Gert Lush Films Presents:
Ket Zombies (& the Joy in Giving up)
We're launching a crowdfunder to get our very silly film through post-production. A bizarre and funny take on UK drug culture set in Bristol. Some very talented people put many hours of work into pre-production and principal photography. With times hard and the director skint, we're asking for your help to keep our project alive so it can see the light of the day and (hopefully) bring joy to a struggling grassroots film scene.
KET ZOMBIES AND THE JOY IN GIVING UP • GERT LUSH FILMS • • • • • SUPPORT GRASSROOTS FILM • • • • •
Stills
Gert Lush Team
Two best mates making films together
Writer & Director
Bill Hill
Bill (formerly known as Alex) is a Bristolian writer and director. He’s writing this in third person and feels weird about it.
Always a lover of movies and stories, captivated by Indiana Jones and Star Wars as a child, he always wanted to make movies, wondering how they were made while meekly kicking a football in his grandparents garden.
A man with severe ADHD, he isn’t really capable of anything besides writing and directing. A grunt at a supermarket chain for several years now he uses what he hears, sees and feels in his daily life to tell ridiculous and creative stories.
Seemingly unable to concentrate on anything he didn’t have a great time at school before having an epiphany during his lower sixth mock exams to change his name to Lex Luthor and live a whole new life as a different person. Joe then pointed out Lex Luthor was already taken and he wouldn’t make a good evil mastermind so he decided to become a film director instead.
Going to a local film college changed his life, overcome with passion and energy he then went on to Manchester Film School where he further honed his craft.
Then, at a loose end after Covid lockdown he went back to his crap job, waiting for opportunity. Of course, opportunity doesn’t come naturally, you have to make your own films and then have people take an interest. After a chance meeting with a bloke called Mad Jerry, his life changed forever.
Making a film with his best mate and a crew of people who gave him so much, he feels very happy. Instead of Lex Luthor, he uses his middle name William shortened to Bill.
People often say to him behind the till “you alright?” he always replies with “living the dream”, people tend to chuckle because they think it’s sarcastic but it isn’t, about to release his first feature film, he really couldn’t be happier.
Producer
Joe St. John
The logical mind of Gert Lush Films and one of the nicest blokes you’ll ever meet, Joe is responsible for all non-creative decisions.
When Bill was unceremoniously booted out of his school at sixteen years old he went to a new school with positively no mates. At a “chill meet up” at the Downs in Bristol, their paths met. There started a decade long friendship.
In 2017, for his media class, Joe decided to make a short film about a useless superhero, Super Sam. Unsure who to cast he asked drama student and friend Bill, who was happy to take part. They both had a great time capering around Bristol shooting their silly little film, it got showed and produced some laughs and if that hadn’t have happened none of this, all the photos, trailers, shots and scenes wouldn’t exist today.
Joe has worked extensively in film and TV since then, working on The Winter King, Rivals, Father Brown, Antiques Roadshow and the film Surviving Earth. He is now working as a researcher on a program which is a staple of British telly. He studied history at Southampton University, a clue as to the TV show he works on today.
Measured, wise and organised, he was pivotal in every stage of preproduction and the shoot itself, all while juggling his incredibly demanding TV job.
The two friends have overcome numerous hurdles, challenges, money issues and more to be in this position. It is a miracle it hasn’t aged them both terribly. Now releasing the trailer for their first feature the dream is to carry on doing this for as long as they can.
Cast + Crew
Extended biographies with their story on the project available on the cast and crew page
Oliver Mitchell
Director of Photography
A wise and hardened professional, Ollie went to the University of South Wales, leaving with first class honours in Film. He is American and Scottish, so essentially Canadian.
Since then he's been working as a gaffer and spark across a multitude of projects and broken in as a DOP, shooting music videos, shorts films, commercial work and more.
Having a crew made up of students and professional HODs, Ollie became the most important and treasured member of our crew, leading us on the journey to where we are today. His contribution to the film is immeasurable and Bill and Joe are very lucky to have him.
Tom McMillan
as Ali
Patch De Salis
as Frankie
Bristol based rapper, musician and filmmaker, Patch is one of the most interesting young creatives in Bristol.
He beat the director, Bill in a film competition in 2018, (although Bill would like to point out he half-arsed his entry) he's accrued tens of thousands of streams, done shows all across the country and worked with young people in the city to live better lives.
His latest EP is the beautiful Power of Intention, his music is loved by all kinds of different people, including the director's dad, Mark.
Most importantly about Patch is he only exudes positivity in his work and life. He is a kind person and someone who brought untold authenticity to the role of Frankie.
Coni Thorne
as Maeve
Actress, model, violinist and pole dancer, Coni Thorne is a veritable smorgasbord of creativity, energy and joy.
An experienced actor on stage and screen, Coni delivers an impassioned, hilarious and remarkable performance as Maeve. Having worked with Tom before, their chemistry is brilliant. Not fazed by anything, she beat many actresses to the role.
It is very difficult to play a character on MDMA without the script actually specifying it. Unless of course, you are Coni Thorne, then you can do it with ease.
Mad Jerry
as Himself
Not an actor.
"Wise cracking, rum drinking master of chaos"
Read extended cast and crew and the story so far for more insight into Bristol's newest heartthrob.
For the record, Jerry disagrees with being defined as "not an actor", watch his performance and make up your own mind. He is now swearing down the phone.
A Birmingham Royal Conservatoire graduate, Tom McMillan is an exciting young actor.
When Bill saw his self tape he was stunned. It was one of those "we're making a movie now" moments he will never forget. The Ali character is difficult to nail down and no applicant had nailed it until Tom turned up with his cheeky smile and charm.
As the main character, Ali is the heartbeat of the film. Tom took to him naturally and carries the film throughout.
He has since proved his worth since wrapping KZ, a recurring character in Riz Ahmed's Amazon series Bait, a Netflix project, toured Romeo and Juliet around the country and a finalist in the prestigious Spotlight Prize in 2025.