S4C to air acclaimed horror film on Halloween night

The critically acclaimed contemporary horror film Gwledd / The Feast will be screened on S4C for the first time on Halloween night.

The Welsh-language film, starring Annes Elwy, Nia Roberts, Rhodri Meilir and Julien Lewis Jones is directed by Lee Haven-Jones and based on a script by Roger Williams.

Set in an isolated house in mid-Wales, the story unfolds over one evening as a wealthy family and their guests gather for a dinner, with a mysterious young woman bringing an unsettling presence to proceedings.

Gwledd / The Feast enjoyed a successful UK cinematic release in 2021 and was shown in festivals including BFI London Film Festival, South by SouthWest (SXSW) and Abertoir International Horror Festival.

The film recently won a 2023 BAFTA Cymru Award for ‘Best Photography and Lighting: Fiction’ and received a nomination in the ‘Best Sound’ category.

Full circle

Gwledd / The Feast is Lee Haven-Jones’ first feature film as director. He said: “Gwledd has travelled the world, I’m so glad that it has made full circle, returning to Wales to be broadcast on S4C on Halloween night.

“I’m inspired by what the British Film Institute calls elevated horror – which is horror movies with a message, with something to say. Gwledd isn’t a horror per se, it’s a revenge thriller, an echo horror, folk horror, there are surreal comedic elements to it.

“My mother couldn’t believe that such things had come from my mind!”

The film has received positive reviews in The Guardian and The Telegraph amongst others, with The Telegraph describing it as a ‘pristine piece of lightly satirical horror’.

Variety magazine, commented that ‘the chilly control of Jones’ filmmaking was enhanced by the pristine, deadened soundscape’.

The Hollywood Reporter, praised the film’s visuals, calling them ‘elegantly creepy’ and added that ‘splashes of gore and the novelty of Welsh-language horror should hold the attention of genre lovers’.

Roger Williams and Lee Haven Jones also recently joined forces for another critically acclaimed film Y Sŵn, which followed the story and fight to establish S4C in 1982.

Roger Williams said: “We want our films to be enjoyed by audiences in Wales and further afield. If the work is good quality, unique and bold, people will want to see it. Never mind the language.

“Lee and I don’t want to create middle of the road work. We want to tease, challenge and inspire with our films. This in our opinion, is the way to ensure a place for Welsh films in the cinematic world.”

Gwledd / The Feast

Sunday, 31 October 23.00

On demand from 31 October 06:00 on S4C Clic, iPlayer