Our mission is to spotlight the visionary womxn shaping the future of horror cinema. Through Fearless Frame, we celebrate the artistry, innovation, and diverse perspectives of womxn filmmakers who craft chilling tales, push boundaries, and redefine the genre. By amplifying their voices, we aim to inspire audiences and empower creators to continue forging their paths in the shadowy corners of storytelling. Throughout the year, we will be showcasing a womxn filmmaker in the horror genre each month!

LAURA JAI SMITH

WORK: GRAVID, 14 minutes, BODY HORROR, 2023

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Laura Jai Smith- She/her

SYNOPSIS: Amy and her boyfriend Johann agreed they didn’t want children but, when Amy gets pregnant accidentally she realises Johann has changed his mind. Fearing their relationship will end if she admits she hasn’t, she keeps her feelings secret. But then she discovers something far more sinister than a baby is growing inside her.

Themes: GRAVID is a visceral social horror exploring the fear of rejection and the desire to balance who we are alongside acceptance from those we love.

BIO: Laura is an award winning film and television director whose work was described by INDIEWIRE as “an intriguing marriage of the psychological and the visceral”. Her short films have been commissioned by the UK’s BFI and CHANNEL 4 and supported by the SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILM CORPORATION. They screened worldwide at festivals and on television. She is developing feature films with financiers including the BFI and has been selected for the CANNES FILM FESTIVAL’s FRONTIERÈS programme and THE EUROPEAN GENRE FORUM. She is a graduate of the UK’s NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL. Prior to this she gained a 1st Class Degree in Fine Art and exhibited as an installation artist and photographer in England and Europe.

STORY STATEMENT: The film explores deep human themes whilst also having a enough body horror to make audiences squirm and look away (and enjoy doing it!) The idea that women may not want children is only just starting to be discussed in the cultural sphere and cinematic portrayals are still rare. In reality 18% of UK women age 45 don’t have children so seeing these women on screen is important to truly represent our society. Likewise GRAVID portrays a man who wants children- something rarely seen in cinema where usually it’s the male characters that don’t want or are indifferent to having children and the women who want them. GRAVID combines the romance and horror genre to express the themes. When Amy reveals her secret to Johann, he seems to accept her- which is often the reward for the protagonist in a romance for being honest about themselves. But, then she learns that he has a secret too. This twist is an enduring trope of horror- just when the audience think the protagonist has escaped, the horror returns to get them. GRAVID represents a woman who doesn’t want children; Although high profile actors such as NAOMI HARRIS and RENEE ZELLWEGER are challenging the expectations around women wanting children, on-screen portrayals of this are still relatively rare. Behind the camera the writer/director and producer are female and the HODs are 80% female.

WRITER/DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT: GRAVID is inspired by my experience of being frightened to say that I didn’t want children because my partner did. At first neither of us wanted them but when our friends started having them I realised he had changed his mind. I feared saying I hadn’t in case our relationship ended. In hindsight I can see that he didn’t talk about his decision either. It was as if we both had secrets growing inside us. In GRAVID the physical manifestation of Amy’s secret is inspired by a medical phenomena in which a tumour made of human body parts can exist benignly for decades before having to be removed. In this sense Amy’s conflict with her partner makes her face up to who she is, but the reality has been inside her for much longer. During the film she realises she is in danger, not from her relationship ending, but from hiding her true self. I also wanted to portray a woman who doesn’t want children and a man who does as often in cinema it’s the other way around with female characters wanting children and male characters not.

PRODUCTION CONTENT:

• Make Up and SFX Prosthetics Designer Ruth Pease, BIFA nominated for her work on horror CENSOR.
• Casting Director Jemima McWilliams who also cast Bond film NO TIME TO DIE

MARGINALIZED VOICES INVOLVED:

• Women and Non-Binary Creators: Amplifying voices historically underrepresented in filmmaking.

AWARDS AND FILM FESTIVAL APPEARANCES:

• Premiered at Academy Award Qualifying HOLLYSHORTS
• UK Premiere at BAFTA Qualifying AESTHETICA
• WON BEST ACTRESS BIFA qualifying TWEETFEST
• BEST PROSTHETICS VANCOUVER HORROR SHOW.
• NO 1 in FRIGHT BITES: Morbidly Beautiful Magazine’s monthly horror short selections.
• Other screenings include: FINAL GIRLS BERLIN, LANDSHUT SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (Germany), ETREUM HORROR FILM FESTIVAL (Columbia, Mexico).

Blending romance with body horror, GRAVID unravels the quiet terror of hiding your true self. Amy’s journey is mirrored by a grotesque yet fascinating metaphor: a tumor made of human body parts, hidden and benign for years, until it can no longer stay buried. The film flips the script on traditional narratives of parenthood, presenting a rare perspective of a woman who doesn’t want children and a man who does.

Shot within one home in London, its visceral imagery and poignant storytelling, GRAVID scratches beneath the surface to reveal the vulnerability and danger of authenticity in relationships. It’s been hailed as “a deep reflection on secrets in human relationships” (La Radio Du Cinéma) and “an unnerving, intriguing look at parenthood” (VSM Movie Podcast). At its core, GRAVID is about facing the truths we fear, even when they might cost us everything.

Learn more about GRAVID here!