NOW THAT YOU’RE BACK

Written & Directed by Seth Hope Barnard Chodzko

Produced by Seth Hope Barnard Chodzko, Cora Needham & Joe Everitt

After losing a childhood friend to suicide, Connor and Liam reunite for the painful task of choosing his burial clothes — a moment that forces old wounds and unspoken truths to surface.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Seth is a writer/director originally from Kent in the UK who studied at the Northern Film School in Leeds, passionate about creating both documentary and fiction films. Through his work’s particular subject matters and forms I hope to raise awareness and provoke questions in the viewer, positively influencing our precarious world. He also likes to blend documentary and fiction, inspired by the stories and people around him, incorporating reality into his narrative projects.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH SETH

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Tell us about the genesis of Now That You're Back. Where did the idea come from? 

The very initial idea, came to me whilst I was driving on the M62 between Leeds and Manchester, as I often did. It is very scenic and the rolling hills, for some reason, made me think about grief and disconnection, particularly between two men. The first working title was therefore “Rolling Hills” and was about two brothers who had lost their other brother to suicide. Although not directly, suicide has been a consistent event in my life and I have therefore often thought about the culture of it. Further discussing the idea with my mum, she told me about a time she and a friend, had to pick out the funeral clothes for a mutual friend who had died. I found this idea compelling. The unusual process of having to pick out the clothes, to dress a recently deceased loved one. This “task”, also acted as an affective structure for a short film I felt, driving it forward with a clear through line (the task being set at the beginning, and then completed at the end). 

How did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

I wrote the script and pitched the idea to my film school (students and tutors) as part of the graduation films that were to be made. Unfortunately, the film was not selected. This was a really important lesson for me, about rejection. I found it difficult at first but in the end, it was a blessing because it gave me more time to develop the script into something, I believe, was stronger. I was determined to make the film and so, thanks to my piers and the Northern Film School, I shot it after everyone had finished their graduation projects! The film would not be what it is, without that initial rejection and extended time to develop it. 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.

Once the film was finished, I jumped straight into entering it into film festivals. This was mainly done by entering via FilmFreeway. I entered as many as I could afford at the time, but also any free festivals that had a category for our film. Other than that, I tried to push it out wherever I could. I screened it at my film school, in a cinema in my home county of Kent, emailed it to friends and family etc. Of course, I also promoted the film via social media, exposing it to the world and hopefully get audiences interested in seeing it!

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

1. This one is very cliche, but the biggest lesson I learnt with this film is, believe in your idea, even if it gets rejected. That was a big one for me. Take it on the chin and move on with pursuing it! No matter what, you will learn and benefit from making the film.

2. Try not to be precious with your script, even from early development. Share your ideas and drafts with the people around you, including non-film buffs! Have conversations about it. Anything I have made has been strongly influenced by the feedback I get from the people in my life. 

3. Start your short film right in the action, and set up the narrative as early as possible. Draw the audience into the world immediately. Let them know what it is roughly about, early on, to keep them engaged, and want to see what happens at the end. In short film, you don’t have time to beat around the bush (in my opinion!).

What are you working on now?

I am writing two short film scripts whilst I travel around South America, which has been a massive privilege. I work in the film industry as a runner back home and it’s really difficult to find the time to work on my own stuff. Both scripts are dramas and will be around 10 pages long. I hope to make them soon after I get back to the UK!

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I’m going to try recommend something that hopefully hasn’t been seen by that wide of an audience. Since we’re talking about short films, I would recommend a short by one of my favourite filmmakers, Abbas Kiarostami, called “The Bread And Alley”. It’s simply about a young boy who meets an aggressive stray dog, on his walk home. It forces him into a new situation that he has to deal with on his own. It is such a simple concept yet it takes you through an array of emotions, and is ultimately a great coming of age story! This short, for me, encapsulates exactly what a “strong” short film is, simple and effective in addressing a wider concept/idea. 

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CRUSTS

Directed by Alfie Dale | Written by Ben Ferrity

Produced by Archie Sinclair, Chuckie McEwan, Ben Jacob-Smith & Ben Ferrity

Words and sandwiches are shared round a grave as an Irish family tries to grieve the untimely death of a loved one.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Alfie Dale is an award winning director from London. He is drawn to character driven films. Alfie’s last short was 'My Brother Is A Mermaid' premiered at the BAFTA qualifying Iris Prize Film Festival, where it won Best British Short Film, the Audience Award and the Youth Jury AwardThe film went on to win the main prize at the BAFTA qualifying Norwich Film Festival, received a Special Mention at Academy Qualifying Flickerfest, and won Best Short at The Casting Director’s Association Awards. The film received nominations at over 15 other BAFTA/Academy qualifying festivals, and played at over 50 other festivals globally, picking up several more awards, before being picked up online by Director’s Notes and Omeleto.

Ben Ferrity - Born and bred in Belfast, Ben is a Northern Irish Writer-Producer with a passion for using comedy drama as a means to explore painful and sensitive issues. Outside of writing, Ben develops and script edits TV dramas and feature films as a Development Executive for Working Title Films. His credits include The Iron Claw (A24), The Zones of Interest (A24), Sherwood (BBC1), Six Four (ITVX), and the hit true crime documentary series Accused: Guilty or Innocent (A&E Networks).

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH BEN

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Tell us about the genesis of Crusts. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

Crusts was inspired my (Ben's) family's experiences with grief and loss. Before I had ever been to a wedding I'd unfortunately been to too many funerals to count and I always found myself remembering the awkward mundane chatting over shitty sandwiches after the burial rather than any of the service or outpourings of grief and I thought there was something profoundly funny and sad about that - about getting emotional remembering an egg and cress sandwich as a touchpoint for someone's funeral. 

Northern Ireland has one of the highest suicide rates in the world and if you speak to anyone there they've likely experienced it or know someone closely who has. Grief is always experienced individually and it's particularly stark after a suicide. The characterS in Crusts are loosely based off members of my own family and their reactions to a tragic death. Some prefer to go into overdrive with busying themselves rather than sit with their pain, others like to make light of tragedy as a shield, some are angry at the circumstances of the death, and others may just be too young to fully process things. 

I wanted to combine these two elements - the banality of some our rituals surrounding death and the individual grieving processes of others that sometimes collide - into a snapshot that captured how I felt when a family member of mine tragically passed away and that's when I came up with the idea and setting for Crusts. I got emotional once walking through a graveyard on my way back from work eating a crappy meal deal sandwich. It made me remember my uncle for some reason and I knew there and then what the final scene of the film would be. Eating and crying. It's oddly cathartic. 

Once you had the script how did you go about finding your key collaborators

Alfie and I met at one of CenterFrame's networking events and together pitched the film to a community of filmmakers who then voted to allocate funding.

I was aware of Alfie’s commercial work and the success of his previous BAFTA Long listed short MY BROTHER IS A MERMAID. After securing funding with CenterFrame, Alfie introduced us to Grey Moth who have a brilliant track record of producing some of the UKs top short films. That's how we met Archie and Chuckie - such a pleasure to work with and bring on as producers. Their relationships with crew, kit houses, and post production facilities was instrumental and they were just a delight to have on board throughout!

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Crusts and how did you overcome them? 

Honestly, the weather. We wanted to strike an beautiful, slightly jarring, slightly ethereal aesthetic for the film and once we found the church in Ballintoy it was clear that we needed to shoot there at whatever costs. Unfortunately, up on the North Coast of Ireland, one moment you've got thick fog where you can't see a metre in front and then next it's splitting sunshine as we encounter. Makes continuity a nightmare but in the end it was differently worth it for the scenery!

The other big obstacle was cast. We were so drawn to Claire, Anna, Louis, and Riona as performers that once we'd seen their tapes we would have moved heaven and earth to make sure their availabilities all matched up. Especially with Louis and Riona, who play the younger characters Fergal and Sorcha, you need actors with such incredibly maturity to pull off those complex emotional shifts and so we felt very lucky to have found such rising stars.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

We couldn't have done as well as we have on the festival circuit without the support and knowledge of Grey Moth Films who have had such success with their other short films, and of CenterFrame, who have boldly reframed how short films can secure funding.

The funding from CentreFrame enabled us to apply to a substantial number of festivals (and make the film itself!) which, combined with Grey Moth's understanding of the market, enabled to screen the film in numerous countries, at Oscar, BAFTA, and BIFA qualifies across the world, pick up several awards, and have the film Longlisted for the British Independent Film Award for Best Short. All of that helped us secure a final home for the film on Omeleto which we couldn't have been happier about and it's been amazing to see online audiences engage with the film and comment such lovely feedback to us!

A festival highlight would have to be Fastnet Film Festival in Cork. They turn the whole village into a cinema, with pubs, churches and even farms putting up screens. It's also a complete laugh with everyone at the pub in between screenings, whether you're Paul Mescal or a first time filmmaker!

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

Keep your short short! There are times when shorts need be over 15 minutes but most of the time you're going to better retain your audience (and likely have better success with festival programmers) when they're under that runtime. If you can spare it, a little payment for the crew - even if it's symbolic - across the board can go a long way to creating a fun, productive atmosphere on set. Oh and make sure you don't skimp on catering!

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I love shorts when they have a sense of scale - whether in the backdrop, genre, or ambitious premise. Some of my favourites are below: 

- Meat Puppet by Eros V 

- The Golden West by Tom Berkely and Ross White 

-  Le censeur des reves by Leo Berne

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The World Beyond Me

Written & Directed by Ashwin Agrawal

Produced by Julia Verdin

In the unforgiving world of Kamathipura, Mumbai’s notorious red-light district, a young woman clings to fragile moments of hope while trapped by sex-debt bondage in the grip of her ruthless pimp.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Ashwin Agrawal is a Mumbai-based indie filmmaker. He studied filmmaking at the Sundance Collab Program and Raindance Film School, and is currently mentored by Peter Markham, the renowned filmmaking coach from the AFI Conservatory.

His first short film, Crossroad, won numerous awards at international film festivals. His debut feature, Broken Mirror, received recognition at the Los Angeles Film Awards in 2024. He also won the Audience Choice Award for his short film Half a Bite at the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival in Canada, a Canadian Screen Award-qualifying festival.

As an independent filmmaker, Ashwin often seeks collaboration to reduce the cost of production while building meaningful creative connections. He believes filmmaking is an multi-functional craft, where every person involved is essential to the life of the film.

Under Peter Markham’s mentorship, Ashwin has delved deeply into the craft of cinematic storytelling—studying the rarely taught discipline of narrative point of view and its articulation on screen. His work explores the flow of energy within a film, the resonance of images, tonal shifts, and the shaping of theme through cinematic language.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ASHWIN

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I am an acting coach and film director based in India. I began my filmmaking journey in 2022 with my short film Crossroad, which I wrote and directed, casting my own students in the lead roles. The film performed well across several smaller festivals and marked the start of my directorial path.

Following that, I directed my first feature film, Broken Mirror, a story centered on body dysmorphia. The film reached the final stages of consideration at Directors’ Fortnight but, though it did not make the official selection, the experience deeply shaped my artistic growth.

I went on to direct The World Beyond, and soon after, I joined the Sundance Collab program for film directing. There, I met my current mentor, Peter Markham — a former AFI Conservatory coach and teacher of acclaimed director Ari Aster. I have been training with Peter remotely for over a year now, and his guidance has significantly refined my craft and cinematic vision.

Most recently, I directed a poetic short film titled Where the Waves Forget. Peter Markham loved the film and is serving as its Creative Consultant, continuing to mentor me on the project’s artistic development.

Tell us about the genesis of The World Beyond Me. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that’s now made its way out into the world?

One ordinary day, I parked my car near Mumbai’s Kamathipura at 4 PM and noticed a sex worker standing by a wall. When I returned at 8 PM, she was still there—her face weary, her expression sombre, untouched by the passing hours. That moment struck me deeply. It wasn’t just her exhaustion; it was the realization that her world and mine, though physically separated by mere steps, were universes apart. While I could move freely, she seemed confined to those lanes, locked out of the life many take for granted.

This haunting realization gave birth to The World Beyond Me. I wanted to go beyond the surface, beyond what society sees and labels. Who was she behind the Prostitute Label, behind the weary face and the stereotypes? What were her dreams, hopes, and desires?

Too often, filmmakers dehumanize sex workers, portraying them as mere objects, stripping away their dignity and identity by using derogatory terms like “whore”. I wanted to change that narrative. The World Beyond Me tells the story of Sangam, not as a victim but as a person a woman with a longing for freedom, for something beyond the confines of her world.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making The World Beyond Me and how did you overcome them? 

The biggest challenge was balancing authenticity and sensitivity. We were very mindful of how we portrayed trauma and violence—most of it is conveyed through close-ups of Sangam’s face, focusing on her emotional state rather than the physical acts. Working with a low budget and ensuring that we did justice to the complexity of Sangam’s story also posed logistical and creative challenges, but it was a deeply fulfilling experience.

Another challenge was changing weather we were shooting at the end of rainy season so there was a lot of inconsistency in the lighting conditions.

The budget forced us to get creative. For the crucial beach scenes, our crew stripped down to just the essentials: me on camera, my assistant, and our lead actress. It was a marathon of multitasking—directing, operating the heavy gimbal, and problem-solving with a team of three. We captured the magic, though I felt the strain in my back long after the shoot wrapped.

I did the color grading of the film instead of spending money to hire a color artist and I believe I did pretty good job on that.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

The Jorney was difficult at first some top channels rejected the film and it left me disappointed and then there was this shortframe channel in UK they accepted the film and also Klipist another good platform in UK and recently I released it on my own channel and it seems to be doing pretty good for the start.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

The biggest advice I’d give to short filmmakers is: let your film begin as soon as possible skip long opening credits. Don’t make the audience wait to enter your story.

Another common misconception is that you need a “hook” at the beginning. Many filmmakers fall into this trap and end up diluting the authenticity of their work. If you watch Miller & Son, the Oscar-winning short by Asher Jelinsky, who also happens to be my coach there’s no flashy hook. It simply begins with a man going about his daily routine in his father’s garage, yet it pulls you in through truth and tone.

One of the most important yet overlooked aspects of directing is understanding the Narrative Point of View (NPOV) who is taking us through the journey, the emotion, the experience of the story. Sometimes it’s a single character, sometimes two (as in buddy stories), or even an ensemble.

The character we’re aligned with should guide the camera its movement, lens choice, and proximity/distance, sound mix, editing. For instance, in a film like American Honey, the NPOV is with Star, the lead girl. It’s what’s called a “Follow and Accompany” NPOV — the camera travels with her, not just after her.

Another great example is in Blue Valentine: when Ryan Gosling’s character pleads not to break up, he’s shot in a close-up — we’re emotionally close to him. Michelle Williams, however, is framed in a medium-wide shot, distancing her both emotionally and visually. Their differing shot sizes express their relational distance.

There’s a lot more to explore in understanding NPOV — it’s one of the most powerful tools a director has to make the audience feel exactly what they intend.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Miller & Son – Short film – Student Oscar winner – Helps understanding how tonal shift happens in film

Contrapello – Short film – Oscar Nominee – Helps understand how simple story with 2 simple location can carry so much depth

Roma- To understand NPOV – 3 rd person objective and 3 rd person intimate only it never shifts to other NPOV styles like first person or other.

Nomadland- Amazing acting great microstories on face and blend of documentary fiction storytelling.

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THE PEARL COMB

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Written & Directed by Ali Cook

Produced by Ross Williams & Matthew James Wilkinson

In 1893, a fisherman’s wife becomes the first person to cure someone of tuberculosis. A doctor, intent on proving a woman’s place is in the home and not practising medicine, investigates - only to discover the source of her unearthly power.

ABOUT THE FILM

The Pearl Comb was an Official Selection at our 2025 BIFA Qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival, having been nominated for 6 awards, and winning Best Production Design and Best Cinematography.

It premiered at FrightFest and Tampere, making quite a dent in the festival circuit. Highlights include winning a Méliès d’Argent Award – Best European Fantastic Short Film at Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival, winning Best Cinematography & Best Horror Short at Flickers Rhode Island’s Vortex, winning Best After Hours Short at Cleveland International Film Festival, and many, many more…

The film was recently Oscar Shortlisted and BAFTA Longlisted.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

The Pearl Comb follows Cook’s BAFTA-longlisted short The Cunning Man, which screened at 88 international festivals, including Cinequest, FrightFest, Cleveland, and the BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying Norwich Film Festival, winning 33 awards and earning a Méliès d’Argent nomination.

Cook first broke out as a writer-performer with seven of his own comedy series, including Channel 4’s Dirty Tricks, which was nominated for a British Comedy Award. As an actor, he is known for playing Sgt. Paul McMellon in the BAFTA-nominated Kajaki and as series regular DCI Simmons in Ragdoll for AMC/BBC One. He will soon appear as Ben in Channel 4’s Falling, written by Jack Thorne.

Cook’s next directorial project will be the feature The Grimoire, co-written with Eric Garcia (showrunner of Netflix’s Kaleidoscope) and produced by Chris Curling at Zephyr Films. Curling has produced more than 60 films, including Oscar-nominated The Last Station, starring Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy, and The Miracle Club with Maggie Smith and Kathy Bates.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ALI

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Hi Ali!

We're excited to be featuring The Pearl Comb as our Weekly Pick. Not only because it's Oscar Shortlisted and BAFTA Longlisted, but because it's a film that we believed in even before its recent success. 

Can you tell our audience a bit about yourself and all the hard work tha’s led to this point?

Originally, and for a long time, I was a professional magician. I was very lucky to be on TV as a magician, which is like the holy grail for most of us. I ended up making seven TV series for a company called Objective Productions. My old boss there was Andrew O’Connor who famously invented Peep Show; he’s a very clever TV producer. One day whilst we were making a TV series, he said: “You know I think you’d be a good actor.” And the cameraman said: “I think you’ve got a good face to be a villain”. These comments kind of stuck with me so I started acting, kept writing and here I am.

Tell us about the genesis of The Pearl Comb. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that’s now made its way out into the world?

I’ve always wanted to portray mermaids authentically, as brutal killers like in the original folk tales, not as Disney princesses.

Then I heard the true story of the Edinburgh Seven: The first seven women to qualify as doctors in the UK. The medical profession did everything they could to stop them from practicing and the female doctors of that time had to come up with inventive lies to justify the work they were doing by claiming to be midwives or natural healers.

It felt like the right time to bring these stories together - especially now, when there’s a bigger conversation happening around gender, power, and the way women have historically been overlooked, misunderstood, or even seen as threatening or strange, just for being different.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced during the making of the film? 

Creating a convincing mermaid on screen!

Also, the mermaid shooting out of the water during the boat scene springs to mind. It’s such a pivotal scene and the sequence was shot in a studio, with all the water effects achieved digitally. The challenge of creating that moment, making the digital effects blend seamlessly with the performance, gave me a whole new appreciation for how visual storytelling can transform a scene.

How did you overcome them? 

It took months of discussion and inventive work with the SFX and VFX teams. I had to trust my imagination and the brilliance and experience of the team. When you believe in your instincts and you surround yourself with people who bring their own spark, the work starts to flow naturally.

Can you talk a bit about your process and how you balanced your performance with your role as director?

Preparation was crucial for me so that once I was in front of the camera, I could fully focus on the performance. I also found it invaluable to have someone I trust watching the monitor and giving me feedback, which I did.

Being an actor myself, I know how vulnerable it feels when all eyes are on you. Therefore, I know the best approach is to constantly reassure your actors and give them encouragement. Strangely, being in the ring with the other cast makes it feel more like a team effort for me, as if we’re all in it together. It really works well.

Who was the first collaborator to come on board the project and how did their early adoption help propel you forward?

Our storyboard artist Daniel O’Donnell-Smith and Koala FX.

We knew from the outset that the project would involve a significant amount of VFX, so it made sense for us to get to grips with this early on. Having a tight shot list allowed us to have conversations with Koala at an early stage and work out how to approach the work as economically as possible while still giving the story what it demanded.

Can you chat about your producers Ross and Matthew, how they came aboard the project and what they brought to the table?

I first met Ross on a short film I wrote called The Cunning Man. He did such a fantastic job that I knew I wanted to collaborate with him again on this project. When Ross had to jump on to the series Funny Woman, Matt Wilkinson came on board.

I’ve known Matt for years and have acted in several of his films. Even though this project was a short, he treated it the same as a feature and held me accountable to a tight shoot and post-production schedule. It really felt like I was responsible for delivering and that was a good push.

If I’ve done my research correctly, I believe you premiered at FrightFest, yes? How was that experience?

Yes, FrightFest was our first screening and UK premiere. Being recognised by one of the world’s top-reviewed genre festivals means so much. Genre films often push boundaries and take risks, and to have our work acknowledged in that space was so exciting.

At the same time, we premiered at Tampere Festival in Finland which is known for high-end art-house cinema. So, it was an honour to play both on the same weekend.

A lot of filmmakers believe they need to hit the world’s top festivals first. They often blow their submissions budget in the Sundance level festivals, and they wait to submit to (or skip altogether) second tier/genre/community festivals. But that doesn’t seem to be the approach you took. 

The Pearl Comb has played quite a range of festivals, almost like working your way up the circuit. Can you chat about the approach you took to festival submissions?

I worked with Rebekah at Film Festival Doctor and trusted her strategy. We mainly hit the genre festivals first. When we started getting reviews that this is just as much a drama as a fantasy, we showed it to the drama festival organisers to expand the range of festivals. We just wanted to get it as far and wide as possible. Anything else was a bonus.

The festival circuit is a whiplash whirlwind - doldrums of rejection vs peaks of awards.

Most filmmakers can’t help but to compare themselves to their peers since we all advertise our successes on social media, but oftentimes keep our struggles hush-hush.

During your festival journey, what has been the hardest pill to swallow, and how did you keep going despite that setback?

I’m also a stand-up comedian, and the experience of trying out brand-new material is very similar and can feel quite scary! Ultimately, you have to say that new joke on stage and the audience either love it or they don’t. It’s the same with a short film. The overall motivation to keep going is that when it does kick in, it’s the greatest feeling in the world!

And now the question everyone has been waiting for... How did you manage to get your film released on Disney+ in multiple countries?

By the time the film had built momentum on the festival circuit, we already felt very happy with where things were. Then I came home one day to an email with an offer to stream on Disney which was completely unexpected. All interest is fantastic, but this was especially exciting.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing emerging filmmakers at the moment, and as someone who’s been able to cut through the noise, what advice would you give to those hoping to follow in your footsteps?

My advice would be to get the story right first within the genre you are trying to master. Even if it’s a film you make on your iPhone with a budget of £500; if it’s a great story with great dialogue it doesn’t matter. The number one issue is people often shoot something where they have a premise or a theme, but no real story or ending.

What aspirations do you have for what’s next?

I have a supernatural horror feature, The Grimoire, in pre-production with Zephyr Films so we’re heading full steams towards that!

How helpful has The Pearl Comb been in getting you on a trajectory of being able to actualise those aspirations?

This was the first film I’ve directed, and pardon the pun, I threw myself in at the deep end by taking on a high-end project with a lot of VFX. I wanted to see if I could handle that level of pressure. Now that I have that experience behind me, and with the encouraging response the film has received, I feel reassured both in myself and in showing others that I can do it again.

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Dear Departed

Written & Directed by Lauren Sims

Produced by Louise Dennett & Richard Sims

A girl who recently lost her Grandfather discovers a hidden post office where you can send and receive letters to a loved one who has passed on, but, she receives the wrong letter.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Lauren Sims is a writer, director and editor residing in Hampshire. She graduated last year from Ravensbourne University with a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Film Production. She has recently founded her production company 'Blue Bucket Productions' with her family.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I’m Lauren and I am an independent filmmaker from Alton.

I am one of the founders of the production company Blue Bucket Productions and the writer/director and editor of Dear Departed. I am a huge film nerd and would live in the cinema if I could. I also love to play the piano, I composed most of the melodies used in the film that our talented composer, Gary Bamford, turned into the beautiful score that it is. 

Tell us about the genesis of Dear Departed. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

The whole genesis of Dear Departed is a letter that I wish I could send to my Grandpa. We lost him almost 3 years ago. There is so much I didn’t get to say. I was on a train thinking about what I would say to him if I could write him a letter that he could receive. Any one who knows me, knows that I am constantly creating stories in my head and looking for the film in everything. So I thought, no one is going to watch a short film about me writing and receiving letters from my Grandpa, where is the story? So I came up with the main protagonist gets the wrong letter and two families are entwined. The floating letters was one of the first things I came up with. I made a pitch deck and pitched it to my dad. I had magical post office stills and The Grinch post office for inspiration. Now, in our family, they will give me their honest opinion. So when my dad told me he loved it I knew I had something. Dear Departed was really born when my grandma said let’s do it. Then we started this magical and crazy whirlwind. 

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Dear Departed and how did you overcome them? 

One of the main obstacles was making a fantasy world with floating letters on a budget. My mum and I sourced props all over charity shops and a family member even found the golden letterbox whilst on a trip in yorkshire. My dad and boyfriend made the post office door and my sister, who also plays the lead, painted it. 

I also had a very delicate subject matter in which it was a year since he passed and the main character, Paige, is based on my sister and myself. The funeral scene was done in one take, from a director’s point of view, it was a perfect take because of the raw emotion. But from a sister’s point of view, it was heart breaking. I was quite distanced emotionally from the reality of the story because I had written it and had created the world. But moments like that affected me massively on set. We overcame this as a team and a family. 

Time for shooting the post office was also a big obstacle over two days. the original idea was to wallpaper the whole room, then our DP, Scarlett, came up with the amazing idea of rotating the set 90° for each angle we needed, so the four walls you see of the post office, is the same wall! 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release. 

We’ve had the most incredible journey of getting our film to audiences and I am so so grateful. We had the premiere at the REEL cinema in Farnham where we celebrated with cast, crew, family and friends from all over. The fact that everyone was there that evening to support us overwhelmed me in the best way. You can tell I had the best time beause I barely took any pictures! I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of submitting to film festivals through FilmFreeway. Some of my favourite highlights is definitely attending Wellsboro film festival in America. Ollie, my boyfriend, and I went there for a few days where I got to be with my people. Talking film all weekend was a dream and you could tell the festival organisers truly cared about independet film. Being nominated for Best Indie Short Film at the Cannes Film Awards in Nice this year and attending the Birmingham Film Festival gala where I was nominated for Best First Time Filmmaker was also a whirlwind. Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton were also amazing to attend and run by truly passionate organisers. A big highlight for me was when a woman at the Crystal Palace film festival came up to me after our screening and said how moved she was and said ‘I’m going to go write my letter when I get home’. Getting the film on Amazon Prime Video was also a very proud moment! 

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

 My advice is use who you know. I used my whole family; from my dad being executive producer to my mum being script supervisor and props master. What locations do you have access to? Our local bookshop, Goldfinch and St.Peter’s church, where I attended at primary school, were all a huge help and we used my families house for many scenes. 

Use creative ways to screen your film. We used the church we filmed in for a screening and Q&A and opened it up to the public. 

BTS is golden. We made a bts film that we showed at our premiere, audiences want to see how you made it and you need stills for promotion. 

Prep prep prep and know what you want. If you don’t have the answer, communicate and say you’ll get back to them when you know. 

Never keep your actors in the dark, go straight up to them after a scene. 

Just reach out to people, what’s the worst that can happen? 

Never stop developing your craft and learning, my friend and I went to the Raindance Saturday Film school a few weeks ago and we left so fired up that we’ve now written a short film we’re co-directing and producing together early next year!

I was made to make movies and want to keep making them, so please feel free to reach out as there are movies to be made! 

Any film recommendations? 

 Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ was a big inspiration for me. The black and white scene with Margot Robbie pulls at my heart strings through the beautiful score and symmetrical camera shots and I wanted to convey the same feeling in my film. 

Films that have stuck with me over the years have been ‘A Promising Young woman’, ‘The Iron Claw’, ‘Anora’ and ‘The Brutalist’, I think everyone should watch them. 

I recently watched ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and how did I wait so long? It’s brilliant and I can’t wait to watch it again.

‘Sinners’, ‘One Battle After Another’, ‘Weapons’ and ‘I Swear’ have been my highlights in cinema this year. 

I personally think that last year was outstanding for movies and I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings.

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Gone Fishing

Directed by Christopher Deakin

Written & Produced by Paul Ludden

Men of a certain age will generally talk about anything other than their mental health. Ben and Pete are no different.. Two middle-aged mates on their first fishing trip since their friend Marko took his own life, a complete and utter shock to them both. Even the crazy stories, dark humour and piss taking can’t stop them opening up in a way they never expected.

ABOUT THE FILM

GONE FISHING was an official selection at the BAFTA qualifying Bolton International Film Festival, and a Semi-Finalist at our very our BIFA qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival. Other festival highlights include Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival, Montpellier Indie Filmmakers Festival, and Madrid Indie Filmmakers Festival. It’s been featured by Film Shortage. Award included Best Actor at Cine Paris Film Festival 2024, Best Short Film & Best Screenplay at Folkestone Film Festival 2025, Best (NW) Short at KINOFilm Manchester International Festival 2025 and Best Director at TMFF.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Paul Ludden is a Writer/Producer from Manchester, he is also the CEO of MancMade Productions. Paul’s third film, Being Billy (starring Con O’Neill) his second with Lee Child as Exec-Producer (they first worked together on The Visit) is currently in post-production.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH PAUL

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

My name is Paul Ludden and I’m the Writer and Producer of Gone Fishing Short. Gone Fishing is the second short film written and produced by me for MancMade Productions. We’ve just finished filming our third short film, Being Billy. That’s in post-production and should be ready for festivals very early part of 2026. In the meantime I’m working on the script for our first feature, inspired by The Visit short film we released a couple of years ago.

Tell us about the genesis of Gone Fishing. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

Gone Fishing is a story that has been running through my mind for a long, long time. It’s actually dedicated to the memory of a friend of mine who took his own life back in the early 90’s. I wrote, produced and directed a “Pod Play” (audio-drama) of Gone Fishing a couple of years ago, released on The Pod Play, a platform I founded to support new writing. The theme was pretty much the same but it was rewritten as a short film because I’m passionate about doing whatever I can to get men to start conversations about their mental health and I wanted to create something that would hopefully resonate with men of a certain “vintage” like me, who are pretty shite about talking about how they feel.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Gone Fishing and how did you overcome them?

As with most short films the biggest obstacle was probably funding. I make sure that everyone involved gets paid a decent day rate. Some people may accept less than normal compared to the bigger productions they’re used to working on, and that was certainly the case for the actors. This was all self-funded and I was also lucky enough to work with partners who were prepared to do whatever they could to work within the budget I had.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

Gone Fishing has had great feedback from festivals around the world. We’re talking about a subject that resonates with lots of people, regardless of language barriers (but with subtitles). The Festival circuit has its issues, no doubt about that. But I’ve found a good few that are absolutely about supporting the films and the filmmakers first and foremost, Kino London Short Film Festival being one, so I recommend those to other filmmakers. In terms of selections there is definitely no exact science but if a festivals heart is in the right place, selected or not, they should be supported.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

My advice to any short filmmakers is always the same. Work with people you want to spend time with and are good at what they do, certainly in terms of crew. Work with different Directors, you can learn something from everyone that will help you. Work with quality actors, don’t just give roles to your mates. Don’t put up with toxicity on any production, life is too short to work with people who are dicks.

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Wolf At The Door

Written & Directed by Ricky Allen

Produced by Lindsay Fraser

Nine-year old Jacob has a vivid imagination, spending hours engrossed in his toys. When he’s disturbed by a stranger’s knock at the door, his world is plunged into uncertainty and his home threatened. With emotions too overwhelming to understand, Jacobs' mind quickly spirals as he grapples to hold on to the people and possessions he loves most.

ABOUT THE FILM

WOLF AT THE DOOR was a Semi-Finalist at our BIFA qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival & Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, and an Honorable Mention at the Beeston Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Ricky Allen is an award-winning comedy writer & director who turns the quiet and bizarre rhythms of everyday British life into the absurd. Finding comfort in TV shows such as Father Ted and Spaced from a young age, these early obsessions transported him away from the monotony of eating mince every night, being asked if Ricky is short for Richard (it's not) and waiting for the dial-up modem to connect. His latest comedy short DEATH WISH, about a young girl’s dying wish for her mummy to join her in heaven, won Silver at the Young Director Award in Cannes. Ricky is currently writing a TV pilot about a dysfunctional parish choir and a micro short comedy series 'First in the World'.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH RICKEY

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Hi, I’m Ricky Allen, a filmmaker currently living in London.
My interest in film stems back to my childhood with my dad, where Sunday afternoons were filled with Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme and dodgy sci-fi films bought from Poundland. The films were equal parts fascinating and terrifying as I hid behind the couch, peeping over when the blood-curdling screaming had stopped.

Making films wasn’t on my radar until my mid-twenties. I dropped out of school at an early age and before I knew it, I was 19, working at the local Odeon, microwaving hotdogs for customers late for their film. But it was great, I made lifelong friends and got to watch a lot of movies.

Fast forward past a few existential ‘I can’t serve Pick ‘n’ Mix all my life, can I?’ moments and I managed to get a place at college studying music. Suddenly, I was at uni. In my final year, I took a real interest in film after studying The Work of Michel Gondry DVD. For my final project, I made a short film about my dad’s struggles with alcoholism.

But after my education ended, so did the filming. It took a couple of years, and my dad’s passing, before I felt the fleeting fragility of life again. I spent most days in libraries reading about filmmaking, fascinated by directors such as Kurosawa. I shot a skateboard film (Whatever the Weather) that got me onto BBC News and cut my teeth making lots of low-budget music videos. I later moved to London and got a job at Sony Music as one of their in-house directors, making videos for all sorts of artists. I then got a place at NFTS studying  Directing Commercials - this is where I met Lindsay Fraser (Creative Producer), who was an integral part of making Wolf at the Door, my first funded short, along with the majority of the crew.

This year (2025) I won Silver at the Young Director Award in Cannes for my comedy short Death Wish, and I’m currently writing a TV pilot about a dysfunctional choir.

Tell us about the genesis of WOLF AT THE DOOR. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

WOLF AT THE DOOR would still just be a bullet-point note on my laptop if it wasn’t for Lindsay. She’d found a short film competition funded by a company in Manchester called Doodledo and asked if I had any stories. No stories, but a bunch of incoherent musings.

At the time, I was jobless and finances were becoming critical, which had a big impact on my mental health. So the opportunity to write was cathartic and came as a great distraction.

WOLF AT THE DOOR is like one of those core memories that shapes who you are as a person. You don’t necessarily understand why, but it’s there in the background.

It started when my parents were facing one of many financial struggles, and the family home began to attract a lot of intimidating men showing up at the door. Dad would say, “If anyone asks for me, say I’m not in,”. Being ten years old, that just went in one ear and straight out the other. I would have panic attacks and nightmares about men coming to take away our possessions. I really thought it would be all my fault if I slipped up and said my dad was in

After some research, I was disturbed to find this was an issue happening up and down the country, scaring young children when councils send round bailiffs. There was even a research paper that named it WOLF AT THE DOOR.

From there, I spent many months writing and rewriting my experience, trying to capture the isolation of being at home all the time, and how that home could suddenly feel invaded, both by strangers and by my own nightmarish thoughts.

I’d like to give a special thank you to Doodledo, James Torry, Lucy Smith, Duncan Howsley, Joe Spademan and the rest of the team who helped make this film possible. They were amazing with their continued support throughout the whole process.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making WOLF AT THE DOOR and how did you overcome them? 

The main obstacle was definitely the child actor. That was our main concern from the start. How do we find a child actor who can give a mature performance?  Luckily, we found Blake Williams, who had featured in a short I had seen from a fellow NFTS student. It was one of those things where it was always going to be him. The film was really blessed to have him in it.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

We premiered at the London Lift Off Film Festival, which was great to be a part of. The film has come very close to some really brilliant festivals, but just missed out, which is a bittersweet feeling - gaining recognition as a semi-finalist at Rhode Island, Kino London and Beeston Film Festival. It’s hard to get noticed and make people love the film you made as much as you do,  so when we were told it was going to be on Kino’s short of the week, me and Lindsay were over the moon.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I would say - just write as much as possible, even if it’s just a few words of an idea, or something you hear in conversation. You’ll be amazed how much inspiration is out there once you start actively engaging with what you experience in life. 

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Not quite a film, but a series of shorts - Tales of Terror from Tokyo Vol 1. You’ll find a story in there that helped shape Wolf at the Door.

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High Beams

Written & Directed by Flora Scott

Produced by Diana Amado, Flora Scott and Charlotte Favre

In the early hours of the morning, two best friends must journey home from a party off the M25 amidst a visitation from the past which tests their limits and their friendship.

ABOUT THE FILM

HIGH BEAMS premiered online with Girls in Film and was a Semi-Finalist at our very own Kino London Short Film Festival. Online festival & screening highlights include Minute shorts, Somesuch Director’s showcase, and Filmfiles Emerging Filmmakers showcase. It also screened at The Photographers Gallery in July 2024 for the exhibition ‘Meditations on Love’ and was a special selection at Women winemakers Biennale.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Flora Scott is a photographer and director born, raised and based in Hackney, London. After picking up her dads old camera at the age of 16, Flora began capturing the lives of the people around her, exploring how family can be formed outside of the traditional sense of home.

Flora has exhibited at The Photographers’ Gallery London, and been published in Women CineMakers Biennale 2024, Guap Mag, 6 FT Zine and online at I-D, Dazed and Vogue. 

Flora is currently freelancing with the long terms of directing feature films.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH FLORA

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Thank you for having me and High Beams! This is my debut short film, finished in early 2024 with a debut performance from Connie Swift who plays Dani in the film and has never been on screen. My filmmaking background was birthed as an only child left to their own devices - watching countless films on my own. I came to understand early on what I loved about a film is its uniqueness, especially across drama, horror and sci-fi. Over time and after attending Ravensbourne’s Foundation diploma specialising in film and a BA at London College of Communication in Film Practice, making films became more tangible.

Tell us about the genesis of High Beams. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

High Beams is heavily inspired by experiences of my own as a young person in tandem with some of the things I was witness to in my friends’ lives - I wanted to write something that could speak from the point of view of a young woman grieving whilst also the friend on the other end trying their best to be there. It felt important to me to make both points of view feel felt. It also felt important for my first short to be grounded in my own experiences. The rave scene at the beginning is directly inspired by a squat rave we attended as 15/16 year olds off a motorway in Barnet.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making High Beams and how did you overcome them? 

My producer unfortunately fell ill (she is ok now!) a week prior to filming was to commence and as she was in Portugal, was unable to come back for shooting. As you can imagine, this made me panic slightly, but in the end we were still able to make things work. Instead for our two days of filmmaking we had two PM’s to save the day - Leyla and Alicia. Aside from that, typical filmmaking travails ensued - we got locked out of a van hired to transport kit, working with a horse for the first time (Ember the horse was very patient) and a super tight window to shoot. All in all I think we did pretty well aside from this!

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

At the moment, although it is now available to watch online at Minute Shorts and Girls In Film we are still submitting for more festivals. We were lucky enough to be a semi-finalist for this years Kino fest! I think our main challenge with this has been the price point of submissions, I’ve taken it as a learning curve to ensure for us to budget appropriately for festival fees for the next one! However, High Beams has screened at some wonderful places so far including The Photographers’ Gallery, for Somesuch’s new director showcase at the Curzon Shoreditch and with Filmfiles at their emerging directors showcase. As this is my first short, I’ve definitely had a welcomed lesson in making sure that the festival side of things is thought about from the inception of the film.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

1. Stay true to your vision.

2. Collaboration is the root of a film

3. Look at art outside of cinema

4. Welcome the mistakes, they are inevitable and can lead to better creative solutions

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Baghdad Cafe, Atlantics, We The Animals, McQueen (2018) - All not to be missed.

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Diary of a Ghost

Directed by Caroline Hajny | Written by Maren Koenigs

Produced by Sophia Ogilvie, Caroline Hajny

After the loss of her first love, a young woman keeps a diary to process her grief, blurring the line between reality and imagination.

ABOUT THE FILM

DIARY OF A GHOST was a Semi-Finalist at our very own Kino London Short Film Festival and won Honorable Mention at the BIFA Qualifying Brighton Rocks Film Festival, as well playing as an Official Selection at the also BIFA Qualifying Sunrise Film Festival Lowestoft. It was longlisted for the 225 Film Club, and longlisted for Best Director and Best England Film at The British Short Film Awards. Other festival highlights include: North East International Film Festival (BIFA Qualifying), Fastnet Film Festival, Fine Line Film Festival, Ealing Film Festival, and Australia Independent Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Born and raised in Germany, Carrie relocated to London to pursue a career in film, where she has been working across fashion, music and commercials since. Her previous ventures into fashion photography and documentary filmmaking continue to influence her aesthetic and approach to working with talent. Since then, her distinct style has led to collaborations with brands and artists such as Puma, Vinted, Dua Lipa, Red Bull Racing, Barbour and Amazon.

Her first short film ‘Last Dance’ premiered at the 2019 BAFTA qualifying Underwire Film Festival, where it was nominated for best U25 production. 'Diary of a Ghost', a short drama exploring grief and mental health, stars Genevieve Chenneour (Bridgerton), Alfie Noble and Mia Rodgers (The Sex Lives of College Girls). Her latest film, ‘Requirements’, a political science fiction drama set in a near future dystopia, is currently in post production.

Carrie has been curating film screenings at Sarah Kravitz Gallery and Southampton Film Week and served as a judge at Fine Line Film Festival in Serbia and the BIFA qualifying Sunrise Film Festival. She is also the co-founder of CHERRYPICK.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH CAROLINE

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Thanks so much for having me and Diary of a Ghost! I’m a German director based in London and I work across fashion, commercial and narrative projects. I started out as a camera trainee - a friend of mine took me under his wing and opened the door to the ‘real’ industry for me after I dropped out of uni. I always wanted to be a director, but working on set as crew was a great way to learn how the industry works, what different departments do, meet people and observe other directors work. I took whatever job came my way, a lot of running, PA’ing, assisting, BTS taking, you name it! Simultaneously I worked as a photographer shooting mainly fashion and live music - I enjoy photography a lot, and it helped me find a style I enjoyed, however for me it was always a tool to meet people: designers and artists I could hopefully direct a campaign or music video for. That’s how I built a reel which allowed me to move into commercials. I often get the sense that in the narrative world commercials are looked down on - for me they’ve been such an invaluable training ground! Over the years I’ve been able to build relationships with crew and actors, which allowed to shift focus on narrative projects.

Tell us about the genesis of Diary of a Ghost. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

Diary of a Ghost was written by my wonderful friend Maren Koenigs and was loosely inspired by her witnessing a close relative experiencing prolonged grief disorder. Her relative struggled to cope with the loss, slowly distancing themselves from the rest of the family and losing themselves in an imaginary world in which the person they lost was still around. Luckily, the family managed to intervene, but Maren took the idea and ran with it, asking herself what might happen to someone who doesn’t have a support network. The film was originally written to be a feature and Maren then turned it into a short!

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Diary of a Ghost and how did you overcome them?

I’m definitely not the first person to mention budget and finances here, but as a self funded project we definitely had to get nifty and call in a lot of favors to make this film happen. We almost lost our main location less than a week before the shoot due to my producer’s grandma’s superstitions, getting a bullet hole into a piece of glass might have involved some dodgy business (we’re not sure ourselves) and filling two notebooks with hundreds of diary entries for authenticity within a few days causes serious hand pain.

We shot the film over the course of 2 days, in 4 different locations - some in central London, but most in Surrey - so I’d say one of the biggest challenges was probably to fit everything into the days, getting everything we needed while still allowing some room for exploration and play and keeping the shooting hours sensible for our crew. Diary of a Ghost explores incredibly sensitive topics and as a director it’s so important to create an environment in which the actors can be vulnerable - however, when working on a super tight schedule that can be tricky.

For example, the second to last scene of Sage and Riley in the living room was shot in only an hour - it’s 6 or 7 minutes long and it’s the emotional climax of the film - but because we had some delays earlier in the day and we needed to leave the location, we had to somehow squeeze everything into the last hour of our final shoot day. It wasn’t easy to hide how stressed I was at that point, but I knew if I didn’t, it would sabotage the performances.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

It’s been really lovely sharing our film with audiences - this was my first ‘proper’ festival run, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but ultimately we make films for the big screen, so it’s always special to see them projected in a cinema to an audience. It’s been lovely to see the passion and interest for short films - we’ve been asked such thoughtful questions at Q&As or after screenings about the story, themes and process of making the film, sometimes people have come out of the screening in tears and that feels like the ultimate compliment to me.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

Your team is everything, so make sure you find a crew that shares your vision and enthusiasm for the film. Great HoDs can make or break your film and will hopefully elevate whatever it is you had in mind.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

The Lives of Others, The Florida Project and Thelma & Louise

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Sherbet

Written & Directed by Danny Gibbons

Produced by Charles Meunier

Co-Producer Eduard Mitra

Set entirely inside the confines of a taxi cab, on what seems like just another late-night taxi fare, this particular trip is anything but, altering the course of the lives of both driver and rider forever.

One evening 15-year-old Isa enters Rene's cab and his life. At first, he perceives her as just another annoying 'woke' teenager on what he hoped was another simple and quiet journey, but as a revelation about Isa's situation comes to light, this goes from a dime-a-dozen taxi fare to a life-changing experience that forces Rene to confront things in his life that he has been running from for the longest time.

ABOUT THE FILM

Sherbet won Best Director at the BIFA Qualifying Brighton Rocks where it was also the runner up for Best Drama. Other notable festival awards include Best Makeup at the BIFA Qualifying Unrestricted View Film Festival (where India Brown was also Runner Up for Best Performance), the Emerging Talent award and Best Actress at New Renaissance Film Festival, and Best Cinematrography & Best Coulourist at the Wolverhampton Film. It also won the Audience Choice award at Film Tottenham.

Other notable festival screenings include theNorthampton Film Festival, Beeston Film Festival, Sunrise Film Festival, Mansfield Town, Romford Film, and Poppy Jasper.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Born and raised in the East Midlands, Danny Gibbons has what many would call a 'late' start in the industry, not making his first short film until the age of 27. Taking a creative look at the less publicised emotional abuse, Danny quickly finds success on the festival circuit with his debut short film Mark’d, winning the one-off Warner Brothers Short Film Festival, with Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables) calling it a "powerful and visceral physicalisation of a very real issue". Mark’d goes on to amass over 1.4 million views online across all platforms and is included in dozens of Domestic Violence Resource packs across the UK.

Danny’s next short, Last Dance, is a psychological horror that plays with the horror trope of a monster lurking in the shadows, but with the twist of incorporating current real-world issues. The film has a very successful festival run, being selected and winning awards worldwide, including the Melies D’Argent at Razorreel Film Festival and culminating with the Melies D’Or for Best European Short Film at the prestigious Sitges Film Festival in 2021.

In 2024, Danny releases Sherbet, starring Jay Simpson (Chernobyl (2019), Blitz (2024)) and India Brown (Invasion (2021–), That Christmas (2024)). The film screens worldwide, winning several awards including Best Director at the BIFA-Qualifying Brighton Rocks and “Best Emerging Talent” at the New Renaissance Film Festival.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DANNY

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Much like everyone else chasing the filmmaking dream, I fell in love with films from a very early age, they were worlds I loved getting lost in and they fed my wild imagination that I had as a child. I used to think I wanted to be an actor, and I pursued that for a while with varied levels of success, but it wasn’t until I was in my mid twenties that I pivoted and decided to give the behind the camera side of things a go. So I went back to university as a “mature student” and learned the craft of filmmaking. It was there I made Mark’d, a short, which was an experimental look and physicalisation of emotional abuse. Somehow the short went viral and amassed over 1.5 Million views across all platforms, which are rookie numbers now for social media but back then it was pretty substantial and set me up quite nicely going forward into my next short ‘Last Dance’, a horror which won the Méliès d'Argent at Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival and ultimately went on to win the prestigious Méliès d'Or at Sitges Film Festival. Sherbet is my third and follow up short. 

Tell us about the genesis of Sherbet. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

What a great question. The genesis of Sherbet sort of came about from a multitude of different avenues for me, three in particular, so please stick with me. The first one being I have always been fascinated with the taxi driver and passenger dynamic, anyone who has ridden for a long time in a cab can attest to  the unique conversation that can take place within the confines of the cab, and it’s something that won’t be around forever with  market of self driving cars growing. It’s also a familiar and relatable concept to set a story in.  

The second one being that about the time I conceptualised Sherbet I was in a bit of a slump, with running the risk of sounding super pretentious, I was basically the embodiment of both Rene and Isa. I was in my thirties and I hadn’t had the success that younger me had planned, everyone around me was getting promotions in their jobs, getting married, having children and I was angry and bitter for a while that it wasn’t fair, and contemplated quitting. I felt stuck, but that dreamer in me remained. The hunger and passion for it remained, so it was this inner turmoil that I battled with for a while and Rene and Isa were sort of born from that. 

The final ingredient in the sherbet conceptualisation was actually a specific experience I had in a taxi one evening. I had just screened Mark’d at Pinewood Studios and I was getting a cab home. The driver, obviously curious why he was picking me up from Pinewood enquired about myself and ultimately Mark’d. He asked if he could watch it, and thinking he was just being polite, I nonchalantly told him where he could find it online and we quickly moved on. About a week later I got an email from a name I didn’t recognise, and it so turns out that the taxi driver had in fact watched the film, and had emailed me to tell me that after watching it he had recognised some traits of emotional abuse in his own marriage and that the short film was an eye opener for him and it was going to change his life. I often wonder if it ever did, but it made me realise that the most innocuous of conversations/interaction with strangers can change the course of either person's trajectory and that is one of the central themes of Sherbet.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Sherbet and how did you overcome them? 

As with making any short film, the first obstacle to overcome is always…money. You’d think with it just being two characters in one location, it’s quite contained and cheap, but my producers hated me, it’s never cheap. Especially if you want to make it to a professional standard. We were in a unique position that while it was a singular location, our singular location was a moving one. So outside of money, our biggest obstacle was ‘how do we do this, and do it well?’. 

A moving car is so hard to shoot in, it’s risky and if you do it through all the legal channels it’s expensive, so we quickly ruled that out. I have also never been a fan of green screens when it comes to moving car scenes, the light just never looks natural and there is always an artificial look to it all. The future is definitely Virtual Production walls, and we explored this option, but you are talking thousands of pounds per day, which we just couldn’t afford, so we had to get creative and think outside the box. Firstly we established what the technology was from a hardware point of view, just huge TV's, right? So we decided to rent three large TV's instead, and pair it with a software largely used on high end sets for video playback, called QTAKE, and ran our own driving plates that we’d shot through that to the TV's, essentially creating our own smaller Virtual Production volume wall. I’m biased but I think it worked well for a fraction of the cost.

WATCH THE MAKING OF “SHERBET“

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights and/or online release.

I have to be honest, the journey through the festival circuit in many ways is my least favourite part of the whole process. It’s the first time you’re not really in control of your own films fate. We knew that having a twenty-three minute short was going to hinder us and be an uphill battle in some ways, but we believed its quality would shine through in the long run. I know it’s quite a controversial take, but I’m also not the biggest fan of sitting in a cinema and watching my own work play out in front of a live audience. Saying that, Sherbet’s festival run was ultimately a good one and I consider it a success. We went up and down the country with it, met some amazing people along the way and got lots of lovely laurels for our poster which is the true barometer of one’s worth, right? I kid. Seriously though, winning Best Director at Brighton Rocks, and the Best Emerging Talent Award at New Renaissance Film Festival where the prize was £1000 were particular highlights, because short films NEVER make money so that’s always nice. Now the film is out in the world for everyone to watch, enjoy, critique, and the response from everyone that has seen it has genuinely been amazing, and I am super happy and content with Sherbet’s life cycle and it’s one that I’m truly proud of. 

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I’ll double down on what I said above, if you’re going to shoot a moving car scene, and consider the technique above as a ‘hack’. I don’t know if I’m allowed to advertise here, but we did a masterclass for British Cinematographer where we break down how we pulled it off, which I think is worth checking out, but I’m biased. Or I'm more than happy for people to reach out to me with questions. I guess as a broader statement, what I’m trying to say is, and I don’t want to sound too preachy here, but don’t let people dictate you or price you out of making your film. So many people will tell you it’s not possible, or it’s too ambitious, or it won’t work, but if you know it will, find a way to do it anyway. It’s not enough to be a good storyteller these days, you need to be a good problem solver too, an ability to pivot, think outside the box, and find a way. Don’t wait for permission. 

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Well if you’re here watching Sherbet, and you enjoy this sort of thing, I’ll try and keep it within theme, and it would be amiss of me not to recommend a film that heavily inspired me/it, which is Locke. It always surprises me the amount of people who haven’t seen it, a concept you think can’t/shouldn’t work, but it’s truly a grounded and gripping piece of cinema, is a captivating watch, and comes with a phenomenal performance from Tom Hardy. 

Congrats on winning the Kino Short Film Fund with your next project. Can you give us a sneak peek?

Thank you very much. We’re very grateful and very excited to be working with Kino on our next short, Pushing Daisy. It’s a zainy, genre bending short set largely in a morgue that blends sitcom and drama. It follows Daisy, a seemingly buoyant mortician as she navigates an offbeat world of sitcom absurdity and somber reality as she grapples with her own unresolved trauma when her late husband’s mistress ends up on her slab. It’s such a stark contrast from Sherbet, (but somehow explores some of the same themes?) its wildly ambitious and if I’m being completely honest, the challenge of pulling it off scares me, which is usually a good indicator that we’re on the right path, so we’re super excited to get it made. 

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Freedom to be alone

Written & Directed by Alexandre Laurent

Produced by Maël Hajos

Jade opens up through a poem, sharing her story of an intense relationship with a former lover, marked by a toxic hold fuelled by stereotypes and the societal pressure to avoid being alone. Their breakup, far from being a tragic end, becomes a liberation a journey back to herself where solitude emerges as a soothing and healing remedy.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDRE

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I've been working in film for seven years now as a director/cinematographer. I was a first assistant for three years, then I became a director of photography by chance. This is my very first real project as a director, a subject that has been close to my heart for a long time.

Tell us about the genesis of Freedom to be alone and your motivation for making this film.

I have had various experiences in life, which have led me to a certain clarity about energies. In this short film, I tell the story through a poem about karmic bonds, using the image of a ball of yarn to symbolize these ties, interpreted with the sensitivity of a woman. I explore what can be resolved by emerging from these very powerful relationships.

The idea came to me while listening to music mainly, then there were the inspirations of directors that I followed like Théo le Sourd I like his work, but also the different experiences and revelations that I had during my filming, I had my vision like all directors of photography and I wanted to give a cinematographic interpretation to the story.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Freedom to be alone and how did you overcome them? 

We had a small budget and had a lot of constraints, and then a lot of concessions, which allowed me to open my eyes to certain aspects of production. And the importance of having a team you can count on.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I advise the young director to give himself time to do things, even if there are many budgetary constraints, and then to have a trustworthy and competent team where communication reigns.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

- Baby Bright by Oscar Keys

- Sometimes / Wonder by Theo le sourd

What are you working on next?

Right now I'm working on a feature film called "The Lemon Life" I'm going to adapt it into a short film to approach production companies and then make a film

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I Understand

Written & Directed by Mark Van Heusden

Produced by Victoria Fäh

After a heated argument Ben and Eve let off some steam by meeting a friend in a pub and each telling their side of the story. As they both tell their version of events and what they wished they had done instead, we find out what really happened that night.

ABOUT THE FILM

I Understand is the third short film from festival alumni Mark van Heusden. Thus far all three of his shorts have been screened by Kino, with I Understand being an official selection at our 2024 edition of the BIFA qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival. Other highlights for I Understand include screening at the Kingston International Film Festival and it’s online premiere with Film Shortage.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Mark is a London based editor and occasionally writer and director. His films as director include British Graffiti (Norfolk Film Festival best student film winner, Birmingham Film Festival best short film & best editing nominee) and David French Is a Piece of Shit and I want Him Dead (Hollyshorts Film Festival official selection, Kino London Short Film Festival best short, best screenplay, best actor nominee and winner of best score). His latest effort as an editor Us & In Between just finished it’s highly successful festival run and premiered on Director’s Notes. 

Mark also works as a visual effects editor on feature films and tv shows (House of the Dragon, The Witcher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Doctor Who)

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARK

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Welcome back to our Short of the Week series. What have you been up to since we featured your last short David French Is A Piece of Shit And I Want Him Dead?

After David French Is a Piece of Shit and I Want Him Dead, I took a long mental health break because I burned myself out a bit. This film is a direct result of that because I wrote it to make sense of all the thoughts going through my head. Before I went into production on I Understand I directed a few music videos (for bands Wyldest and GUYY respectively) working with Max Conran who is a great DOP and even greater friend. And I was fortunate enough to edit Katia Shannon’s short film Us & In Between which is probably my favourite thing I worked on so far.

Tell us about the genesis of I Understand. Where did the idea come from and how did you develop that idea into the short that's now made its way out into the world?

As I said I wrote this when I wasn’t feeling very well. I went through a break up which was quite messy and I kept thinking about what was said by both of us and what I wished I had said or done instead. I wanted to explore that strange occurrence where you lie to yourself and don’t say what you mean because you’re afraid to hurt the other person. Initially I wrote it as a breakup movie but I ended up changing it to a brother/sister story because I got over the break up and didn’t want to open those wounds again. I felt I moved on. Also my grandmother was dying at the time and she had a difficult relationship with my mother. Despite this my mum was by her side day and night before she died. And that made me realise that with family, even if you don’t get along, you have this connection that you can’t ignore. So I wanted to explore the difficulties of a family quarrel because I know many people will have experienced something similar.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making I Understand and how did you overcome them? 

We shot a house party with 20 extras in a 2 bedroom apartment. I was adamant we use a dolly in there too. It was very tight. But it all went smooth because the crew was prepared and we had set up a chill area outside so not everyone had to be in the apartment all the time. 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

Honestly this has been a difficult part of the journey for me. You hope a film gets into loads of festivals and that it connects to people that way, but I Understand had only two festival selections out of many submissions. However of people who did see it at these festivals I got some nice responses of people who had troubled relationships with their siblings or their parents, and said that this is exactly what it feels like. Ever the self critic, I have some gripes with the film too, but instead of seeing it as a failure I see it as part of my journey as a filmmaker to see the mistakes I’ve made and focus on improving my craft.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

Don’t do everything by yourself. I’m very introverted and do as much as I can by by myself. I edited this, mainly because I love editing and to save money, but I was too close to the material and afraid to kill any darlings. I think having an editor on board would have been better for the film in hindsight.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Some things I saw recently that I really liked.

Carnal Knowledge
Lone Star
Ponyo
The Return of the Living Dead
Flow
Ordinary People

What are you working on next?

I’m attached to edit a short by the end of this year and I’m hoping to edit more shorts in the next year and to connect with directors that way. Otherwise I wrote a feature film I’m very passionate about, a thriller about a young girl who finds out her father is an incarcerated serial killer. A director friend of mine read it, loves it and we’re hoping to get this made as his directorial debut feature. 

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Everything Is Out To Get Me

Written & Directed by Dustin Curtis Murphy

Produced by Dustin Curtis Murphy & Joshua Carrington Birch

Cinematography by Joshua Carrington Birch

An abused housewife finds out that her ex-husband has happily re-married and has a newborn baby, but there’s more to his newfound happiness than meets the eye.

ABOUT THE FILM

EVERYTHING IS OUT TO GET ME was shot on 16mm film and screened at 21 festivals internationally, including 9 BIFA Qualifiers. Highlights include the Unrestricted View Film Festival (Honourable Mention for Best Editing & Nominated for Best Score & Best Make Up), Dances With Films, Fastnet, Beeston Film Festival, Crystal Palace International Film Festival, North East International Film Festival, Spirit of Independence Film Festival, Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, Romford Film Festival (Nominated for Best Score and Best Screenplay) and TweetFest. The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2023 British Short Film Awards where it was also long-listed for Best Score and Best Costume Design. Upon wide release it’s been featured by Kodak’s Shoot Film channel, Minute Shorts, and Beyond the Short.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Dustin Curtis Murphy is an award-winning writer, director, and producer creating work at the crossroads of social impact and commercial appeal. His films often focus on character-driven narratives with relevant social themes and tightly structured plots, frequently working in blended genre. His debut feature film "Coyote" won the Grand Prize for Best Sci-Fi Feature at VORTEX, the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Romford Film Festival, and Best Director at the Unrestricted View Film Festival. He is also the CEO of Kino Short Film and the festival director for the BIFA-qualifying Kino London Short Film Festival. 

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DUSTIN

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Tell us about the origin of EVERYTHING IS OUT TO GET ME and how this project came about.

It was summer 2022 and I was just about to wrap production on my debut feature film, COYOTE. I’d spent many years making short films, developing my voice as an artist, experimenting, failing, dusting myself off and getting up again… That process was always leading me towards the lifelong goal of feature filmmaking.

Having finally rolled the feature film boulder up the cinematic mountain, Sisyphean-style to appease the film gods, I certainly wasn’t feeling the need to start at the bottom of the mountain again with another short… but then frequent collaborator, DOP Joshua Carrington Birch, approached me with an offer I couldn’t refuse…

”Let’s do something we’ve never done before.”

He had my curiosity.

“Let’s shoot a project on 16mm film.”

...but now he had my attention.

Growing up in the 90’s, all of my early student projects were all shot on digital. That technology followed me into all of my subsequent work, but I was always trying to make my work look filmic and cinematic (with varying degrees of success). However, there really is no substitute for the real thing.

So how did the story develop from there?

Since 16mm film just oozes the textures of a bygone era, it felt natural to develop this project as a period piece. It was also important to me to create a mutually beneficial portfolio piece for all involved. Something that really showcased all of my friend’s immense talent vs just wrangling them to enable a singular vision.

I was also extremely interested in playing with structure, subverting the usual formulas rampant in modern filmmaking to deliver something fresh. With this film (spoiler alert) I wanted to the audience to feel completely different about these characters by the end of the film than they did at the beginning. The good guy becomes the bad guy and the bad guy becomes the victim of who we thought was the good guy… I wanted to use these narrative twists to challenge audiences biases.

Let’s chat about your choice to tell this story through narration. Why did you make that choice?

It’s odd, but narration can be quite controversial in some pretentious screenwriting / industry circles. Some people consider the use of narration to be “bad writing” or “lazy writing”, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Narration done badly is indeed awful, but then again the same is true for dialog or plot.

Creating a blanket rule that narration should never be used because it’s an inferior art-form is hogwash malarkey. Imagine Fight Club without narration. Same with Forrest Gump, Stand By Me, Apocalypse Now, Adaptation, Casino… I could go on forever. If you look at IMDB’s list of Top 250 films of all time you will see so many examples of narration.

One key deciding factor in making this film a 100% narrated piece was the fact that our film camera was noisy which would’ve impacted our ability to record clean dialog. Additionally the narrative spans many years in the matter of a few minutes. Our film is about the entire scope of a relationship, not a single defining moment of a relationship, so narration was a great tool to link scenes together over the passage of time. The film is also heavily rooted in the misrepresentations of the leading character. Our narrator is the quintessential “unreliable narrator”. The audience starts off believing everything she’s telling us. We empathise with her tale of victimhood, but as the story unfolds we start to realise that the images we’re seeing don’t line up with her words and we’ve been lied to. I wanted the lead character to not only gaslight her partner in the film, but also to gaslight the audience - what a better tool to use for that than narration.

I don’t think the essential components that make this short film what it needed to be would’ve worked without the use of narration, and it certainly was a fun style to experiment with. However, I will say that in the final mix we noticed that the music and visuals were so strong that we didn’t need as much narration as was initially scripted.

Tell us about the music of EVERYTHING IS OUT TO GET ME.

The score is truly one of my favorite things about this film, and in general working with composers is one of my favorite parts of the collaborative process of filmmaking. (I love many other collaborative relationships as well, so this is in no way meant to throw shade at those who aren’t composers…)

I’d met Thom Robson after he won the award for Best Score at the first year of Kino’s film festival for his work on From Fragments - a beautiful dance film about dementia. I often scout talent via my work with Kino, and I was always looking for an excuse to finally collaborate with Thom. We did work briefly together on my micro-short Filthy Animals, but Everything Is Out To Get Me was what I’d consider our first proper collab.

Thom and I both have a very sensitive ear for digitally created string instruments, so to make the score the portfolio piece it needed to be, we were fortunate enough to work with a 40 piece string orchestra out of Budapest who recorded remotely. It was the same orchestra who does many Hollywood projects including Tim Burton’s Wednesday, but they still set aside 50 minute sessions to help out smaller projects. It was amazing to hear them nail Thom’s composition in just a few takes.

The score is available on Spotify is anyone fancies adding it to their playlist.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

This short was blessed with a very healthy festival run, and while there are great several festival experiences throughout, it’s US premiere at Dances With Films remains my favorite festival experience to date, not just for this film, but for all that I’ve done.

Dances With Films takes place at the historic TGC Theaters on Hollywood Blvd. and it’s everything you think a big Hollywood film festival should be. It’s very well attending and they have special industry events for screening filmmakers where you can actually get in the room with key industry decisions makers. The staff is very friendly and they absolutely champion grass roots filmmakers vs succumbing to the rampant nepotism and privilege that many other big festivals do.

What are you working on next?

The feature length script for Everything Is Out To Get Me is deep into development at this point with several drafts completed. For the feature I’m leaning more heavily into the genre elements that are hinted at towards the end of the short, in particular the home invasion. However, after directing, producing, writing, and editing my debut feature film, it’s certainly not an experience I’m willing to subject myself to again. Making the feature certainly came with it’s highs (and lows) and I’ll always be thankful to some amazing collaborators and investors that believed in the project, but at the end of the day it was a micro-budget production which meant that the solution to most problems was for me to do the work myself. This of course lead me down a path of massive burnout, so for my own wellbeing I’ll not longer be looking to take on four full time production jobs at the same time.

To ease into doing another feature, I’d actually like to get my mojo back by doing a few shorts. I think a lot of people look at shorts as something you graduate from once you’re in the feature film world, but they’re such different mediums. I have a lot of stories I’d like to tell and not all of them should be features.

Hey, if David Lynch can make shorts throughout his career without being embarrassed then why should anyone else feel any different. Go scratch your creative itch any way that feels right to you.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I’ve mostly spent the last year revisiting my old favorites. Previously, it became kind of a competition between me and friends to see who could boost their IMDB/Letterbox’d view count the highest, but I realized that after being exposed to SO many films over the years I’ve become harder and harder to impress. Pair that with the current state of the industry pushing out more data-driven content vs grand artistic achievements, and I became one bored viewer when it came to new releases…

In slightly similar vein to Everything Is Out To Get Me, I just revisited Marriage Story which is an absolute masterpiece.

For something newer… I super enjoyed Mickey 17 and don’t care what any of the haters had to say about it. Most entertained I’ve been in the cinema in awhile.

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Snapshot

Written & Directed by JOHN CLARK

PRODUCED BY SAM BARNETT & JIM WRAITH

An aspiring autistic photographer is plagued by a painful memory that exacerbates his persistent struggles with unemployment and negotiating the job interview process.

ABOUT THE FILM

SNAPSHOT is the debut film from John Clark and was funded and supported by the BFI Network. Snapshot is based on John Clark's lived experience, of trying to gain employment as an autistic adult. The film includes a debut performance from Josh Ward, whose real-life experiences mirror the character and themes presented within the film.

The film won Best International Short Film a the Wigan & Leigh Film Festival, and also screened out of competition at the BAFTA Qualifying Bolton Film Festival as part of the Film Hub North Showcase. Other festival highlights include the BIFA qualifying North East International Film Festival, Catalyst International Film Festival, Romford Film Festival and Mansfield Film Festival where it received 4 nominations including Working Class Voice Category, Best Lead Performance, Best Editing, and the Heart Of Mansfield (Top Prize). It was release on Omeleto earlier this year.

ABOUT THE FILMmakers

John Clark is a Writer and Director who first garnered national attention with his candid, introspective short documentary; Asperger's: And What Of It? a paraphrased edition of his surrounding work of his lived experiences as an Autistic Adult. It was screened at The National Autistic Society's Autism Uncut Film Festival in 2017, and from there applied for funding through Film Hub North for what became the short Snapshot, his professionally credited Written and Directorial debut.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JOHN

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Many thanks for having us! Snapshot is my professionally credited Writer and Directorial debut. Before this, I had made a series of self-produced short films, with one in particular that led on to the development of Snapshot. The short; Asperger's: And What Of It? is a paraphrased film of my similar work of the time which was entered into The National Autistic Society's Autism Uncut Film Festival in 2017. Gaining nationwide attention as a Finalist in the Aspiring Filmmakers category. It is a candid, introspective short documentary of my lived experiences as an Autistic adult.

Tell us about the genesis of Snapshot and your motivation for making this film.

Whilst residing in South Yorkshire, I'd meet Sam Barnett (after being introduced to him) at Sheffield Showrooms over a series of Coffee meetings about the (then) possibility of creating a short film together. I'd discussed my lived experiences of unemployment and regaled tales of various disastrous job interviews as an Autistic adult, and wanted to highlight the lack of support Autistic adults such as myself face, due to perpetuated stigmas and stereotypes about those with the condition. Only 22% of Autistic adults are in any form of employment due to these barriers, and not only did I wish to highlight this alarming statistic, but I also wished to create a visually immersive experience that put the audience directly into the subjective world of an Autistic person, and their direct experiences with sensory and communication difficulties, amongst the intrusive thoughts as a result of pervasive mockery, scrutiny and misunderstandings. From there, Sam introduced me to his small creative team, where we put together a funding application into Film Hub North which we were successfully awarded for. We're still working together on future projects!

Throughout, DOP Jim Wraith helped with in kind support from Sheffield Hallam University, with kit hire, crew and locations, all proving highly beneficial as a further utilising of our resources.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Snapshot and how did you overcome them?

We were greenlit for funding in January 2020. 3 months later...As a result of the occurring events, we then had to develop Snapshot over a series of Zoom meetings. It was a blessing in disguise, as it gave us a real opportunity to flesh out the story into what you see today. Film Hub North were incredibly supportive of me and us, especially through a rather difficult time in everyone's lives. Though the film went through constant development right up until the final cut! The real challenge came from utilising our limited resources. £10,000 leaves little margin for error! Auditions were Self-Tapes and Zoom calls, and further development was remote, until we were finally able to film over 5 days in April 2021, still under COVID guidelines of that given time, which meant we didn't really have enough time for on-set rehearsals, or blocking. COVID also meant we were running on a skeleton crew of about 8-10 people, who all appear in Snapshot at some point. I cameo twice! From script to screen, we all really had to think on our feet. The Bus sequence was originally set on a Train, but the Train company quoted a third of the budget! Such a sequence (which has been seen as something of a highlight) was also supposed to be a flash-in-the-pan moment when one Interviewer asks; "Getting here's not a problem for you, is it? No?" We also spent a year remotely editing Snapshot, where we evolved the idea of using the Bus sequence as a Turning Point for the film. Originally, it would cut straight from Ian's bedroom to the Interview, but it didn't feel right. You know in your mind when you're that involved with the creation of a deeply personal story to you what works, and what doesn't.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

Film Freeway can be costly! But we divided the remainder of the budget into attempting to hit the bigger festivals, before the local ones. Any selection was a win in our eyes, and for a low-budget debut, getting into 8 out of a possible 38 is quite the achievement! It is ridiculously competitive! All of the firsts were highlights for me. Snapshot premiered at Wigan & Leigh and won its award. We were unaware there was going to be any awards there, leaving me (ironically) speechless! Seeing Snapshot on the big screen for the first time sinking into my seat, was something of an experience too. My first panel interview at Romford Film Festival, where I was bricking it on the inside, but managed to explain how the film came to pass. The Omeleto selection also meant the world to me. The comments in particular. Reaching a further and wider audience, and having many Autistic people (and friends, family and Carers of Autistic people) deeply resonate with Snapshot was one of many other goals we set out when making it. The 5 star review on UK Film Review. Being selected here as well! Revisiting my old place of studies to screen the film and inspire Aspiring Filmmaking Students. Because of how this story is semi-autobiographical, there will always be that personal touch and deep gratitude for every success and accolade Snapshot has received. Especially with the rest of the cast and crew, who all have a personal connection with Autism too.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

If writer's block rears its ugly head, write what you know. Yes, it's old hat, but it works. Even if you strip back the content, and amplify the context and underlying ring of truth with what your story's core message is, it should strike a chord with many. Kill your darlings. Also cliched, but true.  You may very well have spent an incredibly long time setting up an exquisite shot, but if it's only served purpose is aesthetic, and doesn't help drive the story, cut it. It's a Short Film. You don't have long. When Snapshot's first pass was 22 minutes, it was far from engaging. Each scene needs to drive the next, progressing the story, and cementing its core arcs and messages until the very end.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

For similar short films, I highly recommend Pennywort, which tells a similar story from the perspective of a Young Autistic Woman. One scene in particular deeply resonated with me. Attempting to articulate Snapshot's vision was initially difficult. So, I was asked to cite past Films of inspiration or similar to what I had in mind. Films that we all have a mutual love for, such as; Pi, and Jacob's Ladder cropped up. Both have had a long lasting impact, because they tell compelling subjectively driven stories that help the audience get inside the mind of each character. I'd also recommend Tyrannosaur as that's also been a huge inspiration on the kinds of stories I wish to tell. Raw, subjective and unapologetic at times. A view of the world that sometimes needs a lens over.

What are you working on next?

With Hidden Pictures North, we are currently working on a Documentary Project that will emerge next year.

I also moved to Peterborough, where I shared Snapshot and am currently chasing funding for a Combined Arts Project with Metal Culture, examining how Deaf, Disabled and Neurodiverse communities within the city feel pigeonholed within a dichotomy of being branded as either Lazy Scroungers on the Benefits system, or put on pedestals as Paralympian Superheroes with unrealistic presumptions and expectations.

And finally, I currently tinker with my Feature Script which serves as an elongation of Snapshot that hopefully emerges some day! There's still a lot that needs to be said about Autism.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

We had our premiere in the Peckhamplex in October 2022 where we screened our film to not just the cast and crew but also those that are part of the community, charities and those who contributed to our crowdfund campaign. After that, we got good news after good news with various festivals. We managed to get into a decent amount at the end of the day. Highlights include meeting some great likeminded filmmakers at the Leeds International Film Festival and seeing some great horror shorts there. The South London Film Festival was another highlight as it unexpectedly snowed heavily that night! At the end of the day, every festival was great as I got to see some awesome films and meet some talented people.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I think that it is great to be ambitious and you should have a lot of ambition when it comes to making your short film but be realistic and know your limitations. I see too many short films that are very clunky and rushed because they tried to cram a lot of big budget aspects into it with a small budget. London's Forgotten was ambitious and had many locations but it's not something I'm expecting to get all the time, and we had a decent budget to go with that. Also, take time with the script. As stated above, it took a year until I truly understood what London's Forgotten was. Don't rush into things.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Oh, well, I'll recommend some good ones that fit in with the style of London's Forgotten for sure. I would say David Lynch films, such as Eraserhead and Muholland Drive for the surrealism. The Exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel is also a good shout equally for the surrealism as well as using it for social commentary. Bullet Boy if you're looking for a grounded urban London story.

What are you working on next?

A proof of concept social-horror short film called Scelus! (Scelus is Latin for "To commit a crime"). I'm currently looking to shoot Scelus sometime within the next six months after I secure funding, and I couldn't be more excited to share the story with the rest of the world! The short deals with Riley, a 24 year old ex-criminal on community service, who plans to use his gift of seeing the dead to confront an entity in a run-down council flat before his curfew begins. I'm hoping to develop this short film into a feature to expand the world further.

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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?

Cry Like A Guy

Directed by Ant Rubinstein

Written by Catherine Willoughby

PRODUCED BY UNIT 9 FILMS

Why do we cry? What’s the deal with those little droplets of emotion? Kieran Bew (HBO's 'House of the Dragon', Netflix's 'Warrior') leads us on a gruff, goofy, educational and emotional adventure through the senses into the fascinating world of tears. A feast for the feels.  

ABOUT THE FILM

CRY LIKE A GUY has been featured online with Film Shortage, Beyond the Short, Minute Shorts, and Curation Hour. I won awards at Sunday Shorts and Indie Short Fest in LA, received Honourable Mention at the Margate Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Micro Film, best editing, and best sound at Phoenix Rising. Additional festival highlights include Little Venice Film Festival and Boundless Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMmakers

Ant Rubinstein is a London based director / VFX artist / general creative nerd. Armed with an Engineering degree from the University of Cambridge and a couple of years working internally at Red Bull Media House - he’s recently moved into directing commercials for global brands (Google, Meta, Mastercard, Honda, Ford) and music videos for Chart topping artists (Sean Paul, Camilla Cabello). He picked up aa Young Director Award at Cannes for a zero-budget pandemic short film - which is now preserved in the BFI national archives. In his filmmaking he is all about innovating and pushing boundaries wherever possible, he loves that intersection where tech meets art, and especially loves getting his hands dirty building creative contraptions using the latests tools and technologies.  

Catherine Willoughby is a planing director at Adam & Eve DDB by day, and a passionate poet / writer of spoken word by night.  

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ANT & CATHERINE

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

We’re a London based writer director duo - by day Catherine (writer) is a planning director at Adam & Eve DDB and by night an avid poet / writer of spoken word. Ant (director) is a freelance filmmaker working in commercials, with a keen interest in VFX and messing about with the latest tools and technology.  Together we love collabing on projects like this, we like to make things that play to our creative strengths and that can also inspire, educate and entertain at the same time.  Our last short ‘There’s Something Going Around’ was about how memes kept us sane during the pandemic, and it ended up preserved in the BFI national archives (as well as garnering a coveted Kino short of the week selection too) . 

Tell us about the genesis of Cry Like A Guy and your motivation for making this film.

Believe it or not, the topic was inspired by a disagreement between Catherine and Ant. We realised we’d been socially conditioned to have opposing views about the value and usefulness of tears, and wanted to explore that in a piece of creative writing. Catherine wrote a longer spoken word poem originally, then we decided to make it into a film - and target it specifically at men as that had more of a cultural hook than crying in general. 
We started by researching to answer the simple question “why do we cry?”, and the explanation fit into those three broad themes. So we wove them together in a story that builds continuously; starting with what’s happening in your body (biological), then looking outwards to your interaction with other people around you (sociological), and then zooming out even further to consider people across time (historical) - painting the full picture that today’s stigmatisation of male tears is not very productive or sensible. The whole process was a fascinating journey of research and discovery. 
This is a huge topic, and such an important one too. We feel that the boundaries of traditional masculinity are very much in flux at the moment, and we hope this film can play a small part in reshaping the narrative. We’d love it to be seen by as many people as possible in an educational context and we’re working on charity partnerships / amplification to get it in front of the people who could benefit the most from the messaging.  

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Cry Like A Guy and how did you overcome them? 

The hardest bit of any short film project has go to be getting it off the ground and building that initial momentum! We had such a great script and I knew we needed to find the right narrator who could do it justice, but at the start when it’s just an idea in your head how do you convince people to see the value in it? Because I do a lot of VFX, my approach was to create a really intricate 3D animatic of the whole thing, we plotted out exactly what was going to happen and when -  particularly how it was going to flow together with these theatrical sliding scenery pieces. I worked on this for a good few months, knitting the story together and figuring out exactly what we needed. This was the only thing I could really do to drive the project forward by myself, but the pre-vis actually became invaluable in getting people excited and on board - It’s what enabled us to attract Kieran as our narrator. It also meant on the shoot we could be super efficient with coverage, as we had the film pretty much all laid out already in terms of what shots we needed where, to stretch our slender budget to the absolute maximum.  

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

My approach to getting this out there in the world has just been make as much noise as I possibly can about it online!  Our premiere was just on my YouTube channel (after a screening for friends and crew) - and I’m constantly posting behind the scenes snippets and  making-ofs on instagram to get people to go and watch the full thing. Side note: I’d definitely recommend behind the scenes content as a great way to promote a film on social media, little snackable snippets are much more engaging and shareable than a full film that requires attention and focus, plus there’s a multitude of pages that will repost good behind the scenes content if you make it for them!  Because we both work in advertising we’re trying to get it in front of as many industry people, brands and agencies as we can - with the ambition being we can find a purpose for it with a charity or a cause to amplify the message. 

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

This was my time doing a short with a really established actor, we were so lucky to get Kieran on board and I think my big learning / hack would be don’t be scared to go after a big star! If you can find a way to get through to them and you’ve got a good idea I don’t think anyone is off limits. That applies to crew, VFX artists and everyone involved in the process. Filmmaking is a team sport and you never know who you might be able to get on board and how much they might be able to elevate your work if you don’t try! For us, the narrator was always going to be what the success of the film hinged on and Kieran’s experience in House of the Dragon, Netflix’s Warrior and all manner of other ‘tough guy’ roles made him a perfect fit for the part. 

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

An inspiration for this film that I heartily recommend was Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Henry Sugar on Netflix, mainly for the theatrical transitions and sliding set pieces - they add a whimsical sprinkle of surprise and delight to every scene and elevate moments that could just be a mundane cut. I think in this world of oppressive CGI and Ai there’s something so special about clunky mechanical transitions that really feel handmade.  Another big inspiration for us was ‘Quarter life poetry’ by Samantha Jane, we love the spoken word narrator lead narrative. It’s such a great way to tell a story with so much lyrical flair and creative flourish, a piece we defintely aspired to emulate! 

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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?

London's Forgotten

Written & Directed by Liam Pinheiro-Rogers

Produced by Cyrus Mirzashafa & Levon Gharibian

In the urban streets of London, the stories of would-be knife crime victims are connected by a wandering drifter who has loose ends to tie.

ABOUT THE FILM

LONDON’S FORGOTTEN screened at our BIFA Qualifying Kino Short Film Festival earlier this year. Other notable festival selections include Shorts On Tap, The British Urban Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival, and Liverpool Film Festival. It won Best Experimental Short at The South London Film Festival and was nominated for Best Director at The British Short Film Awards. It recently premiered on Director’s Notes.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Liam Pinheiro-Rogers is the Writer/Director of London’s Forgotten. Since leaving film school in 2015, he has been making independent short films, with genres ranging from horrors to sci-fi to dramas. He built up a portfolio as a director of short films and music videos, while screenwriting short and feature films. One of his feature screenplays, “A Flood To Remember” won Second Rounder at the Austin Film Festival. Recently on the directors front, he has worked with clients such as musicians May Roze and Alex Ko, and the charity Missing People.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH LIAM

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

So I was always very creative growing up, doing lots of drawings and coming up with all sorts of ideas for different concepts but never really knowing what exactly I wanted to do. Be a drawing artist? Novel writer? Comics? Videogames? I explored all of these different thoughts but nothing stuck. At 13 years old, I got to do a short (and terrible) film in my secondary school and it was there I realised I wanted to be a filmmaker. I wanted to write and direct specifically. From there, I went to film school to learn a bit more about the craft and after leaving, I started making a lot of self funded short films, producing most of them and building relationships, and really cutting my teeth making dramas, horrors, science fiction stories and so on until I found my voice. I always saw films as the best way for me to articulate different thoughts and ideas within my favourite genres and types of films.

Tell us about the genesis of London's Forgotten and your motivation for making this film.

London's Forgotten had a long journey from the concept to the finish line. I thought up the concept back in 2019, inspired by growing up in Tottenham and knowing people who were involved in gang activities. I lived in Tottenham for a good portion of my early life. It was when I went to secondary school where I realised what was going on in my area in terms of the gang lifestyle, and knife and gun crime. The catalyst for my parents deciding to get us out was our next door neighbour's son being shot in a neighbouring area to Tottenham. I wanted to use these facts, about the why and how questions about knife crime victims, to create a story about knife crime and my love of surrealism and horror played into that too. It was going to be a no budget thing shot on the weekend with a skeleton crew about a guy who finds his dead body in an alleyway. But the shoot was cancelled, which was a blessing in disguise. I went back to the drawing board and a montage kept popping in my head of knife crime victims, so I decided to combine that idea with my old idea to create something fresh and unique. Throughout the year, I met people who would eventually become members of the crew. We were going to shoot in April 2020 only for COVID to stop us. This gave me time to go over the script and make changes, which was a secondary blessing in disguise funnily enough! It was over a year later, in 2021, that we finally managed to successfully crowdfund London's Forgotten and shoot the film.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making London's Forgotten and how did you overcome them?

We were battling up against a few issues doing the shoot for sure. One that really sticks to mind was having to recast an important character the night before the shoot. As we were shooting during COVID in 2021, one of our cast members unfortunately caught it a day before the shoot. Luckily, I kept my composure and the night before, I ran through different actors that could suit the role and managed to find the perfect fit for the character.

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

We had our premiere in the Peckhamplex in October 2022 where we screened our film to not just the cast and crew but also those that are part of the community, charities and those who contributed to our crowdfund campaign. After that, we got good news after good news with various festivals. We managed to get into a decent amount at the end of the day. Highlights include meeting some great likeminded filmmakers at the Leeds International Film Festival and seeing some great horror shorts there. The South London Film Festival was another highlight as it unexpectedly snowed heavily that night! At the end of the day, every festival was great as I got to see some awesome films and meet some talented people.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I think that it is great to be ambitious and you should have a lot of ambition when it comes to making your short film but be realistic and know your limitations. I see too many short films that are very clunky and rushed because they tried to cram a lot of big budget aspects into it with a small budget. London's Forgotten was ambitious and had many locations but it's not something I'm expecting to get all the time, and we had a decent budget to go with that. Also, take time with the script. As stated above, it took a year until I truly understood what London's Forgotten was. Don't rush into things.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Oh, well, I'll recommend some good ones that fit in with the style of London's Forgotten for sure. I would say David Lynch films, such as Eraserhead and Muholland Drive for the surrealism. The Exterminating Angel by Luis Buñuel is also a good shout equally for the surrealism as well as using it for social commentary. Bullet Boy if you're looking for a grounded urban London story.

What are you working on next?

A proof of concept social-horror short film called Scelus! (Scelus is Latin for "To commit a crime"). I'm currently looking to shoot Scelus sometime within the next six months after I secure funding, and I couldn't be more excited to share the story with the rest of the world! The short deals with Riley, a 24 year old ex-criminal on community service, who plans to use his gift of seeing the dead to confront an entity in a run-down council flat before his curfew begins. I'm hoping to develop this short film into a feature to expand the world further.

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FOLLOW LIAM ON INSTAGRAM

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Interested in getting your work selected?

Stones

Written, produced, & Directed by Matthew Hopper

On a trip to his old family home in the Scottish Highlands, a troubled man argues on the phone with his stoic father, forcing him to confront a dark issue in their relationship.

ABOUT THE FILM

STONES won Best Low Budget Short Film at our BIFA qualifying short film festival earilier this year, where it was also nominated for Best Cinematography. Additional festival highlights include the BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetic Short Film Festival, and BIFA Qualifying Brighton Rocks International Film Festival, and Wimbledon Short Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMmakers

Matthew Hopper is a London based filmmaker. He has directed commercial/branded content for brands such as Qatar Tourism, The National Lottery and Booking.com.  

In 2016 he wrote and directed “Rumble”, which screened internationally at festivals including Phoenix, Sao Paulo and Manchester. In 2018 he co-wrote and directed, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, which was part-funded by the BFI/Film London’s, London Calling Shorts Scheme.

In November 2018, his short western script, No Ordinary Stranger, was selected as one of the 3 winners of the Shore Scripts screenwriting competition.

His spec scripts have reached the semi-finals of several competitions such as Shore Scripts, The Golden Script Competition, and the Screencraft Fellowship. 

His latest short, “Stones” won best low budget short film at Kino London festival and played at festivals such as Aesthetica, Brighton and Wimbledon. He has another short “Elephant” in the final stages of post-production.

Ludovic Hughes is a Scottish actor, producer and writer who began his career on the London stage. He has since starred in award winning short films Alegna, Miss Moneypenny and Man of the Hour. His film credits include Ride (2018) and Sacrifice (2020). His TV credits include Dune: Prophecy (2024), Belgravia: the Next Chapter (2023), Hotel Portofino (2023).

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MATTHEW

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Where to start? I'm a bit of a country bumpkin at heart, having grown up in Somerset in the West Country. 

My passion for filmmaking sparked early on as a hobby. I used to watch old war films and westerns with my dad, and I'd make copy-cat TV shows and ridiculous little films with my sister and cousins on my grandfather's camcorder.

That said, growing up I never really considered filmmaking to be an option for me. I thought it was something that happened far away in Hollywood and it wasn’t until I went to uni and started making short films and music videos in my spare time and making contacts in the industry in London that I thought I could actually make a stab of it.

Since then, I have been stabbing away and over the past 10 years I’ve worked for various production companies as a runner, an editor, a self-shooter and in production before I made the decision to focus on writing and directing around 5 years ago. I now work full time as a director, making narrative films in my spare time because I love them and branded stuff/commercials because I need to eat! 

Tell us about the genesis of Stones and your motivation for making this film.

The origin of how Stones came to be is actually a long (albeit incredibly poignant!) story. The abridged version is that Ludo Hughes (the film’s co-writer and lead) and I were good friends at primary school in Somerset but drifted apart when he moved away. We randomly reconnected in London five or so years ago when I saw him act in a friend’s short film. 

Even though I hadn’t seen him for 17ish years we picked up right where we left off as 10 year olds and once again became good mates. As we were catching up, Ludo shared with me that his father, Mark, had sadly taken his own life about 8 years prior, which was a huge shock as both our families were close growing up. 

We talked a lot about mental health, having both struggled with imposter syndrome and depression brought on by bereavement. 

A couple of years later, after some serious deliberation we decided to make a film about our personal experiences as men,  and also pay tribute to Ludo’s father, Mark. Ultimately we decided that a fictional story with characters inspired by real events and our experiences was the way to go.  

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Stones and how did you overcome them?

The main hurdle we faced was, unsurprisingly, funding. We were rejected by every funding scheme we applied to. But rather than letting that stop us, Ludo and I decided to scrape together what we could and make it happen on as little as possible. We saved up diligently and committed to bringing Stones to life no matter what.

Just as we were about to start shooting, that pesky old virus that begins with C came along and put everything on pause. Initially, it felt like the worst timing ever, but it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We were originally set to shoot a different version of the script that involved brothers but were never fully happy with it. Being in lockdown gave us the time to really reflect and rewrite the story, honing in on what was truly important - the father-son relationship. This not only strengthened the narrative but also simplified the production, making it easier to shoot once restrictions lifted.

Shooting in a remote part of Scotland was another adventure altogether. It wasn't without its headaches, that's for sure. We filmed right up until the last light of day, then had to rush down the mountain in the dark to catch a local fishing boat I'd arranged to take us back to civilization. It was a bit of a race against time and quite the logistical challenge but it added a layer of excitement and camaraderie to the whole experience. In the end, overcoming these obstacles made the film all the more rewarding and fun. That along with AC Matt Farrant playing LOTR music on a speaker as we hiked for hours to get to shooting locations! 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

Getting a film seen is actually one of the hardest challenges. There are so many good films out there and the bar is incredibly high, but there's also so much noise. Festival rejections are a major part of the process and I have developed a thick skin over time!

We decided to focus mainly on UK festivals, and were lucky enough to be selected at several BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festivals such as Aesthetica, Brighton, Kino, and Wimbledon. All of them were well attended, which was fantastic to see. I've been to festivals in the past where it's just one man and his dog, so it was really gratifying to watch our film with a real audience.

The highlight for us was undoubtedly the incredible messages we received from the audiences. We were blown away by the response; so many people reached out to say how much they enjoyed the film and how it resonated with them, having either struggled with mental health themselves or knowing someone who has. Plus, it was absolutely awesome to pick up the award for Best Low Budget Short at Kino!

Overall we’re really pleased with our journey so far and incredibly proud of the film we have made. Shout out to the awesome crew and actors who helped make it happen! You are all godsends and thanks for giving 110% to our film.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

I have two, very cliched pieces of advice! 

One is to make sure you have a good script. Take the time to iron out the kinks and make sure it says what you want to say. Get people to read it and feedback, as sometimes you get so close to a project that it is hard to see the wood from the trees.  

The second is just make films with the resources you have available. Don’t wait for permission. Funding is a lottery. The odds are not in your favour. I have lost count of the number of times I have been rejected by funding schemes and festivals. 

I now kinda live by Mark Duplass’ "The Calvary isn’t coming" philosophy. Save as much money as you can, persuade a bunch of filmmaker friends and get out and make stuff. You’d be surprised how many people are up for the ride. 

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I was at Wimbledon Short Film Festival last week and saw a documentary short called ‘Blackstroke' and a comedy called 'Thanks for the Milk' that were fantastic!

Also, at Aesthetica and Kino, a short called ‘Terror’ which is such a cool idea and executed so well - again with not much money or means!   

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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?

Scrutiny

Written & Directed by James Quinn

Produced by Maria Ogunyale

On a bus journey across south London, a young man’s anxiety spirals into a vortex of self-doubt and torment - causing him to question: can he trust his memories?

An illustration of the process and impact of anxiety, and the demands of city life that intensify it.

ABOUT THE FILM

SCRUTINY was an Official Selection at the 2023 edition of our BIFA Qualifying Film Festival where is was nominated for Best Performance In A Drama (Isaiah Bobb-Semple) and Best Editing. I was also an Official Selection at the Manchester International Film Festival, S.O.U.L. Fest, EFN Short Film Festival, British Urban Film Festival, and South London Shorts.

ABOUT THE FILMmakers

James Quinn | Writer Director - James is a London based film writer and director whose work focuses on the internal battles we face. His latest short, Scrutiny, featured in the 1.4 Awards Shortlist, and screened at the BAFTA-qualifying British Urban Film Festival, Leeds International Film Festival, and S.O.U.L. Fest, as well as six BIFA-qualifying festivals.

Maria Ogunyale | Producer - Maria is an emerging producer known for her work on drama series for top broadcasters like Apple TV, Amazon Prime, BBC, Netflix, and Sky. With a strong background in production she focuses on creating high-end stories that are often untold, championing inclusivity and fresh perspectives. Maria's credits include "Trying," "This is Christmas," "I AM RUTH," "The Tower," "Mood," and "Top Boy." Her dedication to unique storytelling was highlighted in producing the short film "Scrutiny," showcased at the S.O.U.L Film Festival 2023.  Maria is dedicated to exploring themes like social justice, mental health, and cultural representation, pushing the boundaries of traditional drama.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JAMES

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Hi, thanks so much for having me! I’m James, a writer director based in London. I picked up a video camera as a kid and made films to make my friends and family laugh… and it stuck. At that age, I was at a major crossroad to decide whether to try to be either a filmmaker or a carpenter. I picked filmmaking. In hindsight, I don’t think they’re that different as professions. Filmmaking feels like carpentry to me.

Tell us about the genesis of Scrutiny. We understand that it stems from your personal experiences with anxiety. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the film?

I expect like most people, I’ve had various battles with anxiety and poor mental health. I was in a privileged enough position to be able to afford therapy. Shining a light on the mental process of my anxiety was transformative - seeing how it worked took its power away. 

I felt like I’d peeked behind the curtain, but I’d never seen anxiety on screen how I experience it. So, I wanted to pay it forward. This film was an extension of that. It was like, ‘How does anxiety light, block, and edit my thoughts?’

Hopefully other people can take something helpful from this film too.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Scrutiny and how did you overcome them?

Shooting on a bus was loads of fun but really tricky. We wanted the genuine feeling of a moving bus, so our production team found us an amazing bus hire. We created a loop around south London and circled it for a whole day. We knew continuity and shot precision was out the window so we leant into that limitation and made it our style. The disorientating, staccato editing was a deliberate choice to reflect the internal anxiety and disguise that limitation.

Our brilliant DoP (Jasper Enujuba) was shooting on an easyrig. With the bus swinging up and down the roads, he needed some help to stay upright. I was the lucky crew member selected to steady him with a bear hug. 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

In truth, I’m quite shy about my films. I find distribution and self-promotion hard, so we did a focused and limited festival run. With the type of festivals, we aimed high and I was absolutely delighted to get into the ones we did - all BIFA or BAFTA qualifying. We played alongside some amazing films. To share a screen with them was amazing.

But, I’m less interested in the number of viewers than catching those few people who feel a deep connection with the film. I’ve had quite a few people reach out with very personal messages about Scrutiny. Those are more meaningful to me than a 5 or 6 figure view count.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

You’ll stop yourself long before anyone else does. That’s the case with me, at least. I get so focussed on the problem-solving aspect of filmmaking that I start finding more and more problems. And you can hide behind that and never make anything. A friend once told me ‘think less, do more.’ That’s advice I need to follow more.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I was blown away by The Zone of Interest. My mind was in tatters for weeks after. And I recently watched the classic, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. What a distainful deconstruction of misogyny and patriarchy.

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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?

Dating Violet

Written & Directed by Holly Trenaman

Produced by Madeleine Jurd

In a small-coastal town, where everyone knows everyone, Violet’s life crashes down when she is dumped by her boyfriend and her parents contemplate divorce. Violet realises she has never known love at all and it affects her personal relationships. Violet is imprinted with scars of domestic violence, her parents failed marriage, and the pain of heartbreak, but through her friendship with Hunter Thorn, who is dealing with similar issues, she begins her road to recovery. Together, they depict different perspectives of broken families and exhibit the healing power of love, as they learn to accept the love they deserve.

ABOUT THE FILM

DATING VIOLET is the short film directorial debut of writer/director Holly Trenaman. Earlier this year we had the pleasure of screening it at our Kino Short Film Open Mic, however, the film enjoyed it’s World Premiere at Flickerfest International Film Festival. Additionally it won Best Director at Far South Film Festival and the Young Australian Filmmaker of the Year Nominee at Byron Bay International Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Holly Trenaman is a writer and filmmaker from a small town south of Sydney. She has a Bachelor of Screen Production from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, and a Masters of Creative Writing from The University of Technology, Sydney. She’s the writer and director of 6-part 'SISTAS' web series on YouTube, the award-winning short film 'Dating Violet', and she's in post-production on her first documentary short film. She works freelance in the TV industry - across reality and scripted - working her way up to screenwriting, while also writing fiction on the side. She hopes to address mental health topics, sex positivity, and darker issues through comedy, as well as alleviate standards of perfection in society by creating work that showcases imperfect characters.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY

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Welcome to our Short of the Week series. Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I consider myself a writer first, and I actually decided to explore the film industry as a writer/director after stumbling upon the BFI London Film Festival in Leicester Square in 2017. I was on my gap year, and looking for 'purpose' as you do, and I ended up going to two weeks worth of premieres and screenings, and networking with other filmmakers, and knowing I needed to be part of this world. Being from a small town south of Sydney, I'd never seen anything like it, so I'm always very grateful that I decided to take that walk that night. 

Tell us about the genesis of Dating Violet. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the film?

Dating Violet is an allegory for domestic violence, which explores mental health issues and the different forms of violence in relationships through the perspectives of Violet and Hunter, who have both grown up in abusive homes. It details how this can affect children who have witnessed violence second-hand, since they are equally afraid that they will grow to perpetuate these violent behaviours in their romantic relationships - and I hope to expand on this if I can develop it into a longer form piece. Again, I thought of the title while standing in the crowd of a film premiere at the BFI LFF in 2017. I knew I wanted to explore these themes, but when the character of Violet came to me, it gave the whole idea clarity, and I went back to Sydney to study Film Production to understand how to execute ideas. I made this film in 2020 as my graduation film. 

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Dating Violet and how did you overcome them? 

Filming the ocean scenes were the most challenging. They were so key to my vision for the film, since I wanted to capture visceral highs and lows, the turbulence of the ocean, and see Violet 'beneath the surface'. Violet and Hunter surf for the escapism, and I wanted to give the audience this feeling of freedom to contrast with their darker lives on shore. We filmed this at my local beach with a small but dedicated team, with volunteer lifeguards, and many friends and family members on set offering their help too. That is the only way we overcame and got these incredible shots on no budget! 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

Our world premiere at Flickerfest in 2022 was special because that was a goal of mine, in a dream location, with Flickerfest being held on Bondi Beach. Byron Bay International Film Festival was also a highlight, since the night was hosted by Jack Thompson, an Australian veteran actor. But also I won prize money in other film festivals, so they are close contenders as well! I've also since done local screenings for people in my hometown who hadn't seen it, and it's been well received. The film is dedicated to my ex boyfriend Kane Richardson, and to my late cousin Zane Cahill, and I really felt their love during our screening at the KINO Open Mic night in London 2024 too.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

Just do it! But also, I had written and directed a no-budget web series consisting of six 6-minute episodes before making Dating Violet and this was a masterclass in filmmaking do's and don'ts. I don't think I would've been able to pull off the quality of this short film without having the experience of the web series, as I was able to delineate certain production standards and up my game a little bit professionally too.  

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

My favourite movie is 17 Again and nobody can tell me otherwise.

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The Jokes

Directed by Eli Speigel

Written by Eli Speigel & Stephen Thomas | Produced by Joshua Rosen & Daniel Feldman Green

After accidentally burning his breakfast, a man goes to a nearby cafe and struggles to read a graphic novel.

ABOUT THE FILM

THE JOKES premiered at Toronto Based Shorts and was an Official Selection at Naked Mountain IIFF, Tiny Film Festival, and Picture's Up Film Festival. It’s also been featured
with Beyond the Short and Film Shortage's Daily Short Pick.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Eli Speigel is a freelance director and editor born and still stuck in Toronto. He is typically seen puttering around the Christie Pits neighbourhood, and surfaces on social media when he has short films, videos, or music to release. 

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ELI

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Welcome back to our Short of the Week series. What have you been up to since we featured you last short Mayonnaise? 

Thanks for having me back. That feels like kind of a while ago and yet I've still been doing the same old. I currently have another short film called Gone Fishin' in the can... and I have no idea what to do with it. Next week I will find out if I get a grant to do another short film about a guy who watches people through their phones in order to generate suggested content for them in real time. 

Tell us about the genesis of The Jokes. What was the inspiration behind the film?

The inspiration for The Jokes came from a collection of short stories of the same name by Stephen Thomas. It's technically an adaptation of a handful of those stories... some I combined, others I warped. Thomas' stories don’t have beginnings, middles, or ends; they are moments more than anything else. I singled out the ones that felt like the characters were disassociating, experiencing the intense mental process of disconnecting from oneself, and doing so in mundane locations and trivial environments. Having an intense emotion while in a disconnected public place brings out a certain comedy due to its juxtaposition. Having an existential crisis in a cafe while the stranger beside you is filming a TikTok on their phone could cause you to question the significance of the crisis itself. I wanted to explore this scenario visually and sonically and meld several of Thomas’ micro moments into a series of connected vignettes; slivers of life rather than slices of life. I think suffering from mental illness can be funny. Or maybe the world around me is just a funny place to be suffering from mental illness. I'm not sure which.

What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making The Jokes and how did you overcome them?

The main obstacle wasn't really an obstacle, it was more of a test. I decided to shoot this by myself with my Sony A7s iii. I wanted to see how good I could make something look without having to ball out on a camera that I would need at least two other people to build and operate. I had friends come on different days as an extra pair of hands and a sound recordist, but that was the extent of the crew! And then I had the amazing Erik Bayley and Deanna Marano colour grade and sound mix respectively. The ACTUAL obstacle for me is typically location. How can I find well lit, visually interesting places that suit my story and characters... and then get proper access to them? In this case I was able to shoot at my friends Shelby and Stephen's house, as well as the main actor Conrad's apartment. Luckily I also have an in with the picturesque First and Last Coffee Shop. The tough one was the scene in the alleyway. It was so bright that day, I could only kind-of see my camera monitor and we were shooting guerilla style near the back of a restaurant called Banjara in the early afternoon before they opened. The market scene was also tough because the Nut House (as far as I could tell) was the only market/grocery store that closed with enough time before sundown. I sent them an email, and they were into hosting a little film shoot, but said we could only come in after they close. That gave us about 2 hours to get the scene done... and we did it! 

Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences and some of the festival circuit highlights.

I simplified that journey and I'm more interested in local screenings and making the films as accessible and easy to find as possible, rather than playing the lottery that is submitting to big festivals. I'm 32, and I think I'm a few emails with the word "unfortunately" away from snapping. Although a few film festivals still pique my interest. The Jokes premiered at a locals only festival in Toronto in December called Toronto Based Shorts. It's only 2 years old but it's one of the best nights for local film here. This week The Jokes is playing at a fun festival in West Hollywood called Picture's Up.

What advice or hacks would you give to other short filmmakers?

Save up to buy your own camera and make friends with people that are interested in running around with that camera. Start a favour network with other filmmakers and actors around you.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

I just watched ...and Every Cavity was a God-Shaped Hole by Zachary George and it rocked. I also saw A Year of Staring at Noses by Karen Knox and Matt Eastman, Northened by Una Di Gallo, Goblin High by Isaac Roberts, and The Sweater by Maziyar Khatam recently and loved them!

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