Michael Ballif

Michael Ballif—now there’s a guy who gets Halloween. He’s the creative mind behind The Witching Season, that seriously addictive horror anthology from 2018 that’s basically catnip for anybody obsessed with jack-o’-lanterns and creepy autumn nights. You know, the kind of stuff that makes you want to binge scary movies with a big bowl of candy corn (if you’re into that sort of thing). Ballif didn’t just direct—he wrote, produced, and shot the thing, too. Overachiever status: unlocked. The Witching Season isn’t just a bunch of random shorts thrown together; it’s got this killer vibe, each segment dripping with nostalgia and the spooky, cozy atmosphere that makes October so much fun. And Ballif wasn’t done there. He decided to take things up a notch and spun one of those episodes—episode four, if you’re keeping score—into his first feature film, They Live Inside Us, in 2020. Again, he wore like every hat you can imagine: writing, directing, producing. The guy must have a cloning machine or something. That film just oozes love for classic horror, with enough throwbacks and chills to keep even the most jaded horror fan happy. Oh, and let’s not forget—Ballif’s also the founder of Witching Season Films, a production company that’s basically a love letter to Halloween and horror in general. They pump out movies, videos, and even written stuff all year long, not just in October. Bottom line: if you live for Halloween, Ballif’s stuff is basically required viewing.