Experiencing Interruptions?

The Parish

At the end of a meeting in a village hall, Joe tells Blake about a recurring nightmare he is having which takes place there. The dream involves them both and a mysterious figure at the back of the hall consumed by a ravenous, uncontrollable hunger.

But when Blake is forced to leave the building and heads to the place where Joe’s dream takes place, Joe finds himself faced with a nightmare that threatens to become reality.

It just doesn’t turn out quite how he thinks.

  • Matt R. Smith
    Director
  • Matt R. Smith
    Writer
  • Rhian Smith
    Producer
  • Alexander Cobb
    Key Cast
    "Joe"
  • Sam Parks
    Key Cast
    "Blake"
  • Matt R Smith
    DP
  • Rhian Smith
    Production Design
  • Joby Newson
    Camera Operator
  • Matt Baxter
    Gaffer
  • Alex Hyland
    Original Score
  • Matt R Smith
    Original Score
  • Matt R Smith
    Sound Design
  • Richard Reed
    Visual Effects
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Horror
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.19:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Raindance Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    June 24, 2025
    World Premiere
    Offical Selection: Nominated - Best UK Short
  • Fantastic Fest
    Austin, Texas
    United States
    September 20, 2025
    International Premiere
    Offical Selection
  • Torino Underground Cinefest
    Turin
    Italy
    October 1, 2025
    European Premiere
    In Competition
Director Biography - Matt R. Smith

Matt is a filmmaker from South East England with a background in experimental filmmaking. His early short films played at BAFTA-recognised festivals before he branched out into digital media, theatre, and artist filmmaking, with support from Arts Council England, The Arts Council of Wales, and France’s Drac Occitanie - Ministère de la Culture.

In 2020, Matt shot BUGBEAR, a no-budget short film that kickstarted his move into narrative filmmaking. His stories, often rooted in South East England, explore unsettling realities and imagined histories, blurring the line between what is real and what is fantasy.

Matt's approach to narrative is similar to his artist-films with a hands-on approach which sees him wearing many hats, including DP, sound designer, and composer. His latest film, NEW ATLANTIS, was backed by BFI, and he’s just wrapped up another short, The Parish.

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Director Statement

The Parish grew out of a desire to make something stripped-back, atmospheric, and very British - or at least the Britain that I know. We’d just finished another short and were in the early stages of a feature, and I wanted to create a film where atmosphere could really take the lead.

From the outset, it was conceived as an homage to David Lynch - particularly that diner scene in Mulholland Drive, which to me is one of the purest expressions of dread in cinema. Lynch’s passing earlier this year gave that influence a new weight. What began as a nod became, for me anyway, a way of saying a big thank you to the great man.

At the same time, I wanted The Parish to stand on its own. The location - a scout hut endlessly stuck in the 1980s, near where I live, and the casting of Alexander Cobb and Sam Parks were central. The scout hut is unmistakably British: proper on the surface, but decaying just underneath, like something out of a J.G. Ballard novel. The script was shaped around that space and the cast, allowing the building itself to become a third character alongside them.

The film was also a personal experiment in restriction: one location, a tiny crew of five, and a focus on performance. Together we built a central scene that felt alive, unsettling, and a little disorienting - like a dream you can’t quite hold onto when you wake.

The Parish is a small film, but it’s my attempt to capture that strange, half-remembered feeling.