Written & Directed by Holly Hunter
Produced by Gaël Houdin-Brenac
Before a first date, people-pleaser Lauren visits a West Country nail salon, where an awkward encounter sends her plans into a bizarre spiral.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Holly Hunter is a BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying writer and director working in her own distinctive world of absurdist realism. Based between London and Bristol, she is represented by Riff Raff Films.
Her debut short, Banana Boat, won the Yarns Film Fund, and her films have since screened internationally. Her latest short, Perfect Nails, won Best Comedy at the Montreal Women Film Festival, while CRUNCH, a comedy about loud crisp eaters, was featured in It's Nice That under the headline: 'Endure the Insufferable Sounds of Crunchy Snacks'.
Holly was shortlisted for Channel 4's New Writers' Scheme and placed in the top 5% of the BBC Comedy Collective.
Alongside filmmaking, she works as a freelance creative, having worked at leading London agencies including Mother, Wieden+Kennedy and BBH.
She draws obsessively to unwind.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY
Welcome to our Weekly Pick!
We enjoyed Perfect Nails, a piece of work that offers the full package of what a short film should be - although it makes sense to learn that your background is in art direction because that element is certainly a highlight of your film.
Currently, you work as a writer/director for not only short films, but also music videos and commercials. Can you talk about how you pivoted from art direction to writing/directing?
After four years of grafting my way from intern to senior art director at one of London's leading creative agencies, Wieden+Kennedy, I felt compelled to explore my own self-expression.
Without giving it too much thought, I quit to pursue stand-up comedy; just a stage and a mic, where you could freely express yourself (and hopefully make people laugh).
What followed was a penniless year of self-discovery. I took myself to the Edinburgh Fringe and started working at a Soho comedy club, absorbing everything I could.
I quickly discovered that although I loved telling stories, I missed the visual side of things (and perhaps didn't love being on stage quite as much as I'd hoped).
I started drawing my own little cartoons, and for the first time, I could see my own distinct comedic voice coming to life. It was during this strange little year that I stumbled across a short film competition called Yarns, which would become my first proper step into directing.
Cue the next question...
What were some of the writing/directing opportunities you were presented with while in art direction and how did you pounce on them?
It was during this penniless year of self-discovery that I applied for the Yarns Film Fund. I'd heard it was a brilliant stepping stone for new filmmakers, with three winning scripts awarded £2,000, free post-production and Kodak film stock (quick interruption to say that any budding filmmakers reading this should absolutely apply!).
With more time on my hands, I gave the script my all and wrote Banana Boat, about two obsessive mothers battling it out for the last spot on a banana boat ride on holiday.
Lo and behold, it was selected! And it went on to win the Audience Award at the Prince Charles Cinema screening. It felt like the perfect marriage of my love for writing comedy and creating playful visual worlds.
Alongside this, I'd been mucking in on low-budget music video sets, doing everything from running to set design. Through those experiences, I managed to cobble together a little team of collaborators who I still work with to this day.
Tell us a bit about Perfect Nail's journey. Any interesting hurdles you needed to overcome during pre-production, production, post-production?
The idea came from the slim pickings of small-town dating. If someone relatively normal and attractive pops up on a dating app, chances are all your single friends (and your sister) are already talking to them. And then there's the glorious double standard of "I can date whoever I like, but how dare you do the same!"
The first big hurdle was finding a producer. Up until then, I'd self-produced my shorts, keeping things small and being very hands-on as a director. But this one needed a level up.
I started messaging production companies across London, telling them that everyone wanted to make this script. And somehow, it worked! Riff Raff, my dream production company, came on board. I'd built a relationship with them during my art direction days and helped out on a few projects, so luckily I wasn't a complete stranger.
The next challenge was finding the perfect nail salon. I wanted somewhere with real charm and character, rather than a sea of clinical, shiny white, but finding somewhere willing to close for filming, with an actual manager around to speak to, was proving tricky.
Eventually, we stumbled across Lehn's salon simply by walking in off the street. She was a nail pro who helped us get all the techniques right, let us paint her salon wall (which she loved so much she kept!) and even starred in the film herself.
Recently you were shortlisted for Channel 4’s New Comedy Writers scheme and are currently repped by riff raff as part of their Nursery of Evil. Can you tell us about your experiences with both of those?
I just love making things, so I'm constantly plotting and conspiring to create something new. My big ambition is to write and direct a comedy series, so I'm always seeking out writing opportunities to keep sharpening my voice (and having a deadline is bloody useful!).
Whether it's being shortlisted for Channel 4's New Comedy Writers scheme or recently making it into the top 5% of the BBC Comedy Collective, I use these experiences as fuel to keep pushing my writing further. I'm currently developing a comedy series set in the West Country, and it's getting stronger with every application and rewrite.
Ah, Riff Raff! I first went on a shoot with them during my early art director days, and I remember the owner saying, "I don't care about fancy cameras or tricks, I just care about good ideas." That really resonated with me and has stuck ever since.
I also loved their appreciation for individuality, personality and the wonderfully imperfect. So I kept sending Nat, their EP, my short films and eventually the Perfect Nails script, until they didn't really have much choice but to bring me aboard!
I feel incredibly lucky to be on a roster alongside such talented directors and to be part of the next wave of emerging talent.
Spoiler Warning!
Let's chat about your ending which reveals the double standards of your protagonist. It's a great twist and certainly different viewers can derive their own meanings, but was it your intention to point out double standards depending on gender or is this more of a reflection of how we judge the behaviours of others while being guilty ourselves?
Definitely a bit of both! I love the double standards of modern dating. We're perfectly entitled to date whoever we like, but God forbid someone we're seeing does the same!
I remember listening to a friend who was distraught because a guy she really fancied had mentioned he was going on another date. After listening to her outrage for ages, I pointed out that she was literally going on another date that evening. But somehow, in her mind, that was completely different.
And historically, men have got all the glory for shagging around, so why shouldn't women get a bit of the limelight too?
I also think modern dating is a bit of a minefield. Once upon a time, you were either together or you weren't. Now there are about 17 different stages before you can even say you're exclusive. Dating apps have created this endless 'try before you buy' mentality, where there's always someone else a swipe away. It makes it bloody hard to pick a lane!
And nail salons are the perfect breeding ground for gossip. You're sat across this tiny strip of desk, hands outstretched, unable to even look at your phone. The drama just unfolds! I've heard some absolute crackers from the girls at my local salon. Last time I went, one was getting 'revenge nails' done so she'd look smoking hot at a party her ex was going to. That's the sort of ridiculous, wonderful real-life drama I love putting on screen.
What's next for you?
More films! The commercial world isn't always easy, so I like to have a personal project on the go to remind myself why I love making things in the first place.
I've just directed a comedy short for writer and comedian Sascha Lo called The Quiz, about a girl who becomes obsessed with a personality quiz in a magazine. It's the first film I've directed that I haven't written, but I think our two wonderfully strange worlds complement each other.
I'm also editing a little documentary about my parents' marriage, told through them jive dancing up a hill. I shot it on some Kodak film stock I won through Yarns (the competition I mentioned earlier). I wanted to make something purely for the fun of it, and I actually think it might be my favourite thing I've made yet!
And having recently moved back to Bristol, I'm currently storyboarding a music video for a local band involving a birdwatcher. I'm very excited about this one.
So, a personality quiz, my parents jiving up a hill and a birdwatcher. A suitably ridiculous mix!
And last, but not least? Any film recommendations for our audience?
A few playful ones for ya!
Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom : Stunning visuals, gloriously over-the-top humour and heaps of heart!
Coyote vs. Acme – Straight-up cartoon silliness. My kind of ridiculous.
The Naked Gun (2025) – Is the humour actually good, or does it lean so hard into being ridiculous that it becomes brilliant? Either way, I'm laughing.
