Enys Men, the new feature from visionary Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin, to be released by the BFI on 13 January 2023

Enys Men, written, directed and photographed by Mark Jenkin, will be released in UK and Ireland cinemas by BFI Distribution on 13 January 2023. The second feature from the visionary mind of the Cornish filmmaker follows 2019’s hand-crafted, BAFTA-winning breakout hit Bait. Enys Men had its world premiere in Director’s Fortnight, Cannes 2022, and received outstanding reviews. Its UK premiere takes place at the 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express on 11 October at BFI Southbank, where it is screening in Official Competition.

Enys Men is a mind-bending Cornish folk horror set in 1973 that unfolds on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast. A wildlife volunteer’s daily observations of a rare flower take a dark turn into the strange and metaphysical, forcing both her and viewers to question what is real and what is nightmare. Is the landscape not only alive but sentient? Shot by Jenkin on grainy 16mm colour film stock and with his trademark post-synched sound, the form feels both innovative and authentic to the period. Filmed on location around the disused tin mines of West Penwith, it is also an ode to Cornwall’s rich folklore and natural beauty.

Mary Woodvine (Poldark, Judge John Deed, Doc Martin), who played Sandra in Bait, is The Volunteer. She reunites with Bait co-star Edward Rowe (The Witcher, House of the Dragon) who is The Boatman. Based in West Cornwall, and previously working in theatre, film and television for over 30 years, Mary Woodvine is in almost every scene of the film and gives an astonishing, naturalistic performance, working with minimal dialogue and with the camera following her in extreme close-up.

Filmmaker Mark Jenkin is based in a studio in Newlyn, West Cornwall where he writes, edits and scores his films himself. After making a number of short and mid-length films including Bronco’s House (2015), his debut feature Bait premiered at the Berlinale 2019 and was released in the UK by BFI Distribution. Through critical acclaim and word-of-mouth it became a huge arthouse hit, eventually screening at hundreds of cinemas and taking over half a million at the UK box office. Mark Jenkin and his producers, Linn Waite and Kate Byers, won the BAFTA for outstanding debut by a writer, producer or director. Mark received further awards from film festivals around the world and he was honoured with a Grand Bard’s Award for Special Achievement in Cornwall.

Jenkin composed the original score for Enys Men, which will be released by Invada Records. The soundtrack also features Kan Me written and performed by Gwenno especially for the film. Sung in Cornish, this haunting track (May Song in English) appears on Gwenno’s album Tresor (Heavenly) which was released in July and is nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize.

In the run up to Enys Men’s release, Jenkin will undertake a Q&A tour around the UK with a number of dates in Cornwall. Mary Woodvine will be present at some of the dates. Full details of the tour will be announced.

To contextualise the film and the inspirations behind it, giving audiences the opportunity to enjoy some rich and rarely seen content, BFI Southbank and BFI Player have invited Mark Jenkin to programme a season, The Cinematic DNA of Enys Men. Including features, documentaries, TV programmes and shorts, the season will run throughout January 2023. Full details will be announced.

In April 2023 Enys Men will be released on BFI Blu-ray/DVD (Dual Format Edition) with contextual extras and on BFI Player where it will join Bait and a selection of Jenkin’s early work. 

Enys Men is pronounced ‘mane’ and means stone island in Cornish. Menhirs, or standing stones (from the Cornish for long stone) are monumental stones, prolific across Cornwall, typically dating from the Bronze Age.

Enys Men is written and directed by Mark Jenkin and produced by Denzil Monk. It is a Bosena Production, presented by Film4 in association with Sound/Image Cinema Lab.