Indie Horror Film Shot by Lincoln’s Creative Talent

A team of young creatives largely made up of graduates and students from the University of Lincoln have completed the filming of their first indie horror film in a location just a short distance from where they studied.

The 20-minute short, entitled Deck of Many Horrors, sees an all-female cast led through an online game of Dungeons & Dragons that goes horribly wrong. The film was shot at locations in and around Lincoln including an Airbnb in North Clifton which was previously a nursing home.

Sam Renew, writer, director and producer of the short, studied at Lincoln for both his undergraduate and postgraduate degree, crediting the MA Media, Film and TV Production with inspiring him to seriously pursue scriptwriting. He chose to create a 50-page film script for his Master’s dissertation which he reflected on as an important milestone in his film-making career to date.

Sam said: “I’d like to say thank you to all the tutors that helped me during my MA in Media, Film and TV Production at the University of Lincoln and give a special mention to lecturers Jack Shelbourn, Phil Stevens and Ewen Glass who all helped make the creative process exciting and engaging.”

The crew for Deck of Many Horrors was primarily formed of fellow former classmates, contacts from other year groups that they met through the University’s Lincoln School of Film, Media and Journalism and current students, demonstrating the ongoing networking and collaborative opportunities that exist between students and alumni.

Cody Nichols, a third-year undergraduate Film Production student at the University, who acted as sound recordist on the film, commented: “Working on Deck of Many Horrors was an exciting and inspiring experience that has granted me invaluable on-set knowledge that I hope will help me as I progress with my career.

“It was amazing to see what people who have taken the same course as me have been able to achieve with the skills they have learnt.”

The team persevered through challenges associated with the Covid-19 lockdowns followed by changes to the budget which required them to restart production with a brand-new story in 2022.

When reflecting on the team’s dynamic, Sam commented: “It was all about the chemistry on set with some of the people who I worked with on my Master’s degree who have become good friends. The fact we are on this journey together is special to me. We’ve had long filming days but it’s been very fun.”

Featuring an LGBTQ+ relationship, the film champions inclusivity in an organic approach that complements the characters being portrayed. The female friendship group includes game master Grace (played by Morag Davies) and her girlfriend Rosie (Leona Clarke), Mia (Natasha Killip), Katherine (Camile Reid), and Naomi (Ashleigh Aston).

Out of 18 crew members, 13 have connections with the University of Lincoln: six as current students and seven as alumni.

Deck Of Many Horrors will be released during the film festival run this autumn. Sam aspires to showcase it at events including Raindance, Screamfest Horror Film Festival, British Horror Film Festival, and Lincoln’s Indie Lincs International Film Festival.