A Mahoning Valley native is playing several key roles in a horror film that is being shot in the Cleveland area.
Emelia Sherin is a principal actor in “Fractured,” a psychological thriller. She’s also a producer of the film, which has a cast filled with renowned horror actors.
The film could be released as early as the latter part of this year.
A Howland High School and Kent State University graduate, Sherin now lives in Cleveland.
She has appeared in multiple plays and a few locally made films in the Mahoning Valley. Prior to that, she worked as a performer on a Disney Cruise ship.
“Fractured” is a big step up for her, as it’s her first time appearing with seasoned film actors in a professional film, and it’s her first effort as a movie producer.
The cast is led by Jon Abrahams (“Scary Movie,” “Meet the Parents,” “House of Wax,” “Terrifier 3”), Felissa Rose (“Sleepaway Camp,” “Terrifier 2”) and Lew Temple (“The Devil’s Rejects,” “The Walking Dead”).
Sherin is the fourth principal actor and appears in scenes with each of the others.
“Fractured” is directed by Sage O’Bryant and was written by Eric Swinderman. The two Clevelanders are also producers and partners in Anhedonia Productions and are best known for their anthology film “Made in Cleveland” (2013) and the dark comedy “The Enormity of Life” (2021).
Abrahams plays the role of Arthur Thorne, a tightly wound man who is battling crippling anxiety. When his therapist, Dr. Sharma (Rose), reveals his deepest fears, Arthur suspects his reality is being manipulated. Amid mounting pressure from his domineering boss, Pendergast (Temple), Arthur learns he might be being steered into a violent confrontation.
“It gets to a point where everything is building up,” Sherin said in describing the plot. “Arthur is having this fractured mindset where his reality is being manipulated, and it’s leading to a dangerous turn of events.”
Sherin plays the character Lila, a graduate student studying psychology who lives next to Arthur.
“Each main character impacts Arthur’s life in some way, and it melds together toward the end of the film,” she said.
On one level, the film is like a public service announcement for mental health issues, Sherin said.
“It shows how if you have had past trauma and are continuously facing a lot of trials and tribulations, you should seek the help you need in a timely manner before it gets worse,” she said.
The release date for the film has not yet been released, but Sherin expects it will be late this year or early 2027.
The team is looking to enter film festivals and is exploring options for general distribution.
“We’re also planning for some special events in Ohio,” Sherin said. “I was telling our team I would love for this to be at a drive-in theater, and they were like, ‘Are there still drive-in theaters around?’ And I said, ‘Yes, we have two in Warren.’”
The Skyway Drive-in in Warren actually has a two-day horror movie festival every October, which Sherin enjoys attending.
“This is my favorite genre of movie, and that’s something that a lot of people don’t know about me,” she said.
Sherin has appeared in a few films and shorts made in the Youngstown area – most recently “Midwest Sessions,” written and directed by Mario Ricciardi and released in 2024. She has also been in many stage productions.
But “Fractured” is her first foray at this level. It’s a learning experience for her, and she is getting all she can out of it.
“We have three amazing leading stars in this who are nationally renowned,” she said. “They wear their work, and their hearts, on their sleeves.”
“Fractured” is adhering to Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists requirements. The actors union categorizes the film as ultra-low budget, which means its budget is no more than $300,000. The categories are used to determine pay scales for actors.
Sherin is learning the duties of a film producer and filing the knowledge away for future use.
“Maybe I’ll need this information down the line,” she said. “Being a producer has been very fulfilling. I love supporting our team any way I can, and I’m happy to be knowledgeable about the processes we have to follow when working with SAG-AFTRA, or when working on a tight schedule.”
She is also the film’s intimacy coordinator – a post that advocates for actors involved in scenes of intimate behavior.
Sherin landed her role in “Fractured” through an audition and was eager to take on more responsibility.
She is relishing the opportunity.
“There were times where I felt so lost,” she said. “As in, this is my goal but I don’t even know where to start with working toward it. But sometimes you work with your head down, and when you look up you’re in a new, magical place. That’s kind of how it ended up for me.”
Pictured at top: Emelia Sherin in a scene from “Fractured.”