Black Sunday Confessions – Sean Sears, writer-director of ‘A Screen in a Room’

Our Five Black Sunday Confessions series continues with animator, director and filmmaker Sean Sears, who brings his experimental psychological horror short A Screen in a Room to this year’s Black Sunday Film Festival. Screening on Friday 30th January, the film presents a deeply unsettling experience, unfolding entirely through a single monitor and unfolding at an ambiguous point somewhere within the last two decades.

Created with the help of his young son, A Screen in a Room explores themes of loneliness, paranoia and loss, using form and perspective to quietly amplify its sense of unease. For Sears, who hails from Essex and has worked extensively across television, music videos and film since the mid-2000s, the screening also marks a welcome return to the festival. His earlier short Wood previously played Black Sunday in 2018, making this new selection something of a homecoming.

Ahead of the screening, Sean Sears took part in Five Black Sunday Confessions, reflecting on creative beginnings, formative scares, and the collaborators he would most like to share a room with.

Sean Sears, writer-director of ‘A Screen in a Room’

1. Tell us about your film and what brings it to the Black Sunday Film Festival

A Screen in a Room is my experimental short film exploring themes such as loneliness, paranoia and loss. It occurs at an unknown time in the past 20 years and is seen entirely through one monitor. My 6 year old son (7 now) helped with the film and performed in it, which was a really fun experience. It was kindly selected by the Black Sunday team to feature at their Festival – my first short film (Wood) played at the festival in 2018, so it is really nice to be back.

2. What moment made you realise you wanted to create films, not just watch them?

From a very young age I always wanted to tell stories and loved watching films. Later in life (mid 00s), I studied animation at university, and knew in the first week of the course that I wanted to create for the rest of my life. I have been a professional animator and filmmaker ever since and am grateful for this.

3. What was the first film that truly unsettled you?

Probably Ghostbusters or Scream as I watched both films WAY too young, perhaps age 5 and 10 respectively.

4. Who would be your dream collaborator, living or dead?

Armando Iannucci or Larry David.

5. If your worst fear became a film, what would it look like?

Cliche I know – but probably my kids being harmed in any way.

A Screen in a Room screens at the Black Sunday Film Festival on Friday 30th January. Keep checking back with Love Horror for more interviews and festival coverage as our Five Black Sunday Confessions series continues, spotlighting the filmmakers shaping the darker corners of this year’s programme.