WORLD PREMIERE
’23 Newport Beach Film Festival
Saturday, October 14
In a quaint, family town in 1974 Florida, an ominous white van stalks a young girl, while her parents’ skepticism leads to a terrifying Halloween nightmare.
Inspired by a true story, “The Man in the White Van” delves into the eerie underbelly of a seemingly idyllic 1974 Florida town, and follows the harrowing experience of young Annie Williams, a spirited girl whose carefree existence is turned upside down as she becomes stalked by an ominous man in a white van.
The tranquility of Annie’s world, from her love of horseback riding to her leisurely strolls home from school in the nearby woods, begins to crumble as the menacing white van inches closer and closer. As her parents’ skepticism increasingly grows, Annie finds herself psychologically isolated, and on Halloween night her worst fears materialize into a full-blown nightmare as she gets abducted.
The feature debut of director Warren Skeels, “The Man in the White Van” is a gripping exploration of terror, paranoia, and the fragility of security in a place where darkness lurks beneath the surface. Based on actual events of the serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr., the film captures a bone-chilling story of a young girl’s unimaginable horrors, and every parent’s worst nightmare.
THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN, a Garrison Film and Legion M production, is directed and produced by Warren Skeels. Written by Sharon Y. Cobb and Warren Skeels. Executive Produced by Gary Kompothecras, Michael Nole, Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, Sean Astin, and Ali Larter. Produced by Terri Lubaroff and Anne Marie Gillen. Edited by Billy Gaggins. Cinematography by Gareth Paul Cox. Composed by Scott Borland.