Gen Z Filmmakers Reshape Cinema: From YouTube to A24 and Cannes
A fresh generation of filmmakers, often referred to as 'Gen Z horror,' is emerging from various backgrounds, aiming to transform the film industry. In 2024, Alabama native Curry Barker released his $800 feature 'Milk & Serial' for free, which quickly went viral. His 2026 project, 'Obsession' (Focus Features), delves into themes of desire with a supernatural twist. Kane Parsons, also known as Kane Pixels, gained fame when he posted 'The Backrooms (Found Footage)' on YouTube in 2022 at just 16 years old, racking up 93 million views. A24 later adapted his concept into 'Backrooms' (2026). Akinola Davies Jr.'s 'My Father's Shadow' (2025), set in Lagos during Nigeria's 1993 election turmoil, earned the Caméra d'Or Special Distinction. Beth de Araújo's 'Josephine' (2026) follows her 2022 debut, 'Soft & Quiet.'
Key facts
- Curry Barker released 'Milk & Serial' in 2024 for free on YouTube, made for $800.
- Barker's 'Obsession' (2026) is a theatrical hit for Focus Features.
- Kane Parsons uploaded 'The Backrooms (Found Footage)' to YouTube in 2022 at age 16.
- The Backrooms video has around 93 million views and 2.5 million likes.
- A24 produced 'Backrooms' (2026) with 30,000 square feet of physical sets.
- Akinola Davies Jr.'s 'My Father's Shadow' (2025) is set in Lagos during Nigeria's 1993 election crisis.
- 'My Father's Shadow' is the first Nigerian film in Cannes' official selection and received the Caméra d'Or Special Distinction.
- Beth de Araújo's 'Josephine' (2026) is based on her childhood witnessing an incident in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
- De Araújo's debut film is 'Soft & Quiet' (2022).
Entities
Artists
- Curry Barker
- Kane Parsons
- Akinola Davies Jr.
- Wale Davies
- Beth de Araújo
Institutions
- A24
- Focus Features
- Universal Pictures
- Element Pictures
- Free Association
- Cannes Film Festival
- YouTube
- HorrorTok
- TikTok
- Blender
Locations
- Alabama
- United States
- Lagos
- Nigeria
- San Francisco
- Golden Gate Park
- Cannes
- France