Lucy Foster is a name to watch out for. A writer and director, Foster began her work in theatre before making the transition into film. Last year, Foster was chosen as one of the finalists for Pigeon Shrine FrightFest’s annual New Blood scheme. The programme sees rising talent attend a pitching session with a variety of industry mentors. On the board last year were Jennifer Sheridan, Andy Nyman, and Tobey Poser. The experience gave Foster the confidence to dive into the world of short film and she is currently trying to raise funds for Santa’s Little Helper. Working alongside Crossroad Pictures who released Walking Against the Rain, Foster is hopeful that the short will lead to a feature adaptation of the story.
Set at Christmas, Foster pitches Santa’s Little Helper as a UK Yuletide film in the vein of Gremlins and Child’s Play. Here’s the full story pitch from the Kickstarter campaign:
Santa’s Little Helper is both a parent’s best friend – and their worst nightmare. A cute way to see in the Christmas season, Santa’s Little Helper is a festive gnome that sits around your house, watching over your kids and ensuring they behave… Or else risk being put on Santa’s naughty list.
This is the first year Carol is ‘doing’ Santa’s Little Helper for her daughter. It’s a massive faff, but every parent is doing it, so surely she has to as well? But Carol is shocked when she wakes up one morning to find the helper has moved all by itself. Santa’s Little Helper seems to have a mind of its own… with terrifying results.
Santa’s Little Helper is Inspired by the “Elf on the Shelf” craze, and the lengths that not just kids – but even their parents – have to go to these days to be “good” at Christmas.
As with any independent film, Santa’s Little Helper needs support; the Kickstarter campaign is live now and runs until Thursday 4th April. We spoke with Lucy to dig a little deeper into the project and find out exactly how horror fans can help bring Santa’s Little Helper to life:
Head to Santa’s Little Helper’s Kickstarter page for further information and pledge your support.
