Henry's Ebb, a 1990s psychological horror debut, premieres in Tallinn

Thomas Mendolia's debut feature, Henry's Ebb, has its world premiere on 11 November at the Youth and Children's Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. The festival is part of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which runs each year in the Estonian capital.

The film is set in the Southeastern United States in the 1990s. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Henry and his imaginary friend, Ebb, travel through the American South to find Henry's father. The festival's own synopsis puts it more darkly: Henry runs away from his unstable mother, while his best friend Ebb becomes increasingly dangerous (PÖFF).

Kingston Rumi Southwick plays Henry, and Banks Repeta plays Ebb. Repeta had previously appeared in The Black Phone. Ashley Shelton and Will Holland are also in the cast.

Behind the camera, Chaochen Li handled cinematography and Tyler Ten Haken handled editing. Lucas Ford and Joey LePage are producers, with Tony Tehle and Irina Slepneva as co-producers. Bridge Independent is handling sales, which means it is the company trying to sell the film to cinemas and streaming services in different countries. Variety describes the film as a psychological horror, a genre that focuses on a character's mind and fears as much as on jump scares.

The festival lists the film as suitable for viewers aged 12 and up. Its 11 November screening is a Q&A, so the cast and crew are expected to take questions from the audience after the film.

For a debut, the premiere place matters. Tallinn's youth section gives first-time filmmakers a public audience and a chance to meet buyers and sales agents, who decide which films reach screens beyond the festival. Whether Henry's Ebb lands a wider release will depend on those conversations, and no release dates or distribution deals have been announced.