Film adaptation of Preston novelist’s book to be shown at London Film Festival

A film based on a book by a Preston novelist has been selected to be shown at London Film Festival.

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley was recently turned into a film by director and screenwriter Daniel Kokotajlo.

The book is described as an atmospheric and unsettling story of the depths of grief found in an ancient farm in northern England.

On allowing his book to be adapted for the big screen, Andrew said: “It comes with mixed feelings, but I had a long talk with Daniel before he began work on the film and found that we had a mutual fascination with folk horror, particularly the work of Nigel Kneale, so I knew that he ‘got’ what Starve Acre was.

“I came away very confident that he would do the novel justice on the screen and he has. It’s dark and intensely unsettling. He’s really brought out the strangeness of the northern moorland landscape.”

Starve Acre will be shown as one of the official In Competition films at the London Film Festival on 12 October. This follows a showing at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year as one of the British Film Institute’s Great Eight.

The film stars ex Doctor Who, Matt Smith, and Morfydd Clark, who is best known for the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Andrew said: “The fact Starve Acre has been selected to be shown at the London Film Festival is testament to the job Daniel has done of adapting the novel for the screen.

“I’ve been blessed that there’s such a great cast in the film. I’m a huge admirer of Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark. They are perfect for the roles of Richard and Juliette.

“Hopefully, if it does well at the London Film Festival, it will be shown nationwide, which will be brilliant. More than anything, I just want people to see the film now.”

Andrew was born and grew up in Preston. After living for some time in Manchester and London, he returned about 20 years ago and wrote his first novel, The Loney.

The atmospheric horror went on to win the Costa first novel award in 2015 and book of the year at the British Book Industry awards in 2016.

Andrew followed up with a second book, Devil’s Day, and is in the process of finishing off his next novel, which should be out next year.