Wexford gothic horror film gets world release
A HORROR film shot in County Wexford had its world premier release at the Toronto Film Festival recently.
‘ The Lodgers’ - which is set mainly at Loftus Hall on the Hook Peninsula - had its North American premier in front of a 500-strong crowd and its screenings sold out throughout the festival.
Loftus Hall owner Aidan Quigley and his partner Carol Tubrid returned home from the Toronto International Film Festival having attended the screening with the cast and crew.
‘ The Lodgers’ is set in 1920’s rural Ireland during its War of Independence and tells the story of Anglo Irish twins Rachel and Edward who are just about to turn 18. They reside in a crumbling manor on the edge of a village, where they have lived alone since their parents’ untimely death. Except they are not entirely alone – for they share the house with an unseen spiritual force which resides in the basement, known only as The Lodgers. The twins must live by very strict rules set out by The Lodgers, or face unknown and devastating punishments.
The film was hailed as being one of the stars of the festival and was compared to hit gothic horror ‘ The Others’ starring Nicole Kidman. ‘ The Lodgers’ cast, crew and Aidan engaged with the audience in a questions and answers session after the screening with the vast majority of questions focusing on the eerie mansion Loftus Hall. Veteran actor David Bradley (who starred in Harry Potter and Games of Thrones, said: ‘It is quite rare that one gets the opportunity to shoot in such an authentic location’.
The film was shot in Loftus Hall, which was celebrating its 666th birthday last year. Aidan said: ‘Loftus Hall is an incredibly atmospheric and cinematic location and we have long con- sidered it to be an ideal choice for a fictional ghost story. We are delighted that it was been chosen as the primary location for this elegant gothic horror and we were delighted to see the final result in Toronto.’
All of the film locations were County Wexford based and Aidan said this had been expertly facilitated by Wexford County Council’s Arts Department under the guidance of John Carley.
The locations included Johnstown Castle (lake scenes), Clongeen (village scenes) and the beautiful trails of Tintern (woods scenes).
The cast includes Deirdre O’Kane who won Best Actress at the 2015 Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) for Noble; Moe Dunford, who was Ireland’s EFP Shooting Star at the 2015 Berlinale, and won best actor at the IFTAs and ECU European Independent Film Festival for Patrick’s Day; Roisin Murphy who was nominated for Best Actress at the 2013 IFTAs for What Richard Did; and with emerging stars Charlotte Vega, Eugene Simon, Bill Milner and David Bradley (of the Harry Potter films).
Director Brian O’Malley won the BAFTA/LA Award for Excellence - Honourable Mention at the Aspen Shortsfest for his 2004 short Screwback. His feature debut Let Us Prey was a selection at the 2014 Edinburgh International Film Festival and was nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award at Fantasporto.
O’Malley said: ‘I am really delighted with the talented cast we had on board. I think they did a phenomenal job of bringing this world to life and translated the story to audiences in a really emotional way.’
The film’s European premier is on October 14, with January being anticipated for general release in Ireland. Aidan said there are plans for the film to be shown at Loftus Hall at a drive-in screening.
‘We hope to be bringing drive-in classic horror to Loftus Hall next year when we expect a surge of international interest from a very specific customer base of people who have an avid interest in paranormal, gothic and horror locations. Judging by the conversations that myself and Carol had with people at the premiere, travel and cost doesn’t seem to be an issue with three couples having made arrangements there and then in the movie theatre to come visit between now and Christmas.
The film is produced by Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde of Tailored Films (Ireland) and financed by the Irish Film Board and Epic Pictures Group (US).
Among the quotes from the reviews are: ‘Loftus Hall, reputedly haunted by the ghost of a 17th century young woman, serves as the film’s dominant character, a brooding stone edifice containing dozens of decrepit rooms with peeling plaster and a vast wooden staircase worthy of a Vincent Price horror classic. Each time the camera eerily glides through the entryway, it’s not hard to imagine that the building’s basement levels conceal some type of unspeakable evil.’ (Justin Lowe The Hollywood Reporter).
‘ The real stars here, handled with loving care by O’Malley, are Richard Kendrick’s gorgeous widescreen lensing and Joe Fallower’s superbly detailed production design. Both make use of exquisite locations primarily in County Wexford, notably the storied, purportedly haunted Loftus Hall (which celebrated its 666th year last annum). A mournful cello-dominated score by scenarist Turpin and two others abets the pervasive mood.’ (Dennis Harvey Film Critic Variety Magazine).