As we wrap up coverage on one festival, we turn our attention to Panic Fest in Kansas City and HorrorHound in Ohio, where Peter Klausner’s STOMACH IT is set to make its mark. The psychological body horror short has released a teaser, offering a first look at its unsettling premise.
Stomach It - Opening Teaser
The teaser introduces Jon Lee Richardson (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F) as a crime scene cleaner carefully going about his work. However, his interactions with the personal belongings of the deceased suggest there may be more beneath the surface. With a slow-building tension, stark visuals, and atmospheric sound design, the teaser sets the tone for what appears to be a psychological descent into obsession.
Written and directed by Peter Klausner (Coasting) and produced by Klausner and Torey Rubin (RWBY, Zall Good), STOMACH IT will make its HorrorHound Film Festival debut on March 22, 2025, at 1 PM at the Sharonville Convention Center as part of the Twisted Terrors block. It will then head to Panic Fest, screening on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at 1 PM at Screenland Armour - Theater 2.
For those unable to attend in person, STOMACH IT will also be available on Panic Fest’s Virtual Screening platform from Thursday, March 28 at 7 PM through April 6 at midnight (local time).
With a unique premise and a focus on psychological horror, STOMACH IT is set to be a notable addition to this year’s festival circuit. Watch the teaser now and get a glimpse of what’s in store.
ISOTRE Films announces the Panic Fest premiere of STOMACH IT on Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 1pm at the Screenland Armour - Theater 2. STOMACH IT will also be available on Panic Fest’s Virtual Screening platform beginning on Thursday, March 28, 2025 at 7pm through April 6, 2025 at midnight, local time. The film will also be featured at the HorrorHound film festival on March 22, 2025 at 1pm at the Sharonville Convention Center as part of the Twisted Terrors block.
Peter Klausner’s psychological body horror film, STOMACH IT, dares audiences to “Stomach It” with the release of a chilling clip. Starring Jon Lee Richardson (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F), the film is written and directed by Klausner (Coasting) and produced by Klausner and Torey Rubin (RWBY, Zall Good).
After earning rave reviews at the Oscar-qualifying Nashville Film Festival, Mórbido Fest, Screamfest, the Chicago Horror Film Festival, Atlanta Horror Film Festival, and New York City Horror Film Festival, STOMACH IT continues its festival circuit with premieres at Panic Fest and HorrorHound— with more to come.
Click here for tickets and more information on STOMACH IT at Panic Fest 2025
In STOMACH IT, a crime scene cleaner struggles with emotionally detaching from the deceased’s personal possessions. While on a late night job, he convinces himself a monstrous presence is toying with him.
“The film was born from a personal fear of mine—that suppressing trauma without addressing it can manifest in deeply unhealthy ways,” said Klausner. “While researching, I became fascinated by crime scene cleaners and how they’re expected to emotionally detach from their work. That detachment felt like a compelling lens through which to explore repressed trauma.”
“When writing the script, I struggled with how to externalize the character’s mental anguish. Sound played a significant role, but I knew I needed a visceral visual element—body horror became the perfect answer. The subgenre is incredibly effective in portraying a character’s psychological unraveling. For me, making horror films is therapeutic; each phase of production allows me to confront my fears and anxieties in different ways. It’s crucial that my collaborators connect with these themes as well. That shared understanding makes the process deeply personal and creates a powerful bond. When I reach the end of a horror project, I always feel a sense of catharsis—like I’ve confronted and processed something within myself.”
STOMACH IT explores what happens when a sensitive soul struggles to cope with experiencing trauma on a daily basis. Emotions take residence within our physical selves, growing and rotting when not released, acting like a ticking time bomb. It asks the most fundamental of human questions: Do we have the guts to face our problems straight on or do we let them fester until they become something increasingly monstrous?
STOMACH IT’s main character, Joel (Richardson), fixates on objects left behind by the deceased such as a child's wooden horse at an accidental shooting or a colorful toy at an overdose. Joel tries to detach by turning photos around, disposing of final meals, covering photos on mirrors, and covering personal objects like stuffed animals, but it doesn’t work. Joel has an incredibly difficult time trying to digest his trauma. Literally.
"Joel was hands down one of the toughest roles I've ever taken on, but also one of the most rewarding. I genuinely loved every second of the project.” Said Richardson.
The Methods Behind the Madness
Inspired by how Black Swan utilizes body horror to visualize the character’s mental deterioration, STOMACH IT visualizes and takes a deep dive into the main character’s internal issues. Drawing from the practical effects in 1980s horror movies such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Videodrome, the team worked diligently with the film’s special effects make-up artist, Michael Dinetz (Avengers: Infinity War), to create a stomach air bladder. When inflated, the bladder emulates a pulsating stomach. When an intestinal mattress was needed to protrude in the background during a scene, the film’s carpenter was tasked with creating a 3D wooden stomach which was attached with rods and puppeteered through a fitted sheet for maximum effect. And these are just some of the practical special fx in the film.
Death Comes to Life with the STOMACH IT Filmmaking Team
Peter Klausner, born and raised in Los Angeles, was heavily influenced by his grandfather, Milt. Milt showed Peter the power of storytelling through his personal experiences and stories living through the Great Depression. However, it wasn’t until Peter’s girlfriend, Giselle, introduced him to the horror genre that everything clicked. Combining his new obsession for the art of horror and his love of storytelling, Peter found an outlet that allows him to express himself through a visual lens turning some of his own fears into some of the greatest horror content today.
As he dove head first into all things horror, Peter found himself connecting to some of the greats like Wes Craven and David Cronenberg, Peter channeled his emotions into some of the bloodiest, goriest films of the year that have helped him gain a loyal cult following at festivals. Moving forward, Peter wants to explore the vast subgenres of horror and is busy writing feature scripts he plans to make in the future.
STOMACH IT is Klausner’s third collaboration with close friend and longtime cinematographer, Emily Tapanes. Tapanes’ credits include The Morning Show (Apple TV+), A Man on the Inside (Netflix), The Sex Lives of College Girls (Max). Klausner also worked with his good friend/editor, Liam Molina, who also happens to be Tapanes’ fiancé. Molina’s credits include Fallout (Prime Video), Chief of War (Apple TV+), and The Mosquito Coast - Season 2 (Apple TV+).
Jon Lee Richardson is an actor known for his roles in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Bug, and I Met My Murderer Online. Based in Los Angeles, Jon is currently studying at The Groundlings and creates weekly sketch comedy content with his wife, Vanessa. He is repped by Momentum Talent and Mills Kaplan Entertainment.
Audiences in Kansas City will get a chance to STOMACH IT first-hand, followed by Q&As with cast and crew at Panic Fest on Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 1pm at the Screenland Armour.
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