Carmel Valley youth Channah Zeitung featured in new thriller/suspense film ‘Natty Knocks’

At age 15, Channah Zeitung will make her motion picture debut with the July 21 release of “Natty Knocks.”

Channah, who lives in Carmel Valley, first rose to prominence through martial arts. She is a third-degree black belt, and has showcased her abilities on “Little Big Shots.”

Her other previous television appearances include the Nickelodeon series “Game Shakers” and “Danger Force.”

“Natty Knocks,” which also stars Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley and Robert Englund, is a thriller about a small-town babysitter and the children she’s watching encountering a serial killer on the day before Halloween.

The film was directed by Dwight H. Little, whose previous director credits include “Halloween 4” in the famous Michael Myers movie franchise and “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home.”

“This was incredible because I got to work with very famous actors and I got to come out of my comfort zone,” Channah said. “I got to become a new character and be in a movie. So it was a great experience. I also got to work with Dwight Little, he was an incredible director who pushed his vision and came out with a really good result.”

She plays Jolie, whom she describes as a “very clueless, very adventurous and a little bit of a rebel” who loves her brother. It was a role, she added, that brought her out of her comfort zone compared to her previous work on television.

“Natty Knocks” was written by Benjamin Olson. Channah said she loved the script when she first read it.

“The movie is very different,” she added. “The writer took a different turn on the movie, different from any horror movie you would see. And I fell in love with the character Jolie.”

Channah also said she had a great experience working with the rest of the cast, including Danielle Harris. Harris’ filmography includes several in the horror genre, including four movies in the “Halloween” franchise.

“She was a mother to me and she has inspired me to become a better actress,” Channah said.

Channah, who still competes in martial arts, including one recent event in Phoenix, said her goals moving forward include shooting more movies and becoming “a high-end actress.”

“I hope to star in another horror movie because I love being scared, or being scary,” she said. “I love shooting movies because you come close as a family really fast and you get a bigger outcome.”