Night of the Living Dread

Insomnia is a brutal and unrelenting affliction, but for our talented director Ida Melum, it has been a source of inspiration for her work, The Night Of The Living Dread. Ida, a self-professed insomniac, drew on the countless hours spent wide awake at night plagued by negative thoughts, to create an 11-minute BAFTA-nominated animation that is equal parts chilling and charming.

Every frame of The Night Of The Living Dread has been meticulously crafted with flair, and the exceptional voice work, led by Jessica Dennis and Stephen Fry, is a true delight. Completed as a graduate project at NFTS, this painfully relatable and humorous animation encourages audiences to confront their own embarrassing demons.

We follow Ruby, a young woman who lies awake at night next to her colour-changing mood lamp and a stack of insomnia-themed books, listening to a man’s voice (Fry) guiding her through a sleep meditation. However, when a power cut interrupts her nightly ritual, Ruby is left alone with her thoughts in the deafening silence of the night.

The craft on display is simply dazzling. The Night Of The Living Dread is a magical and spellbinding journey that captures the extraordinary power of shame and its ability to inspire incredible creativity.