First student-organised film fest promises thrills and chills

30 Apr 2024
Line up of students by chapel wall

Film Production students at the University of Winchester have organised their own film festival but it won’t be for the faint-hearted!

They’ve assembled a selection of horror and fantasy shorts for the Cults Film Festival which takes place on 9 May from 6pm to 9pm at The Vault, the University’s entertainments venue.

Organising the event has been part of the new Festivals module on the Film Production course and this cohort is the first to take on the challenge.

The festival line-up is a nightmarish mix of live action and animated chillers.

Still from animated film showing death, as a woman, holding up an hourglass

Among the animations is Death and the Winemaker written and directed by Victor Jaquier, which centres on a young winemaker who creates a vintage so exquisite, that even Death (pictured above) demands a taste!

In Portrait of God, written and directed by Dylan Clark  - who also co-stars with Sydney Brumfield and  Ali Dusinberre - a religious girl has a crisis of faith when she analyses a provocative painting of God.

Tickle, written and directed by Chris Chalken, will raise shivers rather than laughs as it explores the isolation and trauma of domestic abuse with supernatural elements.

As well as the screenings there will be a chance to meet with some of the directors including Catherine Grahame creator of animated short, Night Life and Jim Eaves director of time travel horror You Might Get Lost – the only full-length feature in the festival.

The students who have organised the event are Chibueze Ekomaru, Vasili Evangelou, Isobel Hood, Ben James, Henry Jones, Matt Kirby, Rebecca Lane, Jacob Lewis, Hope Lines, Elena O'Grady and Ciaran Blaney.

The team have to decide on a theme then research and source the films they wanted to screen before contacting the makers. They also had to create a website and market the festival.

Lecturer in Film Production, Jake Hawkins, said: “They have faced challenges along the way but they have overcome these and maintained a really professional ethic throughout. As module leader I am personally extremely proud of all of them and what they have achieved so far.”

Tickets for the festival,  are free. For booking details and more information about the films on show visit HOME | Cult Film Festival (cultsfilmfestival.wixsite.com)

To find out more about studying film production at Winchester visit BA (Hons) Film Production 2024 - University of Winchester 

Pictured top: The Cults Film Festival organising team (from l-r) Chibueze Ekomaru, Ciaran Blaney, Matt Kirby, Vasili Evangelou, Hope Lines, Isobel Hood, Henry Jones, Rebecca Lane, Ben James, Elena O'grady, Jacob Lewis and Jake Hawkins (Module Leader)

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