“This film isn’t just a horror story. It’s a ceremony, a confrontation, and a mirror.” — Director David J. Aberle on They Wait

Production is rolling in Tucson on They Wait, a new Indigenous horror short written and directed by David J. Aberle, a Diné filmmaker and BFA student in Film and Television at the University of Arizona. The film will make its debut in May 2026 at Tucson’s historic Fox Theatre as part of the I Dream in Widescreen showcase.

At its heart, They Wait tells the story of an elderly man who makes a deadly pact with supernatural forces, calling upon ancient spirits to take revenge. The story unfolds as a meditation on grief, consequence, and the unseen balance between the worlds of the living and the spiritual.

The film stars Jon Proudstar, whose work in Reservation Dogs, Into the West, Geronimo, and The Young Riders has made him a cornerstone of Indigenous cinema. Proudstar leads a cast that includes Edward Varela, Audrey Bailey, Dennis O’Dell, Rick Wamer, Quetzalli Bravo, Juan Navarro, Xochitl Casillas, Jesse Bravo, and Samantha Callicutt.

“Every performer in this cast carries weight,” Aberle says. “This film isn’t just a horror story. It’s a ceremony, a confrontation, and a mirror. We are filming with respect, precision, and purpose.”

For Aberle, They Wait is a conversation that lives between spirit and screen. He describes it as “a sacred conversation through cinema—a way to show that horror and ceremony can coexist when handled with truth and lessons.”

Aberle has built a reputation for storytelling that weaves together spirituality, realism, and lived experience. His past projects include Death Mask (showing this November at L.A. Skins Fest), Finding Fire, and Saving Clementine, as well as the popular YouTube series Unearthing the Supernatural, which explores the intersection of Indigenous teachings and paranormal investigation.

“We’re showing that Indigenous horror can be elegant, terrifying, and deeply impactful,” Aberle says. “This film honors our stories by treating them as living things. They have to be approached with care to protect the sacred, yet still give the lessons we have lived by for so long.”