| Director: | Luna Carmoon |
| Producer: |
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| Starring: |
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| Music: | Jim Williams |
| Cinematography: | Nanu Segal |
| Editing: | Rachel Durance |
| Production Companies: | |
| Distributor: | Vertigo Releasing |
| Runtime: | 126 minutes[1] |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Gross: | $88,244[2] |
Hoard is a 2023 British drama film written and directed by Luna Carmoon. It stars Saura Lightfoot Leon, Hayley Squires, Joseph Quinn, Lily-Beau Leach, Deba Hekmat, Samantha Spiro, and Cathy Tyson. The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 2 September 2023, and released in the UK cinemas on 17 May 2024.
The film is set in the 1980s and 1990s and follows a mother-daughter relationship.[3]
The film is produced by Delaval Film, Erebus Pictures, Anti-Worlds with producers Loran Dunn, Helen Simmons and Andy Starke. It is backed by the British Film Institute (BFI) and BBC Film.[4] [5]
Casting was revealed in April 2022 with Saura Lightfoot Leon, Deba Hekmat, Hayley Squires, Joseph Quinn and Lily-Beau Leach in the lead roles.[6]
Principal photography took place in South-East London and was completed by May 2022.[7]
Hoard was shown at the BFI London Film Festival Works-in-Progress showcase in October 2022.[8] It had a UK premiere date of 9 October 2023, again at the BFI London Film Festival.[9] The film was theatrically released in the UK and Ireland on 17 May 2024.[10] In April 2024, Sunrise Films acquired distribution rights for the United States and Canada, where it is scheduled to be released on 6 September 2024.[11] [12]
Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian gave the film four stars out of five, describing a "deeply strange and emotionally extravagant story" with "a lot of storytelling substance. Hoard isn’t perfect but its pure vehemence and the commitment of its performances are arresting".[13] Ed Potton in The Times compared the filmmaking to Andrea Arnold and Andrew Birkin but said that "Carmoon is very much her own film-maker" and praised Lightfoot Leon's performance, saying she was "a leading lady with animalistic, inhibited presence".[14] The film also received four stars out of five from Sophie Monks Kauffman in Time Out who called it a "visceral debut" which "defies simple interpretations" and made mention of cinematographer Nanu Segal’s handheld camerawork which "captures the fearless Lightfoot Leon".[15]
Carmoon was nominated for Best Directing Debut and Squires, Lightloot Leon and Quinn all received acting nominations at the British Independent Film Awards in November 2024.[16]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | 9 September 2023 | Venice International Critics' Week – Grand Prize | Luna Carmoon | [17] | |
| The Film Club Audience Award | |||||
| Verona Film Club Award | |||||
| Authors Under 40 Award – Best Directing and Screenwriting | |||||
| Venice International Critics' Week – Jury Special Mention | Saura Lightfoot Leon | ||||
| London Film Festival | 15 October 2023 | Sutherland Award for Best First Feature | Hoard | [18] | |
| Valladolid International Film Festival | 28 October 2023 | Punto de Encuentro Award | [19] | ||
| New Horizons Film Festival | 27 July 2024 | The Audience Award | Hoard | [20] | |
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI | [21] | ||
| British Independent Film Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | Hayley Squires | [22] | |
| Best Joint Lead Performance | Joseph Quinn and Saura Lightfoot-Leon | ||||
| Breakthrough Performance | Saura Lightfoot-Leon | ||||
| Best Casting | Heather Basten | ||||
| Best Production Design | Bobbie Cousins | ||||
| Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) | Luna Carmoon | ||||