Moonlight Films was founded in 2008 by filmmakers James Ian Mair and James Stevenson, who had both been interested in making films for several years. Mair serves as the director, writer, producer and editor of the company's films. Stevenson serves the role of co-producer. The company was based out of Linton, Indiana and Mair and Stevenson began recruiting various local actors and actresses to fill their initial roles. 2008 saw the release of the company's first full-length release, "The Man with Two Faces". The film featured Dan Turpen and Virgil Franklin, in supporting roles. Continuing in the horror genre, the duo released 2009's "Bloodstone," which was well-received and garnered a small cult following in the area and helped the company branch out when DVDs became available to purchase online. The low-budget shocker was followed in 2011 with the direct sequel, Bloodstone II, which was not met with the same response as the original picture. Mair and Stevenson had found their niche in the horror genre, often utilizing practical effects and focusing on classic horror elements such as vampires, ghosts and witches. 2012 saw the release of "After Dark," the most expansive film to date, which bolstered a cast of well-regarded theater and commercial actors. Upon its release, it received positive reviews and again helped to spread the word of Moonlight Films in the Indie-film community. By this point in the company's run, actress Tara Bixler and assistant Ben Mair had expanded their involvement and began assisting Mair and Stevenson with associate producer responsibilities. Taking a break from horror flicks, Mair directed 2012's Weaver's Crossing, a family drama, to help expand the audience base. Viewers responded very well to the drama and a review from the Greene County Daily World called it the best work to date from the company. They continued this trend with 2015's Night Crimes, a police drama with many familiar faces from Weaver's Crossing. 2015 also saw the biggest release to date from the company, with the horror-thriller A Whisper in the Dark starring Johnathan Gorman, Cassandra Schomer and sci-fi author Ruby Moon-Houldson. The slasher flick centered on the character The Engineer, who would become a popular horror character in the SOV horror film world. With a big cast and some inventive practical effects, A Whisper in the Dark was a hit in its premiere and sparked the idea of an online film franchise, which began with the 2016 release of A Whisper in the Dark 2, which continued the story-line of the original film. C.A. McGregor was introduced into the fold in 2016 with the shot for YouTube short "A State of Mind." By this point, effects man and actor Deron Morgan also began to play an integral role in the company's development, often serving as associate producer, chief effects artist and story creator assistant on many of the films. 2016's The Shadow Zone stemmed from Mair and Stevenson's friendship with Deron Morgan, and after his induction into the group, more visual effects began to be utilized. In 2016, Mair developed a working relationship with veteran b-movie icons Jim O'Rear and Lloyd Kaufman, who both played lead roles in the horror-anthology flick Graveyard Stories. The company continues to make horror and sci-fi films for DVD and the web, often employing many of the familiar faces that keep the movies professional and entertaining for fans everywhere.
