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Graduates scoop Best Horror Film at Cardiff International Film Festival

​​​A crew of University of Gloucestershire graduates has been awarded Best Horror Film at the Cardiff International Film Festival​, for their chilling short horror film, Wither.

Wither tells the story of a town acclaimed for honouring ancient folklore. The dark tale follows a young girl, who finds herself vulnerable to a sinister mythological farmer after failing to contribute to the annual tradition.

The original film was co-written, directed and produced by Ethan Evans and Jess Barlett, who led a crew entirely made up of alumni from the BA Film Production class of 2018. The project features cinematography by Robin Niedojadlo, editing by Nicholas Bendle and production design by Rebecca Curran-Hughes – and being part of such a close crew was clearly instrumental to the film’s success.

Jess Bartlett, Co-Writer and Producer of Wither, said:
“We’re so happy to see Wither doing so well. It was our first film out of uni so we brought together a really amazing crew of people we’d met on our course and we’re so proud of how it turned out. Winning ‘Best Horror Film’ at Cardiff International Film Festival just before Halloween was a treat!”

Wither has enjoyed a string of successes since its release, including Official Selection at 2019’s Arrow FrightFest in London and Telluride Horror Show in Colorado, USA.

Ethan Evans, Co-Writer and Director of Wither, said:
“It’s the best feeling to see Wither’s success in its festival run, a short we made on an extremely limited budget straight after graduating Uni. I couldn’t believe it when we were selected for Fright Fest and Telluride Horror Show – two festivals high up on my bucket list! Winning ‘Best Horror Film’ at Cardiff International Film Festival was also a surreal experience and I’m so proud of everyone who was involved – we couldn’t have achieved it without the support from the University and I’m eternally grateful!”

Upcoming screenings of Wither include Official Selection at HorrOrigins in Atlanta, USA and Unrestricted View Film Festival in London.

The film was made under Ethan and Jess’ new production company, Terror Arcade, focusing on creating dark-genre short films. Terror Arcade is currently in post-production on it’s latest original short horror film, Here, Boy! (2019).