Ehrland Hollingsworth on Dooba Dooba, Babysitting Horror, and Why Found Footage Still Hits Hard
- Travis Brown
- Apr 8
- 2 min read
As Panic Fest 2025 comes to a close, we’re wrapping our coverage with one of our favorite conversations—and one of our favorite films of the entire lineup. We sat down with filmmaker Ehrland Hollingsworth to talk about his new found footage horror film Dooba Dooba, which made its world premiere at the festival.
Creepy, weird, and soaked in unsettling Brat-era energy, Dooba Dooba takes the babysitting horror subgenre and runs it through the surveillance age. Told almost entirely through security cameras, the film offers a fresh angle on the found footage format—one that feels both voyeuristic and disturbingly real. It’s not just about what’s happening in the house—it’s about what we can’t stop watching.
In our conversation at Panic Fest, Hollingsworth dug into the strange, claustrophobic dread that comes with babysitting—especially when you’re not sure who you’re protecting the kid from: the outside world, the house itself, or maybe even yourself. The film’s atmosphere hinges on a single location that becomes its own character: a creepy, lived-in house full of bad vibes and worse secrets. It’s the kind of place that would send anyone spiraling after dark—and Dooba Dooba knows how to build that paranoia brick by brick.
We also talked about how Dooba Dooba stands out in the ever-expanding sea of found footage horror. While some might say the subgenre has played itself out, Hollingsworth proves it’s still full of new angles—especially when you commit to a specific tone and tech perspective. Using static shots, lo-fi audio, and unblinking surveillance feeds, the film slowly pulls you into its mystery without overexplaining or overediting. It’s a reminder that found footage, when done with purpose, still slaps.
The film also features standout performances from its two lead actresses, who carry much of the film’s unease through subtle shifts in behavior and believable chemistry. Hollingsworth spoke about how crucial it was to build that tension naturally—something that pays off in a story that unravels slowly, then strikes hard.
Dooba Dooba may be lo-fi in delivery, but it’s high concept in execution. It was one of the surprise gems of Panic Fest this year, and the kind of film that makes genre fans pay attention to what’s next on the indie circuit.
Look for Dooba Dooba at more festivals soon, and keep an eye out for distribution news—it’s the kind of found footage film that reminds you why the format still matters. We were honored to catch the premiere, and even more honored to close out Panic Fest 2025 with this final conversation.
Found footage is alive and well. And Dooba Dooba just might be the weird little jolt the genre needed.
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