Creative Writing lecturer co-writes new horror film set in Cornwall

Falmouth University’s Sound/Image Cinema Lab (S/ICL) and Creative Writing BA(Hons) lecturer, Craig Barr-Green, are helping realise a new horror film that draws on Cornwall’s coastal folklore in its exploration of obsession and human frailty.  

The Catch will begin production in Cornwall in March 2026 and is the latest film from award-winning director Jo Southwell (Call the Midwife, Echo, Deirdre). It follows a brilliant but obsessive chef who travels to Cornwall in search of the rarest seafood of all - a mermaid. As his obsession deepens, the line between myth and madness begins to blur.   

The film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ben Miles, Omid Djalili and Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton and is produced by Sara Gibbings, whose 20-year career has included working across the globe with the biggest broadcasters and platforms.  

 “Working with Falmouth University on The Catch has grounded this film in the spirit of Cornwall,” said director Jo Southwell. “Falmouth University’s creative energy and support from infancy will help to enrich every frame.”   

The screenplay was co-written by Craig Barr-Green who brings deep roots in Cornish storytelling to the project. He worked with his wife Emily Barr, a bestselling author who has written more than twenty novels for adults and young adults and published in more than 30 countries worldwide, on the script.  

Craig’s career spans page, stage and screen, and his acclaimed children’s books — including Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf and Gina Kaminski Rescues the Giant — have been shortlisted for major national awards including the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and won a UK Literary Association Book Award. His work is celebrated for its inclusive approach and bold reimagining of traditional narratives.  

“It’s a joy to see Cornish stories and landscapes recognised on this scale,” said Craig. “Working with Jo, my wife Emily, the producer Sara and Falmouth’s Sound/Image Cinema Lab has been a brilliant creative process, and I’m excited to see the mythology of Cornwall come alive in such an imaginative, contemporary way.”