EXCLUSIVE: UK-French sales firm Alief has acquired world sales rights to Joseph Archer’s supernatural thriller Snapshot ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 15th and its berth at Frightfest London on August 31st.

In Edinburgh, the Victorian thriller is one of the films vying for the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. The film is about the 19th century inventor of the pinhole camera and has been shot entirely in a 1:1 circle aspect ratio to mimic this style.

The official synopsis reads: “Set in 1888, the year Jack the Ripper killings begin, an amateur inventor creates the first moving image machine to follow the work of an all-ladies ghost-hunting society who believe the gruesome murders across East London are not being carried out by a man, but a monster. Welcome to the Victorian world of misinformation, fake news and the sensationalist journalism of the era when fabricated stories helped to sell more papers.”

The film stars Tom Stourton, Cathy Wippell, Hazel Rogers, Lydia Helen, Nadia Lamin, Rosie-Bella Johnson, Ishtar Currie-Wilson and Freya Parks.

Producers are Archer and Cathy Wippell’s UK company Silicon Gothic. Minority co-producers and financiers are Germany’s Fieber Film, India’s TrainTripper and Canada’s Serge Cedrick Films.

Brett Walker, President of Alief, said: “Snapshot is a fun ride. A tale of ghost hunting, Victorian intrigue and fake news. Anchored by the seductive performance of the charismatic cast.”

Festival chief Paul Rudd previously described it as a “scary and distinctive film guaranteed to provoke, disturb and thrill in equal measure.”

“Thanks to the wild west of the internet, it’s easier than ever to make money from fake news,” commented Archer, who used to work as a newspaper journalist. “This is strikingly similar to the unregulated journalism of Victorian society. Through Snapshot, I wanted to create an entertaining genre film which highlights the dangers of the modern manipulation of truth.”

“We are delighted to be representing world sales of this topsy turvy take on genre tropes. Snapshot is a stirring blend of gothic noir; horror documentary and found footage stretching reality in an innovative way.  It’s a pleasure to be working with Joseph and his dynamic team,” added Miguel Govea, Alief partner.