A new re-imagined score to the cult 1969 film The Watchers — a lesser-known gem directed by Richard Foster and shot on the moors above the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden.
Featuring 8x Todmorden based artists:
Dan B-Hill
Julie 7:12
Thorn Wych
Mark S Williamson
Radiophoric Labs
Bridget Hayden
Sam McLoughlin
Edd Sanders
Described by Kelly Loughlin as a “semi-rural folk horror,” The Watchers may feature the earliest depiction of an alien abduction in British cinema. Shot on 16mm black-and-white film by students of the Royal College of Art and running just 26 minutes, the film weaves together themes and stylistic elements that would later become hallmarks of British folk horror — as seen in works like Nigel Kneale’s Beasts (1976), David Rudkin’s Penda’s Fen (1974), Children of the Stones (1977) and Alan Garner’s Red Shift (1979).
Yet, despite its thematic resonance and creative ambition, The Watchers remains a largely overlooked gem — standing shoulder to shoulder with these classics, but still waiting to be fully acknowledged.
Folklore Tapes, 2026