Edwardian thriller to be shot in Leeds as award-winning filmmaker partners with Northern Film School
Written by a local playwright, ‘The Leaving of Lower Headrow’ will bring gothic drama to the city this autumn while providing vital on-set credits and industry mentoring to Leeds students
An award-winning filmmaker is set to shoot an eagerly anticipated gothic thriller this autumn, bridging the city's historic past with its next generation of cinematic talent.
Sam Judd will film his upcoming short, ‘The Leaving of Lower Headrow,’ across two weekends in October; the project is a direct collaboration with local writer and theatre-maker Lizzie Treadwell, adapting her monologue of the same name into a collaborative script.
Set in 1907, the chilling tale unfolds inside a Leeds music hall, following a young, ambitious woman named Eliza as she recounts slaying her menacing captor and tormentor, Bertram Thackley, before fleeing her humble Yorkshire beginnings for a new life in America.
Described as a ‘David and Goliath’ story, the film looks to blend dance and spoken word to deliver an intense narrative of hope and resilience.
The production marks a major collaborative homecoming for Judd, who is partnering directly with his alma mater, the Northern Film School and builds on the success of his previous short, ‘My Friend Orson Welles,’ which was shot at the school in early 2025 before embarking on a successful run at the Leeds International Film Festival and winning Best Actor at the Berlin Indie Film Festival.
With this new venture, Sam is vowing to pave the way for current students by ensuring over half of the junior crew roles on set are filled by Northern Film School talent, giving them professional credits and direct mentorship from industry veterans.
“I know how essential practical on-set experience is to your development as a filmmaker,” Sam explains. “One of my biggest regrets is not getting enough when I was younger.
“Knowing that we can help some entry-level filmmakers on their journeys is so rewarding.”
“No one should be excluded from the arts on the grounds of their ability”
Alongside student mentorship, accessibility remains at the very heart of the shoot.
Sam, who is a full-time wheelchair user himself, has committed to having a dedicated Access Coordinator on hand throughout the production to champion disabled and neurodiverse talent both in front of and behind the camera.
“No one should be excluded from the arts on the grounds of their ability,” Sam states. “I have dedicated my life to disabled empowerment through creative expression. That includes increasing disabled and neurodiverse talent both behind the camera as well as in front.”
Filming will take place across the Northern Film School campus alongside an additional Leeds location yet to be revealed.
To support the independent project and ensure the cast and crew are paid a fair fee, the production team has launched an official crowdfunding campaign ahead of their planned global festival run.
You can back the project's official Crowdfunder or follow 'The Leaving of Lower Headrow' on Facebook or Instagram for production updates.