“Fishbrain” the new body horror short film by London-based writer-director Max Vanderspuy, is set for its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 7th with a second screening on October 18th, both of which have sold out. The film stars BAFTA Children’s Award-winner Chloe Lea (“Katy”, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”, and “Dune: Prophecy”), John Henshaw (“Early Doors”, “Born and Bred”, and “Looking for Eric”), and Karren Winchester (“Ruby Speaking”, “Coronation Street”, and “EastEnders”).
When Ori (Lea) returns to care for her grandfather Jeb (Henshaw) in his isolated coastal home, the routines keeping them together begin to rot. Outside, dead fish blanket the shore. Inside, old resentments gather in the kitchen, the sickroom and the silences between them. As warnings go ignored and the sea’s contamination enters the house, Ori is forced to confront the terrible shape of escape.
The film, produced by Viridian Films and Daniel Panyko, pulls from titles like “The Thing”, “Under the Skin”, and “Eraserhead”, in order to tell a deeply human story. Writer-director Vanderspuy’s intentions were to explore body horror’s capacity to make pressure physical through food, skin, smell, water and the rituals of keeping someone alive. Alongside its screening at LFF, “Fishbrain” has already began picking up awards, having recently won the award for Best Production Design on a Short Film at the 2026 British Film Designers Guild.
Speaking about his inclusion in LFF, Max said:
““Fishbrain” began with an image of a coastline full of dead fish, but its real horror lies inside the family, at the point where care begins to feel like captivity. Having the film selected for the BFI London Film Festival is incredibly meaningful. I’m proud that this strange, salt-stained world will now meet audiences in London, and I am so grateful to the cast and crew who made it possible.”
Watch the trailer for Fishbrain below –
