“The biggest inspiration for Backwood Madness was Nightbreed. I wanted to make a fantasy-horror film that would be more from the monsters’ poin of view, so that humans can also be bad. I got inspiration also from the filmmaker’s Lucio Fulci and Olli Soinio.

It is really strange to finish a film near your forties when you have started it as a 25-year-old. A million problems later, as an “old man” you correct the mistakes and bad luck of a snot-nosed youngster. Now we have accomplished a viewer friendly film and I can stand behind it. The biggest challenge was the combination of B-monster movie and arthouse. And I almost took it to experimental levels. Today I would do many things differently.

Some day I want to make my “purge project”. Stuart Gordon’s From Beyond -styled sci-fi-horror with some Finnish mythology would be my dream. But first some rest, and let’s see what happens then. If it happens.”

Ari Savonen

Director, Writer, Editor, Producer, Special Makeup Effects, Practical & Gore Effects