QUIET CARRIAGE

Directed by BEN S. HYLAND

A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.

Starring Amit Shah and Emma Sidi.

QUIET CARRIAGE was the Audience Award Winner at The People’s Film Festival 2020, and also brought home the award for Best Performance in a Comedy for Amit Shah.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

I’m a COMEDY writer/director. It took me quite a while mucking around with friends to work that out. In fact I initially spent time making hard hitting issue-led drama but found the allure of comedy too difficult to resist.

My most recent short, TALK RADIO stars the hilarious Julia Deakin, Pearce Quigley and Tim Key and is on the festival circuit having screened at Encounters, Edmonton, Aesthetica, Show Me Shorts, Norwich and London Short Film Festival to name a few.

During lockdown I made an online sitcom called ANGRY QUIZ GUY that stars Nick Helm, Rachel Stubbings and Amit Shah. That was a lot of fun.

QUIET CARRIAGE starring Amit Shah and Emma Sidi has played at BAFTA and OSCAR qualifying festivals such as LOCO, Aesthetica, LA Shorts, Norwich, Encounters, London Short Film Festival and of course The People’s Film Festival. It has been the most successful thing I’ve made to date.

Other little tidbits worth a mention include being a 2019 finalist in the ENTER THE PITCH competition. Being a 2019 recipient at the CHARITY FILM OF THE YEAR AWARDS with my film ROLE MODELS. Winning the 2017 LaCie #PushPlay European filmmaking competition with my film ’88’. Also winning the 2017 Colchester Film Festival 60hr film challenge with my film JUNIOR. In the same year I was shortlisted (top 20) for the JAMESON’S FIRST SHOT from 2722 entries.

I’m also a member of DIRECTORS UK and owner of a fat hamster.

You started off making quite serious short films, but lately you've switched to comedy. Why the change?

I think I made serious films because subconsciously I wanted to be taken seriously and I misguidedly fought against my urge to pursue comedy. Short films that won BAFTAs and OSCARS weren’t particularly funny and it was just something I fell into the habit of writing. Of course that's all nonsense and as soon as I removed the pressure of what success is and what my actual interests are the switch to comedy was both the easiest and best decision I ever made. 

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

Quiet Carriage was initially funded by a body called Talkies Community Cinema. They gave a small grant which was really the kick in the bum we needed and it also gave us a deadline to work towards. It’s sometimes nice to have a deadline imposed by someone else. There is an obligation to deliver.

Any hacks or tips for making a short film?

Initially just make anything you can. Making something that is imperfect is better than making nothing at all. As you progress you’ll naturally develop relationships with people that you’ll go on to collaborate with on future projects. The first step is just making something… anything. 

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?:

Tough question. There isn’t any particular part that I dislike. I suppose the most exciting part initially is developing an idea. Something that keeps you coming back to your laptop or fills your whiteboard with coloured manic nonsense. Having an idea that keeps you awake at night is an unwelcome thrill.

You seem to have really cracked the film festival code. What is your secret?

You throw enough shit at the wall and some will stick. Yes we’ve had a huge success on the circuit with Quiet Carriage, but it was a huge surprise. We didn’t think we’d be hitting 70+ festivals, but I guess the storyline just resonated with a lot of programmers. It helps that the film sits at an easily programmable 5 minutes in length. It’s difficult to plan to make a film that does well on the circuit. I’d say it’s impossible. We just focussed on the craft of making something short, sharp and funny then crossed every part of our bodies. Seemed to work. 

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:

Since this is a short film festival and I’ll recommend shorts that I saw alongside Quiet Carriage that are currently available to watch online. There is a super short animation called Dog Pianist which is just perfect. Under one minute long and simply wonderful. There is also a fantastic comedy called Norteños which I found to be a real treat. Dark, pitch perfect and very very funny. 

Follow Ben on Twitter @Ben_S_Hyland

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

SPEED OF TIME

Directed by William J. Stribling

Johnny Killfire must go back in time and team up with his former self to stop the TimeBorgs from getting their hands on an app that breaks the space-time continuum by delivering pizzas into the past... before they were even ordered.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

Hi, my name is William and I’m an Al-aholic. As in Weird Al. As in Yankovic. When I was a kid, I really gravitated towards comedy. Monty Python, Weird Al, the movie Airplane!, Homestar Runner, anything Robin Williams touched. The 90s was a fun decade to grow up in. A lot of comedies being released in theaters every week. If Martin Lawrence was in a movie, I was guaranteed to see it several times. But I was also a child of the Blockbuster generation, so when I wasn't seeing a movie in the theater, I was devouring anything and everything at home on VHS and eventually DVD. I saw so many films way too young, like Citizen Kane and Cuckoo's Nest. I saw Iñárritu's 21 Grams in theaters when I was 12. A few times. I’m originally from St. Petersburg, Florida, and I was always the kid with the video camera wherever I went, making little movies just for fun, just to make myself and my friends laugh. I went to a performing arts high school but realized quickly that I didn’t want to pursue performing in college and beyond. So I looked into film schools, applied to a bunch, and ended up at NYU for undergrad. And I’m glad I did, because it’s where I met one of my closest collaborators, Alex Gallitano, who has shot just about every movie I’ve made. After college I went to Chapman to get my masters in screenwriting, which is where I met my writing partner Russ Nickel. A few months after graduating we were on set making our feature film Bear with Us. That film and the relationships we made in the process have been responsible for a lot of the work we’ve done since. I’m still proud of that one. 

What was the inspiration behind SPEED OF TIME?

The challenge we posed to ourselves was pretty simple: can we cram an entire action flick into 10 minutes? The answer was resounding no. The film ended up being almost 13 minutes long. But oh well! Russ and I had been working with John Hennigan (who plays Johnny Killfire) for a few years on a handful of other projects. We were chomping at the bit, just anxious to get out there and shoot something that married John’s unique style of stunts/fighting with our comedic chops. And the rest is history! Back to the Future is obviously a clear inspiration, along with all the other big silly action films of the 80s and 90s. We tried to channel that without actually making too many specific references. I think the Predator handshake is the only thing we just straight-up stole. The rest is us tapping into that vibe.

What was it like to bring this film to life and what obstacles did you overcome along the way?

Though we all live in Los Angeles, we actually shot the film in my hometown in Florida, with a lot of help from the good people at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission. Most of the prep was done remotely, and when we arrived in Florida we found out that our primary shooting location had backed out at the last minute. Which sent us into panic mode, because the plan was to use that one location to play as about a dozen locations in the film. The thinking behind that was we’d be able to make better use of a shooting day and avoid company moves at all costs. But there wasn’t a replacement available, so we scrambled to scout as many places as we could and I’m honestly happier with what we ended up with. There’s a lot more variety to the locations that wouldn’t have been possible with the original plan. Sure, we shaved years off our lives in those two manic days leading up to the shoot, but I’d say it was worth it. 

What is your favourite part of the filmmaking process?

Easy! Being on set. In the entire process, we spend so little time on set, proportional to the writing, pre-production, and post-production processes. So I try to really enjoy myself when we’re shooting. 

So you’ve made both shorts and features. How important has short film been in springboarding you into feature filmmaking?

I’ve never really used a short film as a springboard into a feature. Not intentionally anyway. It’s always just been a way to tell a different kind of story, or to make a film in a way that wouldn’t necessarily work as a feature. The Speed of Time, for example, works as a calling card, but the basic conceit of the short doesn’t work as a feature. So as we’ve been developing the feature version of The Speed of Time, we’ve been finding funny ways to maintain the spirit, knowing that the basic gag doesn’t work in a 90 minute film the way it does in a 10 12 minute film. Shorts are such a different medium, and the process of making one is so different from features. As easy as it is to put your short film online or take it around to festivals, shorts in America just don’t have a great distribution model the way features do. So I don’t find myself actively working on short films, but when an opportunity arises, I’m always game to use it as an excuse to try something I haven’t done before. The DUST release of The Speed of Time was a godsend. 2020 was going to be a fun year of taking the film all over the world to film festivals, but when they all went virtual, those plans evaporated. Being able to launch the movie to DUST’s giant, passionate audience has been an absolute blast. 

What advice would you give to short filmmakers trying to make the jump to features?

Just make a feature! Do it! I dare you! I see so many people spending so much money on shorts. And I get it. But also, I don’t really get it. You can make a feature film that can be shot for whatever you were going to spend on your short. I just made a feature film in 5 nights in Las Vegas for faaaaaaaaar less than we spent on The Speed of Time. It can be done! And in my experience, a feature is simply a more valuable investment with a better chance of getting distribution.

Any film recommendations that we can watch to keep us busy while social distancing?

I’ve spent the entire pandemic binge-watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. If you haven’t gotten into it yet, what are you waiting for??? Two of my favorite films from last year were The Sound of Metal and Uncle Frank. Highly recommend.

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WE

Written & Directed by David Yorke

A tour of the development and unravelling of a relationship. A beautiful and hypnotic visual representation and journey of the make up and break up of a relationship.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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WELCOME BACK! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO IN THE PAST YEAR SINCE WE FEATURED YOUR FILM "CLOUDS"?: 

Thanks for having me, I think like many of us I have just been trying to survive and keep myself busy the best way I can. A lot of films have been watched, many computer games have been played and a lot of my scripts have been re-written.  

CONGRATS ON MAKING BAFTA CREW! HOW HAS IT HELPED PROPEL YOUR FILMMAKING FORWARD? 

Thank you so much, it was a real pick me up that’s for sure, I had applied multiple times in the past and to finally get accepted really means a lot to me.  

So far it’s been great, I’m meeting so many people and seeing their great work, which is inspiring. The network sessions and guest talks have been keeping me sane also, I just hope we can all meet in person. 

It’s early stages at the moment because most things are on hold but many of us are already talking about collaborating on projects so it’s just really great being around so much creative energy. 

BEAUTIFUL WORK ON "WE". WHAT'S THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

Thank you so much, the film came about in a very unconventional way. Me and my dop David Cawley were at the time creatively frustrated and were hungry to make something. 

I came up with a concept where we could be experimental but also create something visually interesting. With the constraints of budget and time, I knew we could only really have a skeleton crew and a few cast members, so I started developing ideas.  

But it wasn’t until I was on the tube one day where I heard the song ‘Losing Light by Explosions in the Sky’ that the idea evolved, the track just had this rhythm that I really connected to, not to mention the track is just really emotive. I thought about how interesting it would be to show a relationship deteriorating over a long period of time but without dialogue to a similar beat as the track. Then the idea just grew from there. 

YOU'VE PACKED AN ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP, TOLD FROM THREE DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINTS, IN UNDER 5 MINUTES. HOW DID YOU DO THAT? WAS THERE A LOT LEFT ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR OR DID YOU SHOOT THESE INTIMATE MOMENTS TACTICALLY? 

Well the great thing about making this film was I had scenes that were needed but location wise we could be very flexible. I had certain locations in mind but most of the time we would drive around, jump out the car and shoot these short moments. We got many alternate takes and my first cut of the film was about 2 minutes longer, so I do have a lot of unused footage. But when I showed people the longer cut it was obvious it was just too much and that in this case less was more.   

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?: 

I find every film I make a challenge and when you’re working with literally no budget it becomes very difficult. Some scenes were more straight forward and the actors could improvise and then there were the more delicate scenes especially the ones shot in the dark space. We only had a few hours to film in that location but the actors did a really amazing job and because of that we got some really powerful and emotive shots. 

Every film has it’s problems, securing locations and working against the clock but I found this experience to be very collaborative and it’s a film I’m still very proud of.  

 ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING: 

 I do a list of my favourites films of the year, so here’s 40 from last and this year that I recommend 

1. Parasite

1. Queen and Slim

2. Uncut Gems

3. JoJo Rabbit

4. Saint Maud

5. Sound of Metal

6. 1917

7. Mogul Mowgli

8. Baby Teeth

9. Relic

10. Soul

11. On the Rocks

12. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

13. WolfWalkers

14. Vivarium

15. His House

16. The Invisible Man

17. Onward

18. Make Up

19. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

20. Rocks

21. The Platform

22. Perfect 10

23. Tenet

24. Spontaneous

25. Happiest Season

26. The Lighthouse

27. Uncle Frank

28. The Rental

29. Save Yourselves!

30. Alone

31. Big Time Adolescence

32. Palm Springs

33. The Dark and the Wicked

34. Possessor Uncut

35. Greenland

36. Freaky

37. The Mortuary Collection

38. Straight Up

39. Host

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THE PLUNGE

Directed by Simon Ryninks | Written by Omar Khan | Produced by Tibo Travers

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.

The Plunge won Best Comedy Short, Best Sponsored Short & Best Ensemble Cast (Comedy) at The People’s Film Festival 2020.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKERS

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT SWEETDOH FILMS:

Tibo Travers (Producer): Sweetdoh Films is a creative media company that focuses on the production of fiction, documentary and commercial films, and in the organisation of screenings, professional tutorials and workshops. We've had projects funded by the BFI, Film London and Ffilm Cymru Wales, and made films that aired on Canal+, Vice TV and RTÉ, and were distributed by NiTV, Premium Films and Shorts International.

As a company we aim to:

- Change the environmental impact of the arts industry for the better, by implementing positive measures throughout all our projects and actively reducing our carbon footprint.

- Focus on training and education within the creative industries, by mentoring students and training interns. 

- Associate our projects with disability and mental health organisations, offering training and employment opportunities to vulnerable or disabled individuals.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE PLUNGE CAME FROM A REAL LIFE INCIDENT. HOW MUCH CAN YOU TELL US?: 

Omar Khan (Writer/Actor): The idea behind THE PLUNGE was inspired by my own misfired sexual encounter, when the idea of pegging (sex act in which a woman uses strap-on dildo on their partner) was suggested to me. I politely declined, but then wondered what would have happened had I agreed. One horrific “what if” thought after another lead to THE PLUNGE as a screenplay.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:

Tibo Travers (Producer): The experience of making The Plunge was really enjoyable, because we made it as a team of friends, and all in all there was little stress involved. The fact that we could make it with our own money, and therefore on our own terms, means that we had a minimum amount of pressure - and I'm persuaded this is the most favourable conditions for any creative work.

Like any independent production, the main challenge was to cater for our needs with this limited budget. This means we could only shoot for 2 days, and had to pull a lot of resources (and spend a lot of time) trying to create small miracles! But like any good filmmaking team, we made it work by being proactive, imaginative, and above all by having a positive approach to problem solving.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?:

Tibo Travers (Producer): My favourite part of filmmaking is being on set and witnessing this creative synergy that is filmmaking. Seeing written words being transformed into performance and moving images will always feel a bit like magic to me, and I don't think I'll ever grow tired of being a part of it.

CONGRATS ON DEVELOPING YOUR FEATURE FILM "OUT THERE" WITH THE BFI. HOW IMPORTANT HAS SHORT FILM BEEN IN SPRING-BOARDING YOU INTO FEATURE FILMMAKING?:

Simon Ryninks (Director): Really important! I've been making short films for ten years and that's allowed me to explore, take risks and learn from my mistakes in a way that I couldn't have done if I'd miraculously gone straight into making features. If I had it would've been terrible. Shorts have helped me find my voice, my confidence and my filmmaking community. All of which I'm hugely grateful for.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SHORT FILMMAKERS TRYING TO MAKE THE JUMP TO FEATURES?

Simon Ryninks (Director): I'm still making that jump, but I've learned that patience is a virtue. It takes a long time to get a feature off the ground - I've been working on Out There for nearly 3 years now and am really still the start of the process. Make sure you embark on telling a story that you really want to tell, and that means something to you, otherwise it may not be worth the wait.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:

Simon Ryninks (Director): Recent films I've really enjoyed are Ete'85, Another Round and Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Thank goodness for streaming!

Tibo Travers (Producer): Cuba and the cameraman, Fahrenheit 11/9, Dick Johnson is dead, Les Misérables

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

ALL THE TRIMMINGS

Written, Directed & Produced by Thomas Edwards

Paul is a desperate father who knows he can't provide presents for his kids again this Christmas. But maybe he can at least provide Christmas dinner... and is willing go to extreme lengths to make this happen.

All the Trimmings is a true story inspired by director Tommy Edwards own upbringing, growing up with very little and having to find value in the small things.

In the current climate we live, where the disparity within the distribution of wealth is growing ever bigger and the expectation of consumerism is changing what we value, Tommy feels that this story has become ever more relevant, providing a vital voice to the stories of those living on the breadline and hopefully helping re-enforce the values of family and community.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

I am a Londoner, born and bred, with a keen interest in observing the margins of society and looking at the smaller stories that reveal big ideas.

Since graduating in 2010, I have worked with 1000's of young people from all over, devising and delivering creative programmes. Working with young people has always been massively important to me, giving them the opportunities to be creative and express themselves, developing resilience and empowering them to have a voice. This work has ran parallel with my own personal film-making pursuits, picking up side hustle jobs here and there, from writing and directing show reel scenes for actors, to location scouting to street casting, always trying to keep my toe in industry water. But some of the best training is actually making films with the young people. The varied ideas and range of young people has meant I have always had to be flexible, teaching myself how to do certain things so I can then pass that on effectively, often learning with them. When a group of young people with Autism wanted to make their own take on Dr Who, I had to deliver.

Right now, I am two self-funded short films deep, both produced and directed by myself and hoping to move into a position where I can be funded for my next project. Or at least have a producer to help. You can only dream.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

Christmas was the only time being poor was particularly hard. It was the only time any of the men in my family would cry. 

It was the reminder that we had nothing…. So when one year, when we had no gas running, a pink plastic Christmas tree that I stole from Poundstrecher, the promise of an ‘I owe you’ to be left under the tree,  and a Christmas hamper with the ‘All the Trimmings’ my Nan thought was appropriate to buy: my Dad refused to be beaten. 

He took it upon himself to find a house to cook dinner and make sure we had something. The next day we were still poor but it demonstrated to me the value of family and as I reflect now, my Dad’s desire to the do best he could, despite the adversity, to be a good dad

This story is an evolution of a true-life event and provides a microcosm to a grander problem. Poverty and the growing gap between rich and poor. In a world where we are exposed to grandeur and pummelled with the expectations of consumerism, the pressure to provide has been become wholly different and with that our values of what is important, leaving a whole section of society left on the outside looking in, isolated and struggling to find hope.

POWERFUL STORY! ANY SECRET TIPS OR HACKS FOR MAKING AN AWESOME SHORT FILM?

Make a good treatment and visual stack. It helps articulate your ideas and sell your project to potential collaborators and good crew is the best possible currency you can have to make a short film. It can often help get great talent for affordable rates as well because they are invested in the world you are building.

Be willing to ask people for favours. People are often happy to help. When l went door knocking for the balcony shot in All the Trimmings, literally the first door I knocked on said yes

Shoot over the weekend. Kits houses will often give you reduced rates and will count a friday to monday as a two day rental.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY GETTING YOUR FILM TO AUDIENCES:

I went for the traditional festival route first. Added the project to the various different platforms such as FilmFreeway, Festhome and Shorts Depot. I researched the top end festivals, checking which ones were the BAFTA qualifiers and I started entering some of them. I wish I could say there was a great strategy to it but it was often decisions based on economics. Which entries were the best value for money ... or the cheapest. Once the inevitable rejections started coming, a hard thing at first to get used to, I spread my net further and began to reach out to more mid range festivals. I would research this a bit further. My criteria would often be previous selections/winners and how long the festival had been running. I would often be drawn into good website designs and events that demonstrated production value in their marketing material. There are a lot of festivals, many that have very little value and are borderline exploitative so it was important to do this due diligence and make sure it would get an audience. Spreading my net further bore success and I was grateful to have the film be part of a range of different festivals all around the world.

Post festival run, the online distribution was the next challenge. I had always wanted the film to service the needs of a charity that works with child poverty and be used by them as a resource and to support their cause. I approached the Childhood Trust and they were more than willing to take it on and share it on their platform. It now sits on their Youtube channel and I am proud that it has a valuable home and speaks to an important issue that is something I am very passionate about. It was released over Christmas and it is great to see it has over 11,000 views.

THAT VIEW COUNT IS GREAT! WHAT OTHER LANDMARKS HAVE YOU EXPERIENCE WITH “ALL THE TRIMMINGS”?

Despite many a BAFTA qualifying festival rejection, and there were many, I was very grateful to the 3 BAFTA qualifying festivals that did select it. It was something really special to go see the film at Curzon Shaftesbury avenue as part of the London Short Film Festival in 2020. To also be part of Aesthetica was massive for me too. I have been such a big fan of their ethos and programming so to have All the Trimmings screened as part of their 2020 festival was great.

Other notable selections was the American Premiere deadCentre Film Festival and the other BAFTA qualifying festival, Belfast Film Festival

All the Trimmings also had a couple wins. Best Drama at the Sunday Shorts 2020 awards. I can't speak highly enough of Sunday Shorts. An excellent smaller festival, brilliantly run with a real attention and love for film. I would recommend everyone to submit to them. The other award was Best Actor for the amazing Jimmy Gallagher at BELIFF Festival, another really great festival that had some great communication.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING?:

Short film wise, I am a big fan of what Charlotte Regan is doing and excited as she goes into long form. Fry-up and Standby are excellent short films, simple ideas that are really elevated by sharp storytelling.

Feature wise, I have really been getting into Celine Sciamma's work. Tomboy is an extraordinary film, a captivating take on growing up and sexual identity. And from 2020, I can't recommend enough Sarah Gavron's 'Rocks'. Just stunning. For me, the most authentic portrait of growing up in inner city London. A must watch for anyone.

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

2021 FESTIVAL - Award Winners

We are excited to announce the winning films from our 2021 season of The People’s Film Festival!

Recipient of our £1000 Film Fund

• SEND IN THE CLOWNS directed by Ben Ashton

Best Micro Budget Short

• A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL directed by Stephanie Upsall, produced by Lucy Hilton-Jones

Best Low Budget Short

• THE RAPE CLAUSE directed by Jared Watmuff, produced by Sashi Arnold, Maria Hildebrand & Jared Watmuff

Best Sponsored Short

• RUMORI directed by SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinaia), produced by The Basement

HONORARY WINNERS

The following winners have been chosen by our Festival Jury.

Best Drama Short

• RUMORI directed by SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinaia)

Best Comedy Short

• A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL directed by Stephanie Upsall

Best Horror Short

• PARTING FRENZY directed by Ryan Freda

Best Documentary Short

• HOME STREAM directed by Giulia Gandini

Best Animated Short

• STRANGE directed by Cameron Carr

Best Lockdown Short

• I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL directed by Sam O'Mahony

Best Performance in a Drama

• Maria Hildebrand in THE RAPE CLAUSE

*Honourable Mention to Ailish Symons in THE WIDOW

Best Performance in a Comedy

• Katrin Larissa Kasper in APPETITE

Best Director

• SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinai), RUMORI

Best Original Screenplay

• Sam O'Mahony, I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL

Best Cinematography

• Luca Esposito, RUMORI

Best Editing

• Amanda Lago, FUCKING DOWN

• Kieran Stringfellow, BULLDOG

Best Original Score

• Pablo Scopinaro, DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD

Best Production Design

• Rowena Zoro, THE WIDOW

Honourable Mention to Xuemeng Li, Katrin Larissa Kasper, APPETITE

Best First Time Filmmaker

• Pierre Niyongira, DINAH

2021 FESTIVAL - Award Nominations

Our jury has just announced our full lineup of 50 Official Selections for year two of The People’s Film Festival.

From our list of 50 Official Selections, the following films have been nominated for awards. Winners will be announced at our Awards Gala March 12th.

FILM FUND QUALIFYING NOMINEES

The following 9 films will compete for our £1000 Film Fund which is granted based on audience vote.

Best Micro Budget Short

• A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL directed by Stephanie Upsall, produced by Lucy Hilton-Jones

• ELAINE directed and produced by Guillermo Quintanilla-Pinto

• I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL directed and produced by Sam O'Mahony

Best Low Budget Short

• BULLDOG directed by Kieran Stringfellow, produced by Tasha Williams & Malachy O'Neill

• NOT ALL IS WELL WITH JACK directed by Luke Maund, produced by Rachel Bashford

• THE RAPE CLAUSE directed by Jared Watmuff, produced by Sashi Arnold, Maria Hildebrand & Jared Watmuff

Best Sponsored Short

• DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD directed by Mark van Heusden, produced by Shay Khelifa & Mark van Heusden

• HOW TO GET $100 MILLION directed by Ilya Polyakov, produced by Jessica Wilde & Ilya Polyakov

• RUMORI directed by SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinaia), produced by The Basement

Each nominated filmmaker will create a 1-minute video pitching their next short film, explaining how they would spend the £1000 Film Fund if granted. The overall WINNER will be awarded the £1,000 Film Fund based on Audience Vote. Audience Vote will also decide one winner per category which will receive other prizes from our sponsors.

HONORARY NOMINEES

Best Drama Short

• THE RAPE CLAUSE directed by Jared Watmuff

• RUMORI directed by SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinaia)

• THE WIDOW directed by Ailish Castillo & Nicola Morris

Best Comedy Short

• A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL directed by Stephanie Upsall

• DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD directed by Mark van Heusden

• HEAVENLY BORDERS directed by Kamil Iwanowicz

Best Horror Short

(Award Sponsored by Fun Size Horror)

• DARK LIGHTS directed by Deborah Richards

• HOMESTAY directed by Elliot Taylor

• PARTING FRENZY directed by Ryan Freda

Best Documentary Short

• THE ANGEL OF HISTORY directed by Eric Esser

• ELAINE directed by Guillermo Quintanilla-Pinto

• HOME STREAM directed by Giulia Gandini

Best Animated Short

• HEART OF THE NATION directed by Tribambuka (Anastasia Beltyukova)

• HUGS directed by Harry Plowden

• STRANGE directed by Cameron Car

Best Lockdown Short

• HOMESTAY directed by Elliot Taylor

• HUGS directed by Harry Plowden

• I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL directed by Sam O'Mahony

Best Performance in a Drama

• Christopher Dane in OUTSIDERS

• Nicki Davy in PARTING FRENZY

• Maria Hildebrand in THE RAPE CLAUSE

• Harvey Quinn in NOT ALL IS WELL WITH JACK

• Ailish Symons in THE WIDOW

Best Performance in a Comedy

• Aaron Barschak in 2:40 TO LONDON

• Katrin Larissa Kasper in APPETITE

• Patrick O'Halloran in HEAVENLY BORDERS

• Josie Towart in A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL

• Lee West in DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD

Best Director

• Luke Maund, NOT ALL IS WELL WITH JACK

• Sam O'Mahony, I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL

• SÄMEN (Ludovico Amen Galletti & Sami Schinai), RUMORI

• Kieran Stringfellow, BULLDOG

• Jared Watmuff, THE RAPE CLAUSE

Best Original Screenplay

• Sam O'Mahony, I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL

• Ilya Polyakov, HOW TO GET $100 MILLION

• Amy Rich, CAR KEYS

• Mark van Heusden, DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD

• Jared Watmuff, THE RAPE CLAUSE

Best Cinematography

• Sally Low, THE WIDOW

• Luca Esposito, RUMORI

• Stephen Otosio, BULLDOG

• Laurent Poulain, FUCKING DOWN

• Aaron Reid, ROBERT THE ROBOT

Best Editing

• Livio Bondi, THE PACKAGE

• Simon Dymond, SOCKS & ROBBERS

• Fluke Forenza, HOW TO GET $100 MILLION

• Amanda Lago, FUCKING DOWN

• Kieran Stringfellow, BULLDOG

Best Original Score

• Gus Collins, YOURS SINCERELY

• Pablo Scopinaro, DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD

• Ben Warn, THE WIDOW

• Daniel Whibley, I DON’T FIND ANY OF THIS VERY PEACEFUL

• Tiz McNamara, BRONAGH

Best Production Design

• Prashanti Chakravarthy, MANASANAMAHA

• Charlotte Glasgow & Julia Bull, SOCKS & ROBBERS

• Xuemeng Li, Katrin Larissa Kasper, APPETITE

• Karijn Nijmeijer, THE WICK

• Rowena Zoro, THE WIDOW

Best First Time Filmmaker

• Nico Amedeo, VIRTUOSO

• Ryan Chu, DEEP FEARS

• Jessica Courtney Leen & Megan Haly, BRONAGH

• Xuemeng Li, Katrin Larissa Kasper, APPETITE

• Pierre Niyongira, DINAH

Congratulations to all the Nominees!

2021 FESTIVAL - 50 Official Selections

After announcing 3 Official Selections per month (with a total of 24 Official Selections announced over the course of our open submission period in 2020), we're now excited to share with you 26 more Official Selections as we announce our full lineup for 2021's edition of The People's Film Festival happening in March.

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New official selections

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BRONAGH

directed by Jessica Courtney Leen, Megan Haly

A grown-up Bronagh feels guilty for experiencing a delayed grief, having lost a female role model as a child. She stalks and ‘haunts’ an estranged family member to ensure she's not alone in being unable to move on.

BRONAGH is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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CAR KEYS

directed by David Anderson

Eating the same packed lunch everyday, holding down a desk job at the council, and caring for his dying mum might not be much of a life; but Keith has it worked out. He has, that is, until his car keys go missing. Now Keith's whole world order slips from under his feet to leave him floundering. Is this the end or just the beginning?

CAR KEYS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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CROSS

directed by Gillian Harker

Tom and Kelly have, on the surface, a passionate, loving relationship. But Tom has a shameful secret he is desperate to keep hidden from Kelly.

CROSS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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DARK LIGHTS

directed by Deborah Richards

A haunted, sexy Las Vegas penthouse dweller explores the darker side of the city and its many addictions.

DARK LIGHTS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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DEEP FEARS

directed by Ryan Chu

A sea otter who is afraid of the ocean is challenged to face his fears when he loses his precious pink shell necklace at sea.

DEEP FEARS is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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DENZEL

directed by Micheal Gamarano Singleton

Denzel follows the dating life of a young man and his journey to self-acceptance. He uses an alter ego to navigate his journey through his social issues and self worth until finally reaching the perfect conclusion.

DENZEL is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.

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THE FERALS

directed by Stefan Ruiz

A horror/thriller short film that follows the story of a young man who has washed up on a desert island following a shark attack. He soon discovers that he is not alone but the occupants on the island are not there to help him.

THE FERALS is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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HEART OF THE NATION

directed by Tribambuka (Anastasia Beltyukova)

A short animation celebrating the role of migrants in the NHS, for the exhibition in Migration Museum, London

HEART OF THE NATION is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.

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HOMESTAY

directed by Elliot Taylor

Due to overcrowding in her building, April is given an empty holiday home to live in during the lockdown period. But after a discovery in the house, she's starts to believe there's more to this act of charity than meets the eye.

HOMESTAY is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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HUGS

directed by Harry Plowden
A little animation about a world without human touch, made during lockdown.

HUGS is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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INFECTED

directed by Alfonso Moreno

A dystopian glimpse into the fall of contemporary western society by Madrid punk band A.C.T., animated and directed by 21 year Minneapolis resident Alfonso Cronopio.

INFECTED is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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MANASANAMAHA

directed by Deepak Reddy

A young man muses on the nature of love, recounting three relationships from his past. The girls in his life resemble three different seasons, namely Chaitra (Spring), Varsha (Monsoon) & Seeta (Winter).

MANASANAMAHA is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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NUCLEAR SEA

directed by Joe Starrs

A young girl wanders through a post-apocalyptic Britain. Navigating the overgrown wasteland, she makes her way back home. Soon to discover that not everything is quite as she expected.

NUCLEAR SEA is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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OUTSIDERS

directed by Grace Parry

Charlotte is an aspiring actress desperate to uncover a life worth living. Her hope is stirred when the Director calls to see her. However, as their time together unfolds it becomes clear she must question the lengths she is willing to go to on her quest to be seen.

OUTSIDERS is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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PARTING FRENZY

directed by Ryan Freda

On an impromptu tour of boyfriend, Lee's, newly inherited warehouse and would-be photography studio, Cate makes a confession of infidelity. But it plunges her into a desperate fight for her life when Lee tells her he already knew...and the door’s locked.

PARTING FRENZY is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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PEOPLE SHOW 138: LAST DAY

directed by Gareth Brierley

A short dreamlike drama about power, loss and loyalty.

People Show 138: Last Day, follows HR manager Sidney, who after thirty years of working at an industrial sock factory faces a challenging dilemma that could affect the livelihood of his employees. We find him wandering around the now empty workplace haunted by the memories of his past colleagues, friends, and bosses. Throughout his journey he is confronted head on by the horrific consequences of his actions. Will he make the right choice at the end of his last day?

Starring Tyrone Huggins, George Khan and thirty young performers from the University of Roehampton’s Drama, Theatre and Performance department.

PEOPLE SHOW 138: LAST DAY is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.

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PRECURSOR

directed by Manolo Campos

What if we talked? What if we listened? Precursor is a film that confronts the uncomfortable conversations in relation to prejudice, power, and patriotism. It offers a vision of what could be if two individuals with opposing viewpoints decided to listen.

PRECURSOR is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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SCRIPT

directed by Piero Cannata

Two screenwriters, a ghost story, the night that goes on. Who will put an end to this?

SCRIPT is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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SEND IN THE CLOWNS

directed by Ben Ashton

A clown struggling to make ends meet is faced with an opportunity he can't afford to miss.

SEND IN THE CLOWNS is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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SLEEPING ROUGH: CATHERINE’S STORY

directed by Owain Astles

Sleeping Rough: Catherine’s Story follows Catherine, a young woman who moves straight out of care into a flat with her boyfriend; however it soon becomes clear that the relationship is emotionally abusive, and with no-one to turn to, she escapes onto the streets.

Sleeping Rough: Catherine’s Story is a community-based docudrama about female street homelessness. Based on real interviews conducted with women experiencing homelessness, the film follows a young woman and the circumstances that force her to sleep on the street. The film was produced in collaboration with The Big Issue Foundation and Cardboard Citizens, shot in real locations and entirely with actors with personal experience of homelessness. Sleeping Rough: Catherine’s Story encourages understanding of the issues that affect women experiencing homelessness and aims to empower people to take a stand.

SLEEPING ROUGH: CATHERINE’S STORY is an Official Selection in our Micro-Budget Category.

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SQUALL

directed by Mark Brennan

Ben and Margaret, two strangers at rock bottom in their lives for very different reasons, meet in a hotel bar before going on to spend a night putting their respective broken worlds to rights.

The film is about how in even in our darkest moments keeping the company of a stranger, someone who doesn't know our story, can provide some diversion from our troubles - if only just for a few hours.

SQUALL is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.

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STOP AND SEARCH

directed by Harry Jackson

If you're black in the UK, the police are 10 times more likely to stop and search you. How would they feel if it was the other way around?

STOP AND SEARCH is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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URBAN OASIS

directed by Hervé Bressaud

Caught up in the pace of city life, a city dweller sees his daily routine shaken up when he meets a weird bird at the bottom of his building. Then he discovers the existence of an unexpected urban biodiversity and he shares his discovery with inhabitants of his district...

URBAN OASIS is an Official Selection in our Sponsored Category.

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THE WICK

directed by Sabine Crossen

'A disturbing tale of deceit and persecution of a woman who fights for justice against a lawless witch hunter.'

A dark, period drama, set in the early 1800's in rural England, seventy-three years after witch hunts were banned. When Esther, a local herbal healer, witnesses her sister's murder at the hands of a lawless but influential religious leader, she realizes only she can put an end to the deceit, blind ignorance and barbarity of these outdated beliefs for good.

THE WICK is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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YOURS SINCERELY

directed by Craig Bingham

A very short film inspired by the letters between Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher during the second world War. Two men who were in love.

While on military training during World War Two, Gilbert Bradley was in love. He exchanged hundreds of letters with his sweetheart - who merely signed with the initial "G". More than 70 years later, it was discovered that G stood for Gordon.

At the time, not only was homosexuality illegal, but those in the armed forces could be shot for having gay sex. Some of Britain's gay soldiers after risking their lives for their country were persecuted and jailed by the military authorities.

This short piece has been made celebrate those men and women.

YOURS SINCERELY is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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2:40 TO LONDON

directed by Gavin Irvine

A surreal comedy that gives you spies, chilli, lumbersexuals and derrières!... A secret agent takes the 2:40 train to London where he is brainwashed by a wayward letch and an uppity snob into handing over the merchandise. Who are these men? Is the agent a traitor? And how do the grumpy lady in pink and the bearded women figure in all this? So many questions, so little certainty… and only the desperate survive in the murky world of espionage.

2:40 TO LONDON is an Official Selection in our Low Budget Category.

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Explore our other 24 Official Selection announced over the past several months

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While we would have once again loved to host our event at the Whirled Cinema in London, this year we will be hosting our festival online for obvious reasons. Because of the change we will expand our usual 2 day festival to span an entire week: March 5 - 12. More details on how you can watch coming soon.

Event Tickets on sale soon

SECRET SANTA

Unemployed, broke and currently sharing a room with her six year old niece- 30 something Charlotte is not where she wants to be in life. Yet when she receives an unexpected invite to a Christmas party is her luck about to change?

Written, Directed and Produced by Vanessa Hehir

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

Hi I'm Vanessa and my love of storytelling began when I was 6 years old and growing up in Manchester. It was the mid 80's and my Dad had returned home from a business trip in Singapore with a JVC video camera -this was the greatest moment of my young life! I actually thought I was Steven Spielberg. I would write horror scripts and force my school mates to dress up and I'd boss them about gleefully as I filmed them. I then moved in front of the camera and have been acting professionally since I was a teenager, working predominantly in long running tv drama. But after years of feeling powerless and uninspired by the roles on offer I returned to my filmmaking roots 30 something years later- only without the old camcorder and a slightly more impressive kit. I wrote and directed my debut short film 'Secret Santa' in 2019 and my second short film 'Cuckoo' is about to hit the festival circuit in 2021.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

Secret Santa was inspired by a real incident that happened at my annual 'Girls Christmas Drinks'. We all exchanged secret Santa gifts and one of ladies opened hers to find5 lotto scratch cards. My friend who had given that gift casually announced that if anyone won the grand prize of £100k she would take it back even if it meant killing them for it. How festive.Luckily no one died as there were no winners- phew! But it got me thinking.... what if?

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:

Making this film was truly the happiest moment of my life. (Don't tell my husband or child). Seeing what had come from a eureka moment and6 weeks later actually bringing this world to life was just so exhilarating.

Time was a massive obstacle-. We shot the film over one weekend as we had no budget and this was the only time the brilliant Stuart at VMI could loan us the camera. So complicated set ups had to go in order to tell the story with the time we had available. Yet the biggest obstacle was something no one could have predicted- First set up of Day 2,a prop picture frame fell of the wall and smashed onto my head splitting it open. Oh the blood!! However, there was no way I was abandoning filming to go to hospital (I also played Charlotte)So concussed, fuelled on adrenaline and painkillers I pushed on through. I went to hospital the following day and I still have the scar.

DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CREATING QUALITY CONTENT ON A MINIMAL BUDGET?:

Coming from an acting background I was able to call upon my super talented actor mates- when you write them a part they find it hard to say no! I also called on loads of favours from people I knew in the industry, luckily people really responded to the script so were happy to give their time. As we were unable to pay people, we made sure everyone was really well fed with delicious food which kept everyone's energy up and there were chilled beerswaiting at the end of wrap- always a good incentive.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?:

Collaboration definitely. I'm not precious, if someone has a suggestion that serves the story better than what I've got- let's try it. I learnt so much from my cracking DOP and my fabulous Editor.

DO THINK THE SHORT FILM IS A GOOD SPRINGBOARD INTO FEATURE FILMMAKING, OR IS YOUR END GOAL TO CONTINUE MAKING SHORT FILM?:

Most definitely, I've made 2 shorts now, both vastly different in genre, tone and budget. My skill set, alongside my confidence has grown enormously and making these films has been the biggest learning curve of my life. I hope to use them as a showcase of the type of filmmaker I am and what I'm capable of. I'm currently writing a feature and determined to get in made by the end of 2022.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:

It's not very festive but His House on Netflix. Original, current and utterly terrifying or on the opposite end of the spectrum - I'm a huge Richard Linklater fan - the 'Before Sunrise'/ Sunset/Midnight' trilogy. And if you have kids ELF, again and again and again.

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

DONA & VIXEN

The fantasy of Santa Claus is horribly exposed on Christmas Eve.

Written, Directed and Produced by Alasdair Melrose

Starring Rose Muirhead, Alison Brougham, Mike Duran, Alasdair Melrose, Simon Anthony and Agnese

DONA & VIXEN was an Official Selection at our first annual People’s Film Festival screening as part of our Late Night Grindhouse and nominated for Best Cinematography, Best First Time Filmmaker, and Best Production Design.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

I trained as an actor and learnt pretty quickly that unless fate makes your dinner you have to get on with things yourself. The first place to start is writing. I used to think acting was a deadly bug. Now I know writing is more contagious. Still, there are worse things to catch…

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

I’m not sure what inspired the film. I wrote it after spending an evening writing something else only for Dona & Vixen to pop out at the end. I think I have a lot of reservations around the ‘western’ commercial Christmas we celebrate and the messages it gives to young people. Possibly there? Who knows…

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:

Making this film was like doing a three-year film degree in three days. Never have I learnt so much in such a short space of time. It was brilliant. The biggest obstacle however was the absence of our caterer on the first day of filming. Trying to crack out a chilli for a 15-man crew whilst making a movie was no easy task. Needless to say, the movie came out better than the chilli…

DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CREATING QUALITY CONTENT ON A MINIMAL BUDGET?:

When writing, always work with what you know. You either go big and make the biggest budget script imaginable and let someone else worry about how to make it or you go small and think about what you have access to as a filmmaker. If you are the writer, you manage the budget in the script.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?:

“ACTION!” (and editing… and production design…)

DO THINK THE SHORT FILM IS A GOOD SPRINGBOARD INTO FEATURE FILMMAKING, OR IS YOUR END GOAL TO CONTINUE MAKING SHORT FILM?:

It’s the best place to start to find out if you really want to make movies. And it’s the only thing that’s going to tell you if you have what it takes.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:

Just one for the season as we all need some cheer;

“And the Grinch raised his glass, and led the Whos in a toast

To kindness and love, the things we need most!”

Have a safe and Merry Christmas.

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

TPFF: November 2020 Official Selections

Our jury has put forward the following films as Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for this month’s edition of The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 2021!

Official Selections

A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL

directed by Stephanie Upsall
Perry takes her best mate, Emma, to a rage room to smash the living hell out of inanimate objects. It's meant to be cathartic but after a recent heartbreak, Emma isn't convinced this will help realign her chakras.

A PRESENT FOR A GOOD GIRL is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category.

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HEAVENLY BORDERS

directed by Kamil Iwanowicz

Heaven? Hell? Not sure?

It’s Dimitri’s third week shadowing Alex at the gates of Heavenly Borders - where your fate is decided… for all eternity.

When their latest case is beamed in, the couple will learn the true cost of moral responsibility and career choices.

HEAVENLY BORDERS is an Official Selection in the Low-Budget Category.

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DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD

directed by Mark van Heusden

Up and coming rock band Bad Penny are doing their first headline tour, but they have a problem. The support band French Kiss, fronted by the charming David French, is becoming more popular than them. In addition to that James, the singer/guitarist of Bad Penny, seems to have lost inspiration. Dean and Anthony, fraternal twin brothers and the two remaining band members of Bad Penny, devise an evil plan to help James find new inspiration and make their band gain popularity again.

DAVID FRENCH IS A PIECE OF SHIT AND I WANT HIM DEAD is an Official Selection in the Sponsored Category.

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finalists

Micro-Budget Category

• HUGS by Harry Plowden

• LIGHTS OUT by Ben Walden

• MISTAKE by Julius Stakišaitis

Low-Budget Category

• CHECK PLEASE! FIRST SHIFT by Elea Clair

• WOODEN CHARACTER directed by Robert Duncan

• YOURS SINCERELY by Craig Bingham

Sponsored Category

• LITTLE THINGS by Tom Grace

• URBAN OASIS by Hervé Bressaud

semi-finalists

• THE END OF AN ERA by Alexander Vanegas Sus

• FLUFFYPUNK by Thomas Harman

• INFECTED by Alfonso "Cronopio" Moreno

• THE MAGICAL TOY SHOP by AJ. Lamb

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WHAT SETS THE PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL APART?

✔️ Win £1,000 in funding for your next short film

✔️ Free feedback w/ every submission

✔️ Categories based on budget vs genre

CONTROL

Olivia tries to dissuade her husband from firing their children's au pair, but how far is she willing to go to get what she wants?

Starring Sharon Young, James Anderson, Pía Laborde-Noguez, Eleanor Chicken, Emile Schranz.

Written & Directed by Tom Tennet

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

I'm a director/actor/writer based in London. I studied History and Spanish at University, and after graduating got my start in the 'industry' as an assistant in an SFX department and then an Art department on some period dramas. I then did the rounds as a freelance runner in commercial production companies, moving up to production assistant before producing a few music videos and one big commercial. I've always wanted to direct though, and I found that because I was a competent producer (competent being a generous description), I was very much nudged down that path. It wasn't what I wanted to do, so I realigned myself with directing. 'Control' is what I consider to be my second 'proper' short film... meaning it's not a prolonged comedy sketch.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

To be honest, there are loads of different places this film came from. Some of my best friends are a same sex couple and they had their first kid a few years ago, and I often wondered if people looked at me when I was with them and assumed I was the father... it sort of became a joke (that only I found funny) about me not realising my wife was having an affair with the nanny. At the same time, I was reading a book where a similar situation to what happens in 'Control' is rather casually referred to in one paragraph, which gave a bit more of a story to my joke. Finally, I had au pairs growing up, and my parents separated when I was around the same age as the eldest child in 'Control,' so there was a mood I wanted to emulate from that. The script was an amalgamation of all of those things. As for the film, I've always been a big fan of contained family dramas, films by directors like Joanna Hogg or Asghar Farhadi. So, I wanted 'Control' to be something quiet and disturbing - a peek behind the curtains of a seemingly perfect family unit to reveal the broiling tensions underneath.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:

It was an exhausting but hugely rewarding experience to bring 'Control' to life. I produced the film myself, so the majority of challenges relate to that. I think the biggest obstacle in that sense is always allowing yourself the time to pay attention to the things you actually want to pay attention to. I found that I spent nearly all of my time and energy on producing, which meant that by the time I actually got to the directing, it all felt very rushed and distracted. That said, the moments I did get to focus on directing were brilliant, and I was so lucky to be working with such great cast and crew.

ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE SHORT FILMMAKERS ABOUT GETTING THEIR FILM SEEN BY AUDIENCES (FESTIVALS, ONLINE, PLATFORMS, ETC.)?:

This is the question I have for every filmmaker, and everyone seems to have the same response, which is along the lines of, "I've got no idea." It's one of the most frustrating aspects of it all, and I'm grateful 'Control' had some very minor success at festivals and then got accepted by Omeleto, where it's received a decent amount of views. I think with my next short film, I'll aim to do an online release first and then see about festivals. My experience is that when I'm trying to get a short into festivals, I'm wasting a lot of money and energy on that, when I could be putting all of it towards making the next one. Essentially, I'd rather make more films than have the ones I do make get into festivals. I think that's a good attitude to have and I think I'd encourage other filmmakers to look at things the same way... that's a brand new outlook for me though, so I could be proven very wrong very quickly.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS?:

I love working with actors. There's something about the relationship that I find particularly interesting, rewarding, and challenging. I got very lucky to have Sharon, James, and Pía on board for 'Control' and they were all such a pleasure to work with.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING?:

I've just got on the Team Deakins podcast bandwagon, and so have been going back through Deakins' and Villeneuve's work together. On that same thread, Villeneuve's 'Incendies' is tough but amazing. For something bold, bright and brilliant, just go for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse... My favourite film is 'Festen' by Thomas Vinterberg, so if you haven't seen it, I guess that would always be my go-to recommendation.

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

Bottomless

Emotionally disenfranchised man-child, Jackson, drunkenly reflects on modern existence while being dragged to a bottomless mimosa brunch by his successful vlogger girlfriend, Peyton.

Starring JON GORMLEY, AMANDA MASTON & featuring the voice of NICCI BRIGHTEN
Produced by JON GORMLEY & DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY
Written & Directed by DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:

I’m no stranger to Kino London. In fact, I organise the events and I’m the director of the People’s Film Festival. We had an open week so I thought I’d share one of my films as Short of the Week - sorry for the favouritism.

I started out as a child stage actor, then got interested in making movies in the backyard with friends. My first film was a western called The Wanted in which I sported a moustache made from paper. In my mid teens I started taking film seriously and created a few Twilight Zone style short films that I competed with at film festivals, eventually winning Best Under 18 Film at Shriekfest in Hollywood. After that I worked as a production assistant on some sets and as a personal assistant for two Academy members where I got some good exposure to big Hollywood.

I’ve always been more interested in running my own sets vs being on other people’s, so I crowdfunded and shot four seasons of a web-series called Happy Hour Sketch Comedy. Doing that really helped me work out the kinks in my filmmaking style - only took about 50 episodes - and recently I’ve been focusing on more dramatic short films with aspects of social/political commentary, including my latest film Samaritan which was a Semi-Finalist at the Oscar qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival and has also screened at BAFTA & BIFA qualifying festivals. Currently I’m working on my first feature.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR FILM?: 

After doing four seasons of sketch comedy, I decided to take a turn creating short films that were more serious. I tend to gravitate toward opposing ends of the spectrum, either total absurd comedy or really heavy tragedy. Bottomless was my first film back to the world of comedy after a few years of taking myself too seriously.

Living in LA, I definitely attended my fair share of bottomless brunches, and I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed them. I remember writing most of the script on notes on my phone instead of mingling with my girlfriend’s friends. At the time I felt very much like a supporting character. I was noticing how aimless masculinity could be. Sometimes when you have too many options you just choose nothing, and so that’s where my lead character was born - a guy who really has no purpose in life. He’s just along for the ride and he doesn’t really like it, but he doesn’t hate it enough to do anything about it. I think men often suppress a lot of their emotions. When those emotions get pent up they manifest in odd ways.

The notes sat on my phone for awhile, and maybe six months later I found myself at the modern art museum in Paris where an entire floor was dedicated to this one artist who’s work looked like a blank white canvas that a kid with a pencil had scribbled on while riding in the back of the car on a bumpy road. I tend to have a pretty high tolerance for experimental art, but I found this display particularly gratuitous and offensive. This is where I got the inspiration to include pretentious elements in the film that lead you to believe it will have a profound climax, but then I completely destroy it with a relieving obscenity. He pisses on the table and no one notices. The statement I’m making at the end of the film is “what do I have to do to get your attention?!” I feel this especially in the art I create. So much has been done that nothing is really that shocking anymore, so you just go about making work that you’re proud of and you hope it resonates with other people too, but if not at least you got to express something personal. I think that’s better than chasing approval.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING THIS FILM TO LIFE AND WHAT OBSTACLES DID YOU OVERCOME ALONG THE WAY?:

The production was pretty straight forward. I didn’t overthink the script too much, just hopped straight into filming with a cast that I had already worked with quite a bit from my sketch comedy days. This was the last film that I shot while living in LA before moving to London and we shot up until a day or two before my flight left.

Moving that close to filming, I didn’t download my SD card right away, so when I settled in in London I discovered that it had corrupted and I lost my last day’s footage. I tried to piece the film together with what I had, but it stayed unfinished on my hard drive for over a year. Luckily I got a gig as a DOP on another film that was shooting in LA - they flew me back out and I used the opportunity to get the cast back together and reshoot what had been lost. Additionally, while editing I thought up a few new scenes that I wanted to include, so in a way it was an unfortunate blessing.

DID YOU HAVE ANY CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CREATING QUALITY CONTENT ON A MINIMAL BUDGET:

Personally, I think it’s all about the performance. If you cast great actors and get out of their way to deliver you something great then you can get away with a lower production value if you don’t have access to best camera or whatever. I think too many filmmakers focus on the technical side of filmmaking too much. I’m much more interested in story and performance.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS:

To quote one of my favourite films, Almost Famous: To begin with… everything. Although I will add that I really don’t like the part of filmmaking that happens once the film is edited and completed. The battle to get your short film seen is ridiculously disillusioning and the festival circuit can be so expensive. So yeah, everything but that.

ANY ADVICE FOR GETTING SHORT FILMS SEEN?

With this project I wasn’t really trying to make a competitive film for the film festival circuit, although my lead actor and co-producer Jon Gormley wanted to finance a festival run, and surprisingly this film became my biggest festival success in terms of most Official Selections. Go figure. Albeit, we aimed for laurels vs. the top tier festivals. I think what really helped this particular film find audiences was that it was different from what else was out there being submitted to festivals. I knew from the get go that my film wasn’t for everyone. I see it very much like a cult film, and if you hate it I wouldn’t be surprised or offended. I tend to have a perverse sense of humour that delights in making people uncomfortable. Sometimes discomfort makes people laugh, sometimes it doesn’t, but watching them squirm always makes me laugh for some reason so I guess that’s why it’s comedy to me.

I think a lot of short filmmakers take themselves too serious and oversaturate the festival circuit with hard hitting dramas. Programers often want to mix it up, so I think choosing to make a comedy was an advantage.

ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:

Best films I’ve seen this year (and not necessarily made this year) are First Reformed with Ethan Hawke, The Current War, Dark Waters, Unsane, The Trail of the Chicago 7 (always love me some Aaron Sorkin), Honey Boy, Da 5 Bloods, and The End of the Affair… of course none of those films are very funny so... I did watch Juliet, Naked and loved that. My favourite awkward comedy of all time would probably be I Heart Huckabees though. Gotta check that out.

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

STAIN

After uncovering a strange stain on his bedsheets, Miles struggles to return to his routine.

A short film by Eli Speigel.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I'm a director and editor from Toronto, Canada. I went to school for theatre, I was very interested in the Theatre of the Absurd. While at the University of Guelph, Judith Thompson told me that there's no longer a place for the Theatre of the Absurd in the current theatre landscape, and therefore no place for me. After graduating, and an additional year of drifting around Toronto in a depressed state, I cold-called a production manager and found myself working as a production assistant on commercial sets. I treated these often large film sets as my new school, and gradually learned to shoot, edit and direct on my own. This meant I could make my stupid and absurd scripts into a reality whether Judith Thompson liked it or not. So far, I'm still small potatoes, but I did get to go to New York City for a web series I directed, and I got accredited to go to Cannes to shop Stain in France (it got cancelled, of course, but I had nice daydreams for a few months), among other smaller things. 

What was your inspiration behind Stain?

 Stain is inspired by experiences I either actually had, exaggeratedly had, almost had, or sort-of had. The first bit of the inciting incident did really happen, the remainder of it is based on where one's mind sometimes goes when faced with a physical ailment that can't immediately be diagnosed. Those flashes of worst-case-scenarios that are often... farce. The setting and supporting characters of Stain are a distorted version of my own. Toronto is often viewed as a "safe and clean" city but in reality, it's a city of strange characters and well-to-do types masquerading as normal people.

We love the absurd awkward hilarity of your film. What advice would give filmmakers interested in making a comedy?

I'm not sure I'm in a position to give advice yet. I can say this though: if you're working in film, and you have a silly idea, and creative authorities around you don't like it, it's probably actually a really good idea and you should do everything in your power to finance it getting made, and well. Take favour jobs from talented people you respect in the industry. You'll likely learn so much from them and can call upon them when it comes time to make something of your own. If you consider yourself a "creative", still take every opportunity to learn the technical side of things. If you're like me, no one's lining up to buy your scripts, or shoot your movie. Fuck 'em. You can do it. 

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

It sucked. I finished post around October/November of 2019 and then spent a bunch of money to send it to "reputable" film festivals. These festivals all got screwed up by COVID, which is of course not their fault, but they decided to remedy the situation by just doing it online, not giving you a refund, delaying dates, and demanding your film stay private during that delay. The best part of these fests is supposed to be the theatrical experience, rubbing elbows, parties, etc, POOF. Eventually I turned my sights to Vimeo channels and websites like Beyond the Short, Film Shortage, Kino, Boom TV and others that have excellent programming for short films and it's all public. It costs either nothing or 5-10 bucks to submit and they get back to you in a few days. So everyone can watch it now! And it's not just clicking the "public" button on Vimeo, it's much nicer. People care. 

Also Shoutout to Plastic Attic for talking to me about Stain. They're very good. Give 'em your attention. 

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

When it comes to shorts, there's a very long list. So I'll make a slightly shorter list of sites that program great stuff. In COVID times, ripping through great shorts is an excellent way to pass the time and see great filmmaking in quick hits.

I really like these sites and Vimeo channels: Director's Notes, Retrospective of Jupiter, Kino Short Film (hi!), Short of the Week, Beyond the Short, Booooooom TV, Film Shortage, Nowness, Director's Library, Divert Your Eyes

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

LE PERIPLE D'ABELLA

In a fishing town called Toubab Dialaw in Senegal, each young girl who turns 25 has to present a handmade gift to their mothers.

Director: Enis Manaz
Producer: Evrim inci
Director of Photography: Cihangir Öztürk, Mert Hüroğlu

Starring: Melisa Taylan | Beyhan Türkkollu | Şakir Doğuluer | Dan Lacey

Read our interview with the filmmaker

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I was born in Ankara / Turkey on October 26th, 1986. I made first short film at high school in 2002. I graduated from International Relations. I made four short films and two documentaries until today. I am a creative director and filmmaker based in İzmir, Turkey. I like to create original and different stories through powerful cinematography.

What was your inspiration behind Le Périple d'Abélla?

One of the biggest side effects of the pandemic was the time that it gave us to think about ourselves and our world more than ever before. Yes, at first like everyone else my friends and I also felt imprisoned but on the other hand, we appreciated that and used it as an opportunity to raise our voice. Besides the reconfiguration of the world, the most important motivation for us to produce “Le Périple d’Abélla” was racism which is rising non-stop nowadays.

Any hacks or tips for making a film while social distancing?

Run and gun filmmaking became very helpful in social distancing process. We used Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k (two 500gb ssd for raw footages) and Leica R lenses. We had two portable led lights and used an image stabilizer in some scenes. Since we have a storyboard, we tried to shoot the scenes as fast as possible. BMPCC 4K gave us a lot of flexibility in this sense

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

During the pandemic, I was collecting some of the news from social media and newspapers to find a starting point and in the end, I used three of them to create a story. Afterward, the story became an actual script by my talented scriptwriter friend, Feyza, and that was how the journey of Abella started. In a very short period of time, my friends and I worked really hard and made the journey of Abella real. Eventually, the result was way more satisfying for us than we all expected. I hope the audience will also like it and hopefully, we can make them think just once more.”

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

Seven Samurai, Groundhog Day, Interstate 60, Jurassic Park, Seven, Stalker, Cidade de Deus, North by Northwest, Bicycle Thieves

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

TPFF: October 2020 Official Selections

Our jury has put forward the following films as Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for this month’s edition of The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 2021!

official selections

THE PACKAGE

directed by Livio Bondi

A man’s life is at stake as he drives from obstacle to obstacle to bring back home a very important package.

THE PACKAGE is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category

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THE RAPE CLAUSE

directed by Jared Watmuff

In order to claim welfare support for her son, Angela is forced to reveal the harrowing story of how the child was conceived. Inspired by real events and based on current government legislation, The Rape Clause is a short film about “one of the most inhumane and barbaric policies ever to emanate from Whitehall” (MSP Alison Thewliss, 2017) and how it weaponises shame and trauma.

THE RAPE CLAUSE is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category

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THE WIDOW

directed by Ailish Castillo & Nicola Morris

Ireland, 1952, a young mother's cry for help in a man's world where silence is a virtue.

THE WIDOW is an Official Selection in the Sponsored Category

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finalists

Micro-Budget Category

• PARTING FRENZY directed by Ryan Freda

• A PORTRAIT directed by Carlotta Beck Peccoz

Low-Budget Category

• HEAVENLY BORDERS directed by Kamil Iwanowicz

• NUCLEAR SEA directed by Joe Starrs

Sponsored Category

• FATHER TIME directed by Thomas Pickering

• HEART OF THE NATION directed by Tribambuka (Anastasia Beltyukova)

semi-finalists

• 11 MINUTES directed by FM Lemos

• BOGEY directed by Iolo Edwards

• FEVER directed by Clemily Martin

• THE PERFORMING CHEF directed by William Oates

• TO MY YOUNGER SELF directed by Owain Astles

• WOODEN CHARACTER directed by Robert Duncan

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WHAT SETS THE PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL APART?

✔️ Win £1,000 in funding for your next short film

✔️ Free feedback w/ every submission

✔️ Categories based on budget vs genre

REMEMBER THAT?

A group of friends show concern when another friend goes AWOL after some bizarre text messages. Through a string of video calls, a friendship that had waned begins to show the embers of something more meaningful.

Written & Directed by AELLA JORDAN-EDGE

EM THANE as BRETT
APRIL NERISSA HUSON as SENNA
JAMES BRADWELL as RIK

Produced by EWA STRYCZEK

A short film made during 2020 lockdown, with actors filming themselves at home on smart phones and Aella directing remotely on zoom.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

My background: I've always loved stories. After studying Theatre and English Literature at Uni I started working as a Production Assistant on Music Videos and Commercials in London. Whilst learning on the job, I began directing narrative music videos for friends. I got my break from a contact who worked at a label and needed a low budget shoot executed quickly. From there an older director took me under his wing and repped me at his production company where I was sent briefs and began developing my music video portfolio. Music videos were, and continue to be, my film school: I get to try out new things, be creative, explore and play. However my love of narrative and my passion for working with actors and scripts meant that my ultimate goal was to direct drama. So alongside directing music videos, I wrote and directed my first short film 'Unclasped'. We shot in 2018 and it premiered at The London Independent Film Festival in 2019. I have written two short film scripts since then but when Lockdown 1.0 happened, I had to think quickly and creatively in order to continue developing my directing skills. So I wrote a new script and that brings us to my lockdown film 'Remember That?'

As a filmmaker I'm mostly inspired by the stories around me, by the things I see and feel, by stories we tell each other about our past and present, by my friends and family, by things I read and ultimately just what captures my imagination. I'm especially interested in exploring the subtle nuances of intimate human relationships. Through music videos I use metaphor, fantasy and dreamlike imagery to physicalise, and help work through, a protagonist's thoughts or emotions. In comparison, my short films are more grounded, almost hyperreal, as I chart the subtle transitional shifts between people who are navigating a difficult situation together.

What was your inspiration behind Remember That?

This year has obviously been unprecedented. Life as we knew it shut down for months, everything put on hold. Zoom quizzes and long video calls became the new normal. I wanted to create something representative of what a lot of people were going through. To explore how we were finding ways to communicate with loved ones from afar, confined to our homes but digitally connected more than ever before.

On an emotional level it was inspired by video calls I’ve had in the past during stints of long distance with partners. I was interested in the way video calls can feel intimate, bubbling with chemistry and potential. There was often a hopeful fantasy of what it might be like once we saw each other again… However on a practical level an early version of the script was a submission to a writing competition which asked us to apply the limitation of using video calls to tell a story. It was a good exercise to frame and express what was swirling around in my mind at the time… and that’s what later became the script for ‘Remember That?’. When it wasn’t chosen for the competition, I knew I still wanted to make it anyway.

Finally, another less glamorous answer is that this film gave me a passion project to put my creative energy into, a reason to get up in the morning during a very uncertain time.

Any hacks or tips for making a lockdown film?

We used Filmic Pro which is an app you can download from the app store. It's about fifteen quid per download and it meant our shots were better quality than if we'd just recorded the actors on zoom. The app was also the right frame rate and packaged better than if we just shot regular smart phone videos. The way it worked: the actors would film themselves on selfie style videos on their smart phones at home. The other actors would be on an additional device, on a video call, with me also directing remotely on that zoom call too. That way the actor could hear the other side of the conversation (the one not being filmed in that moment) and respond accordingly. We also had a lot of rehearsals beforehand which helped the actors to imagine the other person they were supposed to be talking to once we were actually shooting. We then edited it all together like a video call, all the post was done remotely. It was made on a shoestring so I would just recommend anyone with a lockdown film idea to try it! Each film will be different so it totally depends what the idea is. If you fail, you fail... but it can definitely be a fun experiment to see what happens when you push your creative boundaries!

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

I considered the traditional film festival route but this really felt like a film that needed to be watched here and now. It felt so relevant to what we've all been going through this year so I wanted to release it online, while simultaneously applying to some festivals that didn't require a premiere status. I limited our festival applications to those I thought might be interested in something made in lockdown / quarantine as well as to festivals that were screening in the next 6-8 months. This was because I wanted it to be seen sooner rather than later. Having said that, I hope it ages well, acting as a kind of time capsule for life in 2020. I also had a very limited budget so I had to be strategic about it on that level too! In terms of an online release I made a press release and applied to different sites I thought would be interested in what we had made. So far I've had really lovely responses and I'm excited to see where this film's journey takes us!

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?

In terms of feature films, my top picks watched during lockdown would be 'Capernaum' directed by Nadine Labaki, 'Les Miserables' directed by Ladj Ly and 'The Nightingale' by Jennifer Kent. I also love anything by Celine Sciamma, all her films are such a joy to watch.

In terms of short films, one of my favourites is still Stella Corradi's 'Little Soldier'. I also really like 'Constellations' directed by Anna Macguire. Recently I also enjoyed 'Mandem', 'Two Single Beds', 'Shagbands' and 'Good Thanks, You?' at the BFI London Film Festival this year (watched in my pyjamas on BFI player of course!).

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

A DOLL DISTORTED

Jane suffers from haphephobia (the pathological fear of touch), tormented by years of loneliness and isolation she orders a synthetic love doll online to nightmarish consequences.

Writer, Director, Editor, Producer, Set Designer, Sound Designer, VFX, Music and Cinematography by:
Niall Shukla

Lighting & Camera Assistant:
James Averiss

Cast:
Jane: Nicci Brighten
Michael: Cory Stuckey

Read our interview with Niall Shukla

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I did not train as a filmmaker. I did a degree in “Economics & philosophy”….(as every filmmaker does :). I did have ambitions to become a filmmaker and I knew that, after graduating, I would have to do something about it. After leaving university, I decided to make a film to get myself in the industry. I didn’t know any filmmakers at the time or how to go about getting help. So I just started experimenting on my own and made my first short film “Guilt” entirely as a 1-person crew. The film was made with no budget and with a very creative use of a hardware store light. It got accepted into some festivals and art galleries in London and won awards. After this I started getting work with companies and clients as a professional videographer, which became my full time job. Meanwhile, I wanted my next short film to be a big step up from my first, and to showcase more of what I felt I was capable of…this led to A Doll Distorted.

What was your inspiration behind A Doll Distorted?

There is something terrifying about loneliness and isolation. One of the scariest feelings for people who are isolated and lonely, is that in the future nothing will change. That they will be alone forever. That they’ll wake up and be at the end of their life and it never happened for them. But what is just as heart-breaking, is when they feel there is someone out there that they were meant to be with — but they are not with them. Perhaps, they had a brief relationship with the person, or met them just once – but they felt so blindly that they were “the one”.

Perhaps I wanted to make A Doll Distorted as a way to relate to these ideas. The pain of isolation and the bitter sweet memory of the one who got away, I felt were such haunting experiences that they lived in the world of horror. 

Sadly, this year, with so many people experiencing lockdown and social distancing, more people can relate to themes of loneliness, isolation and “the fear of touch” than ever before.

 Any micro-budget hacks or tips for making a short horror film?

A Doll Distorted was made as a 2-person crew and on a micro, self-funded budget. I ended up fulfilling many different jobs besides directing, from: writing, producing, editing, set design, sound design, cinematography, VFX, composing and others. In the end, I had only one crew member on the film (James Averiss), who was my lighting and camera assistant – to whom I’m very grateful.

I came up with a bunch of hacks on the film, many of which I talk about in my behind the scene video here:

 When it comes to making things look cinematic, I’d say to find ways to hide your mistakes – in Blade Runner they used a lot of fog and rain to hide how small and flawed their set was. But it gave the impression that things were larger beyond what you could see. In A Doll Distorted, much of the film is quite dark, with the use of a single light to light subjects. The darkness also helped to disguise flaws in the set, which meant spending less time making things perfect as it wouldn’t be too noticeable.

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

Submitting the film to festivals, I have found, to be the best way to get the initial buzz. In the horror world, we are very fortunate to have so many great horror festivals that will champion your work. I’m very grateful for being selected for these festivals. I’m in the very early stages of releasing A Doll Distorted online, so I wish I could give more insights here. It was great to be selected for Short Of The Week which helped give us some buzz. It’s also a good idea to contact review websites to help get the word out. I'm thrilled with the response the film has gotten. We have also been selected for some horror channels that I plan to release with next year.

Any film recommendations that we should add to our watch list?

 My list of favourite films always changes. So instead, here are some recent random films I have watched in the last few months and enjoyed:

Perfect blue, The Wailing, The Handmaiden, The Lighthouse, Revanche, Deliverance, Night Of The Living Dead (1968).

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

RUPTURED

Starring Kate Soulsby | Producer/Writer/Director: James Mansell | Executive Producer: Rhiannon Price | Director of Photography: Anneka Saunders | Editor/Colourist: Slava Kireyev | Music: Oliver Drake | Sound Design: Anthony Lynch

This halloween, fill your jack-o-lantern with tiny morsels of macabre fun - short horror movies. We’re delighted to return to our Short of the Week series with James Mansell’s Ruptured - a film that screened at our open mic, advanced to our film festival, and won the 2020 award for Best Horror Short and Best Sound Design. As a prize this film was awarded a distribution deal with Fun Size Horror who have just released another terrifying anthology of independent horror shorts - Shocktale Party 2.

If you liked Ruptured, why not check out other great indie horror shorts?

We recently caught up with writer/director James Mansell for an interview to ask about his experience making the film and the journey of success he’s had with it in getting in to audience both in the festival circuit and online distribution.

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Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.

I'm a British director working across short film and branded content. I started out working as a runner and PA on just about anything I could get to. I was a PA on The Ultimate Fighter for FOX one day, and the next I was a zombie on a short film. Then I worked for 5 years at a camera and lighting rental facilities company and worked up to becoming a camera assistant and operator on UK broadcast television shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Made In Chelsea. I moved from this into directing for brands like HSBC, Levi's and Nissan. I've written and directed a series of short horror films which have played festivals around the world and are available on various streaming platforms. 

What was your inspiration behind Ruptured?

I knew I wanted to do something about technology and the evils of it, and landed on the idea of an AI creating something which the human race would willingly endanger themselves with as a result of our unquestionable faith in technology and just about everything. I was walking to work one day and passed a stand outside the underground giving out free snacks. The brand was totally new and I wondered whether anyone checks the validity of said brand and asks whether it's actually safe... and no one does! I took that idea as far as I could go and made it into earbuds instead of snacks, and I had the idea for Ruptured. 

Any micro-budget hacks or tips for making a short horror film?

My advice for making a short horror film is to keep it VERY simple and VERY short. I haven't always heeded this advice, but when I have, I've made what I think is my best work. A short horror film completely relies on the audience being on the edge of their seat and totally invested in the film and the world you've created, and to keep that going during a long, complicated idea is difficult. As soon as the audience checks out or gets distracted, the tension is gone. The best horror shorts are a few minutes and revolve around a central idea which is the thing that is scary. They're just like jokes - set up and pay off. No one likes a long, complicated joke! 

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

My process for getting Ruptured and any of my films out to audiences is in two parts. Firstly, I push the film to festivals which I think would be interested in featuring the film and those I have a relationship with already, and embark on a festival run. This can open doors, such as The People's Film Festival did, and they sometimes don't, which is totally fine. You have to try and see what's out there. Another really important reason for doing this is you're selling yourself as well as the film, as they come as a package. You get to stand up and promote yourself which is so important. The second part is finding it a home online where it'll pick up as much traffic as possible. I have films on platforms like CryptTV and DUST which have amazing audiences, and other films stay on my own channel which naturally doesn't get as much traffic. Really depends on the quality of the film! I was lucky enough to get Ruptured on DUST who have been brilliant and really helped getting it in front of an audience. 

There are numerous festivals which have been great to me. I've been to The British Horror Film Festival many times with my films, as well as the amazing Discover.film who have found opportunities for me beyond the festival. That's what you really want to find, partners who go beyond the actual festival screening and explore distribution with you and your film. I always take my films to Kino London because they're such great people and it's a perfect opportunity to see your film in front of an audience. Ruptured went all the way into The People's Film Festival and won best horror short which was incredible. As result of that, I spoke with the guys at Fun Size Horror who got me involved with their Shocktale Party show on Amazon Prime and featured not only Ruptured, but my earlier films, The Unsettling and NightmARes. That's the best type of festival, where they become a partner with you and together you pursue opportunities. 

Congrats on your film being included as part of Fun Size Horror's Shocktale Party! What are your thoughts about the FSH platform?

I've known about Fun Size Horror for a little while and have had my work up on their site in the past. I think they're brilliant and very supportive of filmmakers in the horror genre. I'm very excited to work with them in the future on new projects. Shocktale Party is a lot of fun and I feel very lucky to have been a part of season 2. I encourage all filmmakers and fans of horror to check them out! 

Ruptured is just a small (but amazing) taste of what you can expect from the delightfully wicked anthology of independent short horror films - Fun Size Horror’s Shocktale Party. Watch the full collection of mini frights on Amazon Prime.

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

TPFF: September 2020 Official Selections

Our jury has put forward the following films as Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for this month’s edition of The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 2021!

Official Selections

S*!T

Directed by Simon Wegrzyn

Sleazeball 'Trevor' gets a second chance at life when a heavenly 'Cleric' makes him an offer he can't refuse. Just remember; read the T's and C's!

S*!T is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category

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NOT ALL IS WELL WITH JACK

directed by Luke Maund

Jack, a narcissistic businessman, finds his true self.

NOT ALL IS WELL WITH JACK is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category

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HOW TO GET $100 MILLION

directed by Ilya Polyakov

A disenchanted young woman ascribes to the get-rich-quick advice of self-help guru - only to learn the cost of getting exactly what you want.

HOW TO GET $100 MILLION is an Official Selection in the Sponsored Category

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finalists

Micro-Budget

• DEEP FEARS directed by Ryan Chu

• NEW YEAR’S KISS directed by DT Kofoed & Lee Ivy

• REMEMBER THAT? directed by Aella Jordan-Edge

Low Budget

• CAR KEYS directed by David Anderson

• I’M FROM A PLACE directed by Samuel Rigal & Dominic Crisp

Sponsored

• FENICE - MOMONI SS21 directed by Giulia Achenza

• MCKINLEY directed by Ben Bloore

Semi-Finalists

• 6:59 directed by Vinstinct

• CHECK, PLEASE! FIRST SHIFT directed by Elea Clair

• DOLLS directed by Francesca Pazniokas

• HI, STRANGER directed by Kristen Brookman

• HOSTILE STATE directed by Lucy Velik & Jesse Velik

• JANUARY 14TH directed by La'Chris Jordan

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WHAT SETS THE PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL APART?

✔️ Win £1,000 in funding for your next short film

✔️ Free feedback w/ every submission

✔️ Categories based on budget vs genre