C.I.M Studios Is Shaping the Future of Screenlife Horror

The internet has created a new generation of filmmakers. Creators who grew up surrounded by TikTok, YouTube, and digital storytelling are no longer waiting for traditional film studios to open doors. Instead, many are building their own.

One of those creators is Nieya India, the founder of C.I.M Studios, a new independent film studio currently developing the upcoming screenlife horror film The Games: Lockdown.

Nieya originally launched the company in November of 2025 under the name First Take Films. The idea came from something she had been noticing for a long time: how inaccessible the film industry can be, even when there is real talent waiting to be discovered.

“There’s true talent out here,” Nieya explains. “I’ve seen it myself. And with me having the resources that not many others have, I knew I could make a difference.”

The studio officially began with the development of The Games: Lockdown, but as the vision for the project evolved, Nieya realized the original name no longer represented the direction she wanted to take the company. In January of 2026, the studio was rebranded as C.I.M Studios, short for Creativity Is Magnetic.

For Nieya, that phrase reflects the belief that creativity has the ability to draw the right people together when it comes from an honest place.

“When you create from a real, authentic and honest place, the right people will be drawn to it,” she says. “Creativity is energy. When something is intentional, original and emotionally real, people feel that. That’s what makes it magnetic.”

That mindset is already shaping the community forming around C.I.M Studios and its first major project.

The Games: Lockdown is a screenlife horror film centered around eight teens forced into a series of games that test trust, loyalty, and survival. The concept itself was inspired by the 2014 horror film Unfriended, one of Nieya’s favorite movies and one of the films that helped define the screenlife genre.

“I’m absolutely obsessed with the screenlife concept,” Nieya says.

Screenlife storytelling places the entire narrative within digital spaces like video calls, computer screens, and social media platforms. It’s a format that reflects how much of everyday life now exists online.

“Screens are actually all we have now,” she explains. “People don’t carry photo books anymore, they have Snapchat memories. Everything within us exists in digital spaces. So why not make a movie based on that?”

The film is also set during the year 2020, something Nieya says was a deliberate choice.

“The nostalgia with 2020 is something that will never be forgotten,” she says. “Everyone misses that era, so why not give people what they want?”

But beyond the setting and the format, the film explores something deeper about the way people interact with each other when fear enters the equation.

“I’m really excited for audiences to experience how fragile trust becomes when fear enters the room,” Nieya says. “When you’re young, friendships can feel untouchable, but when people are forced into high-stakes situations you start to see that fold. The insecurities, the secrets, the unspoken competition. The games in the film are physical, but the real tension is psychological. It’s about who you believe, who you protect, and who you’re willing to sacrifice.”

One of the most unique parts of the project has been the casting process, which Nieya opened up widely online. The response has been massive, bringing attention from across social media.

At the same time, the attention hasn’t come without its challenges.

“The casting process has been very stressful lately if I’m being completely honest,” Nieya says. “We’ve had so many trolls and people not believing in us.”

Still, she sees the response as proof that the project is reaching people.

“If you don’t have haters, you’re doing it wrong,” she says. “I’d rather be stressed from all the attention than bored because no one is interested.”

When selecting actors for the project, Nieya says she focuses on something simple but important: natural performances.

“One thing I always tell people is to act natural,” she explains. “Act like you’re talking to your friends, because technically in this film, you are.”

Beyond acting ability, she also looks for strong personalities and people who can genuinely connect with the rest of the cast. As the project has developed, the actors involved have already started building friendships outside of filming, talking regularly and spending time together online.

For Nieya, that sense of connection is an important part of bringing the story to life.

And yes, she admits she even pays attention to how actors write their emails.

“I do judge how people type their emails,” she laughs. “I don’t want someone emailing me like we’re texting. Hard no.”

Building a studio while producing a film also comes with its own pressures, especially as a young creator stepping into professional spaces.

“One of the biggest challenges has been learning to trust myself in rooms where I’m often the youngest person,” Nieya says.

As both the creative mind and the decision-maker behind the project, she carries the responsibility of shaping the film while also building the foundation for C.I.M Studios as a long-term creative space.

Despite the challenges, the project has already started gaining attention from people within the film industry. Accounts connected to films like Billy Knight and Lake George have noticed the project, something Nieya says has been incredibly motivating.

“They’ve given me opportunities I never thought I’d be able to touch,” she says. “They’ve put me in rooms I never thought I’d step into.”

When The Games: Lockdown eventually releases, Nieya hopes the film leaves audiences thinking long after the final scene.

“I want it to spark conversations,” she says. “I want people to finish the film and sit there questioning their existence.”

More than anything, she hopes the project proves that stories created by young filmmakers deserve space on bigger platforms.

“I hope it opens doors not just for this project but for the studio I’m building and the stories I plan to tell next.”

Readers can follow along with C.I.M Studios on TikTok @cimstudios to stay updated on the project.