When eleven year old Neil descends into the woods in search of his missing brother, he discovers a truth that complicates his community’s accusations against his father. Freddie Bonfanti’s short film Treeline isn’t your typical horror. Whilst it may feature many of the genre’s attributes it does so in an urban setting, showcasing how the rural can infect the urban, and how nature is an omnipresent force. Aside from its horror aspects, Bonfanti’s film is also a family drama, concerning relationships within the familial unit and how individuals are affected by the actions of their relatives. It’s a brilliantly brooding short, which we’re delighted to premiere today. After watching, you can learn more about the making of Treeline by reading our interview with Bonfanti where he digs into the connection between folklore and city life, the collaborative process of working with Dylan Everson, his young protagonist, and the practical effects work that manifests in the film’s most unsettling moments.
As a fan of horror and human stories, Treeline is right up my alley. What was the genesis of the project?
The genesis of Treeline came from an unexpected encounter in the lower Epping Forest woods near Wanstead Flats, not far from where I live. While exploring off-trail, I stumbled upon a clearing with an abandoned tent and some scattered belongings. There were magazines, deodorant sprays, packets of crisps, but what struck me most were a pair of Nike trainers neatly placed before the tent’s entrance, an image that was both eerie and compelling.
When discussing the event with a local on another walk, I found out that it isn’t uncommon for runaways and homeless teenagers to find refuge in the local woods. This discovery led me to research homelessness among youth in the area. I learned that many young people between 16-24 use parts of Epping Forest for shelter, often escaping difficult home situations. A conversation with a 17-year-old at a local hostel, who told me they felt safer in the woods than in shelters, deeply affected me and influenced the story’s direction. As I continued exploring North East London’s suburban woods, I noticed recurring Green Man imagery in various forms; statues, mosaics, graffiti, even in place names as there is a Green Man roundabout in Leytonstone. This ancient symbol, juxtaposed with modern suburban life, fascinated me. I began to see connections between ancestral lore, our current culture, and themes of masculinity and nature.
Our goal was to portray a different kind of eerie atmosphere, one found in urban environments of buddleia and wet bricks, underpasses, disused railway arches, and petrol stations.
How do you see Treeline in relation to the horror genre, is that a term you align the film with?
I collaborated with author Gary Budden, whose work on English folklore and psychogeography I’ve long admired. Together, we made a conscious decision to diverge from classic British folk horror tropes. Instead of focusing on rural landscapes, we wanted to shift attention to the largest city in the UK, exposing the stark clash between wilderness and urbanisation. Our goal was to portray a different kind of eerie atmosphere, one found in urban environments of buddleia and wet bricks, underpasses, disused railway arches, and petrol stations. This urban folk horror approach allowed us to explore the tension between ancient folklore and modern city life, creating a unique backdrop for our story of masculinity and nature in crisis.
How much of a challenge was it getting the film, as a production, off the ground?
For the production, I was fortunate to draw on my experience as a lighting gaffer in the film industry and ask for as many favours as possible. I approached Producer Luke Tierney, with whom I’d previously worked, and he was intrigued by the concept. Through a combination of calling in favours and the generosity of friends in the industry, we were able to produce the film on a modest budget.
The technical aspects of the production came together thanks to the generosity of our industry connections too. In terms of the equipment, we were incredibly fortunate to secure most of our kit for free from our friends at Panavision and ProLighting London. My wife, Rachel Clark, who was also our cinematographer, was instrumental in helping to pull in these favours. It’s heartening how willing people in the industry were to support our project.
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It’s a short centred on these family members and their relationship with one another. What was the casting process like?
For casting, Lane Casting assisted us in our search for actors. The response to our casting call was overwhelming, and I remember spending hours going through tapes to find our three main actors. Interestingly, I had a gut feeling about Dylan Everson just from seeing his picture on the cast sheet, and he indeed impressed us during the recalls.
Location plays such an important role in horror. Where did you shoot and what were you looking for from your location?
We shot in Northaw Great Wood near Potters Bar, Leytonstone, and Crouch End, the very locations where the original concept for Treeline took root. While we had originally hoped to film in Epping Forest, it unfortunately proved too expensive for our budget. Our goal was to shoot at the beginning of autumn to capture the sense of transition between seasons. However, we faced a setback when our original actor had to cancel due to Covid. This forced us to postpone the shoot by a few weeks and find a replacement. I was concerned that our new dates in early November might be too close to winter, but fortunately, the leaves held on longer than expected that year.
This urban folk horror approach allowed us to explore the tension between ancient folklore and modern city life, creating a unique backdrop for our story of masculinity and nature in crisis.
We faced several challenges during production, particularly the last-minute casting change and the race against the seasons. However, these obstacles ultimately contributed to the film’s authentic and gripping atmosphere. I remember nervously checking the trees every morning, worried about losing our autumnal setting! We completed the shoot in three intense days. The editing process took place over the following winter, and by May, we were ready to hand the film over to Composer CJ Mirra, who created a fantastic score for us.
Did the film change or evolve at all during post?
The post-production phase was crucial in bringing Treeline to life visually. We were incredibly fortunate to work with Harbor and their senior colourist, Jateen Patel. Their contribution was essential in achieving the distinctive look of Treeline. Jateen’s expertise in colour grading helped us enhance the film’s atmosphere, emphasising the tension between the urban environment and the encroaching wilderness. The support from Harbor and Jateen’s skilful work were instrumental in realising our vision and elevating the visual storytelling of Treeline. Treeline is a project that feels close to my heart, it being my first film as director. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve created and grateful for the opportunity to share it with a wider audience through Directors Notes.
How was it working with Dylan and establishing the character of Neil?
Treeline was Dylan’s first short film. He came through Lane Casting and was incredibly excited to play the role. We spent a few days with Bruno Cyran, who plays Vincent, shooting smartphone footage in Epping Forest. I wanted them to meet and bond for a day and to give them a sense of the locations and story before the shoot proper. He fully absorbed the script and story and often gave me great insights about his character. It’s been a long time since I was an eleven year old boy, things have changed a lot since then.
They always tell you never to do VO in shorts, but from a writing perspective, it was very important to introduce an unreliable narrator with a unique POV.
The recording session for his voice over was quite stressful, I couldn’t afford the recording studio for more than half a day, so we had to make sure we got his voice over in a very short period of time. They always tell you never to do VO in shorts, but from a writing perspective, it was very important to introduce an unreliable narrator with a unique POV. Dylan came in that morning and nailed it, I was really impressed by his versatility and composure knowing the time limitations we had.
With Treeline being your first short as a director, I’m curious to know what you learnt in the process of making the film that you’ll carry into your next directorial project.
I worked in the film industry as an electrician and gaffer for fifteen years. I’ve seen great directors and producers at work on a huge gamut of projects: major motion pictures, high-end commercials, indie films and TV dramas. I have seen them succeed, wing it and fail from up close. As field experience, it was invaluable. In a way that I hope does not sound too far-fetched and arrogant, directing felt familiar and natural, even though I was terrified to be taking the hot seat at first! The biggest lesson from Treeline was post production, which is something I’d never done before.
And with that in mind, what is next for you?
I directed another short film called Two Places at Once and I’m outlining two feature films. I would love to do more. It’s a saturated market, but with Hollywood and the major studios on the edge of the parapet, with competing tax breaks for features here in the UK, I think there is scope for bold and engaging stories to succeed. I’m optimistic.