Insurgence Expands Theatrical Footprint With Festival-Winning Horror-Thriller “IT NEEDS EYES,”

Insurgence is the indie studio crashing the party and stealing the spotlight—born in 2019 by tech maverick Niccolo Messina and already flexing a billion-plus streams across 150+ original films and 60 documentaries on its own YouTube empire. The playbook? Discover bold voices, make the work in-house, then blast it to fans—fast. Now they’re taking that momentum from browser to box office, pushing festival-winning genre gems like IT NEEDS EYES into theaters while licensing select titles to major platforms worldwide. Data-smart, filmmaker-forward, and allergic to gatekeepers, Insurgence is rewriting how indie movies get made, seen, and screamed about.

IT NEEDS EYES, a horror-thriller co-written and directed by Zack Ogle (We Got A Monkey’s Paw; Death Has A Son) and Aaron Pagniano (We Got A Monkey’s Paw; Sunset on the River Styx). Following a decorated festival run and mounting critical praise, the Insurgence Original will open in select theaters nationwide beginning in December.

IT NEEDS EYES follows Rowan, a teenager sent to stay with her aunt in a quiet Northeastern beach town after a traumatic event. Sheltering indoors, she sinks into increasingly bizarre—and often violent—online content until she discovers a missing woman known only as “Fish Tooth.” Convinced the woman is signaling through the screen for help, Rowan is drawn into a spiraling, screen-haunting mystery where digital obsession collides with real-world danger.

What lies beneath

The film stars Raquel Lebish (Vera; Parable) as Rowan, Isadora Leiva (Death of a Fool; Pigskin) as Alex, and Lydia Fiore (High Deny; Ride the Wave) as Mella. The producer is Travis Parke Campbell; editing is by Gregory Tuzin and Michael Osborne; and the original score is by Gregory De Iulio. IT NEEDS EYES is executive produced by Insurgence CEO Niccolo Messina.

Festival Momentum The feature world-premiered to two sold-out screenings at Brazil’s Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival (https://www.fantaspoa.com), then continued its run at the Portland Horror Film Festival (https://portlandhorrorfilmfestival.com), winning the Goule d’Or Best Feature award. Raquel Lebish received Best Lead Performer honors at Portland’s Queer Screams Film Festival (https://www.queerscreams.com), and the film earned Best International Directors at Mexico City’s Macabro International Horror Film Festival (https://www.macabro.mx). Next up: a November screening at London’s Soho Horror Film Festival (https://www.sohohorrorfilmfestival.com).

“After seeing their first feature, ‘Sunset on the River Styx,’ Aaron and Travis emerged on our priority list as creatives we sought to collaborate with. Insurgence is proud to join with Zack, Aaron, and Travis in bringing this extraordinary film to audiences nationwide,” said Niccolo Messina, CEO of Insurgence.

Indie cinema awakens curiosity

“The encouragement and support provided by Niccolo and the Insurgence team served as a significant factor in the development and production of IT NEEDS EYES. Insurgence is an independent filmmaker’s dream partner, and the result is a work that we are proud of and is receiving unanimous praise from audiences and critics alike,” said co-writer/director Aaron Pagniano.

About Insurgence Founded in 2019 by global technology executive Niccolo Messina, Insurgence is breaking new ground in the production and distribution of independent films and documentaries. The studio has premiered over 150 original movies and 60 documentaries across its owned YouTube channels, amassing more than one billion streams worldwide. Insurgence also licenses select titles to major streaming platforms globally, pairing data-driven distribution with a mission to empower emerging filmmakers and reimagine traditional release models. Learn more at www.insurgence.co.

Theatrical Release IT NEEDS EYES opens in select U.S. theaters beginning in December. For updates on cities, dates, and tickets, visit www.insurgence.co. Press and booking inquiries: contact via www.insurgence.co.