A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree

Lore & Background

Adam and Skye Mann, who live in Vancouver, traveled to Ireland in December 2021 to shoot A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree. They wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film themselves, funding its production independently. The film had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on 25 September 2023.

Reader's Guide

A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree received critical attention for its atmospheric approach to folk horror. JP Nunez of Horror Obsessive called it a 'beautiful, flawlessly executed ghost story about the pain of grief and the finality of death.' Nadine Whitney of Alliance of Women Film Journalists described the film as a 'disquieting and eerie work with an impeccable pictorial language,' praising the script and direction as 'as beguiling as the ancient mythology they invoke.' Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry called the film a 'must see,' noting it feels 'ancient in its origin, yet modern in its catharsis.' Andy Crump of Paste gave the film a score of 8.6/10, writing that the film 'isn't a scare-a-minute affair. It’s thick with foreboding and heartache, and that’s the most Irish that Irish cinema gets.' The film stands as the debut feature of Adam and Skye Mann, establishing their voice in the folk horror genre.

Did You Know?

• The film was shot in Ireland in December 2021.
• Adam and Skye Mann wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film themselves.
• The film had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on 25 September 2023.
• The film stars James Healy-Meaney, Gerry Wade, and M.J. Sullivan.

The Mann Couple's Independent Vision

Adam and Skye Mann, a filmmaking duo based in Vancouver, undertook an extraordinary feat of independent cinema with their debut feature. Rather than relying on studio backing or external financiers, the pair self-funded the entire production of A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree. They handled every major creative and technical role—writing the screenplay, directing the performances, producing the shoot, and cutting the final edit themselves. In December 2021, the couple traveled from Canada to Ireland to capture the film on location, immersing themselves in the landscapes and atmosphere that would define the story's folk-horror sensibility. The result was a fully realized feature born from a single creative partnership, with no outside creative hands shaping the vision. This level of authorial control, combined with the logistical challenge of shooting abroad on a self-funded budget, makes the Mann's accomplishment a notable example of grassroots filmmaking in the horror genre.

Grief, Mythology, and the Weight of Loss

Critics consistently identified the film's emotional architecture as its defining strength. JP Nunez of Horror Obsessive framed it as a ghost story built around the raw pain of grief and the irreversible nature of death, praising its flawless execution. Nadine Whitney of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists highlighted the script's deep roots in ancient mythology, noting that the tale operates under a folkloric principle—that nothing comes for free—and called the overall work disquieting and eerie, with an impeccable visual language. Andy Crump of Paste emphasized that the film deliberately avoids the rapid-fire jump-scare model, instead layering its narrative with foreboding and heartache, a quality he described as the most authentically Irish expression in the country's cinema. Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry captured this duality, observing that the story feels ancient in its origins yet delivers a distinctly modern catharsis. Together, these responses paint a picture of a film that treats horror as a vessel for exploring loss rather than mere fright.

A Debut Forged in Irish Soil

A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree arrived in 2023 as a distinctly Irish entry in the folk-horror tradition, anchored by a cast of James Healy-Meaney, Gerry Wade, and M.J. Sullivan. The film's connection to Ireland was not merely a matter of setting; it was woven into the production itself. The Mann couple, though based in Vancouver, chose to shoot on Irish soil in December 2021, grounding the story in the textures and atmosphere of the country. Andy Crump of Paste captured this sense of place with particular force, writing that the film's blend of foreboding and heartache represents the most Irish that Irish cinema gets. The result is a work that draws on the region's mythological heritage while remaining firmly a product of its landscape. For audiences encountering the film, the Irish identity is not a backdrop but the very medium through which the story's grief and mystery are expressed.

The Fantastic Fest Breakout

The film's North American premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 25, 2023, proved to be a defining moment in its reception. As a debut feature from a Vancouver-based duo shooting in Ireland, A Guide to Becoming an Elm Tree entered the festival without the weight of major studio marketing or a well-known franchise behind it. Yet it emerged as one of the event's most talked-about discoveries. Stephanie Archer of Film Inquiry declared it a must-see and singled it out as one of the biggest surprises to come out of the festival. Andy Crump of Paste reinforced that enthusiasm with a score of 8.6 out of 10, underscoring the film's impact on critics who had seen it within a packed program of genre releases. For the Mann couple, the Fantastic Fest screening served as a powerful validation of their self-funded, self-directed vision, introducing their work to a wide horror audience and establishing the film as a standout of the 2023 festival circuit.