Tony Burke and Craig Russell discuss ‘Protein’

In 2014, writer and director Tony Burke and actor Craig Russell collaborated on a short film, Egg white. Now, after a decade-long battle, they have turned the story into a feature film. This longer version of Egg white will make its world premiere as part of the First Blood program at this year’s Pigeon Shrine FrightFest.

The First Blood Strand is a select number of titles that showcase some of the freshest talent in British genre cinema. While writer and director Tony Burke is an award-winning content and music video director, Egg white marks his feature film debut. The film is sure to grab the attention of FrightFest audiences thanks to the skilled work of both Burke behind the camera and Craig Russel in front of it.

Egg white is a gritty thriller about a traumatized ex-soldier and serial killer who returns to South Wales to escape his demons. There, Sion (Craig Russell) becomes obsessed with workouts and the gym, even eating a local drug dealer for protein. Forced to kill again, he sends shockwaves through the local criminal underworld and inadvertently sparks a brutal and bloodthirsty tit-for-tat war between rival gangs. Soon, the bloody events set Sion on an unlikely path to redemption.

Serial killers and cannibalism are two subjects that continue to fascinate audiences, and as such Egg white will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after Discovery tickets at this year’s FrightFest. The blood, sweat and tears that went into its creation over the past decade have paid off with Egg white play as a mix of Dead Man’s Shoes And Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, with a hint of police procedural. Ahead of the highly anticipated world premiere, THN spoke with both writer and director Tony Burke and star Craig Russell about the project’s long gestation and why Egg white should be on the watch list of FrightFest attendees.

Egg white screens at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on Saturday, August 24. For more information about the film and tickets, visit the FrightFest website.