Horror movie filmed in Chatham being pitched at Cannes Film Market

The horror movie Fresh Meat, filmed in the old Chatham Jail, will be launched for international sales at the Cannes Film Market in France next month.

Chatham-based independent filmmaker Daniel Turres, who directed the film from his own script, is excited for the future.

He said what happens at Cannes, which runs from May 12 to 20, “could really dictate the momentum of where Fresh Meat deserves to be.”

His previous horror movie, Here for Blood, had a “fantastic run” on the streaming service ScreamBox, Turres said.

Turres is not able to go to France due to other filming obligations, but international sales will be launched by Studio Dome.

“Essentially, this is like telling the entire international market, ‘We have something brand new. It’s theatrical-worthy and it’s a slasher that’s going to compete against the current slashers of today,’” he said.

The goal of being at the Cannes Film Market is “to build some more noise for our North American sales,” Turres said.

There already are theatre bookings lined up in Canada and the U.S., he said, a big selling feature for Fresh Meat to other countries.

The Horror Collective, which Turres said is a production and distribution company that caters to independent horror films, has picked up the worldwide rights to Fresh Meat.

“They have a great catalogue of a variety of horror films and we get to be one of the biggest ones yet for them,” he said.

Turres said Fresh Meat is lined up for theatrical release in North America in November, but the number of theatres is still to be determined. Being at Cannes is a chance to “build some noise, get some buzz,” for North American sales, he said.

Turres also has been asked to pick a few cities where he’d like Fresh Meat to be screened.

“I made sure I picked Chatham to have its own screening at the Cineplex here,” he said.

Being from London, Turres added he also wants Fresh Meat to be shown there.

The movie follows social media content makers as they break into an abandoned jail to shoot footage they anticipate will go viral and make them famous. They encounter a blood-thirsty inmate, with an insatiable appetite for “fresh meat,” and mayhem ensues.

Fresh Meat already received recognition at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival, taking home the award for best special effects.

“Fresh Meat is by far the most violent film we’ve ever played,” said festival director and founder Kelly Michael Stewart in a media release.

Turres’ partner Whitney Archer, art director for the film, is excited by the attention Fresh Meat is getting.

“Sometimes it’s hard to believe we’re even at this point,” she said. “I think we’re both just in shock.”

When asked how she comes up with these gory concepts, she said, “It weirdly just comes naturally to me.”

The story line lends itself to a sequel and Turres said he would love to be able to return to the old jail if it is still available.

“It would be great to still incorporate Chatham,” he said. “I feel this movie being at the Cannes Film Market is a testament to what we’ve accomplished here in this small town.”

The signs are there will be more filming for Fresh Meat.

Turres said some distributors are not only asking for the film, “they are asking for the intellectual property, so that they can do the prequel, sequel, TV shows of it already.”

He added, “I didn’t think I would be at that conversation so early” with the film still to be released to audiences.