BLOOD & CHOCOLATE 

A Christmas-set Horror Short - Written & Directed by Sarah Morgan.

Below you will find all you may need to know about our beautiful, nasty and surprisingly hopeful LGBTQ+ horror short film BLOOD & CHOCOLATE. Your support will help bring this film to life. With 50% of our total finance already in place, this campaign is aimed to get us across the line and into production in November 2026, shooting underneath the Christmas lights of London.

The Story

In the bleak post-Christmas lull, our hero Milla volunteers on a crisis switchboard, when she recieves a call from Salome, a dramatic, desperate woman threatening suicide. A strange and hopeful connection is made...and then lost. A desperate Milla heads out into the bitter night to find Salome before it’s too late - but is her desire to connect with other lost souls as innocent as it appears?

What happens next is a shocking, gorgeous, supernatural twist that hits our three filmmaking tenants - horrible, beautiful, funny.

Want to know the twist? Support the film!

The Creative Team

The Filmmaker

Sarah Morgan is a British film and TV writer working in the US and UK. She began her career in TV and radio comedy. Sarah’s recent work includes writing episodes of the YA global smash hit GEEK GIRL for Netflix, and ROMANTIC GETAWAY for Sky.

She has created pilots for many major broadcasters and producers including APPLE, CHANNEL 4, BBC STUDIOS, SKY, FX, UCP/NBC UNIVERSAL, FABLE, ITV, and CBS International. A lifelong lover of genre, she is the co-author (with Jordan Morris) of the Eisner nominated sci-fi graphic novel BUBBLE, and the creator and (g)hostess of THE FEAR podcast, a celebrity interview show about the overlap between comedy and horror.

As a film writer, Sarah was placed on the prestigious 2024 The Brit List - a list of the best unproduced scripts of the year as nominated by the UK film and TV industry. Her folk horror screenplay, LOVESONG is being produced by Andy Serkis' production company (The Imaginarium), and is described as “a love story about horror, and a horror story about love”.

She is currently working on various shorts as a writer-director, a sitcom about heart-break, and a screenplay inspired by the making of THE SHINING.

Producers

Charlie Catmull is a Development Executive in the TV & Film industry currently working at international production company Submarine, with a previous position at Gaumont UK. Most recently Charlie was an Associate Producer on six-part international thriller series THE KOLLECTIVE for HULU. Charlie is currently developing a number of short films alongside BAFTA-winning producer Bart Stanislawek.

Freddie Robarts is an independent film producer who also works day to day at production company Escapade Pictures, where he is currently in pre-production on a TV drama and in late stage development on a film with Studiocanal. His last two short films have played at festivals including BFI London Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Norwich Film Festival and Berlin British Shorts. 

Associate Producers 

Balthazar Nouveau is a Development Executive at Studiocanal. His previous experience includes working as a development assistant to an award-winning director and assisting Studiocanal senior executives, which has seen him work on films such as HOW TO MAKE A KILLING, PRESSURE, EVERYBODY WANTS TO F*CK ME, and the upcoming television series ARMY OF SHADOWS.

Ananya Kapoor is a Development Assistant at Motive Pictures, the London-based production company behind Guy Ritchie's YOUNG SHERLOCK and Booker Prize-winning Marlon James' GET MILLIE BLACK. Her production experience spans HETV and independent film across the UK, India and Thailand. She is passionate about telling authored, emotionally-charged & character-driven stories with international appeal. 

Casting Director

Catherine Garlick is a Casting Associate currently working with Amy Hubbard Casting. Notable work includes BLACK MIRROR S5 & S7, THE NIGHT MANAGER S2, HEARTSTOPPER S1, and the upcoming TIME S3 for BBC and WAR for Sky/HBO. 

Cast

We are currently working alongside Catherine to cast the lead role of Milla.

We are very lucky to have Susy Kane playing Salome. Susy is an English actress, comedy writer, and musician known for her roles in THE IT CROWD, BREEDERS, LODGE 49, and the feature film STAN & OLLIE. She is recognised for her versatility across television comedy, drama, and radio. 

Why are we making this?

Sarah has been a screenwriter for more than twenty years. As anyone working in film & TV knows, the industry right now is scared of risk, overreliant on famous names and familiar IP. The only way to break through as a writer/director is to make your thing, fearlessly, unapologetically, and take the risks they won’t. The upside of that is if you’re supple and can work within low budgets, you get to create whatever you want. No notes. 

Blood and Chocolate is a stand alone story, but also serves proof of concept for a full length feature exploring the characters and themes - like SAW, THE BABADOOK and THE SUBSTANCE, high-grossing horror films that began life as shorts.

But above all we are making this because short films matter. Short films are often a labour of love, a chance for all involved to prove themselves and tell stories that can sit outside of the usual commercial box. Short films are stories their creators are compelled to tell and provide a platform for the cast & crew to showcase their talents. 

We want to be really ambitious with this short and have our sights set on the UK’s leading film festivals, as well as competitions such as the Iris Prize, the world's largest LGBTQ+ short film prize. 

A note on location

BLOOD & CHOCOLATE is a story built around a distinct sense of style & place. Every location used represents a love letter to North London, specifically the 149 bus route from Dalston to Tottenham. It celebrates the history and diversity of London, its communities, its charm and its underappreciated beauty. From Poppin’ Chicken’s faded faux 70s glamour to the unique technicolour assault of Roller Nation, London's only dedicated roller disco rink.

The locations are as much of a character as our two leads, they’re vibrant, strange & wonderful - and they’ll sink their teeth into you. Every building and shop sign Milla passes on her journey into the night will reflect a century of change…

How your money is spent

Any money donated will be spent on making this short film come to life. Short films are a real labour of love for all that are involved, and we are acutely aware of the hard work and dedication all cast & crew will bring to this wonderful story, and as such we want to pay people as fairly as we can for their time.

There are also several elements of bringing BLOOD & CHOCOLATE to life that we know will need financial backing and help from YOU our amazing backers.

These include:

Location Hire (including a roller disco…)
Camera & Equipment Hire
Transport Hire
Filming Permits
Paying Cast and Crew
Set Dressing
Props
Costumes
Hair and Makeup
A Totally Normal Amount of Fake Blood
Catering
Music
Post Production
A Pallet of Chocolate Santas
Festival Submission Costs
And finally ....

A big thank you from the bottom of our hearts to anyone who can see our vision and wants to help bring this unique horror short to life. It takes a village to get a short film made and we can't wait to get started.