Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.

Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.

Introduction

In an exciting wave of UK cinematic releases, Shepka Productions is set to unveil two compelling films that tackle intense and thought-provoking themes. First up is the gritty thriller Dead Before They Wake, arriving on Digital Platforms in the UK on January 27th, which explores the dark realities of human trafficking through the eyes of a determined nightclub bouncer.

Following closely is the unsettling gothic horror The Baby in the Basket, debuting on February 17th, that plunges viewers into a chilling narrative set against the tumultuous backdrop of World War II. Both films promise to deliver gripping stories and notable performances, marking a significant moment for UK indie filmmaking. With powerful premises and a talented cast, audiences can expect to be both entertained and challenged by these new offerings from Shepka Productions.

 Dead Before They Wake.

Shepka Productions  Announce Two New Movies.  Dead Before They Wake.
Shepka Productions  Announce Two New Movies.  Dead Before They Wake.
Shepka Productions  Announce Two New Movies.  Dead Before They Wake.
Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.

Shepka Productions have announced the UK release of the brutal, topical thriller, Dead Before They WakeThe feature will be available to rent or own on Digital Platforms in the UK from January 27th and is available to download in the US now.

Based on true events, the film follows nightclub bouncer Alex who is hired by a retired lawyer to track down a missing teenaged girl, suspected of being snared by a trafficking ring, and to bring her home no matter what it takes.

Dead Before They Wake stars Nathan Shepka (Lock & Load, The Baby in the Basket), Grace Cordell (Cara), Manjot Sumal (The Last Bus, hit BBC sitcom Scot Squad), Kareem Nasif (The Job). Also starring Dr Who legend Sylvester McCoy (The Hobbit trilogy, The Munsters) and Patrick Bergin(Sleeping With the Enemy, Patriot Games). The film features an original score by Academy Award winning composer Joseph Renzetti and is directed by Andy Crane and Nathan Shepka.

Producer Nathan Shepka commented: “We wanted to base the film on real events and researched how UK sex trafficking gangs operate to give the film a grounded sense of reality. It is important to highlight what goes on every day and can often by ignored by the mainstream. We don’t feel any studio would have taken on the story in this way, it is likely to be a divisive and controversial portrayal. Ultimately there still has to be a pay-off for the audience; the film culminates in a brutal revenge-driven showdown.”

Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.  Dead Before They Wake.
Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.

Dead Before They Wake is directed by Andy Crane and Nathan Shepka. The film features an original score by Academy Award winning composerJoseph Renzetti and is produced by Nathan Shepka.

 Dead Before They Wake.

The film had its US release on 7th January

Dead Before They Wake will be available to own or rent on digital download in the UK from 27th January

Pre-order on iTunes


Distributed By: High Fliers Films (UK)
Release Date: 27th January 2025Formats: Digital
Short Synopsis: Based on true events, Dead Before They Wake follows nightclub bouncer Alex who is hired by a retired lawyer to track down a missing teenager girl, suspected of being snared by a trafficking ring and bring her home no matter what it takes.
Directed By: Nathan Shepka and Andy Crane
Cast: Nathan Shepka, Grace Cordell, Manjot Sumal, Kareem Nasif, Sylvester McCoy, Patrick Bergin
Run Time: 108 mins
Cert: 18

The Baby in the Basket

The Baby in the Basket
Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies.

Shepka Productions, in partnership with Flickering Myth, are delighted to announce the release of new chilling, gothic horror The Baby in the Basket. The feature will be available on Digital in the UK and USA, and on DVD in the UK only from February 17th.

The Baby in the Basket features a stellar cast of horror favourites including Amber Doig-Thorne (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey), Michaela Longden (How to Kill Monsters), Elle O’Hara (Cara), Lisa Riesner (No Dogs Allowed) and Nathan Shepka (Dead Before They Wake). Also starring veteran British talent Annabelle Lanyon (Legend), with Maryam d’Abo(The Living Daylights) and Paul Barber (The Full Monty).
 

It’s 1944 and World War Two rages on. The sisters of St. Augustine’s, a convent on a remote Scottish island, are preparing for an incoming storm. One night a cloaked figure leaves a baby in a basket and disappears, never to be seen again.

The nuns take in the boy, and agree to look after him until the storm passes when they will take the child to the mainland for permanent care. However, after a night under their watch, unsettling things begin to happen with the newest addition to the convent. Sister Agnes (Amber Doig-Thorne) suspects the child is the spawn of Satan, causing her to be locked away for fear that she’s been driven mad by the isolation.

Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies. The Baby in the Basket
Shepka Productions Announce Two Powerful New Movies. – The Baby in the Basket

But increasingly strange occurrences lead the sisters to question their faith and everything they believe, they wonder has Sister Agnes fallen victim to the desolation of the remote island setting or was there really weight in her suspicions?

The Baby in the Basket is directed by Nathan Shepka and Andy Cranefrom a script written by Tom Jolliffe (Cinderella’s Revenge, Renegades).

The film is produced by Shepka Productions, Flickering Myth, and Hidden Ridge Productions, in association with Jolliffe Productions andNerdly UK.

The Baby in the Basket

The Baby in the Basket will be available to own or rent on digital download in the UK and US and to own on DVD for the UK from 17th February

Pre-order your UK copy of the DVD on Amazon or HMV

Official Website

 Distributed By: High Fliers Films (UK), Alarm Pictures (US)
Release Date: 17th February 2025Formats: Digital in US and UK, DVD in UK
Short Synopsis: When a baby is left on the steps of an isolated monastery, on a remote Scottish island during WWII, the nuns take it in, planning to care for it until a storm passes. Soon though, strange and unexplained events begin to happen at the convent.
Directed By: Nathan Shepka and Andy CraneWritten By: Tom JolliffeProduced By: Gary Collinson (Flickering Myth), Sanatan Kadakia (Hidden Ridge Productions)
Cast: Amber Doig-Thorne, Michaela Longden, Elle O’Hara, Lisa Riesner, Nathan Shepka, Maryam d’Abo, Paul Barber, and Annabelle Lanyon
Run Time: 100 mins
Cert: 18

Author

  • Jim Mcleod

    Jim "The Don" Mcleod has been reading horror for over 35 years, and reviewing horror for over 16 years. When he is not spending his time promoting the horror genre, he is either annoying his family or mucking about with his two dogs Casper and Molly.

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