What are we raising funds to do?

We are making a short, psychological horror film which tackles themes of guilt, justice and identity in modern Britain with a particular focus on the immigration system. Think recent thought-provoking chillers such as His House, Relic and Saint Maud as well as classic ghost stories such as The Woman In Black, seen through a lens of social realism and channeling a documentary-style immediacy to explore modern-day cultural anxieties.

Our story centres around the fractured bond between Yara, a young migrant and Adrian, an older married man she confides in when she arrives in the UK. As Yara tells the story of her time in the country, Adrian returns to a place they held dear in the hope of burying the past once and for all. Fate will bring them back together as Adrian is troubled by disturbing visions which force him to confront his part in Yara's story. Will these demons allow him to forget what he has done? The past won't stay submerged forever.

Remnants will be immersive and atmospheric as well as visually and sonically striking. It will pack a real emotional punch whilst creating food for thought. The film will be a hymn to the changing Northern English countryside and one which builds to a truly memorable, eerie and cathartic climax. The film aims to convey the very important message that confronting and discussing social anxieties is not something which we can easily run away from.

Where did the project come from?

Two years ago, life-long horror fan Chris Boyd stumbled upon the story of the drowned village of Derwent, a small area of Derbyshire which was submerged in the 1940s to make way for a reservoir of water. Around the same time, disturbing trends in tabloid media continued to emerge, fueling unfounded anxieties around immigration in the UK and stirring tensions in a country already torn apart by its exit from the European Union. The story of the drowned village provided the perfect backdrop to explore these issues and those around the notion of fairness, something the UK has previously prided itself on. Horror cinema has always been able to make serious political and social points whilst still thrilling its audience. It is therefore exciting to bring this timely and haunting story to film fans.

Who are we?

Our cast and crew have been drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds and we are proud to be able to bring their shared experience and knowledge together to create a film which acts as a talking point as well as a satisfying and emotive piece of genre cinema.

Chris Boyd (writer-director)

Chris was born in Derbyshire and studied journalism at The University of Sheffield. Over the last ten years, he has supported publicity for independent and foreign language cinema in the UK. He is the writer of the Slow Death trilogy, short films about his time spent performing in the UK stand-up comedy scene, which screened as part of London Short Film Festival. His recent short documentaries Perfectionery (Sheffield Shorts Film Festival/Spirit of Independence Film Festival 2020) and Haxey Hood (Bolton Film Festival 2020) have both focused on small-knit communities in the north of England.

Jakob Lewis Barnes (producer)

Founder of independent film production company JumpCut Studios, Jakob has experience in many areas of filmmaking, from writing and directing, to more prominently now, producing. This will be Jakob's eighth production credit to date and he will bring a penchant for dark and disturbing films to the creative table on this project, as well as a drive for supporting Northern talent in the industry.

Emma Leah Golding (star)

Yorkshire based actress Emma brings a wealth of on-screen experience with credits in British soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale. Her immense talent, and even bigger passion for the craft of acting and filmmaking, make her the perfect collaborator for such an important and delicate role. Coming from a family of immigrants herself, this story is close to Emma's heart and she more than most, understands the gravity of this project.

Darshan Gajjar (director of photography)

A soon-to-be graduate of Sheffield Hallam University, Darshan is a young, up-and-coming talent in the realm of photography and cinematography in the North. Having worked with cameras since a very young age, Darshan brings the same level of experience and knowledge as others many years older, as well as a vibrant and adventurous filmmaking style. 

How are we going to make it happen?

A two-day shoot on location in the Peak District National Park is mapped out for June/July 2021, with the location’s stark but beautiful landscape being integral to telling the story of Adrian and Yara’s story. With minimal dialogue in the story, the focus of the film will be on strong visual storytelling through close collaboration with the film’s DOP and the marriage between sound and image to bring about a heady atmosphere, focusing on close-up, tactile takes and lots of natural light and a handheld shooting style.

Your kind donations will be split as shown in the chart pictured above, to ensure every aspect of our film is the best it can be. Our target for this crowdfunding campaign will allow us to fulfil all of our production needs and make this film a reality.

What have we done so far?

We already have a talented cast, and the main skeleton of our crew, including director of photography, camera assistants and sound recordist all assembled and ready to go. At present, we are looking at options to fill out the rest of the crew including hair and make-up and first assistant director, and given the outdoor locations, we already have locations selected to shoot. We are working closely with an editor and composer to bring the whole, organic project to screens.

In the meantime, our cast have begun researching the backgrounds of their characters to make their on-screen portrayals as rich, realistic and as three-dimensional as the script demands. With shooting set to begin at the end of June, we are also beginning to work on storyboards for the film, and schedule planning, to make sure everything runs smoothly, and that our collective visions align.

Risks and challenges

Due to the scale of this project, we are being very careful and planning our budget for any unplanned issues or costs that may arise during production. Our team is experienced enough to recognise that the nature of filmmaking is unpredictable - which is all part of the fun and the challenge - but with this, we have contingency plans in place for any eventuality. We also have an experienced crew who have worked on safe sets during the pandemic, so strict COVID regulations will be in place throughout the shoot.