Topher Grace, from left, Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Casper Kelly and Keegan-Michael Key poses with the character Buddy at the premiere of "Buddy" during the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the Library Center Theatre in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is bringing filmmaker Casper Kelly to town for a pair of events next month. 

Kelly directed and co-wrote “Buddy,” the subversive horror film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January before wowing audiences at both SXSW and the Cleveland International Film Festival this spring. Shot entirely in Northeast Ohio, the film arrives in theaters nationwide Sept. 4.

“An Insider’s Evening with Casper Kelly” will take place July 10 at TRG Multimedia Studios in Brooklyn, where much of “Buddy” was filmed. Kelly, perhaps best known for the viral Adult Swim short “Too Many Cooks,” will share stories from the set and discuss his career. Tickets, which include cocktails and appetizers, cost $65 to $75.