Inside the LA George Floyd Protests
In this video journal, actress Shani Drake discusses her experiences at the Black Lives Matter Los Angeles protests over the police murder of George Floyd.
This week we take you inside the capitol of the entertainment industry - Los Angeles - and speak to actress Shani Drake. In this video journal, she discusses her experiences at the Black Lives Matter protests over the police murder of George Floyd - a single incident in police violence that we are sure needs no introduction since it sparked international outrage.
Shani has starred in TV series and many independent films including Avery Road which screened at our Short Film Open Mic in 2018. Read our interview with Shani below to get her eye witness perspective of what it’s like to be marching in the streets of LA.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an LA based actress:
I’ve been acting out here in LA for a little over five years now. I’ve been able to be a part of some great projects, which I’m thankful for, and I’ve met a lot of talented people along the way. I’ve grown a lot as a person and an artist as well. Acting is my main focus but I have many other creative passions... music, writing, creating content. That’s one of the reasons I decided to document the protests. When I’m taking photos and creating videos I’m in my element.
What is the vibe of the protests that you’ve attended?
I’ve attended five over the past week and a half and the vibe has changed daily. The first BLM protest I went to was on May 27th, two days after George Floy’s passing, before the movement really gained momentum. There were still a lot of people out supporting but the spirit of it felt like a smaller tight-nit thing. Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck hadn’t been arrested yet at that point so I think everyone out protesting that day was feeling outraged over that and just a strong sense of urgency and frustration.
My second day was May 30th. Protests had spread to multiple parts of the city at that point. I went out to the Beverly area that day and saw things I’d never seen before! Cars on fire and no one putting them out, people standing on top of abandoned city busses, someone spray painting the Beverly Hills sign... and crowds much bigger than just a few days prior. All of that in combination with the police using flash bangs and tear gas made it feel a bit like a war zone. Just a few days after that the vibe was completely different again. Overwhelmingly peaceful and even larger in size. The number of people I’ve seen showing up to protest has continued to blow my mind.
Have there been any stressful moments or close calls?
Yes! My second day protesting we marched from the Grove to Beverly Hills. There was a huge police presence that day. It was definitely intimidating. The crowd marching was very big and the leaders kept telling us to stick together because there was this ever looming threat of the police intervening at any moment. We were hearing rumors on Twitter that they were bringing jail busses and planning to arrest a lot of people. We were hearing lots of things. They were following us in helicopters and when we arrived in Beverly Hills we were met with a police barricade. They started setting things off into the crowd to try and disperse us. At that point I no longer felt safe.
Protesting definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. It can be stressful at times, there were some moments where I was truly scared, but there’s power in numbers. Being with so many people that day made me feel safe in some ways. If I could go back in time I’d still choose to go out and make my voice heard that day. There’s something so empowering about that.
What are your thoughts on the record numbers we’re seeing of police attacking journalists and those documenting the protests?
I’ve seen a lot of upsetting images and videos this past week. The police are literally responding to our police brutality protests with more police brutality. I hate violence and the things I’ve seen these past few days have made me so sad. There have been so many cases of people ending up in the hospital after getting hit with rubber bullets. Multiple people lost an eye. That’s just so upsetting to think about. A lot of these people who have been injured were participating in peaceful protests where the police instigated things. This is what I’ve witnessed myself being out there, the police instigating things. No one should have to lose their eye as a result of protesting!
Have you already seen positive change due to these protests?
Yes, there’s been positive change already! Minneapolis is planning to disband their police department which is so amazing and almost unreal to think about! Who would’ve imagined that happening just two weeks ago. Defunding the police is becoming a more widely understood and accepted idea and I think a lot of people want that now, especially since it could mean more money going towards education, healthcare, homelessness, mental health, communities, etc. Our mayor, Eric Garcetti, is listening to us a little bit... he’s agreed to cut $150 million from the police budget which is a start. We’re asking him to go a lot farther than that because right now the police budget is a whopping $3.14 billion! $150 million is only a 5% cut from that.
We have more demands and still need to be heard in many ways. There are still so many people who haven’t gotten justice, like Breonna Taylor (one of so many others). The cops who killed her haven’t been charged with anything. Those are some of the reasons why so many people are still out in the streets. I’m headed back out tomorrow!
Follow Shani on Instagram @ShaniDrakeLove
As always, we a Kino Short Film are committed to providing a safe space to artists to share their work. We promise to continue to use our platform to amplify black voices and we stand with the protestors as we work towards a widespread systemic change that holds police accountable for their actions.
Below is a work-in-progress collection of ways you can help end systemic racism and end police violence.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
PERSONA
Marc, a talented film director, meets Lucien, the fictional character of his next movie.
Marc, a talented film director, meets Lucien, the fictional character of his next movie.
Written & Directed by MATHIEU NOLHIER
Assistant Director VINCENT SENECAT
Starring DENIS MICHALLET, KENT GOLDFINCH, SUZIE ARIS, & MICHELLE CALLCUT
Writer/director Mathieu Nolhier is no stranger to Kino Short Film. In fact his previous film HELENE was one of our 9 nominees for Best Picture at The People’s Film Festival. With PERSONA we were delighted to see Mathieu try his hand at a bit of comedy and we hope you enjoy. Below is a quick interview we conducted with Mathieu to gain a bit more insight into his latest film and his process.
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO WRITE PERSONA:
Some people were asking me how ideas come for my short movies. My reply was always the same: it appears in my mind, then I note it and go to something else. But when the idea is good, it comes back. And when you start to write, the story goes by itself. You can't create a story that doesn't work for your characters. Then I wanted to share this idea with people so I did this movie.
WHAT'S YOUR WRITING PROCESS:
I take notes for a few weeks, about the character, some parts of the story, shot framing or camera movement. Then I go in a coffee and start to write the script. I always find a coffee place for a story and only write here. After a few weeks and litters of coffee, I have my final script.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE:
It's really funny to compare the final edit to your first idea. You see the journey from one point to the other and you feel a great feeling of achievement. There are a lot of differences between both points because it was only you at the beginning but then, a lot of people added their Art to the piece (actors, music composers, sound engineers etc..). I was so happy to screen it to peoples after so many months of work.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET:
I learnt how to shoot and edit myself to limit the budget on my shorts. You don't need a very expensive camera to make beautiful pictures, you just need to learn how to work with lights and composition. Also, take all the things you can that you already have (friends and family's locations, friends as extra actors etc...). To conclude, I always take the budget in mind when writing my scripts and it can offers you very creative ideas (Ex: using sound design instead of real shots during the script scene). But the most important thing when you have low budget: Organisation. I add much more days in preparation than shooting and it saves me a lot of time/money/energy for the global project.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
When you see the people looking at your movie and have emotions. Make the people laugh, be surprised or anything, that's always the best moment.
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE:
I would say "Dark" on Netflix. Very good story, well written, very nice pictures and amazing casting. Last season releases at the end of June so be ready!
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
MY TIME
A 12-year-old girl has her first period in class. Her skirt is stained red. She is up next to present her final paper in front of all her peers. Will she find a way out of the 'uncomfortable' situation?
A 12-year-old girl has her first period in class. Her skirt is stained red. She is up next to present her final paper in front of all her peers. Will she find a way out of the 'uncomfortable' situation?
Starring ABBY MIZON, CLARA READ, TREVOR MURPHY & ILARIAN BUSHI
Writer & Director: GIULIA GANDINI
Producer: ABBY MIZON
DOP: GABI NORLAND
Editor: BEN MILLS
Music: STEFANO FASCE
MY TIME is one of those rare treats in indie short form cinema. It was long-listed for the Academy Awards in 2020, and won Best Short Film at Chicago International Children's FF, at NFFTY, BUFF Malmo FF, TweetFest FF and Shooting People's New Shoots Competition (Summer Round 2019).
We first became aware of it when director Giulia Gandini submitted it to The People’s Film Festival. It was an instant favourite of our judges and eventually was nominated for Best Picture.
Today is the first day MY TIME is being widely released online - #MenstrualHygieneDay. We’ve been in touch with Gandini while she’s been in preproduction for what is sure to be another masterpiece…
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO WRITE MY TIME?
An experience from middle school! A friend of mine was bullied for weeks because she stained her jeans when she got her period. I wanted to take a negative memory and turn it into an empowering narrative and statement about menstrual blood.
WHAT'S YOUR WRITING PROCESS?
I usually think about the idea for weeks (if not more) without writing a word, then write the first draft of the script all in one evening. My first drafts are usually very visual, with little dialogue, quite dry, but the process of writing them is very instinctive and emotional. I don't share the concept of the film with anyone before I've written the first draft (if I do I feel like the idea loses emotional power in a way). I then usually write 2/3 more drafts over a few days before presenting the script to anyone or asking for feedback. Getting too much feedback is quite confusing rather than helpful for me, so I tend to select just a few people I trust (not only filmmakers) to share their notes on the script.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE?
It was quite exciting. I've written scripts before, but this was the first one I approached with the intent of actually directing myself. So there was an additional layer of pressure (and I usually work well under pressure, it gives me adrenaline, drive and focus).
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET?
I believe the best creative decisions I made in relation to a limited budget were to keep it to one character, one location, one moment. I already knew when writing the script that I wanted a specific visual style requiring good lighting and a dolly, so I couldn't really afford to follow multiple characters over more than one day in different locations of the school. Budget shouldn't restrain your creativity, but it shouldn't ruin the creative outcome either, so it's good to prepare and find a middle way.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FILM'S BIGGEST SUCCESSES?
Getting long-listed for the Oscars 2020 was quite special. But also winning the Best Short Film award at NFFTY in Seattle and at Chicago International Children's Film Festival were exciting highlights!
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?
Probably being on set. It's so magical to see what's been in your head for such a long time finally translated into real life. It's also the moment when I'm working with my actors the most, and I really love working with actors.
SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE?
Subscribe to Mubi, they have incredible films that are not that easy to find! Watch Céline Sciamma's coming of age trilogy (Water Lilies, Tomboy, Girlhood). If you can't be bothered, Tiger King on Netflix is a pretty safe bet for entertainment.
Period products shouldn't be a luxury. But they are for so many women and girls right now. UN Women is working alongside the WHO to ensure all women and girls' voices are addressed in the COVID-19 response, including providing period products to women in quarantine centres, refuges and prisons that haven't been able to access these basic essentials during lockdown. You can play your part and donate here: unwomenuk.org/campaigns/covid-19
Just £15 can provide a week's worth of hygiene essentials and food for a woman and her children in quarantine. Follow UN Women UK on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to unite with us for change.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
SAMARITAN
An immigrant doctor, fearing deportation and living off grid, stumbles upon the unconscious body of a racist politician whose been kidnapped and left for dead.
Written & Directed by DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Produced by ADDY RAJA, NICCI BRIGHTEN, & DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Starring CHRIS KYRIACOU & PETER ORMOND
Cinematography by JOSH BIRCH
Assistant Director TOP TARASIN
SAMARITAN was selected for The Climate Story Lab (March 2020) supported by BFI Network, Exposure Labs & The Doc Society.
THE LAST CONFESSION
Franz – an old, dying man, and former Nazi, calls a priest to his bedside for his last confession. But Father Kramer finds him chillingly unafraid and unrepentant. The story Franz tells, and what happens next, will go beyond the darkest imaginings of his confessor.
Writer/Producer Kev Hopgood is a Kino regular, having screened his previous shorts (STORY TIME & COLD CALLER) at our Short Film Open Mic. Kev brought his new WWII horror project to a Kino Writers group last summer and within a matter of days director Dustin Curtis Murphy came on board joining Kev and co-producer Marius Smuts. With the help of Greenlit the film was successfully crowdfunded and we had two days of production in the fall/winter of 2019. We’re currently putting the finishing touches (score and sound design) on The Last Confession with intentions to release it this summer.
Directed by DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Produced by KEV HOPGOOD & MARIUS SMUTS
Written by KEV HOPGOOD
Starring PAUL BASSETT DAVIES, ADAM WITTEK, ROSE MUIRHEAD & RAY CALLEJA
Cinematography by JOAO DA SILVA
Original Score by PETER LEWINGTON Peter Lewington
Sound Design by JOHN MELLOR
Head of Makeup JO CHANG SMUTS
Makeup Artist ALEX PALUMBO
Visual FX by HOWARD GARDNER
Colourist MAX PRESKY
KISS ME MALIBU
This horror-comedy explores the insecurities that TV shows, religion, culture and belief systems create in us during male-female relationships and in courtship.
Horror-comedy film about the insecurities and overthinking that TV shows, religion, culture and belief systems create in us during male-female relationships and in courtship. It makes fun of us and the roles we take in that process, without making any moral judgements.
Director: MIKEL ARRAIZ
DoP: JORGE ROIG
Editor: MIKEL ARRAIZ
Starring ADRIAN BARINAGA, GARAZI BELOKI, ROSA NAGORE, AMAYAVALMASEDA, SANDRA AZCONA
Producer: ITZIAR LACUNZA & MIKEL ARRAIZ
This week we bring you the People’s Film Festival winner for Best Music Video - the gorgeously shot “Kiss Me Malibu”. We were stunned by this film’s visuals and its use of symbolism piqued our interest and threw us into debate as we shared a variety of interpretations. We interviewed director Mikel Arraiz to chat about his film and get his interpretation and learn more about how this project was made…
HOW DID YOUR FILM COME ABOUT? DID YOU APPROACH THE BAND WITH THE IDEA OR WERE YOU HIRED?
I wanted to create something shocking and technically very well done for my reel and my new film production company Valle del Cielo. For doing that I needed creative freedom, so I created the song. The song is mine. A couple of friends helped me with the drums and the bass. Usually bands, put some limitations in ideas.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE PROJECT TO LIFE?
Difficult. I live in a small city, so I had to hire people from Madrid and Barcelona who were more expertise and experienced than people who live in my area. It was expensive and I had to do a big preproduction work. It was a long process... about a year working on the project. I learnt a lot.
YOUR FILM HAS A LOT OF SYMBOLISM IN IT. DID YOU INTENTIONALLY LEAVE IT OPEN FOR PEOPLE TO COME UP WITH THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS? WHAT'S YOUR INTERPRETATION?
I live in the Basque Country. People say that having sex and flirting in the Basque Country is really difficult. I would say, there is some kind of "blocking energy" or old cultural tradition which makes difficult for men and women to flirt in bars at night and overall. With this film I just wanted to make fun of this situation. I think if people see the roles they take during night and have fun of them, it helps to heal this cultural patterns.
Summarizing, the film makes fun of the patterns, insecurities and overthinking that TV shows, religion, culture and belief systems create in us during male-female relationships and in courtship.
By the way, the dance movements are mine, I used to dance like that just to have fun and break the typical flirt situation at night.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET?
Study a lot of courses, manuals, ask a lot of questions in Facebook groups, practice... this way I could work in more aspects of the film.
Also, for the main location, instead of paying them, I did a corporate film for them.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FILM'S BIGGEST SUCCESSES?
The fact of making them is a big success. Also, a lot of international awards, for Kiss Me Malibu we got more than 30 awards. Being on newspaper and media due to awards gave us a lot of promotion.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?
When I get the ideas. For inspiration, I listen to music. I wrote all my scripts listening to music. I have synesthesia, so as soon as I listen to music I start downloading colors, images, tons of ideas, movements... For me it is like taking a drug and seeing things, but without taking any drug, just with music. I can feel a lot of emotions during that process. Once I get the idea and all the details, I start with the production process. You can see on my last commercial what I am talking about when I relate music, colors... https://vimeo.com/385781038/3087b08068 (this is not the final version...)
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE?
Haha, I am not a big cinephile... I can recommend you all the music videos by Chris Cunningham, specially "Windowlicker".
For movies: "The Neon Demon" by Nicolas Winding, "Lost highway" by Lynch, "Punch Drunk Love" by Paul Thomas Anderson, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" by Yorgos Lanthimos...
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
NO GUARANTEE
London 2056 - the city is dying and those living in the smog-clogged ruins live by their wits. The ones who can afford to opt out by uploading their consciousnesses to Cloud 9. This is advertised as a one-way ticket to virtual heaven - but can the Company who run it really be trusted?
London 2056 - the city is dying and those living in the smog-clogged ruins live by their wits. The ones who can afford to opt out by uploading their consciousnesses to Cloud 9. This is advertised as a one-way ticket to virtual heaven - but can the Company who run it really be trusted?
This short film won the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge 2016.
Written & Directed by STUART BLACK & NICK MATHER
Produced by IOANNA KARAVELA
Starring JUSTIN MAROSA & ALICE HENLEY
We first came across No Guarantee as one of the earliest entries to The People’s Film Festival last year. It quickly rose to the top of the list of our favourite submissions, and at the time we had no idea the film was produced from concept to completion in 48 hours - which makes it even more impressive! Last week we caught up with director Stu Black to chat about his process…
SO THIS FILM WAS CREATED AT 48 FILM CHALLENGE, CORRECT? CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THAT?
We made No Guarantee for the Sci-Fi-London 48 Hour Film Challenge. It was our second attempt at the competition with the same group of filmmakers, so we'd learnt a lot together and had a great team spirit.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN CREATING A FILM IN 48 HOURS?
It's a fun but draining experience - you're shooting late into the evenings then staying up on the final night to get masses of post-production work done. Our poor composer was waiting until we had a locked edit - which was around 4am on Sunday night. But everyone pulls together and there's a huge feeling of satisfaction at the end.
DID YOU MAKE ANY TWEAKS TO THE FILM AFTER THE CHALLENGE BEFORE SENDING IT OUT TO FESTIVALS?
We tweaked some of the VFX and did a tiny bit more work on the grade - but it's essentially the same film we won with.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET?
Creative problem-solving is the key to these competitions - you have to get everyone helping each other, not constrained in their department. That meant rifling through all our collective cupboards to find props and costumes that would work. Our production designer actually works in motorcycles - so a lot of what we used came out of her stockroom - the Cloud 9 devices, for example, are ventilator plugs removed from a motorcycle face-mask.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FILM'S BIGGEST SUCCESSES?
We are very happy with the way the story builds - which is really down to the editor, actors and composer. It's also really cool to see different audiences react to the ultimate 'yes/no' twist - we always get a gasp or two.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?
I've been a journalist for years which is basically a lone wolf profession - filmmaking is fun for me because you get to cook something up together with friends.
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE:
If you've got through all the good stuff on Netflix and are at the bottom of their barrel, it's definitely worth trying out the less famous platforms (many have free trials too) - for example, I just signed up to Marquee TV, which is all opera and ballet - and not normally my thing - but it was refreshing to spend a night watching something totally different from the norm.
Visit the facebook page here: facebook.com/noguarantee/
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
IT'S BEEN TOO LONG
Two ex-lovers meet at a rarely-used Aspen lodge to reignite their passions, but first they must confess their past sins.
Two ex-lovers meet at a rarely-used Aspen lodge to reignite their passions, but first they must confess their past sins.
Starring DAVID EBERT & KRISTA JENSEN
Directed by AMBER SCHAEFER
Written by KRISTA JENSEN & DAVID EBERT
Produced by SHANE OSGOOD
Cinematography by JORDAN T PARROTT
Edited by JOSHUA RATHMELL
This short comedy had our festival judges in hysterics with its witty dialog and unique style, making it one of our favourite films to screen at The People’s Film Festival this past March. While we were sad that we couldn’t meet this film’s creator in person, we’ve been emailing with director Amber Schaefer to ask her some questions about her film…
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS PROJECT:
I was drawn to the absurdity of the script and really any excuse to work with the talented real-life and on-screen couple Krista Jensen and David Ebert.
DID YOU HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE SCREENWRITING PROCESS:
Krista and Ebert came to me with the script fully baked; they had performed it together as a sketch at UCB. I think I threw in a punch-up or two but my biggest contribution to the script was a little bit of tightening. Some of that happened in the edit.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE:
We filmed this with a micro-crew, just our DP Jordan Parrott, an AC, a gaffer, a sound person, producer and that's it! We rented two cabins on AirBnB in the Poconos, one to sleep in and one to shoot in. The cabins were essentially unchanged since the 90s so we needed very little art to get the look we wanted. All we really did was throw around some rose petals and put some candles in the cup holders on the couch.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET:
Most people got into the industry because they care about the art of cinema and want to make meaningful work. Don't be afraid to ask for favors if it's a passion project. Don't do everything yourself, work with people you respect. Invest in a professional sound person. Film at locations that don't need a ton of art or a big build. Pad the schedule in case something goes wrong. It always does.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FILM'S BIGGEST SUCCESSES:
The film has a really unique and really consistent tone and thats thanks to Krista and Ebert's focused performances, our talented editor Josh Rathmell, and our Basic Instinct inspired music composition courtesy of Pond5, lol.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
I live in a fantasy but it's chill because it's my job.
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE:
Lately I've been on a crime bender.
1. The Player - Robert Altman
2. After Hours - Scorsese
3. Millers Crossing - The Coen Brothers
4. Body Double - Brian De Palma
5. The French Connection - William Friedkin
You can check out more of Amber’s work at www.ambermakes.tv and follow her on Letterboxd
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
NIGHTMARES
Put on a headset and step inside a frighteningly immersive environment, where all is not as it seems.
Put on a headset and step inside a frighteningly immersive environment, where all is not as it seems.
Produced, Written, Edited, and Directed by JAMES MANSELL
Starring VICTORIA MORRISON & ASHLEY PEKRI
Director of Photography:ANNEKA SAUNDERS
Gaffer: AARON WESTHEAD
Art Director: JENNY DEE
Makeup Artist: RUBY BROWN
Sound Design: ANTHONY LYNCH & JAMES MANSELL
Music: OLIVER DRAKE
VFX: PAUL MONAGHAN
Colorist: CHRIS TEEDER
Writer/director James Mansell is regular at our Short Film Open Mic and a TPFF multi-award winner. His previous film RUPTURED won Best Horror Short and Best Sound Design at the first annual People’s Film Festival. Earlier last week we caught up with James to ask a few questions about his latest project…
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO WRITE NIGHTMARES:
I wanted to write a film about technology and somehow make it scary. I came across an in-development augmented reality horror game which allowed you to walk around your house and see frightening creatures, which I don't think ever got made. This was also at the time of the Pokemon Go craze. I thought how scary it must be to start seeing these things, like Pokemon or the creatures, when you've put away your phone or headset, and they're still there. I went with that idea and fleshed it out. This became only a part of it - the fun was thinking what happens to the poor, unsuspecting people who you point your device at. What happens to them?
WHAT'S YOUR WRITING PROCESS:
My short films are mostly an idea or a concept, so when I have that figured out, the writing process is relatively quick because I've already got the film. In the case of NIGHTMARES, I spent a few weeks working out who the characters are and how best to convey the idea. I played with more background to them - but settled on keeping it very simple to let the idea have space and not clutter it with details about the characters. I usually go through as many set ups as I can for the film - how the idea can presents itself, in what situation etc, and land on the one which I feel serves the idea the best but doesn't get the in the way of it and dilutes it.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE:
Shooting the film all fell into place quite simply. As the script is straightforward, I kept the shoot similar in its simplicity. There's a small amount of green screen work and a light touch of VFX and SFX, but generally it's very basic. I shot the film in a way which meant the editing process would be quick, as we didn't shoot coverage but just focused on what I needed for the edit. This also kept the shooting time down to a single day.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET:
As I always knew the budget, I kept things within what was possible. There wasn't anything which I felt was stretching the budget or what we were capable of. I pulled in favours from a lot of people so I was working with a very experienced crew, both during production and during post. This was very helpful in not needing creative solutions as a result of the small budget. I cast Victoria Morrison and Ashley Pekri straight away without auditions. They're both brilliant actors and very keen to get involved with a small project, which helped with keeping them comfortable on set etc, as they were chilled with the low budget nature of the shoot.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
That's a very hard question. I'm not sure I have a favourite part. There are aspects that I enjoy more than others for sure, and aspects which I get very nervous about. The period before committing to a project makes me quite uncomfortable. I have to be very sure it's got potential but I pull the trigger, so to speak. I used to be a camera operator so I love shooting with actors. Getting great material in the camera is a great feeling. Knowing what you've got and what you can do with it in the edit is very exciting. But as for a favourite part, I'd say the entire process is my favourite part.
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE:
I've been watching the science fiction show COUNTERPART on STARZ. It's brilliant. It's a multi-universe Philip K. Dick type sci-fi show with J.K. Simmons in the lead.
For more from James check out his website: www.james-mansell.com
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
THE MANY FACES OF BETH JONES
Off the back of a successful stint on a TV show, Beth’s agent has been hard at work finder her new roles to make her a star.
Off the back of a successful stint on a television show, Beth's agent has been hard at work finding her new roles to make her a star. Beth excitedly arrives to meet her agent but the parts found for her might not be exactly what she was hoping for...
Screenings:
26th Raindance Film Festival (2018)
Century Club Film Club (2018)
Finalist & Best Actress Nomination at The People's Film Festival (2019)
TV Screening: London Live (2019)
Shortlisted for the Performance Short Film Competition
Cast:
Beth Jones - LUCY HILTON-JONES
Samantha - ANNINA KASKI
Crew:
Writer/Director - HARVEY PUTTOCK
Producer - JOE SUPPLE-TURNHAM
Executive Producer - DUSAN MRDEN
Director of Photography - ANTHONY MARTINEZ
Sound Recordist - SARAH NORMAN
Clapper Loader - BAPTISTE CHARLES
Story - HARVEY PUTTOCK & LEXY ANDERSON
We first stumbled upon THE MANY FACES OF BETH JONES when it was submitted to The People’s Film Festival last year. It was a fav of our jury, and even earned an acting award nomination for the Lucy Hilton-Jones. We recently caught up with writer/director Harvey Puttock to ask him a few questions:
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO WRITE THE MANY FACES OF BETH JONES:
Back in 2017 both myself and my then colleague Lexy Anderson were pretty obsessed with Orphan Black and the range that Tatiana Maslany had. In that show she played such a variety of characters that we jokingly started to say she could play anything. We began a list of roles that we thought she could do next, starting with realistic things and getting more and more obscure as the day went on.
Several months later, when exploring ideas for my next short, I found the pile of post-it notes we'd written. None of the ideas here seemed plausible or within budget (a piece of depressed driftwood becoming the frame for the Mona Lisa and finally lives it's dream at the Louvre) so instead I came up with the framing device to have an Agent throwing these ideas out to a disappointed wannabe actress and thus The Many Faces of Beth Jones was born.
If I remember correctly there's seventeen post-it note ideas that didn't make it to the film, but who knows, maybe they'll see the light of day sometime...
WHAT'S YOUR WRITING PROCESS:
My writing process, like any other, is an arduous, painstaking, deep dive into the inner soul. I mean, it's that, or it's drinking five cups of coffees and hammering thousands of words out (most of which are later deleted) until I realise it's 3am and I have work tomorrow.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE:
It was a brilliant experience to bring The Many Faces of Beth Jones to life, what had started as a silly injoke grew into a film that played at a bunch of festivals and nominated for a couple of awards.
It was about four months from script to screen, with us using a casting call on Mandy to find Lucy Hilton-Jones for the titular role and building a crew of like-minded filmmaker friends. We shot the short in one day, starting at the Cinema in the morning, and moving on to the office later in the afternoon.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET:
I think the key thing when working on a low budget film is to not be afraid to ask for help. The budget for the film was around £500, we did pay the actors but the entire crew worked for free as I'm lucky enough to know a bunch of people as passionate about making films as me. You have to work out what equipment you need, and if you don't have it yourself, who you can borrow it from. Also consider what you can offer in return, your friend may have a camera but not know how to edit audio, this way it becomes an exchange rather than an I owe you one.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
My favourite part of the filmmaking process comes after all the writing, the meetings and planning. It's in the first few hours of the shoot day, where the coffee has kicked in and you're finally awake after a pre-shoot sleepless night, when action is called and you finally get to see the film take shape. You've probably done a rehearsal or two before, but the moment that the actors are on set, in costume, performing for the first time is pretty magical.
SCREENING RECOMENDATIONS FOR QUARANTINE:
I've mostly been binge watching a lot of TV shows that I've fallen behind on, but I did watch Uncut Gems the another night, a great film that I can't recommend enough. Looking forward to seeing what the Safdi Brothers do next!
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
NORA
This week we’ve chosen to highlight a Kino Original as Short of the Week in honour of our amazing frontline NHS staff (of which the producer of this film - Addy Raja - is a part of).
Directed by DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Produced by ADNAN RAJA
This is Nora. She’s about to turn 70. This is not how Nora wanted to spend her birthday...
In 1948 the largest universal healthcare system in the world was founded in the UK. 2018 marks it’s 70th birthday. We live in a critical time for our society and healthcare. This is our creative look at the NHS turning 70.
WORLD PREMIERE:
TEDxNHS, British Film Institute IMAX, London (Aug 18)
Director: DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Producer: ADDY RAJA
Writers: DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY & ADDY RAJA
Starring NICCI BRIGHTEN, ALVARO CEA, CHRIS HORTON, MIKE KELSON, ALASDAIR C. MELROSE, JENNIFER PRESTON, & RACHAEL SPARKES
Cinematography by KAMIL IWANOWICZ
Assistant Director TOP TARASIN
This week we’ve chosen to highlight a Kino Original as Short of the Week in honour of our amazing frontline NHS staff (of which the producer of this film is a part of). NORA was birthed out of a Kino networking event, and in a matter of a few months director Dustin Curtis Murphy and producer Addy Raja were in production to ensure that the film’s release would coincide with the 70th birthday of the NHS. Their project got the attention of TEDxNHS which was hosting it’s event at the BFI IMAX. Soon this Kino original was having its world premier on the largest screen in the UK. From there it went on to a successful festival run, winning 18 awards, and you can now watch it streaming on Amazon Prime.
We were able to catch up with Producer Addy Raja in between hospital shifts this past week to get his perspective on the project.
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION TO WRITE NORA:
Since childhood I’ve always been interested in filmmaking, but I decided to pursue a career in medicine instead. Still, that itch to pursue film was always there. Wanting a more creative outlet, I joined the Kino London network by attending their Open Mic nights, networking events, and Filmmaking workshops. I found myself spending more and more of my precious time off on film sets, whether that’d be holding a boom mic in a dinky East London warehouse, or donning a clown outfit in a short comedy that I’ve ensured no one will ever see.
NORA was the first film project that I really sunk my teeth into, and stepped up as head producer. It was my first baby in the world of filmmaking. Taking into account my day job, I figured my USP against most other filmmakers was to focus on healthcare stories. However rather than focusing on corporate and educational projects, I was keen to produce more creative and narrative films in healthcare.
With a few concepts bouncing around my head, I decided to springboard my first project with the upcoming 70th birthday of our precious NHS. I knew this would provide me with enough of a catalyst to make a medical film with a receptive audience around the world. After discussing various ideas within my filmmaking networks, I pursued the project with the key collaborator on the film, Dustin Curtis Murphy, a writer/director from Los Angeles. Dustin was new to Kino London and keen to get his hands on a project, and from there we developed the concept of NORA – personifying the NHS through a fictional elderly lady also turning 70, surrounded by her bickering family and the threat of being moved to a private nursing home, much like the threat of the NHS being privatised.
Since then Dustin has gone on to run the Kino London network, start the Kino Short film festival ‘The People’s Film Festival’ and grow the Kino Events to a wider audience. Utilising this network and Dustin’s passion for nurturing the independent film industry have been key to NORA’s success.
WHAT'S YOUR WRITING PROCESS:
As a doctor I work in Acute Medicine. This is where medical patients end up after being admitted into hospital via the Emergency Department. Whilst it is not a specialty that focuses on a particular area of the human body, the breadth of knowledge is the specialty itself. Your skills lie in having a broad understanding of various areas of medicine, and bringing together the right team at the right time for the benefit of the patient.
Similarly with filmmaking, I don’t regard myself as a writer, or director, but I have a lot of ideas and a general oversight of what’s needed. From there it’s a matter of finding the right collaborators to bring the idea to life. Initially my idea was to produce a standard documentary about NHS70, but it was in fact through discussions with Dustin that he suggested to turn it into a fictional mockumentary, that enhanced the creativity of the story and provided us with a lot more freedom on the characters and storyline.
Having not had any formal filmmaking or writing qualifications myself, I regularly met up with Dustin who had a lot more experience in this field as an award-winning writer. We took our time, hashing out the concept, thinking about the themes we were trying to illustrate, figuring the who the characters were, their needs and wants, the motivations behind their actions. Once we had that all figured out, along with the story arc, I then employed Dustin to write out the script. We went back and forth a few times until we had our shooting script.
Key to the writing process was the idea of open collaboration. Although Dustin was a seasoned writer, he knew that what I brought to the table were my creative ideas, unique medical insight, and a level of authenticity to the story. By working together in a level playing field, we were able to produce a truly unique script, and I strongly believe that our working relationship was just as important, if not more, than any technical aspects of our screenwriting process. This working relationship continued on set with an element of flexibility, where we ended up making some minor changes to dialogue and story arcs whilst filming. Dustin’s flexible and collaborative approach were a joy to work with, and in stark contrast to many others writers I worked with, whose scripts are still un-produced saved in a computer file somewhere in the world.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE:
The process of production was both an exciting experience, but also tough. Working on a limited budget and tight deadline brought along it’s challenges, but also kept us on our toes. I chose the topic of NHS70 on purpose, to give us a deadline we had to work too. I’ve started too many short film projects that have ultimately led to nowhere because passion and enthusiasm has faded away. This was the opposite, we knew we had just under four months to make the film, and we were going to do it no matter what. For added pressure our writer, and subsequent director, Dustin, was going to be a father around the same time of the NHS70.
Pre-production is always the key to a successful project. We quickly found ourselves casting actors from across the world, desperately scouting for hospital locations, and pulling in al favours for crew and equipment. Due to the nature of the project about the NHS, we were overwhelmed with the response to our online advert for help, with over 100 responses for casting roles, and numerous filmmakers battling for crew positions. I found myself doing medical ward rounds in the morning, and skype calling actresses in New York in the evening. However the processes were the same, have a vision in mind for what you want to achieve, and find the right people to make it happen.
Not all of it was plain sailing though. On our first day of filming our lead actress called in sick. Luckily we cast one of our smaller roles Jennifer Preston to step up, and I ended up playing the small role myself as a non-screen filmmaker. Jennifer went on to receive a number of awards for her role, I unfortunately just missed out on a BAFTA nomination. I also underestimated the role of a producer in a low budget short film, and actually spent more time making sandwiches and picking up people from the train station, rather than being on set with the action, but that’s just as important. As a producer, you have to look after the cast and crew as a priority, just like doctors looking after patients. Other highlights included finding our locations the day before filming, not realising that catering and crew expenses would take up half our budget, and not getting the level of support I expected from healthcare organisations as a doctor making a creative project. But in the end it was the fantastic cast and crew that ensured we completed the project, and had fun whilst making it.
DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WORKING ON A SMALL BUDGET:
As an independent filmmaker, you’ll never have the time budget you need, so you have to use what you have. Due to the time constraints we weren’t able to apply for any grants, but that’s always an option. Rather than the traditional film grants that are usually over competitive, think laterally about where else you can apply for funding. Four our project there were a number of ‘creative medical’ grant we could have applied for from various healthcare organisations such as the Wellcome Trust. We also could have raise money through a crowdfunding campaign. However given out timeline I decided to push forward and self-fund the project.
We were able to pull a lot of favours though. Starting with the cast and crew, we had an overwhelming response to our NHS story and many filmmakers made adjustments to our timeline and budget. It’s part of the reason why we picked this story. We also received free access to a hospital location after I literally begged all of my healthcare contacts. During our casting auditions we asked the actors if they had access to a rural house for filming, and we in fact ended up shooting most of our scenes at the main actresses home, Chris Horton, who played Nora. Ultimately what was most important was collaborating with filmmakers who were passionate for the project, rather than the size of the pay check, as we knew this was the only way to ensure the film was completed to a high standard within our budget constraints.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:
I grew up watching films with my father as a child, and for me that’s the magic of filmmaking. I make films for the audience, not for myself. By far the most enjoyable aspect of filmmaking is watching my films with a live audience, seeing their reactions, watching them escape reality for a few minutes. When we completed NORA, we set up a cast and crew screening. As this was my first film, I invited a lot of my friends and colleagues from work. For them it was an opportunity to see my in a different light, and show them my creative side. This was the highlight for me, second to our world premiere at the British Film Institute IMAX in front of an audience of 500 people attending a TEDx talk about the NHS. I’m an audience led filmmaker, and always will be.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
UNCONTAINED
Set in a post viral outbreak world, two brothers reflect on their past and joint love of music.
Directed by Craig Jones
Written & Directed by CRAIG JONES
Set in a post viral outbreak world, two brothers reflect on their past and joint love of music.
Today we continue our Short of the Week series. After last weeks heartwarming, award-winning family drama - TMI - this week things take a more serious turn. Last year director Craig Jones brought his film UNCONTAINED to our Short Film Open Mic. Little did we know how topical it would soon become.
Recently we caught up with Craig (via email - practicing good social distancing) for a quick Q&A.
What was your inspiration to write Uncontained:
I had wanted to shoot a viral outbreak film for a while, and had the rough semblance of a story in my head. I didn’t want to make it an action film, or a zombie film though as has so often been done. To me the most interesting thing about situations like that are the human interactions, relationships pushed to the limits by extreme circumstances. So I decided to write about two brothers, and what their final moments would be like in a hopeless situation. In many ways it’s the most heart warming story I’ve written. Even though the setting is bleak, there is still this genuine connection there, with the older brother, “Pete”, refusing to give up hope for his little brother, and trying to keep him happy during his final moments. It’s a story about doing everything you can for someone you love, no matter how hard that might be.
What's your writing process:
This film was made as part of the Reading Fringe 48 Hour Film Festival, so it was written very differently from other scripts I’ve written. I had the framework for the story in my mind heading into this, which was driven by the location I’d secured. I was fortunate enough to be working in an office building that was partway through being renovated, there was no flooring down, but it had recently had the meeting rooms built. The front wall of the rooms were made of solid glass in a long corridor, and looked like it could be in a hospital, so I decided to turn the conference room into a quarantine space. Everything from that night was such a blur, I would be lying if I could tell you exactly what my process was. I knew the end of the story, but wasn’t sure of how I was going to get there. The actor that plays “Pete” wanted to bring a musical aspect to the piece, so we added a song to open and end the film with to bring it around full circle, and made the relationship the brothers had about music. I thought this would go down well, as music is a fantastic tool for bringing people together. As the film is dialogue driven, I wanted to make it realistic. The script was more of a framework for the actors, as some of the lines were ad libbed. In a tight time crunch of a 48 hour challenge, I want the actors to take responsibility to bring their characters to life, and I feel they did a great job.
What was it like to bring the script to life:
This piece came together very quickly. Sometimes when doing these 48 hour challenges you don’t really know what you’ve got until you get the footage into the edit, but with this one I think we all knew it would be special to us. There was a great energy on set, no one was sitting back, everyone was pitching in and in good spirits which helped tremendously. Watching it play out was a real honour, as everyone was contributing ideas, from lines of dialogue, to set design and even make up details. In fact some of the best moments in the film were thought up just minutes before shooting them. When I got the footage into the edit, the original cut was around 7 minutes long, but it needed to be nearer to 5 minutes for the contest. It always amazes me how much can be cut from a story and you still get the same message. Less is almost always more. I think I got about 4 hours sleep that whole weekend, as I was writing, directing and editing the piece, but very happy with how it turned out. It was worth all the effort.
Did you have any creative solutions for working on a small budget:
I was lucky enough to be working with a pretty resourceful crew. I can’t remember how much we spent on the piece in total, but it can’t have been more than £300. We got the location for free, as I was working in the building, and just asked if we could film. Sometimes it is just as easy as asking. The costumes were easily sourced, and the props were pretty minimal. I tend to write to my budget, it’s something I’ve had to learn. Dialogue is cheap, and as we were only in one location this also really kept the costs down. That would be my one piece of advice to anyone doing a 48 hour film challenge, the less locations the better. You’ll save time where you’re not having to setup and backup multiple times, and you can use this time to really focus on the details. A good story doesn’t need a big budget, but having an experienced and dedicated crew makes all the difference.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process:
For me, my favourite part of the process is always editing. It’s the first time where you can see these disparate pieces of data being pulled together into something tangible. You can see the shots as you film, sure, but there’s nothing like getting that first edit together and hitting play. To see it all the way through, knowing that it works as a piece, it’s normally a relief that all the hard work has paid off up until that point. Tightening up the edit, then getting the soundtrack in, and the audio design, you feel the piece coming to life, layer after layer of polish being added. There’s something almost magical about that for me, seeing it transform.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
TMI
When a mother reads her teenage son’s texts it triggers an awkward conversation which is way too much information. A humorous and touching comedy about miscommunication and the minefield of modern parenting.
directed by ita fitzgerald
When a mother reads her teenage son’s texts it triggers an awkward conversation which is way too much information. A humorous and touching comedy about miscommunication and the minefield of modern parenting.
Written & Directed by Ita FitzGerald
Starring Sarah Malin and Kai Medford
Cinematography by Gabi Norland
Produced by Fiona Wright
We are excited to be kicking off our brand new Short of the Week program with writer/director Ita Fitzgerald’s TMI.
Not only was TMI an Official Selection at The People’s Film Festival earlier this month, but our audience awarded it with the coveted Best Picture award, and Ita walked away with our £1000 Film Fund for her upcoming project DOIN’ BUSINESS.
Early this week we caught up with Ita (via email - practicing good social distancing) for a quick Q&A.
What was your inspiration to write TMI?
My kids were 13 and 10 when i made it, so younger than the character in the film, But I was aware that I would have to have candid conversations with them at some stage. Practically speaking, I wanted to make something new for my reel and the idea came to me when I was watching 'The last Leg' with my 13 year old son. Someone on the show made a joke about 'teabaggin' and I shouted out: 'what's teabaggin?' then realised that perhaps I should have googled it before blurting it out. After reading the definition it gave me the idea for the miscommunication.
What's your writing process?
Dialogue pours out of me, it's editing, plot and structure that I struggle with. I didn't really have an end when I started writing it, I just keep redrafting and redrafting it and on one particular draft I thought about the mother's struggle of seeing her son grow up and that feeling of 'shit i was only changing nappies a few years ago' that's when I added the scene at the door. I also wanted to show that Robert is in that in-between stage of 'kidulthood' which is why i added his joy at finding his light sabre. It felt like a nice balance between the physical barrier between them. The mother overthinking and sentimentalising and the young man living in the moment and blissfully unaware of his Mother's panic and pain. It felt like a fitting end.
What was it like to bring the script to life?
Ita: it was a lot of hard work but a joy to see 2 such accomplished actors that were able to perform it so naturally. I really wanted it to feel observed and their acting skills and in particular the rhythm of their delivery did that.
Did you have any creative solutions for working on a small budget?
Write something affordable, shoot in your own house, keep the art direction to a minimum and put a decent amount of money in to the food. I'm proud to say that everyone was fed very well.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
I do love working with actors and discovering different ways of delivering the dialogue and blocking it to make it work even without the words. That said editing is probably the most satisfying part for me, as the 'hard work' is done and it's just you and the machine and you can finally pull it together and it appears in front of you, hopefully as it was in your head, and if you are really lucky, it's even better than you imagined.
You can check out more about Ita on her website: www.itafitzgerald.work
Kino Independent Achievement Award 2020: Molly Brown
At The People's Film Festival we introduced the Kino Independent Achievement Award - an annual award where we honour one Kino member who’s achieved something great with their filmmaking. This year’s recipient is Molly Brown.
Kino Short Film hosts a monthly Short Film Open Mic where filmmakers of all levels come together to support each other in a non-competitive environment. Anyone can show a film on a first come first screened basis as long as the films are under 6 minutes, with a few exceptions for longer work of a certain quality. To date we've hosted 115th Short Film Open Mic events. The Kino International Filmmaking Movement is an initiative explained succinctly by the motto “Do well with nothing, do better with little, and do it now!”
Molly Brown is this year’s recipient of the Kino Independent Achievement Award. She is a regular at the Open Mic having first screened at the 29th event in 2011. Since then Molly has only missed a total of 3 events. She has made a new original work for each Kino Open Mic making her Kino filmography consist of 83 films in total, with several other films that she’s kept in her back pocket. Some of Molly's films have gone on to screen at countless festivals including a challenge film she made entitled “When Tickling Goes Wrong” which screened at more than fifteen festivals. Her dedication to keep producing new work proves that filmmaking is in her blood. We’re honouring Molly with this award because after 83 Kino screenings, what would a Kino screening be without Molly Brown?
The following is a retrospective of Molly’s work:
I bought a book on video editing in December of 2010, and by July of 2011, I had made my first short film (edited with my book on how to edit in Final Cut Pro 7 open in my lap) and was googling for somewhere to submit it when I stumbled across a listing for Kino London, a completely uncurated monthly event at which you could screen anything as long it was under six minutes long. All you had to do was email in and request a slot, so I did, and on the first of August, 2011, I screened my first short at Kino London.
A regular feature of Kino London back in those days were film challenges in which a filmmaker would be assigned a title chosen by the audience, and then they had to make a film with that title in time for screening the next month. The first night I went, in a fit of hubris I volunteered for a challenge and found myself not only making my second short film, but making it to a deadline. So I immediately got to work, my book on video editing once again open in my lap.
Fast forward eight years, and I have made more than eighty short films - many of them without an open how-to book in my lap! :) - and my work has been screened in festivals (and occasionally in galleries) in countries including the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Serbia, Australia, India, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and possibly one or two others I can't think of off the top of my head. I have even won a few awards.
Without a monthly screening at Kino London giving me a reason to keep making films, I doubt I would have made more than a handful of shorts by now (if that).
And as someone who learns by doing, having an - admittedly self-imposed - monthly deadline has been the best film school someone like me could have had.
And finally: one thing I've neglected to mention until now is that it's always been fun. :)
- Molly Brown Director, Animator
2020 FESTIVAL - Award Winners
We at Kino Short Film are still reeling from the excitement of the first annual People’s Film Festival! If you were able to join us then you know just how amazing of an experience it was. We SOLD OUT both our Opening Night and Awards Gala, watched 44 amazing short films over the two days, listened to some amazing pitches about our filmmakers exciting next projects, networked, and drank into the wee hours at one of London’s vibe-iest arthouses.
We at Kino Short Film are still reeling from the excitement of the first annual People’s Film Festival! If you were able to join us then you know just how amazing of an experience it was. We SOLD OUT both our Opening Night and Awards Gala, watched 44 amazing short films over the two days, listened to some amazing pitches about our filmmakers exciting next projects, networked, and drank into the wee hours at one of London’s vibe-iest arthouses.
We’d like to take a moment to thank all who attended, our amazing volunteers, our sponsors, and of course the filmmakers themselves. Congrats to all the winners!
Photos by Tristan Kassam
AWARD WINNERS
BEST PICTURE
£1000 FILM FUND GRAND PRIZE
TMI
Directed by Ita Fitzgerald.
When a mother reads her teenage son’s texts it triggers an awkward conversation which is way too much information. A humorous and touching comedy about miscommunication.
The £1000 Film Fund was awarded by popular vote from the audience. As the recipient of the £1000 Film Fund, Ita’s next project will be supported by Kino Short Film with £1000, and Festival Jurors will help Ita stretch that £1000 by acting as Executive Producers on her project.
BEST MICRO BUDGET SHORT
HEY YOU
Directed by Jared Watmuff. Produced by George Hayward.
When two men arrange a hook-up, is who’s top or bottom all they should be worried about?
Hey You exposes how, with the convenience of social media and dating apps, our hard-fought rights and freedoms can be taken for granted -- and how, for many others, that fight isn’t over.
Best Micro Budget Short was awarded by popular vote from the audience and is recognised as the best film of the festival made with a budget of under £1000. As a prize, Jared received a one-year subscription to Continuum (value $695) sponsored by BorisFX.
BEST LOW BUDGET SHORT
TMI
Directed by Ita Fitzgerald. Produced by Fiona Wright.
When a mother reads her teenage son’s texts it triggers an awkward conversation which is way too much information. A humorous and touching comedy about miscommunication.
Best Low Budget Short was awarded by popular vote from the audience and is recognised as the best film of the festival made with a budget of £1000 - £5000. As a prize, Ita received a one-year subscription to Sapphire (value $895) sponsored by BorisFX.
BEST SPONSORED SHORT
THE PLUNGE
After a night of passion Emily tells Jay that she’d like to use a strap-on. Scared of losing a girl he has a connection with, Jay reluctantly agrees.
Best Sponsored Short was awarded by popular vote from the audience and is recognised as the best film of the festival made with a budget of £1000 - £5000. As a prize, Simon received one-year subscription to the Boris FX Bundle (value $1195)
AUDIENCE AWARD
QUIET CARRIAGE
Directed by Ben S. Hyland
A man must decide whether to intervene and stop a casual commuting rule breaker, or live with a lifetime of regret. A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
The Audience Award was awarded by popular vote from the audience and is recognised as the best film of the festival made that was not included in our 9 Jury Nominees for Best Picture. As a prize, Ben got a chance to be included in the The Big Pitch for his shot at winning the Best Picture £1000 Film Fund.
JURY HONORARY AWARDS
BEST DRAMA SHORT
SAFEKEEPING
Directed by David Yorke
Leaving their dangerous home life behind, Jessica and Charlie will embark on a journey that will change their lives forever.
Best Drama Short was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, David received a one-year subscription to Mocha Pro (value $595) Sponsored by Boris FX.
BEST COMEDY SHORT
THE PLUNGE
After a night of passion Emily tells Jay that she’d like to use a strap-on. Scared of losing a girl he has a connection with, Jay reluctantly agrees.
Directed by Simon Ryninks
Best Comedy Short was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, Simon received 2 Festival Passes to the 28th Raindance Film Festival sponsored by Raindance.
BEST DIRECTOR
David Yorke, SAFEKEEPING
David Yorke is an award-winning director with over 10 years of experience in short films, music videos and broadcast television. Since graduating in 2008 he has worked as a freelancer on a variety of productions, including feature films, music videos, adverts and both corporate and promotional projects.Acquiring these skills within production he now concentrates on writing and directing his own short films and music videos.
Best Director was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, David received a 1 Year Raindance Membership, and a £1,000 Voucher redeemable on Raindance courses. Sponsored by Raindance.
BEST PERFORMANCE (DRAMA)
Vivienne Bell in TROUBLED WATERS
Viv is struggling with motherhood after the birth of her second child. Convinced there’s something wrong with her newborn, she tries to confide in her absent husband Terry, but is met with disinterest. As she rapidly finds herself questioning her sanity she turns to medication and drink to ease her through this parental dystopia.
Her health quickly deteriorates and she begins to realise just how much she is slipping through the net when she lets her frustrations out on her children. She begins to question the risk she is putting both her children, and herself, in.
Best Performance (Drama) was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, Vivienne received Free Entry into 6 UK Actor’s TweetUp Events sponsored by UK Actors TweetUp.
BEST PERFORMANCE (COMEDY)
Amit Shah in QUIET CARRIAGE
A man must decide whether to intervene and stop a casual commuting rule breaker, or live with a lifetime of regret. A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
Best Performance (Comedy) was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, Amit received Free Entry into 6 UK Actor’s TweetUp Events sponsored by UK Actors TweetUp.
BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKER
Remi Laudat, MI O LE KU
For some young black youths growing up on a crowded London council estate, survival is key.
These young men and women are often stifled by the pressures of navigating life in seemingly hostile spaces - struggling to develop a real understanding of and connectedness to a heritage passed and dismissed by repressive, Western systems. It is in this tense, urban environment that 21 year old Jakob must cultivate his own identity and status - a battle that takes place both on the streets and within his own subconscious.
A frustrated young man, who struggles to nurture his talent for art against the harsh realities of growing up in a single parent home within a working class area, Jakob abandons his creative passions to follow the easiest perceived path presented to him: becoming a small time “shotta” (drugs dealer) and hustler. We follow him through a usual day, handling ‘business’ with his ‘friends’. Yet things quickly become more complicated, spiralling into realms unknown as visions of his African ancestry push him in the direction to reach his full potential. To become the man he is destined to be.
Best First Time Filmmaker was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, Remi received Free Submission to next year’s Kino London presents The People’s Film Festival.
BEST HORROR SHORT
RUPTURED Directed by James Mansell
Truly immerse yourself like never before.
Best Horror Short was awarded by our festival jury. As a prize, James received a Distribution Opportunity on Fun Size Horror’s next Horror Short Film Anthology. Award Sponsored by Fun Size Horror.
Check out James Mansell’s portfolio www.james-mansell.com
BEST SCI-FI SHORT
MEMORY MAN
Directed by Christopher M Armstrong
In a future where psychic abilities are outlawed, the Memory Man makes a living dealing with uncomfortable memories for other people. Until the arrival of a hostile new client, finally forces him to confront unfinished business of his own.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
AMA
Directed by Georgie Yukiko Donovan
Filmmaker Georgie Yukiko Donovan explores the story of the Ama divers - the last of Japan's 'women of the sea' and their fight to preserve their 3,000 year old way of life.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT
THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
Directed by Ido Hartmann
7 years ago Boaz has cut all ties with his parents, brother & sister, his friends, and his previous world. The film tracks the story of his disappearance and embarks in a surreal journey into the memories he left with his family.
Check out Ido Hartmann’s portfolio www.idoharti.com and fb.me/idoharti
BEST LGBTQ SHORT
HEY YOU
Directed by Jared Watmuff
When two men arrange a hook-up, is who’s top or bottom all they should be worried about?
Hey You exposes how, with the convenience of social media and dating apps, our hard-fought rights and freedoms can be taken for granted -- and how, for many others, that fight isn’t over.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE SHORT
HELENE
Directed by Mathieu Nolhier
A young woman talks about her journey with Hélène. Passion then destruction, who is really Hélène?
BEST STUDENT SHORT
BABY
Directed by Vincent D'Alesandro
Baby (Alexa Swinton), a distracted, seven-year-old girl in a cheaply stitched princess dress, spends her days in and around the food court where her mother works. Baby and Ma, now quite used to this routine, are visited by an unwanted guest who changes the course of their tranquility.
Vincent D'Alessandro is a third year BFA Filmmaking student at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (DRAMA)
Shea Whitehead in BABY
Baby (Alexa Swinton), a distracted, seven-year-old girl in a cheaply stitched princess dress, spends her days in and around the food court where her mother works. Baby and Ma, now quite used to this routine, are visited by an unwanted guest who changes the course of their tranquility.
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (COMEDY)
Jessica Fostekew in DON’T SELL THE TIGER
When their father dies, three sisters return to the family home to pack up his belongings. But they can't agree on the fate of one family heirloom - a mysterious bronze tiger.
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST (DRAMA)
SAFEKEEPING
Leaving their dangerous home life behind, Jessica and Charlie will embark on a journey that will change their lives forever.
Jodie Price
Charlie Price
Bobbie Pidgeon
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST (COMEDY)
THE PLUNGE
After a night of passion Emily tells Jay that she’d like to use a strap-on. Scared of losing a girl he has a connection with, Jay reluctantly agrees.
Lydia Wilson
Omar Khan
Sakuntala Ramanee
Tamsin Heatley
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Huw Brentnall, HARRY METCALF: BIG GAY MESS
In the wake of a sudden and unexpected breakup, Harry Metcalfe, a relatable bisexual idiot, has to deal not only with the emotional fallout of being newly alone, but also the social, financial, and existential horrors of being a human in his 20’s in the rural town of Norwich.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joel Honeywell, MI O LE KU
For some young black youths growing up on a crowded London council estate, survival is key.
These young men and women are often stifled by the pressures of navigating life in seemingly hostile spaces - struggling to develop a real understanding of and connectedness to a heritage passed and dismissed by repressive, Western systems. It is in this tense, urban environment that 21 year old Jakob must cultivate his own identity and status - a battle that takes place both on the streets and within his own subconscious.
A frustrated young man, who struggles to nurture his talent for art against the harsh realities of growing up in a single parent home within a working class area, Jakob abandons his creative passions to follow the easiest perceived path presented to him: becoming a small time “shotta” (drugs dealer) and hustler. We follow him through a usual day, handling ‘business’ with his ‘friends’. Yet things quickly become more complicated, spiralling into realms unknown as visions of his African ancestry push him in the direction to reach his full potential. To become the man he is destined to be.
BEST EDITING
Tom Turner, A GLIMPSE
A blossoming relationship unfolds when two strangers have a chance encounter in a London cafe.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Thom Robson, FROM FRAGMENTS
FROM FRAGMENTS tells the story of an elderly couple that must battle through the grips of dementia to finish the swan-song of their lifelong love.
The film explores the burden ‘love’ places on us: to compromise, to sacrifice and (most of all) to cherish.
A true multi-disciplinary collaboration between a musician, two dancers and a filmmaker. The film combines these three artforms to envisage the devastating emotional reality of dementia.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Ruth Darling, PISTACHIO BOY
Pistachio Boy tells the story of Peter, a pistachio-obsessed newsagent cashier. After a special customer visits his shop, he finds himself caught up in fascination with the fleeting individual.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Karmjit Kalla, QUIET CARRIAGE
A man must decide whether to intervene and stop a casual commuting rule breaker, or live with a lifetime of regret. A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Anthony Lynch, RUPTURED
Truly immerse yourself like never before.
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM
ABSENCE OF LIGHT by Beatrice Aliné
You can measure the light but you can’t measure the dark. In duality we see one as the opposite of the other. Yet darkness is the absence of light. And an absence is not a measurable thing. It simply does not exist.
Light protects us from our fundamental fear of the dark. But remember where there is light, there must be shadow. We live in a technological era where our dependence on energy is greater than ever before. It became an irreplaceable commodity.
So one question arises quickly. What's left to do if the sun pulls the plug on you? The answer lies within the perception of the viewer.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
KISS ME MALIBU Directed by Mikael Arriz
Horror-comedy film about the insecurities and overthinking that TV shows, religion, culture and belief systems create in us during male-female relationships and in courtship. It makes fun of us and the roles we take in that process, without making any moral judgements. The story is narrated through a song.
This is a personal and independent project where the director also created the music for the video.
Check out Mikel Arriz’s portfolio valledelcielofilms.com & www.instagram.com/valledelcielofilms
2020 FESTIVAL - Awards Gala & Afterparty
We’re screening the 9 Nominees of our £1000 Film Fund. After the screening (and a Q&A), the filmmakers will pitch their next short film to the audience. Then the audience gets to decide who wins!
MARCH 7
SHOWTIME: 7:30 pm
We’re screening the 9 Nominees of our £1000 Film Fund. After the screening (and a Q&A), the filmmakers will pitch their next short film to the audience. Then the audience gets to decide who wins!
Location: Whirled Cinema
259-260 HARDESS ST
LOUGHBOROUGH JCTN
LONDON SE24 OHN
HEY YOU
Directed by Jared Watmuff
When two men arrange a hook-up, is who’s top or bottom all they should be worried about?
Hey You exposes how, with the convenience of social media and dating apps, our hard-fought rights and freedoms can be taken for granted -- and how, for many others, that fight isn’t over.
NOMINATIONS: Best Micro Budget Short, Best LGBTQ Short, Best Editing, Best Sound Design
HELENE
Directed by Mathieu Nolhier
A young woman talks about her journey with Hélène. Passion then destruction, who is really Hélène?
NOMINATIONS: Best Micro Budget Short, Best Foreign Language Short
TROUBLED WATERS
Directed by Gemma Norton
Viv is struggling with motherhood after the birth of her second child. Convinced there’s something wrong with her newborn, she tries to confide in her absent husband Terry, but is met with disinterest. As she rapidly finds herself questioning her sanity she turns to medication and drink to ease her through this parental dystopia.
Her health quickly deteriorates and she begins to realise just how much she is slipping through the net when she lets her frustrations out on her children. She begins to question the risk she is putting both her children, and herself, in.
NOMINATIONS: Best Micro Budget Short, Best Drama Short, Best Performance in a Drama (Vivienne Bell), Best Supporting Performance in a Drama (Terry Sweeney), Best Director
PISTACHIO BOY
Directed by Gabriel de Bruin & Katy Wang
Pistachio Boy tells the story of Peter, a pistachio-obsessed newsagent cashier. After a special customer visits his shop, he finds himself caught up in fascination with the fleeting individual.
NOMINATIONS: Best Low Budget Short, Best LGBTQ Short, Best Original Score, Best Production Design
TMI
Directed by Ita Fitzgerald
When a mother reads her teenage son’s texts it triggers an awkward conversation which is way too much information. A humorous and touching comedy about miscommunication.
NOMINATIONS: Best Low Budget Short, Best Performance in a Comedy (Sarah Malin), Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy (Kai Medford), Best Original Screenplay
SAFEKEEPING
by David Yorke
Leaving their dangerous home life behind, Jessica and Charlie will embark on a journey that will change their lives forever.
NOMINATIONS: Best Low Budget Short, Best Drama Short, Best Director, Best Original Score, Best Ensemble Cast (Drama)
MY TIME
Directed by Giulia Gandini
A 12-year-old girl has her first period in class. Her skirt is stained red. She is up next to present her final paper in front of all her peers. Will she find a way out of the 'uncomfortable' situation?
NOMINATIONS: Best Sponsored Short
THE PLUNGE
Directed by Simon Ryninks
After a night of passion Emily tells Jay that she’d like to use a strap-on. Scared of losing a girl he has a connection with, Jay reluctantly agrees.
NOMINATIONS: Best Sponsored Short, Best Comedy Short, Best Ensemble Cast (Comedy)
A GLIMPSE
by Tom Turner
A blossoming relationship unfolds when two strangers have a chance encounter in a London cafe.
NOMINATIONS: Best Sponsored Short, Best Drama Short, Best Ensemble Cast (Drama), Best Director, Best Editing
The Big Pitch
All 9 Nominees will each give a 1 minute pitch of their next short film project. The audience will then narrow it down to the top 3 films - 1 Micro Budget Film, 1 Low Budget Film, and 1 Sponsored film.
Intermission
Drink + Mingle
Awards
Presentation
Award Nominations are split into two categories:
Honorary Awards (which are decided by the festival jury)
Film Fund Qualifying Awards (which are decided by the audience)
Audience Choice Spoiler
Audience members will have voted at all previous screenings leading up to the Awards Gala. The film with the highest audience vote will be chosen to compete with the top 3 nominees. The audience will have a moment to chat with the filmmakers before making their final decision on who wins the £1000 film fund.
Afterparty
Network and drink! Nuff said.
BUY ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS
All Access Pass Gives You:
Saturday Afternoon Screenings
Afterparty
Festival Passholder Perks:
A complimentary glass of champagne!
Extra raffle tickets, so more chances to win a prize!
Help choose the winners of the festival, including who gets the £1000 film fund!
£29 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£35 AT THE DOOR
Buy tickets
Afternoon Screening Ticket Gives You
Afternoon Screening Only
(upgrade for full evening’s event for £8)
£7 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£10 AT THE DOOR
2020 FESTIVAL - Saturday Afternoon Screenings
A smitten fuzz ball… Bickering sisters fighting over a family heirloom… Climate Crisis protestors shutting down the Waterloo Bridge… Join us at one of London's coolest indie film arthouse for a little afternoon film viewing as part of The People's Film Festival. Come watch 9 amazing short films curated down from over 300 submissions.
MARCH 7
SHOWTIME: 4:30 PM
DOORS: 4:00
A smitten fuzz ball…
Bickering sisters fighting over a family heirloom…
Climate Crisis protestors shutting down the Waterloo Bridge…
Join us at one of London's coolest indie film arthouses for some afternoon film viewings as part of The People's Film Festival. Come watch 9 amazing short films curated down from over 300 submissions.
Location: Whirled Cinema
259-260 HARDESS ST
LOUGHBOROUGH JCTN
LONDON SE24 OHN
LINEUP
HERPY AND BOBO IN SPAGHETTI LOVE
Directed by Andy Biddle & Jonathan Hearn
Bobo is memorised by a girl across the room but Herpy wants Bobo's full attention.
NOMINATIONS: Best Animated Short
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO
Directed by Max E. Fisher
In April 2019 a group of environmental activists occupied Waterloo Bridge. Their numbers quickly grew, and soon their important message was being heard across the globe.
The Government sought to swiftly stamp out the rebellion, and ordered Police to clear the streets of rebells by Easter at the latest.
Our story takes place on Easter Sunday, and follows the protestors in their final attempts to hold down the bridge...
NOMINATIONS: Best Documentary Short
BABY
Directed by Vincent D'Alessandro
Baby (Alexa Swinton), a distracted, seven-year-old girl in a cheaply stitched princess dress, spends her days in and around the food court where her mother works. Baby and Ma, now quite used to this routine, are visited by an unwanted guest who changes the course of their tranquility.
NOMINATIONS: Best Student Short, Best Supporting Performance in a Drama (Shea Whitehead)
THE STRANGERS’ CASE
Directed by Peter Trifunovic
This new film based on a four hundred year old speech shows fear of immigration is nothing new.
In 1517 anti-immigrant riots broke out in London. Thomas More, then a deputy Sheriff of the city, intervened.
Decades later William Shakespeare wrote a speech for the play 'Sir Thomas More', in which More defended asylum seekers - 'the strangers'.
NOMINATIONS: Best Ensemble Cast (Drama)
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Directed by Robert Hackett
A weary postman trudges through the February snow, delivering brightly coloured envelopes decorated with hearts and cupids – making deliveries to all but one door.
Intermission
PUT YOUR HEART INTO TO
Directed by Cory Kerr
After a struggling artist pours his heart into his book, he sells the rights, but the deal isn't what he expected. This animated short is about the disparity of what creators earn compared to those who distribute the creators' work.
HOLLOW POND
Directed by Rolfin Nyhus
After being abandoned by his brothers, a young Maasai boy must outwit a mysterious force to be reunited with his family.
NOMINATIONS: Best Foreign Language Short, Best Costume Design
BUS STOP
Directed by Vanessa Bailey
Two very different people find themselves waiting together at a bus stop, late at night. Reluctantly forced into conversation by circumstance Rachel and Liam embark on a journey neither of them could have foreseen.
DON’T SELL THE TIGER
Directed by Ben Wylson
When their father dies, three sisters return to the family home to pack up his belongings. But they can't agree on the fate of one family heirloom - a mysterious bronze tiger.
NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy (Jessica Fostekew)
STICK AROUND FOR OUR AWARDS GALA & BEST OF SHOW SCREENING
Starting at 7:30 we’re screening the 9 Nominees of our £1000 Film Fund. After the screening and a Q&A, the filmmakers will pitch their next short film to the audience. Then the audience gets to decide who wins!
BUY ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS
All Access Pass Gives You:
Saturday Afternoon Screenings
Afterparty
Festival Passholder Perks:
A complimentary glass of champagne!
Extra raffle tickets, so more chances to win a prize!
Help choose the winners of the festival, including who gets the £1000 film fund!
£29 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£35 AT THE DOOR
Buy tickets
Afternoon Screening Ticket Gives You
Afternoon Screening Only
(upgrade for full evening’s event for £8)
£7 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£10 AT THE DOOR
2020 FESTIVAL - Late Night Grindhouse
Killer nuns, fitness culture gone wrong, a predatory Father Christmas… After the official Opening Night Party, stick around for our Late Night Grindhouse which feature our best Horror, Sci-Fi and flat-out freaky Official Selections.
MARCH 6
showtime: 11:30 pm
DOORS: 11:00
Killer nuns, fitness culture gone wrong, a predatory Father Christmas…
After the official Opening Night Party, stick around for our Late Night Grindhouse which features our best Horror, Sci-Fi and flat-out freaky Official Selections.
Grindhouse-Only tickets available, but if you bought a ticket to the full Opening Night festivities the Grindhouse is included.
Location: Whirled Cinema
259-260 HARDESS ST
LOUGHBOROUGH JCTN
LONDON SE24 OHN
Lineup
IT CRAWLED THROUGH THE WINDOW
Directed by Isaac Ruth & Ali Petre
A couple has horrifying pillow-talk.
NOMINATIONS: Best Horror Short
NO GUARANTEE
Directed by Stuart Black & Nick Mather
London 2056 - the city is dying and those living in the smog-clogged ruins live by their wits. Those who can afford to opt out of the desperation upload their consciousnesses to Cloud 9. This is advertised as a one way ticket to virtual heaven - but can the Company who run it really be trusted? Virgil and Mary have different attitudes: she wants to go, he doesn't. Can she persuade him to 'ascend' before he dies from terminal illness?
NOMINATIONS: Best SciFi Short
RUPTURED
by James Mansell
Truly immerse yourself like never before.
NOMINATIONS: Best SciFi Short, Best Horror Short, Best Sound Design
YOU KILLED US
Directed by Tom Hughes
A man must confront his dark past when his basement shows signs of the paranormal.
YOU KILLED US is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category
EJECT
Directed by David Yorke
After discovering a USB port in her wrist, Kate uncovers a world where she has the ability to change herself for the better. But she will slowly discover that greed will come at a cost.
NOMINATIONS: Best Horror Short, Best Production Design
COOKED
Directed by Patrick Chamberlain
A dark film about a guy who forces his girlfriend into a fitness regime with dire consequences.
DONA & VIXEN
Directed by Alasdair C. Melrose
A teenage girl discovers the truth about Father Christmas.
NOMINATIONS: Best Cinematography, Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Production Design
GOTH’S OWN COUNTRY
Directed by Ferdie Simon
Every year the North Yorkshire town of Whitby floods with goths. Tens of thousands from the subculture descend on the seaside community to listen to music, convene in pubs and – so rare for many of them – be a goth among goths. Given unique access to tell a story deeper than the usual puff pieces, shock docs or sensationalist photo journalism, Goths' Own Country presents a snapshot of a vital date in the goth calendar, delving into what Whitby means to the scene.
NOMINATIONS: Best Documentary Short
Show Up Early for More Great Films
(and to party with filmmakers)
Swing by earlier for the opening night bash of The People's Film Festival. Come watch 10 amazing short films curated down from over 300 submissions, including the London premier of Two Dum Micks starring Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things) and DB Sweeney (Garden of Stone, The Cutting Edge).
Afterwards, party with the filmmakers and industry professionals.
And who knows… you may just find your next collaborator.
BUY ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS
All Access Pass Gives You:
Late Night Grindhouse
Afterparty
Festival Passholder Perks:
A complimentary glass of champagne!
Extra raffle tickets, so more chances to win a prize!
Help choose the winners of the festival, including who gets the £1000 film fund!
£29 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£35 AT THE DOOR
Buy tickets
Late Night Grindhouse Ticket Gives You:
Access to Late Night Grindhouse Only
(upgrade for full evening’s event for £5)
£7 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£10 AT THE DOOR
2020 FESTIVAL - Opening Night Party
Stick around after our opening night screenings to party with the filmmakers and industry professionals. And who knows… you may just find your next collaborator.
MARCH 6
PARTY-time: 10:00 pm
DOORS: 7:00
Stick around after our opening night screenings to party with the filmmakers and industry professionals. And who knows… you may just find your next collaborator.
Also, this is your opportunity to dip into our screening room to watch the best Music Videos, Experimental and Animated Official Selections.
Plus we’re hosting a raffle where anyone can win a prize.
Location: Whirled Cinema
259-260 HARDESS ST
LOUGHBOROUGH JCTN
LONDON SE24 OHN
Lineup
RED
Directed by Alexander Stephens
Lucy Daydream and Alpha 5 soar into space on a rocket ship to find something new. Their journey into the unknown brings them face to face with a man from the stars. The journey in "RED" revolves around the idea of soaring to new heights.
NOMINATIONS: Best Music Video
ABSENCE OF LIGHT
Directed by Beatrice Aliné
You can measure the light but you can’t measure the dark. In duality we see one as the opposite of the other. Yet darkness is the absence of light. And an absence is not a measurable thing. It simply does not exist.
Light protects us from our fundamental fear of the dark. But remember where there is light, there must be shadow. We live in a technological era where our dependence on energy is greater than ever before. It became an irreplaceable commodity.
So one question arises quickly. What's left to do if the sun pulls the plug on you?
The answer lies within the perception of the viewer.
NOMINATIONS: Best Experimental Short Film, Best Student Short
OUTSIDE
Directed by Jeffrey Palmer
Touching on salient themes of gun violence, psychological trauma, and racial identity, OUTSIDE is a “nightmarish mirror reflecting our troubled times.” Fueled by powerful lyrics, provocative imagery, a meaningful message, and a hopeful ending, OUTSIDE will stir emotions and light a fire within.
We must break the seemingly endless cycle of gun violence in our society. The power of music is one way to make this happen. Please join us in our campaign to promote and foster a positive and uplifting environment for today's urban youth. They are our future. Lead by example. Let's go.
NOMINATIONS: Best Music Video
THE SHADOW OF THE SUN
Directed by Ido Hartmann
7 years ago Boaz has cut all ties with his parents, brother & sister, his friends, and his previous world. The film tracks the story of his disappearance and embarks in a surreal journey into the memories he left with his family.
NOMINATIONS: Best Animated Short, Best Foreign Language Short, Best First Time Filmmaker
DARE 2 DISTURB
Directed by Paul Rees
Onlookers observed, “You two are joined at the hip”. But the tensions were there. He was dazzled and intimidated by her — a model of the successful, determined and independent career woman. It felt like a fight to gain her respect.
Meanwhile, her body clock was ticking. He just didn’t seem to be listening.
“It’s okay for you, you’re a man. You will always be able to be a father.” They were locked in a cycle, going nowhere.
Bright lights. Big city. Her words, “We will both . . . ”, “We will both . . . ” Replayed on a loop in his head as he plunged back into the beating heart of central London. What did she mean?
He felt like a stranger pacing these familiar streets. People rushing by with their wallets open and their hearts closed. He might as well have been invisible. Perhaps her words weren’t meant as a bitter epitaph on their relationship. He’d always loved her, but somehow his own failing career had stepped in the way.
The talking was over. The silence was deafening. Was this the end? A new plan was needed to win her back.
He’d always known what he needed to do. But was this the right time and the right place?
This is a true story.
NOMINATIONS: Best Experimental Short Film
KISS ME MALIBU
Directed by Mikel Arraiz
Horror-comedy film about the insecurities and overthinking that TV shows, religion, culture and belief systems create in us during male-female relationships and in courtship. It makes fun of us and the roles we take in that process, without making any moral judgements. The story is narrated through a song.
This is a personal and independent project where the director also created the music for the video.
NOMINATIONS: Best Music Video, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design
WHEN NIGHT FALLS
Directed by Alexandre Lechasseur-Dubé
As night falls, creatures with pearl and lace ornaments gather at the center of the forest where is laying an inanimate body.
NOMINATIONS: Best Experimental Short Film
BLACK CHAMPAGNE
Directed by Jeremiah Williams
Priestess Queen Suraya and Priest King Jamari are the leaders of the magical Nemanyo civilization and derive their powers from an ancient lotus flower that was brought to earth from their ancestors thousands of years ago. Envious of their sacred power and magic, the Nemanyo fall under siege by the Czar of Chezidak and his horde of militants. Left for dead, Suraya and Jamari rise from their war-torn sunken city to reclaim their power and set their beloved people free.
Black Champagne is the first episode of an animated music video series titled "The Osirika Legacy". Parts II and III are currently in production and titled "Dispel The Darkness" and "Heaven", respectively.
NOMINATIONS: Best Animated Short
raffle
Each event ticket = 1 raffle ticket. Festival Pass holders receive 5 tickets!
The Party Doesn’t Have to Stop
After the official Opening Night Party, stick around for our Late Night Grindhouse which feature our best Horror, Sci-Fi and flat-out freaky Official Selections. This is included in the price of admission to the Party - no additional charge!
BUY ALL ACCESS FESTIVAL PASS
All Access Pass Gives You:
Opening Night Screening & Party
Afterparty
Festival Passholder Perks:
A complimentary glass of champagne!
Extra raffle tickets, so more chances to win a prize!
Help choose the winners of the festival, including who gets the £1000 film fund!
£29 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£35 AT THE DOOR
Buy tickets
Opening Night Ticket Gives You
Opening Night Screening
Party
Late Night Grindhouse
£12 ADVANCE PURCHASE
£15 AT THE DOOR
2020 FESTIVAL - Opening Night Screening
Join us at one of London's coolest indie film arthouse for the opening night bash of The People's Film Festival. Come watch 10 amazing short films curated down from over 300 submissions
MARCH 6
showtime: 7:30 pm
DOORS: 7:00
An outlaw that can erase your memories…
A bisexual man back on the market after a terrible heartbreak…
An ancient Japanese culture of women divers on the verge of extinction…
Join us at one of London's coolest indie film arthouse for the opening night bash of The People's Film Festival. Come watch 10 amazing short films curated down from over 300 submissions, including the London premier of Two Dum Micks starring Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Stranger Things) and DB Sweeney (Garden of Stone, The Cutting Edge).
Afterwards, party with the filmmakers and industry professionals.
And who knows… you may just find your next collaborator.
Location: Whirled Cinema
259-260 HARDESS ST
LOUGHBOROUGH JCTN
LONDON SE24 OHN
Lineup
TWO DUM MICKS
Directed by D.B. Sweeney / Starring Sean Astin
Two unlucky guys meet in the drunk tank and hatch a plan.
NOMINATIONS: Best Ensemble Cast (Comedy)
FROM FRAGMENTS
Directed by James Quinn
FROM FRAGMENTS tells the story of an elderly couple that must battle through the grips of dementia to finish the swan-song of their lifelong love.
The film explores the burden ‘love’ places on us: to compromise, to sacrifice and (most of all) to cherish.
A true multi-disciplinary collaboration between a musician, two dancers and a filmmaker. The film combines these three artforms to envisage the devastating emotional reality of dementia.
NOMINATIONS: Best Original Score
QUIET CARRIAGE
Directed by Ben S. Hyland
A man must decide whether to intervene and stop a casual commuting rule breaker, or live with a lifetime of regret. A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
NOMINATIONS: Best Comedy Short, Best Performance in a Comedy (Amit Shah), Best Supporting Performance in a Comedy (Emma Sidi), Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design
MEMORY MAN
Directed by Christopher M Armstrong
In a future where psychic abilities are outlawed, the Memory Man makes a living dealing with uncomfortable memories for other people. Until the arrival of a hostile new client, finally forces him to confront unfinished business of his own.
NOMINATIONS: Best SciFi Short, Best Editing, Best Sound Design
IT’S BEEN TOO LONG
Directed by Amber Schaefer
Two ex-lovers meet at a rarely-used Aspen lodge to reignite their passions, but first they must confess their past sins. Written by & starring Krista Jensen (UCB) & David Ebert (Master of None, Ghost Story Club).
NOMINATIONS: Best Comedy Short, Best Ensemble Cast (Comedy)
AMA
Directed by Georgie Yukiko Donovan
Filmmaker Georgie Yukiko Donovan explores the story of the Ama divers - the last of Japan's 'women of the sea' and their fight to preserve their 3,000 year old way of life.
NOMINATIONS: Best Documentary Short
Intermission
THE MANY FACES OF BETH JONES
Directed by Harvey Puttock
Off the back of a successful stint on a television show, Beth's agent has been hard at work finding her new roles to make her a star. Beth excitedly arrives to meet her agent but the parts found for her might not be exactly what she was hoping for...
NOMINATIONS: Best Performance in a Comedy (Lucy Hilton-Jones)
COWER
Directed by Jo Hewer
Haunted by their troubled childhood and desperate to reconnect, siblings Benny and Karen become closer than ever. But as past resentments boil over, Benny allows his frustrations to take a dark turn.
NOMINATIONS: Best Performance in a Drama (Tom Lewin), Best Supporting Performance in a Drama (Maddy Hill)
HARY METCALFE: BIG GAY MESS
Directed by Alexandros Tsilifonis
In the wake of a sudden and unexpected breakup, Harry Metcalfe, a relatable bisexual idiot, has to deal not only with the emotional fallout of being newly alone, but also the social, financial, and existential horrors of being a human in his 20’s in the rural town of Norwich.
NOMINATIONS: Best Original Screenplay, Best LGBTQ Short
MI O LE KU
Directed by Remi Laudat
For some young black youths growing up on a crowded London council estate, survival is key.
These young men and women are often stifled by the pressures of navigating life in seemingly hostile spaces - struggling to develop a real understanding of and connectedness to a heritage passed and dismissed by repressive, Western systems. It is in this tense, urban environment that 21 year old Jakob must cultivate his own identity and status - a battle that takes place both on the streets and within his own subconscious.
A frustrated young man, who struggles to nurture his talent for art against the harsh realities of growing up in a single parent home within a working class area, Jakob abandons his creative passions to follow the easiest perceived path presented to him: becoming a small time “shotta” (drugs dealer) and hustler. We follow him through a usual day, handling ‘business’ with his ‘friends’. Yet things quickly become more complicated, spiralling into realms unknown as visions of his African ancestry push him in the direction to reach his full potential. To become the man he is destined to be.
NOMINATIONS: Best Performance in a Drama, Best Cinematography, Best First Time Filmmaker
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