Filmmaking senior lecturer’s award-winning film to be rolled out across UK cinemas
A critically acclaimed feature film produced by a Manchester Met School of Digital Arts (SODA) filmmaking senior lecturer will be screened at major independent cinemas across the UK next month.
Loran Dunn’s Hoard premiered last year at the Venice International Film Festival where it won four prizes including Audience Award and Most Innovative Film, and will make its UK debut on May 17th.
Described by The Guardian as ‘a haunting study of loneliness and thwarted sexuality’ and by Screen Daily as ‘unfettered, uninhibited and bracingly unusual’, Hoard will show at independent cinemas including British Film Institute (BFI) venues, Manchester’s HOME and Sheffield’s Showroom.
Dunn, Senior Lecturer at SODA, said: “It feels hugely exciting to be able to share Hoard with cinema goers across the country. This film has been four years in the making, crafted with a lot of love and sheer determination, defying expectations of British debut films.
“Hoard will provoke and at times shock, but ultimately, we hope it will immerse audiences and deliver a depth of emotion. It’s a ride, and isn’t that what cinema is all about?”
The film unflinchingly addresses childhood trauma and the way it can manifest itself in adulthood, following the life of main character Maria across two decades. In 1984 she is aged seven and living with her mother, where they create their own loving world – until one night, when everything falls apart.
The film revisits Maria a decade later when a stranger calls (played by Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn), bringing shared trauma with him.
Head of SODA, Jill Griffiths, added: “At SODA, every voice is valued, and storytelling is core to who we are. Loran’s work as both film producer and senior lecturer embodies our approach, connecting industry and art, practice and research, and teaching and learning, and shows how powerful this can be. This is a wonderful film, made by a brilliant cast, crew and production team.”
Backed by the British Film Institute (BFI) and BBC Film, Hoard was directed by Luna Carmoon alongside Dunn, Helen Simmons and Andy Starke as producers. Alongside the general release, a tour of preview screenings and Q&As with Dunn and other members of the cast and crew will be held during May including at Manchester’s HOME on May 9th, London’s BFI on May 3rd, Bristol’s Watershed on May 7th, Newcastle’s Tyneside on May 16th, and Sheffield’s Showroom on May 17th, and Nottingham Broadway (date TBC).
