Indie
Feral Children Attack in Scottish ‘Citadel’
Bloody Disgusting was informaed that Citadel has officially begun shooting in sub-zero temperatures in Scotland with rising star Aneurin Barnard in his first leading role alongside the legendary James Cosmo.
The Irish/UK co-production is directed by hot new writer-director Ciarán Foy. The film features Aneurin Barnard (Ironclad, Hunky Dory, Guinea Pigs) in the lead role of Tommy, alongside Scotland’s finest, James Cosmo (Braveheart, Troy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Runway) in the role of The Priest, and Wunmi Mosuka (I am Slave, One Night in Emergency) as Marie. Co-stars include Ingrid Craigie and Amy Shiels.
“Citadel is pure terror. Packs of twisted feral children prowl the dark urban landscape of Edenstown, the council estate from Hell. Concealed beneath hooded tops, they attack innocent adults with septic syringes to harvest their blood and abduct small children to swell their ranks. Abandoned by the police, the small community that remains is plagued by the brutal and rampant gangs that few truly understand. Emerging at night, they are especially drawn to anyone showing fear – in fact they can see it and sense it.
When Tommy’s pregnant wife Joanne is viciously attacked, it turns his world upside down. Joanne is left in a coma. As a result of the trauma, Tommy suffers crippling agoraphobia rendering him housebound and barely able to look after their infant daughter Elsa. Trapped in Edenstown, Tommy desperately needs to leave.
Before he can escape however, Tommy’s worst nightmare comes true – Elsa is kidnapped. To save his daughter, he is forced to trust a vigilante priest who understands the horrific truth about the gangs. Tommy must now face the demons of his past by entering the one place that he fears the most… – an abandoned tower block called the Citadel.”
Citadel is shooting for 4 weeks, 3 weeks on location/studio in Glasgow and 1 week on location in Dublin.
Citadel A Blinder Films and Sigma Films Co-Production, is funded by the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, Creative Scotland, Section 481 and UK Tax Credit.
Citadel is Ciarán Foy’s debut feature film. A graduate from the National Film School of Ireland, Ciarán’s short film The Faeries of Blackheath Woods won nine best short film awards at international festivals. Citadel is a psychological horror, based partly on his own experiences of unprovoked urban attack and the resulting agoraphobia. Blurring the boundary between real-life experiences and a darker fictional world, Citadel is an unsettling, original and powerful story.
Citadel is produced by Katie Holly (Blinder Films) and Brian Coffey (Sigma Films). Executive Producers are Kieron J. Walsh, Gillian Berrie and David Mackenzie.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
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