The highly anticipated award-winning British horror film, The Cellar, is dropping soon. This psychological horror plunges viewers into a claustrophobic nightmare as a young girl awakens in an underground cell with no memory of how she got there. With over 20 international awards and 9 official festival selections, The Cellar is already making waves in the horror community. It is known for its eerie visuals, unsettling atmosphere, and sound design. The film explores themes of trauma, survival, and the blurred lines between reality and imagination.
Jamie Langlands delivers a debut feature that cements his place as a filmmaker to watch. Horror fans, prepare yourselves—The Cellar promises to be one of the standout indie horror films of the year.
Indieactivity: How did you get into the film business?
Jamie Langlands (JL): I started out as an actor. From the age of 17, I trained at my local drama school, and shortly after graduating, I started getting roles in independent films, and then 20 years later, I decided to write, direct, and produce my own feature film.
How did The Cellar (2025) come about?
Jamie Langlands (JL): I was working on a concept short film as an actor in 1 of the locations used in ‘The Cellar’ and drew a lot of inspiration from this location, so I wrote a short screenplay and then a year later decided to bite the bullet and get it made. After shooting a 10-minute short, I felt there was more of a story that was made and hence decided to develop it into a feature film.
How much money did you raise before you started shooting?
Jamie Langlands (JL): When we 1st started shooting, I hadn’t raised anything, but I used the 1st day of filming as a proof of concept and set up an Indiegogo crowdfunder, and that’s when the budget started coming in from the backers.
How big was the crew?
Jamie Langlands (JL): The size of the crew increased over the course of the shoot. I think in total the crew is around 30 people
The Official Trailer for The Cellar (2025)
What disadvantages were there in the way you shot?
Jamie Langlands (JL): Because the shoot schedule was staggered and not in a block, a lot of the time was spent arranging the next shoot day based on who was available, which meant I had to rely heavily on the cast staying the same and not changing how they looked, etc., although the way the film worked out, it only meant I was relying heavily on the lead actress.
How did you cut it?
Jamie Langlands (JL): You’ll have to ask the editor that.
So how much did it actually cost?
Jamie Langlands (JL): in total it only cost around £6,000
When you finished it on tape, did you have a festival strategy?
Jamie Langlands (JL): Not so much a strategy but I did research certain festivals and their reputation and validity, etc.
Did you get good reviews at film festivals?
Jamie Langlands (JL): So far, all the reviews except for one have been positive. Although judging by the one negative review, I’m not sure they even saw the film, as it seemed they were reviewing a completely different film.
When did a distributor become involved with top-up funds?
Jamie Langlands (JL): No top up funds where needed
Did you change the film in the editing process, from the point of the screenplay?
Jamie Langlands (JL): I sat in on the editing process, and although nothing was changed from a story point of view in the edit, the story did take its own path during the filming process.
How was the film received?
Jamie Langlands (JL): So far so good
Did you get a theatrical release in the UK and US? How did that happen?
Jamie Langlands (JL): No theatrical release yet. It’s still playing at festivals in the U.K. and US, though.
Have you made any money from ‘your film’?
Jamie Langlands (JL): Yes.
Any words of advice for new filmmakers?
Jamie Langlands (JL): Set deadlines and stick to them or you risk never completing the film
Tell us what you think of the interview. What do you think of it? What ideas did you get? Do you have any suggestions? Or did it help you? Let’s have your comments below and/or on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
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