Former Exeter University student's horror film to screen in city

Award-winning short horror film The Dead Of Winter will screen as part of Exeter’s Hell-Tor Festival this month.

A classic Christmas ghost story for modern times, The Dead Of Winter follows the story of Harry, who leaves a rough sleeper to die in the cold on Christmas Eve – and is haunted by a figure that may be a vengeful spirit… or his own guilty conscience.

Written and directed by University of Exeter alumnus Stephen Graves, the film stars Oliver Maltman (Operation Fortune: Rude De Guerre, Red Ey Beast) as Harry, Christina Cole (Suits, Strike, What A Girl Wants) as Chloe and James Swanton (Host, Lot No. 249, The First Omen) as The Figure, and is produced by Nicci Brighten of Superbright Pictures.

“We're thrilled to appear as part of Hell-Tor Festival,” says The Dead Of Winter writer-director Stephen Graves of the news. “As a University of Exeter alumnus, this is a particularly special screening for me, and I can’t wait to revisit my old haunts.”

The Dead Of Winter has screened at festivals including FrightFest, the BIFA-qualifying Brighton Rocks, and Norway’s Ravenheart International Film Festival, and won the Best Screenplay award at Hastings Rocks International Film Festival.

The Dead Of Winter was part funded by a cryptocurrency crowdraise through First Flights’ FF3 platform, with completion funding from Web3 streaming platform Entertainmint.

It’s one of the first completed projects from the emerging Film3 movement, which seeks to use decentralized Web3 technology such as cryptocurrency, NFTs and blockchain to reshape the way films are crafted, marketed, and distributed.

The Dead Of Winter will screen as part of Hell-Tor Festival alongside Dracula A.D.1972, on Sunday September 22 at 5:15pm.

Actor James Swanton, who plays The Figure in The Dead Of Winter, will be appearing at the festival in conversation with actor Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9) and actor and  film historian Jonathan Rigby (Barley Rectory), on Sunday September 22 at 2:15pm.

For further details and to book tickets, head to https://exeterphoenix.org.uk.