directorial debut after winning a string of international awards—including the FIPRESCI Prize at the Valladolid International Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Short at the San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival—with his animated short, Ward 13. Here, Cornwell tells us why making a short film can still be the best way to break into the industry and what it takes to scare an audience.