‘Marama’ Sets English Premiere at Grimmfest Ahead of UK Cinema Run

A young Maori woman arrives in Victorian England expecting a new life and instead finds herself surrounded by the trophies of colonial violence in Marama, Taratoa Stappard’s gothic horror, which will screen at Grimmfest ahead of its UK and Ireland cinema release this December.

The film will play at Odeon Great Northern in Manchester on Saturday 10 October, where it will receive its English premiere. Vertigo Releasing will then bring the film to cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 11 December.

Set in 1859, Marama follows Mary Stevens, played by Ariana Osborne, who reaches Whitby after a 73-day journey from New Zealand only to discover that the man she expected to meet has died.

With few options available to her in an unfamiliar country, Mary accepts a position as governess in the household of Sir Nathaniel Cole, a wealthy landowner played by Toby Stephens. Cole’s fortune was built through South Seas whaling, and his imposing country home gradually reveals another disturbing side to his relationship with the region Mary has left behind.

Among his possessions is an obsessive collection of Maori cultural artefacts. As Mary becomes increasingly aware of the significance of what surrounds her, the polite surface of the household begins to fall away and the full implications of Cole’s wealth, interests and colonial history come into focus.

Written and directed by Stappard, Marama uses the architecture and conventions of Victorian gothic fiction to confront questions of cultural theft, identity and colonial exploitation. Grimmfest has highlighted the film’s relationship with works such as Jane Eyre, Rebecca and Wide Sargasso Sea, while praising the way Stappard repurposes familiar period-drama imagery from a distinctly Maori perspective.

The film stars Osborne alongside Stephens, Umi Myers, Erroll Shand and newcomer Evelyn Towersey. Stephens is known for roles including Die Another Day and Black Sails, while Myers previously appeared in Bob Marley: One Love.

Marama marks Stappard’s feature directing debut and has already travelled extensively on the international festival circuit. The film premiered at Toronto International Film Festival before going on to screen at events including Sitges and Fantastic Fest.

That international run now brings the film to Manchester, offering Grimmfest audiences an early chance to see Stappard’s blend of period drama, gothic horror and historical reckoning before its theatrical release later in the year.

Marama screens at Grimmfest 2026 at Odeon Great Northern, Manchester, on Saturday 10 October at 4.45pm, before opening in UK and Ireland cinemas through Vertigo Releasing on 11 December 2026. Grab your tickets now for Grimmfest from: grimmfest.com/

Marama trailer