The first official trailer has today debuted for writer/director Daniel Kokotajlo‘s (Apostasy) brooding and atmospheric folk horror Starve Acre which received its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2023.
A House Productions Film, Starve Acre is written and directed by Kokotajlo, based on the eponymous book by Andrew Michael Hurly, and starring Matt Smith (Last Night in Soho, Morbius) and Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”) in the lead roles. The cast is rounded out with Robert Emms (“Chernobyl,” “The Reckoning”), Erin Richards (“Gotham,” The Quiet Ones) and Sean Gilder (“The Gold,” “His Dark Materials”).
Set in rural England in the 1970s, Starve Acre centres on Richard and Juliette’s seemingly idyllic family life which is suddenly thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character. At Starve Acre, their remote family home, archaeologist Richard buries himself in exploring a folkloric myth that the ancient oak tree on their land is imbued with phenomenal powers. While Juliette turns to the local community to find some kind of peace, Richard obsessively digs deeper. An unexpected discovery soon occupies the couple’s attention and dark and sinister forces, unwittingly allowed into the home, offer a disturbing possibility of reconnection between them.
The film is produced by Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Derrin Shlesinger and Emma Duffy. The British film was developed with BBC Film and is funded by Access Entertainment together with BBC Film and the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding. Kokotajlo won the IWC Schaffhausen Filmmaker Bursary Award in association with the BFI for his feature film debut Apostasy.
Starve Acre will release in US theaters theaters and On Demand on July 26 via Brainstorm Media and in UK and Irish cinemas on September 6 via BFI. To accompany the UK release, Kokotajlo has programmed a BFI Southbank and BFI Player season of films and television shows that have inspired and influenced him; ROOTS, RITUALS AND PHASTASMAGORIA, which will also include special events, will run from 1 September. A BFI Player, BFI Blu-ray and digital release of Starve Acre will follow on 21 October in the UK.
