Treeline (Short Film) – British Horror Film Festival 2023

Short Film: Treeline

Writer / Director: Freddie Bonfanti

Runtime: 12 minutes

Short Film Rating: 6.3 / 10

Treeline, written and directed by Freddie Bonfanti, is the epitome of British folk horror. A young boy, Neil (Dylan Everson) is desperate to find his missing brother Vincent (Bruno Cyran). Tensions are rife at home, with many people accusing his father (Nick Bartlett) of being involved in the disappearance, so Neil is intent in finding the truth, by venturing out into the local woods each day for evidence.This is a slow-paced storyline, utilising a myriad of beautifully gentle shots in the forest that juxtapose nicely against the dark, sad storyline. Most of these shots, are combined with Neil’s voiceover, rather than dialogue between the actors, which work really well to immerse you into the fantasy-style aspect of the film. The viewers are taken on the search with him as he searches through the woods – finally stumbling on what he was looking for, but not quite expecting what he finds. The tone becomes more eerie as the short film progresses, still capturing the essence of sadness from the family, encompassing a dark fairytale-esque atmosphere throughout.