Echo Chamber - LFF 2026 - Vol.1 (Fishbrain)
It’s the ‘70th’ edition of this year’s ‘BFI London Film Festival’ and @EchoChamberFP has some different coverage this year!
Ol Tom Brumpton hit me up with a short film hitting a run of Festival’s with the ‘World Premiere’ being ‘LFF’! So, we get to peel the curtain back on that, THEN, sit down with the writer / director to discuss his inspirations, filmmaking journey, and a whole heap more!!!
'Fishbrain' is written & directed by Max Vanderspuy. Desperate to escape her decaying coastal town but unable to abandon the grandfather (John Henshaw) who depends on her, Ori (Chloe Lea) sees a way out when tainted fish wash ashore, but only if she can bring herself to put them on his plate.
Watch the conversation with Max Vanderspuy: HERE!
Today we have:
Fishbrain - Poster
Fishbrain
Watch Review: Here.
70th BFI London Film Festival
Land of Hope and Gory
20:30, Wednesday, 7th October 2026, World Premiere, Prince Charles Cinema
20:00 Sunday, 18th October 2026, BFI Southbank Screen NFT2
Director: Max Vanderspuy
Cast: John Henshaw, Chloe Lea, Karren Winchester, John E. Saxon
Credit: Viridian Films
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller, Short
Running Time: 22 min
Cert: 15
Trailer: Here.
Website: Here.
Instagram: @fishbrainfilm
Watch the conversation with Max Vanderspuy: HERE!
Max Vanderspuy
Max Vanderspuy
Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Cinematographer
Max Vanderspuy is a London-based writer-director and founder of Viridian Films, an independent production company focused on bold, visually distinctive narrative work. Born in Singapore and raised in Switzerland, he holds a BFA in Film and Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
His award-winning science-fiction short Recursive Dreams, starring Freddy Carter, Patricia Allison and Shaq B. Grant, screened internationally. His latest film, Fishbrain, is a 22-minute British coastal folk-horror short starring Chloe Lea, John Henshaw and Karren Winchester. The film had its world premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival in 2026.
With a background in editing and cinematography, Vanderspuy’s work combines atmospheric world-building with an interest in ordinary people confronting strange and morally complex circumstances. His work uses genre to explore themes including memory, grief, isolation and survival. He began developing Fishbrain as a feature in 2026 alongside further original projects through Viridian Films.
Follow Max via:
IMDb: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Instagram: @vandersfilm
Viridian Films
Viridian Films
Production Studio
Viridian Films is a London-based film production company founded by writer, director, and editor Max Vanderspuy.
We build genre worlds around characters that make bold ideas feel human.
Across original development and commissioned films, the studio carries projects from premise to final form with the same standard: a strong world, precise images and characters that make the idea matter.
Follow via:
Website: Here.
Linkedin: Here.
Instagram: @viridianfilms
YouTube: Here.
70th BFI London Film Festival - logo
70th BFI London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is in its '70th' year, and runs from 7th to 18th October 2026 at venues in London, around the UK and on BFI Player.
Brimming with the world’s best new films, series, and immersive storytelling
Information
Festival Information: Here.
Gala Programme: Here.
Special Presentations Programme: Here.
LFF Awards Programme: Here.
Thematic strands Programme: Here.
Short Film Programme: Here.
Ticket Info: Here.
Website: Here.
X: @BFI
Facebook: Here.
Instagram: @britishfilminstitute
YouTube: Here.
TikTok: Here.
*(Music)
'Wake Up' by Arcade Fire - 2004