The first images and details have emerged from AD UMBRAS, a new cosmic horror short film written and directed by Antony Coia, composer and founder of TetroVideo, Goredrome Pictures and Outronox. The project marks Coia’s directorial debut.
Production officially began on August 5, 2026, and is currently underway, with post-production expected to begin in September.
Set entirely within a cemetery, AD UMBRAS draws inspiration from Italian Gothic cinema, Lovecraftian horror, and the hallucinatory cosmic imagery associated with Panos Cosmatos. The film combines a dark and otherworldly atmosphere with heavy gore and a large number of zombies, embracing the spirit of old-school horror.
Coia will also compose the original score, which will rely on analog instruments, particularly large analog synthesizers and electric guitars. The musical approach draws from the tradition of synth-driven horror scores associated with filmmakers and composers such as John Carpenter.
Speaking about his directorial debut, Coia said: “I’m doing everything I can to make AD UMBRAS a directorial debut I can truly be proud of, and so far I’m extremely satisfied with the results. The atmosphere we’re creating is absolutely insane, dark, oppressive, and deeply cinematic, and I believe old-school horror fans are going to love it“.
AD UMBRAS is being developed through OTX.LAB’s internal production system, which has reached a level of quality and reliability that allows the project to be approached as a fully fledged film production, with visual standards in line with professional filmmaking.
The short film is being created entirely through artificial intelligence using a fully local production system running on privately managed hardware and proprietary resources dedicated to the project. No data centers, external AI services, or third-party cloud platforms are used during the process.
AI functions exclusively as a filmmaking tool. The screenplay, direction, visual decisions, editing, sound design, and music all remain under direct human control throughout production.
A crowdfunding campaign is also planned to support the production of AD UMBRAS, with further details to be announced soon.
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