About
What is Dark Wander?
Dark Wander is an independent production company developing horror, thriller, and dark genre film.
Dark — as in the dark of space, the dark of night, the darkest deepest parts of our hearts.
Wander — to explore, to be in the wild and succumb to it.
Who's Behind it
Emma-Jane Heaton
Emma-Jane writes and directs horror and dark genre fiction with Dark Wander. The work is shaped by a long-standing interest in feminist themes — the burden of care, female independence, the tension between strength and alienation — and by a deep connection to wild landscapes. Many of the films are love letters to remote places: the power, danger, and clarity found in them.
She has a degree in Comparative Literature from Queen Mary, University of London, and trained at the NFTS on the Certificates in Filmmaking and Screenwriting, including with Paul Fraser (Dead Man's Shoes). Before filmmaking she spent a decade as an outdoor adventurous activities instructor — work that still informs how she thinks about landscape, risk, and the kinds of people who put themselves in remote places.
She has been directing for as long as she can remember. As a child it took the form of inventing whole worlds and directing her friends through them, scene by scene. The instinct hasn't really changed.
RECENT WORK
Recent work and recognition.
Eight short films written and directed or co-directed across the last three years.
Lone's script won the Emerging Spirit Award at the Sheffield Spirit of Independence Film Festival in 2024, providing initial funding and development. The film has begun it's festival run with its first selection, Horrorcon UK in June 2026.
Gorgon was a Finalist at the Dark Hedges International Film Festival, won Best Short Form Short at the Horror Underground Film and Screenplay Festival, and screened at Northampton Film Festival, where Emma-Jane took part in a filmmaker Q&A panel. Repossession premiered at Bradford International Film Festival in October 2025.
FILMS DIRECTED
8
Written and directed or co-directed across three years.
AWARDS WON
2
Emerging Spirit Award and Best Short Form Short.
FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
12+
Including Bradford, Dark Hedges, and Northampton.
IN POST-PRODUCTION
3
Crawl Space, Hoard, and Mayday completing soon.
How we work
Independent. Considered. Specific.
Dark Wander chooses indie working methods deliberately — small teams, considered choices, every department selected for the project rather than industry default.
Most of the regular crew came from DIY Filmmakers Sheffield, a grassroots community Emma-Jane joined in 2024. Collaborators are chosen for fit and shared instincts. Many return across multiple projects.
Every decision is made on what serves the story. The aim is work that earns every shot, every cut, every casting choice — films that punch above their budget because nothing has been left to default.
On set
Behind the scenes.
Want to talk about something?
Development, co-production, financing, script editing, or just to say hello.