In the midst of a global pandemic, a university student returns home in line with a nationwide lockdown.

With his parents stuck abroad and only his thoughts for company, will he manage to keep his head above water?

That is the thrilling premise for a new movie made by a group of Oxfordshire film-makers and actors due to be released at the end of March on Amazon Prime Video.

In Homesick, the protagonist is left alone with his thoughts and the isolation and lack of contact with the outside world becomes too much to bear.

The production company Black Elk Productions says: “Frustration builds, hope fades and now... he has contracted the virus.”

Not to give too much away, the student succumbs to medication and whiskey and as time goes by his situation becomes dire - the power goes out, food starts to run low and unbeknown to him, a much greater threat is approaching.

The film, which is the company’s debut feature, was shot at Broughton castle near Banbury and other locations around Oxfordshire although the majority of it was filmed in Derbyshire, where the main cast and crew lived together as a bubble, wearing masks on a socially distanced set that was regularly disinfected.

All the crew members are alumni of the creative media school SAE Institute in Littlemore and the sound recordist and second assistant camera both come from Headington.

Director and lead actor Jason Farries, who comes from Banbury, said: “It’s a film that everyone can relate to, there isn’t anyone who wasn’t affected by lockdown and Covid 19. It deals with a lot of the challenges people faced while being stuck at home, so when you watch the film it might take you back to the start of it all and maybe help you to reflect on your own experience of 2020.” .

As well as being inspired by real life drama, the film-makers also drew on other films like 1974 British mystery film Ghost Story, psychological drama Locke, which starred Tom Hardy, and Castaway with Tom Hanks, mainly for their single characters and themes of solitude.

Mr Farries, whose award-winning short film The Voodoo Man was shown at the Oxford Independent Film Festival, said: “Our story centres around isolation and the passing of time. The comparison made sense to us because when you’re in lockdown it is easy to feel like you’re stranded on a desert island.”

He added: “I enjoy creating films with realism, mixed with some supernatural elements to give it a twist. And I think that’s ultimately what you want in a film. Film is about escapism and transporting the audience. So I make what I personally enjoy about film, and that is something that can be realistic while also telling me that ghosts and magic exist.”

So how did he find both acting and directing the movie?

“Most definitely a challenge. I must acknowledge my wonderful crew for being so gifted in their roles, they all knew exactly what to do and took care of business. But the biggest obstacle is the feeling of uncertainty. As the actor, you wonder if you’re coming off right. But then you switch to director mode and watch playback, suddenly you’re not looking at yourself, you’re looking at the character, and it becomes much easier to critique your own performance.”

Director of photography and assistant producer on the movie was Abingdon-based Callum John.

Described as an emerging talent, he started his own production company Dream Spire Studios whose projects include 1950s thriller DESIGNATION: Limbo which won Best Original Story at the Venice Film Awards. He also made the heritage documentary Abingdon 1919.

One gripping scene in Homesick is filmed under water.

Mr Farries, who will shortly play the lead in a Netflix feature alongside a cast of well-known British actors, said: “It was one of the last scenes we filmed and every aspect of it was extremely hard - four hours in a swimming pool with the most buoyant underwater camera rig ever. So shooting itself was challenging but the physical demands of performing underwater was never something we truly anticipated. You get about 30 seconds before you have to come up for air, and you're constantly being resisted by the water.

“The end result is stunning, and well worth it, but you’ll have to watch the film and see it for yourself.”

Despite the current closure of cinemas and the postponement of many of the year’s biggest releases, Mr Farries said he is optimistic about the long-term future of British film.

“I think film-making is getting more accessible,” he said, “and I hope that continues. Smartphones are becoming closer and closer to professional grade cameras which is huge for first-time filmmakers. It opens up the doors to more diverse artists.

“On top of that, there are more platforms to present your film, streaming services have given so many opportunities to independent filmmakers. Even YouTube can allow your work to be seen by millions of people and it doesn’t cost a thing.

“But I really hope that cinemas will find a way to support British independent film and display more films that live outside the mainstream market.”

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.