The Midnight Gag is a dark thriller made in Canada in 2023. Written and directed by Luc Ziann, it features a cast of promising local actors Brodin Ference, Luc Ziann, Morgan Oijen and Anna Garoucheva Gonzalez. The film follows the conflict between a private detective (Luc Ziann) and a brutal serial killer (Brodin Ference) who has viciously assaulted his client.

Luc Ziann wrote the original script for The Midnight Gag in 2019, basing it on a standard horror movie. In time, this premise transformed into a reality fiction thriller based on true events that we see today. The Midnight Gag was shot in Vancouver Canada over 6 months from March to August 2023 on a budget of $250,000, funded exclusively by Luc Ziann.

This film was not only envisioned, written and funded by Ziann, but he also directed and filmed the production, played the lead character, Detective Travis Jackson, and was intimately involved in filming, music composition, audio and post-production. An amazing accomplishment for an up-and-coming filmmaker.

The plot by retired Police Detective Mark Mounce:

Travis Jackson, a respected and experienced detective, is still trying to come to grips with the tragic death of his wife from an unsolved hit and run incident. Now dating a new girlfriend, his hoped-for recovery suffers a severe setback when a young girl named Sofia contacts him to report that a stranger has assaulted her. After Jackson reluctantly agrees to investigate, strange inexplicable events begin to occur. Is Sofia’s assault the work of a fearless psychopath who is luring his victims into sinister traps, or breaking into their residences only to leave behind messages so chilling they will never be forgotten?

Original Title: The Midnight Gag

Release year: December 2023-24

Running time: 80 minutes

Production companies: Luc Ziann Enterprises & Steven Film & Music Management

Budget: $250.000​

Winner of 9 International Movie Awards!