HUSH the feature film debut from writer/director Mark Tonderai is out now

Tired and irritable, Zakes (Will Ash) and Beth (Christine Bottomley) drive home along the M1, a familiar journey full of harshly lit service stations and bad coffee. When a white truck narrowly avoids hitting them, its back doors open to reveal a woman terrified and screaming caged up inside. Unsure if what he has seen is real, Zakes calls the police but drives on. Beth is furious that he hasn’t done more to help and at the next petrol station storms off. When she doesn’t return, Zakes slowly realises that she too has been snatched by the white truck driver and is forced into a vicious game of cat and mouse with a ruthless killer who has terrifying plans for his human cargo.

Shot on location in Sheffield and the East Midlands, HUSH stars Will Ash (Until Death, Nicholas Nickleby, Fanny & Elvis) and Christine Bottomley (The Waiting Room, Sea of Souls (TV)) with supporting roles for Andreas Wisniewski (Die Hard), Claire Keelan (Pierrepoint) and Stuart McQuarrie (Young Adam).  A WARP X, Shona Productions and FearFactory production, HUSH is produced by ZOE STEWART and COLIN PONS with MARK HERBERT (This is England, Dead Man’s Shoes) and ROBIN GUTCH (executive producing credits include Hunger, Death of a President and Touching the Void). 

MARK TONDERAI, writer/director of HUSH,  began his career writing, producing and presenting radio shows, including the ‘Mark Tonderai Show’ (BBC Radio 1), ‘Worldy Wise’, ‘Rainbow Nation’ and ‘Weekending’ (BBC Radio 4), and ‘Rude Awakening’ (Kiss 100).  He moved on to writing and directing for television including ‘Homie and Away’ for Channel 4 and ‘The Beginner’s Guide 1 & 2’ for BBC2.  He presented ‘What’s The 411’ for BBC2 and worked as a writer, director and editor on ITV’s ‘Ian Wright Show’ and Sky One’s ‘Prickly Heat’.  In 1999 Mark wrote, directed and starred in the BBC2 sketch show ‘Uncut Funk’.  In 2002 he formed Shona Productions with partner Zoe Stewart and wrote and starred in his debut feature Dog Eat Dog, financed by Film4.  Shona acquired slate funding from the UK Film Council Development Fund and have so far fully developed the projects 16 Kisses Away From Love and the urban vampire film Blood Rush, which Mark is attached to direct.  Powermike, another Shona production was developed when Mark was a Moonstone participant in 2002.  Mark has recently written and directed the acclaimed short film Sarah Smile starring Rupert Proctor.  HUSH marks his debut feature film as writer/director.  

Producer ZOE STEWART completed a film degree and a host of short films at the London College of Printing before setting up Shona Productions with Mark Tonderai to produce a series of pilot television ideas commissioned by the BBC.  The first pilot ‘Homie & Away’ was picked up by Channel 4 as part of the Comedy Lab that she went on to direct, followed by ‘Uncut Funk’ which she co-produced.  She has completed the experimental pilot film Elvis Pelvis with talented newcomer Kevin Aduaka commissioned by the UK Film Council New Cinema Fund and executive produced by Ruth Caleb and is set to produce Gaby Dellal’s upcoming film Powermike with Mia Bays.

HUSH has been sold internationally at the AFM to ten territories including Brazil and South Korea. International sales for Hush are handled by Pathé International.