After spending several years working on short films and then assisting Leigh Whannell behind the scenes on UPGRADE, writer/director Natalie Erika James has made her feature debut with the psychological horror drama RELIC, which is set to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, January 25th.
Inspired by James' own experience when her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, RELIC tells the following story:
When octogenarian Edna inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay and granddaughter Sam rush to their family’s decaying country home and find clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence. After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she’s been clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. However, as Edna’s behavior turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her.
James wrote the screenplay with Christian White. The film stars Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, and Bella Heathcote.
James is hoping that RELIC will catch enough attention at Sundance that she'll soon be able to move forward with her second feature, a folk horror story called DRUM WAVE. James has again written the screenplay with White, and previously turned the story into a short film. The short followed
a pianist who goes to a remote island in China where she is forced to confront motherhood issues as the town holds its annual fertility festival.
The feature, budgeted at $8 million, will move the setting to Japan.
Given the backing that RELIC has, it shouldn't be too hard for James' second feature to gather its $8 million and reach the hoped-for production start of early 2021. The director has already gained the attention of some major names: RELIC was produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw, and Riva Marker, with Mike Larocca, Todd Makurath, Wang Zhongjun, Wang Zhonglei, Hu Junyi, and AVENGERS: ENDGAME directors Joe and Anthony Russo serving as executive producers.
DRUM WAVE will be produced by James, McLeish, and Shaw. They're currently in talks with potential Japanese co-producers.
Co-funded by Screen Australia and Film Victoria, RELIC will be distributed by Umbrella Entertainment.
Mortimer recently co-starred with Gary Oldman in MARY