Local Playwright's First Film Entirely Shot in Sault Ste. Marie

Calvin Lane's psychological horror movie 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' set to premiere at film festivals

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Calvin Lane, a 23-year-old local playwright, is putting the finishing touches on his first psychological horror film 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss', which was filmed entirely in Sault Ste. Marie using local actors. The short film follows a terminally ill man on a mission to save his missing wife, and Lane is submitting it to multiple film festivals, including Sundance. In addition to writing and directing, Lane also handled various production roles like editing and costume design with his small crew. This is just the start, as Lane plans to continue storytelling through both film and theater with his production company Unfathomable Horrors.

Why it matters

As a young, local filmmaker, Calvin Lane's debut film 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' represents an exciting new creative voice emerging from the Sault Ste. Marie arts scene. By choosing to shoot the entire movie in his hometown and cast local actors, Lane is helping to showcase the talent and potential of the community on a wider stage through the film festival circuit.

The details

The 23-minute short film 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' follows a terminally ill man named Sullivan Moss who receives a call from his missing wife, begging him to save her from a monster pursuing her. With a lean crew of five people, Lane handled multiple roles including writing, directing, editing, and costume design to bring his vision to life. The movie was filmed entirely in Sault Ste. Marie using actors Lane has met through the local theater scene.

  • Calvin Lane has been working on 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' for the past several months.
  • The film is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
  • Lane plans to submit the film to multiple film festivals, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

The players

Calvin Lane

A 23-year-old local playwright who is making his directorial debut with the psychological horror film 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss'.

The Agony of Sullivan Moss

Calvin Lane's first film, a 23-minute psychological horror short that was entirely shot in Sault Ste. Marie using local actors.

Unfathomable Horrors

Calvin Lane's production company, which puts on multiple plays including original works for the local community.

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What they’re saying

“I've been completely obsessed with watching movies and taking everything I can from them since I was a little kid. It's been a big goal of mine to be able to finally film and get things going that way.”

— Calvin Lane, Filmmaker (SooToday)

“These are people that I've met since starting to do this. I wouldn't trade them for the world. They're fantastic.”

— Calvin Lane, Filmmaker (SooToday)

“We try to do as much of this ourselves because we want the vision to stay kind of cohesive.”

— Calvin Lane, Filmmaker (SooToday)

What’s next

Lane is submitting 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' to multiple film festivals, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. He also plans to organize local screenings once he learns whether those festival pitches are successful.

The takeaway

Calvin Lane's debut film 'The Agony of Sullivan Moss' demonstrates the creative potential of the Sault Ste. Marie arts scene, as the young local playwright takes his storytelling talents from the stage to the screen by shooting an entire psychological horror movie in his hometown and featuring local actors. This is just the start, as Lane continues to build his production company Unfathomable Horrors and work on more films set in the same cinematic universe.