North East horror anthology film, Lore is now available on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV, among others!
Four years after the initial shoot, the film launched on streaming services on October 21st, following screenings at numerous festivals and winning several awards, marking a milestone for regional filmmakers by bringing local stories to a global audience.
After premiering at Fright Fest, Lore secured distribution with Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment.
Lore is a collection of interconnected horror tales, telling the story of four friends who embark on a ghostly excursion, where their guide asks them each to tell the scariest stories they have heard, but little do they know, those stories would have major consequences.
The film features horror icon Richard Brake—renowned for roles in Rob Zombie films and Barbarian—who brings added intensity to Lore’s dark atmosphere.
Produced by Hartlepool-based Sea and Sky Pictures on a micro-budget of under £100,000, ‘Lore’ used the All Favoured Nations model, ensuring equal pay for all cast and crew, regardless of their role—except Brake, who received a higher wage.
Remarkably, none of the producers, writers, or directors took a fee for their work. Each creative was responsible for editing their respective segments, while Adam Bouabda, managing director of Sea and Sky Pictures, skillfully edited the final compilation.
With a budget allocation of around £10,000 per segment, Bouabda’s company provided cash flow for the production, with additional support from an investor and crowdfunding efforts. They are also claiming the film tax credit and have a minimum guarantee from their sales agent.
Adam Bouabda emphasised the importance of financial planning, stating, “Building a finance plan is key to success. You need to know where the money is coming from and where it’s going.”
Filming wrapped in just 20 days, with most segments shot in 2-3 days. This swift schedule became especially challenging as production took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the team to adapt to lockdowns and social distancing.
Adam Bouabda highlighted the importance of North East cinema claiming “real northern stories by northern people are few and far between.”
Bouabda discussed an industry trend called ‘Bigger, Better, Fewer,’ which prioritises large-budget productions and often sidelines smaller projects and independent filmmakers.This leaves grassroots filmmakers behind especially in underrepresented regions like the North East.
Before the pandemic film and TV was becoming accessible but due to huge budget changes “Writers, Producers, Directors and Heads of Department are always from out of the area, but these are the people we need to give the opportunities to tell stories that we actually care about.”
The launch of Lore onto streaming services will allow North East creatives to have their stories heard and give Northerners more opportunities for regional projects.
With Lore now streaming, Sea and Sky Pictures’ success will help pave the way for future North East productions, with other stories already in development and the potential for a Lore sequel being contingent on the success of the current release.