Midlands Review of Gallowglass
midlandsmovies • November 2, 2020
Midlands Review of Gallowglass
Directed by Ed Kirk
2020
Acamas Video
"A lone mercenary is hired to hunt a mysterious woman in the forest."
Lincoln-based filmmaker Ed Kirk releases the latest cut of his new medieval fantasy short film Gallowglass which promises mystery and intrigue in a forest from a time long gone.
A suitably old-fashioned guitar score opens the tale as we see a mercenary (Lewis Gemmill) take a knee at a small fire in a wooded plot. Staring into its dancing embers, we then cut back to a conversation in a tavern where another gentlemen (Marcus Houden) warns this ranger about a “lady in the woods” - somewhat reminiscent of an Arthurian legend.
Despite the mercenary’s reputation, he refuses the task put to him saying he’s no longer the man for the job despite being a “gallowglass”.
The gallowglasses do in fact have a real history and were elite warriors of Norse-Gaelic Scotland between the 13th and 16th centuries.
And here, the historical group is used as a jumping off point as this expert combatant is asked to help save a township, yet despite his initial reluctance we join him later on his heroic noble quest.
Once in the forest, we hear an ethereal voice and see a blindfolded woman (Ellie Pickering) who is unnervingly stalking our hero amongst the trees. With a dash of Galadriel and a touch of Melisandre, the solitary sorceress trope has been seen many times but gives this film an instant familiarity and connection during its brief runtime.
The costumes and design very much look the part and the widescreen filming and excellently balanced lighting gives the images a cinematic quality suitable for such a classical tale of yore.
Epic in themes but not in time (the fleeting short comes in at under 4 minutes), the film definitely leaves you wanting more as it weaves its web of mystery. But with a lot to recommend, and despite its rapid pace, this campfire fable will draw you in like the red-haired temptress of the film itself.
Michael Sales
Find out more about the film and filmmaker here: www.acamasvideo.com
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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