Elderly Male and Young Female Actor for Lead Role in Short Horror Film

Maggie is an intelligent horror tapping into the social issue of loneliness amongst an ageing population. It sits alongside the contemporary resurgence of films that explore horror through atmosphere and dread rather than shocks and gore — Midsommar, Get Out, Possum, Saint Maud. We aim to produce a compelling film that uses horror to ask questions of the surge in loneliness and the marginalisation of older people. (We also aim to scare — the first producer we approached turned the project down because she was so frightened by the script...)

Given the necessity of social distancing around coronavirus, it's worth noting that this is a one-location short with two actors and a relatively small crew. The location will be ventilated and all crew working within industry recommendations.

Director James Kennedy has directed commercials, music videos and short films for 15 years, working with some of the world's biggest brands including Disney, DreamWorks and Hilton. His most recent short, CTRL Z, played in 23 international film festivals and won nine awards. He currently has a TV pilot under option.

Writer Simon Sylvester has recently moved to screenwriting after a decade working in prose, where his novel The Visitors won The Guardian Not The Booker prize. Three of his short films are currently in pre-production, including one in funded development.