A short film set in the 1940s on West Dartmoor will be released this September.

Entitled ‘The Puddle Man’, the story follows Toby, a young boy who is evacuated to Dartmoor in the midst of the Second World War.

Toby discovers his grandmother Julie’s dark past and a mysterious figure who wanders the moorland.

The film blends magic and reality together, featuring a performance by child actor Dainton Anderson, a lovable donkey and illustrations by British artist Charles Peattie.

The director Jacob Joseph Held, who is currently studying at Bristol University, started writing The Puddle Man in September 2024.

The entity, The Puddle Man, is a manifestation of human fear who wanders Dartmoor ‘neath sombre skies and preys on the scared, collecting their tears.

During his writing process Jacob went on multiple trips to Dartmoor, on one of these trips he stumbled across a converted farmhouse on West Dartmoor that a retired couple had converted into a holiday cottage, this became the main location for the film.

Inspired by the novel ‘A Monster Calls’ by Patrick Ness and the film ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ by Guillermo del Toro, the filming commenced in February 2025 and lasted five days.

The team behind The Puddle Man focused on capturing the eerie vastness of Dartmoor, utilising deep focus, wide shots and natural fog which they found to be very difficult in the strong February winds.

To raise money for the short film to be created, the team launched an instagram promoting the story.

After the story created a buzz online, Joseph started a crowdfunder which managed to raise over £1,500 for props, costumes and cast members.

The Puddle Man premiere will be held on September 20 in Bristol. The film will then be released to film festivals and the public through YouTube.