Inspired by the true events of Witch Trials in Essex, ‘Black Barrels’ is the story of a recently released London parolee as he starts a new life in a coastal fishing town.  After getting a job at a local pub, Theo unravels the dark history of his new community, and slowly becomes a victim to the horror that still haunts its people.

Hear more about the story of Black Barrels by watching the video below

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

In the English county of Essex between 1500-1800 over 1000 women were accused of being Witches. 53 were found guilty and executed for Witchcraft.

Many of the fishing towns and coastal villages in Essex have their own local legends of witches, hags, or other malevolent female spirits that persist to this day.

Witches are a key part of folklore in the county of Essex, UK. Children grow up hearing about the various witch trials. Pubs and local landmarks are named after key figures or places where witch trials happened, and many locals have an underlying knowledge of this gruesome chapter of history that happened right on their doorsteps.

When Jack Burney moved to Essex during the Covid-19 lockdowns, he became fascinated with this history and even tried to make a Witch short film a few years ago. However, he soon discovered how deep this topic goes in Essex and that this deserves to be told in a larger story and quickly fell in love with this being the subject of his first feature film.

There is an irony to the story of Witches in film. There are countless films and TV shows that focus on Salem and the American witch trials whereas the stories from witch trials in Europe go largely untold. Europe’s witch trials happened on a far grander scale, spanning far across the continent, with an estimated 50,000 people executed for being a witch (compared to Salem’s 19 people). Black Barrels looks to present a new perspective on Witches, this time of the English witch trials and to portray how they were just as brutal, horrific, and tragic as any other.
 

CREW

JACK BURNEY

Writer / Director

Jack Burney, an emerging British filmmaker, is driven by a passion for boundary-pushing narratives and authentic cinematic experiences. Influenced by the classics like David Lean and Stanley Kubrick, as well as contemporary filmmakers such as David Fincher and Robert Eggers, Jack seamlessly blends a classic filmmaking approach with a commitment to exploring experimental ideas that challenge the medium's limits.

Primarily a storyteller, Jack's journey into media and content creation began through photography and his involvement with the Scouting Movement. His interest in videography evolved during college, leading him to pursue film studies at Staffordshire University, where he graduated with a First Class Degree in Experimental Film Production in 2020. Here, he delved into experimental cinema, aiming to integrate avant-garde techniques into more accessible narratives.

Post-graduation, Jack has produced two award-winning independent short films showcased at film festivals. Now aiming to transition into feature films, he is currently developing larger projects. Engaged in various endeavors like client and corporate work, music videos, and post-production for short and long-form projects, Jack stands out as a no-nonsense filmmaker who prioritizes craftsmanship and storytelling over technology. His commitment to pushing boundaries and creating impactful cinematic experiences is evident in his demand for excellence from collaborators, as he strives to elevate each project to its utmost potential

ALICE RYAN

Producer

Alice Ryan is an Essex based actor, voice over artist, radio presenter and producer who has worked on over 30 various independent short and feature films and TV pilots. These include 'Human Cargo', (Amazon Prime) and 'The Woods Near Jacobs Farm' (60k views on YouTube).

She's been Production Manager and Casting Director for 2 previous feature films and her work with ARK Pictures, of which she is a partner, has seen her take on many new and varying projects. Highlights include  the award winning 'Off The Hook' as well as 'Room 301' and award winning 'You Know Me' - both which were directed by Darren Kent (Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons)

Whilst producer is one word, Alice's roles cover a multitude of jobs when working on a film, as her production management skills means she organises all kinds of things to make a shoot go smoothly from scheduling the shoot to liaising with actors, catering to casting and more!

CHRISTOPHER ROBERTS

Co-Writer

Christopher Roberts is an up-and-coming writer born and raised in Southend on Sea. Since Graduating with a BA in Television Production and Screen Media at the University of Essex, he has continued his passion for TV and film by working on several projects as a Production Assistant and Boom Mic Operator across Essex.  Besides working on Black Barrels, Chris is currently developing his first comedy short, “Sacrifice”, and TV pilot “Living with Death”

CAST

JACQUI RIDGWAY-SCHON

THE WITCH / SARAH MOORE

Jacqui is an actor, voice artist and singer / songwriter having worked both as an actor and crew member for a number of short films. Jacqui also has a number of years experience performing with Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society, Bejou productions and singing in local bands and concerts. Jacqui is very keen for creative opportunities and is very excited to have had the opportunity to play the role of Sarah in the Black Barrels trailer film, a unique role to anything she has experienced.

The role of the Witch is central to the entire film. The Witch is inspired by the true story (and the not-so-true folk tales) of Sarah Moore and this will be portrayed in a stylistic flashback sequence to how she was brutally murdered. The Witch, as we see her in the modern day, will be the monster that the town thought she was. She is cunning and cruel, wicked and malevolent. A character to delight horror fans, she will have moments of true terror and bloody gruesomeness as she scares and attacks our protagonists.

SAM ANDERSON

KATE

Sam Anderson is a Leigh-on-Sea based actor, having studied at The Lee Strasberg Institute for Method Actors in New York. She has played some very interesting roles such as the drunk, lush Margaret in Dolly Partons "9-5", Celia in Calandar Girls and many more plus appeared in commercials such as Butlins, Zovirax, Posh Bingo and Sky Sports. She was recently nominated for Best Actress in feature film Best Geezer which is currently on the festival circuit. Sam owns a production company, Ark Pictures which predominantly focuses on horror and psychological thrillers.

The Role of Kate is that of the healer. The protagonist Theo comes to Kate after struggling with his own faith to find that she is a person of alternative healing: Crystals, sound-bowls, tarot cards, etc. Kate helps to give Theo the tools he will need to defeat the Witch in the final showdown.

THE INVESTMENT

The total budget for Black Barrels as a production is £100,000. In this campaign however, we are only looking to raise £6,000 and this portion of the budget will be used for the special makeup and creature effects for the witch and the special effects that will be used throughout the film.

THANK YOU

Thank you so much for your support and making it this far through the pitch! If you would like to support the film however you can, we have a range of rewards and giveaways depending on how much you can support the production. If you would like to support the film in other ways or would like a private conversation about donating to the film, feel free to send us an email to moviepicturebox@gmail.com and we can discuss further. If you would like to get involved in the production of the film then please also, send us an email and someone will get back to you very soon!

Follow the film on social media @blackbarrelsfilm on Instagram & Facebook Page and @thejackbc on Twitter/X and TikTok to see more updates as we progress the production of BLACK BARRELS

Thank you