The Hollow Child
A troubled foster teen, Samantha, works to expose a dangerous supernatural imposter in her new family and rescue her foster sister.
Interview with Director/Producer Jeremy Lutter
Watch The Hollow Child on Vudu, Prime Video and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The Hollow Child was written by a good friend and long time collaborator Ben Rollo. We had made a series of successful short films and we decided to make our first feature. Ben and I make genre films with robots or monsters. I wanted this one to be a monster movie and Ben wanted to write about changelings. According to folklore, Changelings are evil fairies that replace people - mostly children. The Hollow Child is ultimately a character piece about a foster child trying to find a family. I made the film because I love story telling and the feature film is my favourite form of a story. I grew up watching them as a child and they seemed like magic at the time. I am very happy to have made one and I hope there are many more to come. We made the feature through a Canadian grant program called Talent to Watch, a fund to help first time feature directors make a first film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I make films for the audience. The Hollow Child is entertaining and above all else it's a good story. If you happen to like monster movies you are in luck because we made a monster and some cool practical effects. The acting is very good but don't take my word for it. The lead actress Jessica McLeod has won multiple awards for her lead performance, most recently she won at our European premiere at Fantasporto in Porto Portugal.
If you are in the USA the film is being released on most major VOD platforms and in select theatres on May 18. We are happy about that.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The Hollow Child is a story about family and what it requires to connect with other people. The lead character Samantha must stop being self destructive in order to save her step sister who has gone missing. I have a broken family and I have struggled with the same demons. How important is family in terms of personal identity? How far would you go to set the wrong things right? Do you have the courage to admit when you are wrong?
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Ben Rollo, the writer, and I worked on the script for a long time and it changed completely from the first draft. I find that this discovery creative process always seems to be the one I use. I have always hoped to find a short cut but so far that hasn't been the case. You need to put in the work to figure out the best version of your story.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
At our first public screening which was the Victoria Film Festival we received a positive review from the local newspaper but the reviewer mentioned the film having a slow start. I got a few more similar comments. I went back to the edit and made the opening scenes shorter. The film is better for it. The new cut is much better in terms of pacing.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We have screened The Hollow Child at quite a few film festivals - one was in St John's Newfoundland Canada which is the exact opposite side of the country compared to where it was made. I had always wanted to go to St John's so I went. The east coast Canadians loved the film and after the screening they told me all of their changeling stories. It seems to me that there is a strong belief in Fairies and Changelings in certain parts of the world. Seriously Google it right now. https://www.google.com/search?q=Changelings+stories&oq=Changelings+stories&aqs=chrome..69i57.41580j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
It's very fascinating. People have used Changelings as a reason for murder and to stop land development deals. They go right up to the current day.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I want more people to hear about The Hollow Child and hopefully watch it. As I said before we have our USA release on May 18. We have a deal with many other countries as well. Check out our website. www.thehollowchild.com Watch the movie!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We need you, the audience to help amplify the film's message. Word of mouth and social media sharing is the most powerful way to spread a message. Journalists, horror film websites and film reviewers we would love to hear from you
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I have always said that I wanted the film to play at theatres and that's actually happening. A dream come true. I love going to the cinema. It's the reason I became a filmmaker. I hope that people watch the movie and like it.
Would you like to add anything else?
We made this awesome cave in the film. You can check out some of the making of videos on our indiegogo campaign page
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-hollow-child-horror#/
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am developing a few new feature film projects - one of them with Ben Rollo The Hollow Child writer.
I have also recently finished a short film called Giltrude's Dwelling which we are featuring on wearemovingstories.com It's being promoted at Cannes by telefilm Canada and the short film corner.
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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The Hollow Child
A troubled foster teen, Samantha, works to expose a dangerous supernatural imposter in her new family and rescue her foster sister.
Length: 88 minutes
Director: Jeremy Lutter
Producer: Jeremy Lutter, Jocelyn Russell
Writer: Ben Rollo
Key cast: Jessica McLeod, Hannah Cheramy
Looking for Journalists, Audience
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHollowChild/
Twitter: @thehollowchild
Funders: Telefilm Canada
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
if you are in the USA find it on VOD on most platforms or in a theatre near you.