"Why Are You Following Me" Wins Most Creative at the 2026 BloodBat Film Race

LONG BEACH, Calif. - The Screaming Room is proud to announce that "Why Are You Following Me," created by the team A Tean, has won the Most Creative award at the 2026 BloodBat 48-Hour Film Race, held as part of MidSummer Scream.

A Tean is a true family affair: 12-year-old filmmaker Vera Schmeltzer and her self-described "extremely old Horror Lawyer" dad. Together, the two-person team turned the weekend's theme into a haunting, wholly original short — anchored by a song that, once heard, refuses to leave your head.

The Most Creative award celebrates the film that demonstrates the most imaginative and original approach to the race's shared theme. "Why Are You Following Me" earned it with exactly that spirit: an inventive interpretation, an original score, and a simple, effective story told with genuine heart.

What makes the achievement all the more remarkable is how it was made. The entire film was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max and edited in iMovie, with its haunting original score composed entirely in GarageBand. No CGI. No AI. Just two filmmakers, the tools in their hands, and a great deal of creativity — a reminder that a memorable film owes more to imagination than to budget.

The BloodBat Film Race challenges teams to write, shoot, and edit a complete horror short in just 48 hours, working from a shared theme revealed at the start of the clock. This year's field spanned solo debuts, seasoned creators, and family productions like A Tean, all racing the same two-day deadline.

"Why Are You Following Me" is now streaming in The Screaming Room, alongside the full slate of 2026 BloodBat films.

About The Screaming Room
The Screaming Room is MidSummer Scream's curated home for horror short films — an ongoing archive celebrating independent filmmakers and the BloodBat 48-hour film race.