Medieval thriller set in Darwen to premiere at film festival

Red Earth Road Film Festival was founded by Harry Paterson to give local filmmakers access into the industry and spotlight the breadth of talent Lancashire has to offer.

Harry, 21, of Darwen is a director, writer, and producer who focuses on social issues such as human trafficking and mental health but is determined to tell these stories without falling back on the same 'bleak and depressing' stereotypes commonly used in Northern films.

As a filmmaker, he is also passionate about diversifying the industry and making it more inclusive for aspiring creatives who don’t have access to big budgets.

Filmmaker and festival founder, Harry Paterson (Image: Jasmine Wilkinson / @j.a.w.droppingphotography)

The director of three feature films and 14 shorts said: “I wanted to put on a festival that was open to everyone because I remember being 12-years-old and not having anyone to hold a camera for me so had to just use tripods.

“I don’t believe restricting anyone because of their age or experience so that’s why I’ve made it free to submit your films and filmmakers can invite their family, cast and crew down to watch their film on a big screen.

“It costs a lot of money to submit your films to the majority of festivals and that’s impacted me so I didn’t want to close it off for anybody.

“I’m doing my best to make it an event that people will remember, and I’ll be there on the evening to talk about it.

"It’s hard to make contacts in the industry so I’m hoping this will give people an opportunity to network.”

The festival is taking place on Monday, October 9, at Lower Chapel in Darwen with Harry’s short film Mika’s Hut premiering on the night.

Behind the scenes shooting of Mika's Hut filmed in Darwen (Image: Red Earth Road)

Mika’s Hut is a medieval psychological thriller which follows a character battling with mental health issues, filmed in the moors and other areas around Blackburn with Darwen.

The film features Jenny Greenteeth, a figure in English folklore who lurks in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Harry, who wrote, directed, and edited the film, said: “One woman had a medieval looking stone building that she let me borrow for filming and another man helped me make a hut that the character would be locked in in the film because they were just happy to support something like this.

“The cast is full of actors from the area who were kind enough to help out because they’re equally as passionate about supporting local filmmaking.”

The premiere of Mika’s Hut will be part of the programme at Red Earth Road Festival next month. The event is from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are available to buy on Skiddle.