A weekend full of scares kicks off on 24th October, as annual Sheffield horror festival Celluloid Screams returns to The Showroom Cinema.
Amongst the glut of scheduled gore and goosebumps is a screening of 7 Keys, the debut feature-length film by Northern writer and director, Joy Wilkinson.
To find out more about the film and the importance of independent film festivals like Celluloid Screams, Exposed sat down for a lovely chinwag with the filmmaker…
Hi Joy. Let’s start with the film itself. Can you tell us about 7 Keys?
7 Keys follows a boy named Daniel, who meets a girl called Lena. Lena finds out Daniel has the keys to all the places he used to live in London. She’s on a wild night out and wants to use these keys to explore those places in an intimate way, hoping for a kind of wild sexual encounter.
Almost like the seven veils, each location reveals something new about the characters, and they quickly realise they’re not who they thought the other was. It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse thriller, and you don’t know which one is more dangerous. At its core, it’s a love story, but with that added element of suspense – you’re left wondering whose life is at stake and whether love can save them.
In a way, the film also touches on how polarised we are as a society, especially with social media, where people rarely meet in the middle. It was about putting two very different people in a high-octane situation to see if they could connect and change each other.
Does the film lean into more traditional horror or is it more of a psychological thriller?
The seven keys act like chapters, each taking the story through different genres. It starts more like a rom-com, before shifting into suspense. By the sixth key, it’s turned quite dark. While it has horror elements, especially enough for festivals like Celluloid Screams, it’s more about building tension. Horror fans love it, and mainstream audiences have found it incredibly tense. That’s what I enjoy – creating a feeling that’s plugged into your spine, keeping you on edge throughout.
This is your first feature film, how was the experience of directing a full-length feature compared to your previous work?
I absolutely loved it and felt like I should have been doing it ages ago. But then again, maybe I wouldn’t have had the confidence I do now. I always wanted to direct, but when you’re young, it seems like an impossible job. I focused on writing for years, which you can do alone without always having to sell yourself. Once I started directing shorts again, it hit me – this is what I always wanted to do. You have to follow through on every choice you make in the script, and it forces you to think deeply about what you’re doing.
After doing a couple of shorts, I wanted to create a feature. Luckily, I had a script I’d written earlier that I initially thought someone else would direct. It had been through several versions, even set in the US at one point, but I reworked it for the UK with a smaller budget. We shot it in just 18 days, which was fast, but with the right team, it worked.
18 days is a quick turnaround! Were there any challenges with that timeframe, especially shooting in London?
Yes, it was tough. The film moves all over London, from council flats to penthouses. That meant a lot of unit moves, which are difficult to manage when you’re working on such a tight schedule. Every other day, we were moving to a new location. Even though it’s mostly a two-hander and a lot of interiors, those shifts in setting were important to the story.
How important is London to the film? Does the setting influence the story?
Absolutely. London’s contrast of wealth and poverty is key. The film moves from one extreme to the other, and in a city like London, you can turn a corner and everything changes – the atmosphere, the people, the architecture. It’s that feeling of a city that plays into the characters’ journey. The film almost gives you the opportunity to look out of your window and fantasise about being in different parts of London. It’s a bit like the idea of being addicted to RightMove and property porn.
The film premiered at South by Southwest. How was that experience?
It was an absolutely incredible opportunity for a first feature, and a British indie film, to get to premiere at South by Southwest. As a launch pad, that was immense. It then premiered in the UK at FrightFest and I just love that combination of South by and then FrightFest.
I always went to FrightFest, and they’ve got the best audiences; that horror crowd that really appreciates the genre. They’re the people, and it’s the same at Celluloid Screams, who keep film culture alive. They’re the people who seek out smaller films through word of mouth and that’s so important.
You’ve also just returned from the Dinard Film Festival, in France. How was that?
It was fantastic. It’s so different over there. The cinema culture in France is remarkable – they truly value it. You get this feeling like, “Oh, I could actually feel like an artist here.” Whereas, growing up in Burnley, you’d feel like a total twat calling yourself an artist.
What was Burnley like for someone growing up in the creative fields?
It’s a place of extremes – the best and worst of people all in one town. But I love it. It’s got a proper identity, and even if people go there to get soundbites for the news where locals say stupid things, it’s still a place with character. Coming from somewhere with a reputation is better than coming from nowhere. But it does take longer to call yourself something like a writer or a director. It takes time to figure out how it all works.
Do you ever feel imposter syndrome with that?
I don’t get it as much now, but it took ages to get over that. When I see young directors in their 20s calling themselves a writer or director when they haven’t done anything yet, I just think it took me 20 years to feel comfortable saying that. Even though I’d had things published and produced, there’s this voice in your head that makes you feel like you’re being pretentious or full of yourself.
Is that a Northern thing too – not wanting to blow your own trumpet?
Yeah, exactly. It’s not imposter syndrome in the sense that I don’t think I can do it, because I know I can. It’s more the Northern thing of not wanting to come across as arrogant or “up yourself.” In the film industry, though, you’ve got to do the opposite. You have to tell people you and your story are important and that it’s worth funding.
How do you feel about Sheffield and its creative scene?
Sheffield has this understated coolness. There’s a real community of filmmakers up there. You’ve got great cinemas, an incredible theatre scene, and people who genuinely love the arts. There’s also something about Northern cities and towns like Sheffield and Burnley – they’ve got a salt-of-the-earth quality. I think that upbringing gives you a real insight into life that you don’t get in London. It’s a community feel, and I think that plays into creativity.
7 Keys has had a great reception so far. What are your plans for the film moving forward?
We’ve just signed a deal with a sales agent in the US, and they’ll be taking it to the American Film Market in November. Hopefully, by next year, it’ll be available on platforms for a wider audience. I’ve always wanted it to reach as many people as possible. It’s not just an artistic film; it’s a proper genre film meant to be watched in cinemas or at home. It’s a film that on a Saturday night you could go on a wild ride with.
Finally, what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
I’ve got a couple of projects set up north. I’m really inspired by the landscape up there, and I think my next two films will be rooted in that setting. 7 Keys was a bit of a departure, being so city-based, but I’m excited to return to the moors and the more rural side of things.
7 Keys will screen as part of Celluloid Screams on Friday 24th October. The festival runs from 24th – 27th October. Tickets and passes are available here. https://www.celluloidscreams.com/tickets
