Local film maker is having film screened at Ealing Project
Next month, the Ealing Project bring you a night not to forget. The Longest Night is an evening of short horror films – be ready for thrills and chills!
- The Longest Night
- Ealing Project
- Wednesday 11th December
- 7.30pm
We spoke to two of the film makers, Stephen Graves who is also curating the event and James Freeman, who recently graduated from our very own MetFilm School.
Stephen Graves
- Curator and writer-director of one of the films – The Dead of Winter, a suitably festive Christmas ghost story.
James Freeman
- Film maker and graduate from our very own MetFilm School. James directed The Witch Hunter, about an aspiring witch finder in search of rumoured evil.
James Freeman, director
How do you feel about your film screening in Ealing?
Excited! I haven’t seen my film on the big screen for a few months now, it will be great to have some of the crew back together as well.
Tell us a bit about you and your connection to Ealing
I’m a filmmaker from Brighton who loves horror and all things scary. History has always been a passion of mine, I originally studied archaeology at university before getting into film, so I knew that my final school project would have to be a period movie.
My closest fitness from my undergrad was from Ealing, so I actually visited long before starting my film degree. It’s like a town within itself so absolutely perfect for living in to study locally. I will always have fond memories of my time in Ealing.
How has studying at MetFilm School helped your career?
I knew absolutely nothing about filmmaking before I started at Met. I knew I loved everything about film, but my early attempts were just me with a camera and a few of my friends. The best thing about the school was that I found myself surrounded by filmmakers for the first time. I learned so much in those first few months just by socialising with new friends.
Stephen Graves, curator and film maker
Tell us a bit about you.
I’ve been making short films since graduating with an MA in Film a distressingly long time ago, working across genres including comedy and horror. I’ve recently directed short film The Dead of Winter, which premiered at FrightFest, the UK’s largest genre festival. It recently had its US premiere at Screamfest in Los Angeles – where we screened in Hollywood’s historic Graumann’s Chinese Theater, where films like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz premiered!
So what should we expect from your film night?
It’s a night of short horror films to chill the blood, as the winter nights draw in. I’ve curated a selection of highlights from previous screenings I’ve put on, as well as some new films I’ve seen recently, and one or two with local connections. I’ve tried to present a broad range of sub-genres, too – we’ve got horror comedies, vampires, Christmas ghost stories and folk horror in the mix, so there should be something for everyone.
Why are you putting this on in Ealing?
I’ve previously put on several successful short horror film nights at Reading Biscuit Factory, Ealing Project’s sister cinema, and thought it might be fun to showcase some of my favourites from those screenings at Ealing Project. And with MetFilm School just round the corner, it felt like a good idea to include some films with a connection to the area – so we have The Witch Hunter, directed by MetFilm School alumni James Freeman (and crewed by many other MetFilm graduates!) as well as Only Yourself to Blame, which was produced by Ioanna Karavela, MA Producing Discipline Leader at MetFilm School.
So what should we look out for next?
I’m looking to get some more short films into production – a comedy and a couple of horrors – and am currently trying to scare up funding for them (no pun intended).
Thank you to James and Stephen for their time – and do go check out their scary film night!
