SQUIB
This incredible stop motion animation takes you on the claustrophobic journey through lockdown and a hopeful look towards the future.
Written & Directed by Baz Sells
How will you feel "When All of This is Over?"
This incredible stop motion animation takes you on the claustrophobic journey through lockdown and a hopeful look towards the future. This poetry film, visualises Anthony Anaxagorou's poem 'Squib'. Commissioned by Bradford Literature Festival (UK), the poem was written in response to the post-lockdown provocation 'When All of This is Over'.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Hi, I’m Baz - director at One6th Animation Studio. I began creating stop-motion short films at film school, with our producer, Ben. As live-action filmmakers back then, stop-motion appealed to us thanks to the likes of Suzie Templeton and Tim Burton but also because it seemed like a good way to create imaginative visuals, on a small student budget.
Twelve years later, here we are. We’ve taken slightly different paths since film school - I’ve had various roles within commercials and film and Ben has been busy developing his business portfolio. In 2018 we established One6th Animation Studio where we create short films, commercials and commissions such as Squib.
So the film was commissioned by Bradford Literature Festival. What can you share with us about that process?
Recently, the BLF commissioned a series of poems which were written in response to lockdown and the provocation “When All of This is Over”.
We were approached by the BLF about collaborating with Anthony Anaxagorou. Anthony is a poet with great cadence, so I thought about building the film around a typewriter, which operates with a certain rhythmic quality. Also, being an old technology, it seemed to capture the restrictions and nostalgia we’ve all experienced during lockdown. Initially, the idea of creating a paper puppet for Anthony was a side note in our treatment - mainly because it would be (and was) extremely challenging to build and animate within the tight deadline.
One of the great things about a poem like Squib is that it really gets you thinking. Most people will interpret it differently, so we tried to let the poem speak for itself. From an animation point of view, we focused more broadly on creating Anthony’s environment and building a narrative to capture the emotion of the poem and the claustrophobic journey through lockdown.
We were fortunate that the BLF and Anthony really got behind our ideas and gave us the freedom to run with them. In the end, we delivered the film just 4 weeks after we started animating which is credit to our brilliant crew. I should also mention that the film only features the second Stanza of Anthony’s original poem, so there’s more Squib out there for poetry fans to look forward to.
How has lockdown affected your process as a filmmaker?
As a studio, the start of lockdown was a time for reflection. Given the financial impact, we had to drop certain projects and focus on those we are most passionate about. Refining our work load really improved our enjoyment of the creative process and in hindsight, has been the biggest revelation for us over the past year.
Any hacks or tips for making a stop motion animation?
If you haven’t tried stop-motion, I’d recommend searching for free apps on your smartphone and having a go! There really is something special about bringing inanimate objects to life. If you want to develop further, research the 12 principles of animation and practise movement exercises. I’d also encourage anyone interested to seek out creators in the stop-motion community and join in with social media groups and forums - they are full of supportive people who share work and exchange advice.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
For me, it’s all about collaboration and seeing ideas come to fruition - whether that’s seeing the puppet on set for the first time, or an animator finishing a great piece of action. Those are my favourite moments because you see how much work goes into them.
On Squib, one of our animators was working a night shift and a few hours into the shot the shoulder joint inside the puppet snapped. The animator then spent the next couple of hours opening up the puppet, replacing the joint and then positioned the puppet exactly in place to continue animating for hours more. That level of persistence and problem solving is so important.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
The film was first released online by Bradford Film Festival and then later on our website and social media - so far the response has been great. We have plans to submit to film festivals in the coming year and really appreciate Kino being the first to share it with their audience!
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
‘Sound of Metal’ would be a great choice for those returning to cinemas right now!
Follow One6th Animation Studio
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
SEND IN THE CLOWNS
A clown struggling to make ends meet is faced with an opportunity he cannot afford to miss.
Written & Directed by Ben Ashton
A clown struggling to make ends meet is faced with an opportunity he cannot afford to miss.
SEND IN THE CLOWNS won our coveted Audience Award earlier this year at The People’s Film Festival making it the “spoiler” to compete against the 9 nominees for our £1000 Film Fund. In a twist of fate, this short film beat our the competition and we’re currently in development with Ben on his latest short film project.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School that boasts a wealth of fine screen actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Olivia Colman, Jeremy Irons, Josh O’Connor, Naomi Harris to name but a few – which was always inspiring to know those faces past through those doors. I’ve performed professionally mainly in theatre from Shakespeare to contemporary plays. I have also performed in TV/Film: Doctors, Silk, Kansas and the upcoming feature “Queen of the Redwood Mountains” from 14167 films.
When I was 19 I was a supporting artist as a Hufflepuff Prefect in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I had around four weeks of filming on that, which was an incredible experience to witness and be on set in a film with a such massive budget and to observe how it all worked. I would often wonder onto set to watch the director and the actors during takes to try and soak it all in and observe their way of working.
Alongside my acting career I have always been interested in directing and have directed many plays and musicals in the amateur sector. I love being a part of the whole of the creative process. As a director you are part of the decision making in how the set will be, the design elements of the production, the soundscape and everything that goes into putting on a production and that always excited and appealed to that part of my creative brain.
What was your inspiration behind Send In The Clowns?
I never had any aspirations to write a film. The way “Send in the Clowns” came about still mystifies me. Around six years ago, I dreamt the whole story from beginning to end. It was so clear in my mind. I woke up and I wrote it down straight away which was completed in about 15 minutes. Part of me would have liked it to have been a painstaking experience of taking hours, days, months to come up with a concept and create a story, to have that creative writing grounding but the story was so clear and I felt really passionate about the story and the layers within it, I wrote it all down and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It then took 6 years to work out how the heck I would get it from the page into an actual tangible thing, filmed and edited and completed.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
I don’t pretend to have any hacks or knowledge about the best ways to create a film. I am a complete novice and had the help from many friends and fantastic up-and-coming filmmakers, Simon Stolland from Aukes Media and James Hastings from Hastings Infinity. Any tips I can impart are:
- Treat everyone in the process with respect – we’re all in this together to help create the film.
-It’s important to have a strong idea of what you would like to achieve but I really like a collaborative process, where everyone chips in and you listen to everyone’s expertise to help create the best moments.
-Make the film that speaks to you. Don’t try to appeal to certain audiences or tick certain boxes – make the film you want to make and if you’re happy with it that’s all that matters. If other people then like it also, that’s a bonus. At least you would have created and not compromised on the film you made!
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
As I said, I was and still am a complete novice filmmaker. I had the idea and story written down for 6 years before I could actually work out how to make it. I had great advice and help from Simon Stolland of Aukes Media, who I was waiting for to be available to get it made but Simon’s career is going from strength to strength and has such a busy schedule, it was difficult to get our schedules to collide. As I was scrolling through social media, a local filmmaker’s showreel popped up on my feed and I was impressed with the cinematography and stories I got in contact. This ended up being such a blessing and I cannot thank James Hastings from Hastings Infinity Films enough for his work on the film, his passion, his dedication, attention to detail, time and every help with “Send in the Clowns”. I strongly believe James will be a very successful filmmaker – he lives and breathes film and is always creating work. James also helped point me in the direction of FilmFreeway to look at film festivals and enter the film.
How have you found the film festival circuit?
I wasn’t expecting anything from the festivals. I was just really chuffed that I had gone from this idea that came to me in a dream to then have filmed and created “Send in the Clowns” and have something that I was really happy with and proud of. I entered the film into a few festivals just to see if anybody else would like it. I was completely shocked and surprised that “Send in the Clowns’ won the audience award at Kino’s The People’s Film Festival.
Since you won our £1000 Film Fund at TPFF, tell us about your upcoming project.
Since the idea of “Send in the Clowns” came to me I was really hoping and urging for another idea for another film to come. Nothing was coming. However, a few ideas and stories have now developed and the film that I am going to be creating with the help of the film fund is something that I am really excited about. It’s called “Embers” focusing on a young boy and that’s all I’m saying! It is a bit darker and more intense than “Send in the Clowns” but encapsulates similar themes and undertones.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I loved Sound of Metal and I’m really looking forward to seeing The Father with Sir Anthony Hopkins – he is an utter legend! I saw the original play of The Father in the West End, starring Kenneth Cranham, and I was totally blown away and heartbroken. It’s part of a trilogy of plays and I wonder if they will turn the others into films also.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
TPFF: May 2021 Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists
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 2022!
Our jury has put forward the following films as Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for last month’s submission to The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 2022!
Official Selections
Clouds
directed by David Yorke
A young boy struggling with depression navigates through his daily routine, while being followed by a grey cloud.
CLOUDS is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category
A Tree Fell Today
directed by Oliver Crawford
Elise revisits the traumatic memories of her lover Jessica committing suicide due to the catastrophic death of their child, struggling to escape the eternal circle of anguish and misery she tries to move forward but she is stuck in an endless loop.
A TREE FELL TODAY is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category
Pelicans
directed by Ellie Heydon
Pelicans are a symbol of the process of letting go. They are birds who gather together in order to overcome struggle with the knowledge that they are most likely to succeed as a combined unit. Our story follows 5 grieving teenagers trying to comprehend and navigate their personal loss. The film is an aesthetically driven piece set against the vast expanse of the British coastline. It finds the friends in a slightly comedic limbo between denial and acceptance. The film is structured around the changing tide, moving in waves and healing our group of misfits until finally they are able to head from the bizarre purgatory of their seaside sadness back into the real world.
PELICANS is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category
finalists
Micro-Budget Category
BEST FOOT FORWARD directed by Lewis Carter
IN ISOLATION directed by Edmund C. Short
Low-Budget Category
I WANT TO LOVE YOU IN ANALOGUE directed by April Lampre
THE END OF AN ERA directed by Alexander Vanegas Sus
Sponsored Category
HUNGER directed by Mark Dollard
STING LIKE A BEE directed by Leone
semi-finalists
BACK TO US directed by Gabriele Rossi
HANK directed by Michael Pedley
LAST ORDERS directed by Katie Harriman
LIFELINE directed by Lewis Carter
ON THE COUCH WITH MY DEPRESSION directed by Angharad Gladding
PERPETUAL directed by Alexander Vanegas Sus
THE TROLL directed by Yennis Cheung
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
SHAPES AND COLORS
A cinematic poem bringing a different perspective and positivity in the fight against racial injustice.
Written & Directed by Guilhem Coulibaly
A cinematic poem bringing a different perspective and positivity in the fight against racial injustice.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Hi, I'm Guilhem and I'm a French director and editor based in London. As I like to say my passion for filmmaking was always there growing up but fully bloomed by chance in my mid-20s. As a kid, filming and editing family holidays was always fun to me, then I had a glimpse at actual filmmaking when my high school opened a film club and gave us (students) the opportunity to make our own short surrounded by professionals. As I went to university studying something completely different, I never seriously considered a career in filmmaking; but it became clear that's what I wanted to do a few years later when I started shooting music videos for my brother who's a musician.
I now work as a broadcast video editor as well as directing projects in my own time, with a strong desire to do more of the latter in the future.
My portfolio includes music videos, documentaries, promotional content and short films. Aesthetics enthusiast, I try to capture the beauty "the eyes can't see" in the people and their environment.
What was the inspiration behind Shapes & Colors?
The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement triggered in me a need to contribute to the cause in my own way, so I went to the protests to capture some footage in London with my friend/producer/photographer Shakir. At the time, I didn't know exactly what I was going to do with it but it was clear I wanted to create something that would be touching and inspiring and that would bring a bit of positivity despite the circumstances.
I've been wanting to include some sort of dance performance in a project for a little while and I thought it would fit perfectly in this instance. Stephanie (the dance artist) did amazing and I want to thank her for helping me getting the message across with such gracefulness.
Additionally, I believe change can only last if it includes our children. They have the future in their hands but we're responsible for how we teach them the world, not only through words but also through actions; and so, it was only right to portray a loving father & son relationship.
What was it like to bring this film to life and what obstacles did you overcome along the way?
Bringing this film to life was quite easy in the sense that it doesn't really belong to a certain genre; it was almost like any idea could've been thrown in there as long as I could find a way to connect them together; I definitely feel like I achieved that and I'm proud of the result.
Although the covid restrictions slowed down the process, it also gave more time to come up with new ideas. The film would've looked different if it wasn't for these restrictions but I think it actually played out in our favor, we only had to be patient..
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
I'm still fairly new to the game but what I've learned so far is to go ahead and do. There are many ways to tell stories so you don't necessarily need to raise a lot of money to create something; start small, and by repeating the process you'll get better at it and start making connections.
Several people congratulated us for not giving up and completing this film given the sanitary restrictions but I think there's always a way when you're passionate about something.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
I definitely enjoy every step of the process but I think my favorite part is the first time watching the final version.
That is when I'm finally able to take a step back and look at it with fresh eyes and it gives me a pleasant feeling.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I may have to reply to this later as it's yet to be released but just know that there has been a lot of emails!
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I'll recommend two brilliant short films: RE-ENTRY by Ben Brand & SERIOUS TINGZ by Abdou Cisse
Follow Guilhem On Instagram: @imguilhemc
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
RUMORI
Watch the short film that swept The People’s Film Festival 2021, taking home 4 awards including: Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Drama.
Directed by Sämen
Watch the short film that swept The People’s Film Festival 2021, taking home 4 awards including: Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Drama.
Visually exploring the emotional complexity of a breakup, Rumori has at its core how the lack of understanding and communication between two people can destroy a relationship. Introspective, subtle and beautifully melancholic, the short film stands as a summary of the endless conversations and sleepless nights experienced as two people gradually drift apart and disappear from each other's minds.
Set in a house in the Italian countryside, we find the characters in the film, played by Andrea Arcangeli and Matilda De Angelis, stuck in a loop of internal arguments. They share the same space, yet they are unable to see and perceive one another. They live for each other, yet they are blind to each other's needs. Feeling trapped and alone within this space, the house becomes a metaphor for their stagnant and decaying relationship.
As a true reflection of our world, Rumori argues that to stand still is to disappear. The only way out of a toxic dynamic is to embrace change, transform and move forward.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
As childhood best friends, we loved watching horror films. But growing up in Milan, Italy, we found that people valued beauty and style over grim and gore. Suffice it to say, our parents were less than enthusiastic about this newfound obsession and demanded we give it up. So, like the good boys that we were, we obeyed our doting parents, stopped watching them…and started making them instead.
After years of splattering ketchup over some very forgiving friends and family, we determined that it was time to abandon the confines of our upbringing and pursue our love of filmmaking with abandon. We subsequently started to travel the world shooting ads.
What was the inspiration behind Rumori?
We have lived, in our recent life, two important relationships, the end of which happened almost at the same time, and this meant a long period of personal transformation. Rumori is the outcome of countless discussions and exchange of ideas through sleepless nights, summer holidays and work trips. It is also the recap of our most introspective, peculiar, melancholy moments; they’ve been so beautiful we’ve decided to define them. This film is also the result of a debate based on common experiences which may, eventually, mean something.
What was it like to bring this film to life and what obstacles did you overcome along the way?
It was simply beautiful, we finally felt like real filmmakers and not performers in the advertising world. The only obstacles were just ourselves, since we had no one to blame for creativity, storyline and such, we constantly questioned if we made the right choices but the result is simply the representation of what we are, sincere in making mistakes, as the cinema needs to be.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
First focus on the idea and then add the context, we often put more attention to the visual power of cinema over the communication. If you got a gimmick, that’s the starting point where you can build everything else.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
Shooting! as directors we spend most of our time at home, writing treatments, loosing pitches and starting all over again, then once in while we are lucky to spend some time on set, and if you did a well done pre-production, you just need to do the magic and enjoy the unexpected.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
Sadly our short barely made it to real audience, we mean the people sat on a cinema armchair, it was a sad year due to the virus but we are really glad film festivals like yours kept going on and gave the audience the quality they deserve.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
“Sound of Metal” by Darius Marder, indie style that made it to the Oscars. “Blind Spot” by Tuva Novotny, it’s about a mother’s struggle to understand her teenage daughter’s crisis. “NEVRLAND” by Gregor Schmidinger, shows the process of sexual awakening and self-discovery of a young boy.
Follow Sämen on Instagram @samendirector
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
STITCH
This spoken word piece examines the impulse felt during lockdown to revitalise traditional 'feminine' activities like baking, knitting and embroidery - posing the question of whether they have a place in modern feminist rituals, and whether our obsession with outward appearances is chipping away at our true selves.
Directed by Rosie Baldwin
This spoken word piece examines the impulse felt during lockdown to experience personal growth; revitalising traditional crafts such as baking, knitting and embroidery as a way of creating an aesthetically pleasing, instagrammable world around ourselves.
As the protagonist cycles through each day, the repetition of her daily tasks and her failure at the new craft-based tasks affect her mental balance. As the false world of visually pleasing idealism begins to fade and fall away, we see that the time-honoured, traditionally 'feminine' activities from the past intended to improve her wellbeing have had a detrimental effect, posing the question of whether they have a place in modern feminist rituals, and whether our obsession with outward appearances is chipping away at our true selves.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR FILMMAKING BACKGROUND:
I actually normally work in documentary, and have made short docs for the BBC and VICE, as well as various funding bodies and charities. I have been really lucky with the reception to these films; they've won multiple awards and screened in cinemas nationwide and at BAFTA-qualifying festivals like Sheffield DocFest and Aesthetica. I tend to focus on character-led stories that provide a wider reflection on society as a whole. I have made four films featuring people living with various disabilities who refuse to be defined by that, and I think of all my work I'm the most proud of those. I'm definitely attracted to stories of people finding ways to live and thrive in our often disabling society.
Since you have a background mainly in documentary, what was your inspiration to switch things up with "Stitch"?
Stitch was a very collaborative project and came about through the BFI Network x BAFTA Crew programme. A small group of us on the scheme (Zara Symes - writer and performer, Chloë Kilby - Editor, Jovana Gospavic - Production Design, Vincenzo Marranghino - DOP, and Adrien Leung - Composer) got together (virtually) right at the peak of the first lockdown, when we were all just stuck inside with all our productions having been halted and feeling like we were stuck in limbo, and came up with the concept over a couple of Zoom calls. We basically began with what we had access to in terms of props and kit, and then worked the story out from there based on what we knew we could actually do within the lockdown restrictions. It was an unusual way of working but we enjoyed the challenge. Obviously lockdown and being stuck inside on this monotonous cycle was at the forefront of our minds so that was where our ideas naturally went.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film during lockdown?
So yeah, tips for making films during lockdown would be to basically just start with working out what you have at hand and get creative with ways to tell a story with that! It's actually quite surprising how much you can do within those limits.
What's your favourite part of the filmmaking process?
As much as I love being out shooting scenes, for me it's seeing sequences really come together in the edit. I've been lucky to work with some brilliant editors, who not only bring the story together but see new ways of telling it and breathe a whole new life into the film. It's a really collaborative process and I just love seeing it all come together.
You work very collaboratively! As the director, how firm are you with your vision vs how open are you to changing your vision?
I do tend to start with quite a strong vision for a film but I am very open to allowing that to develop into a new shape or form once I start working with a team. I think it's so important to listen to ideas from your producer or DOP or editor or any of the team really. I always want to work with people who come with their own ideas and interpretations of a project. I won't always necessarily agree 100%, but that's what's so great about working collaboratively - it forces you to think about other avenues or ways of telling the story that come from someone else's experience or viewpoint, and even if you aren't persuaded by them completely, maybe they'll help to elevate the idea into something better. I think if you don't then you're in real danger of making the same kind of work over and over, and not exploring different ways to show something.
Do you think your background in documentary filmmaking makes your process more collaborative even when working in another form?
Definitely. Working in documentary means you really have to be open to your story or vision changing throughout the process. Sometimes you start filming and the story just goes in a totally different direction that turns out to be a better or more honest film. And in those cases it's really detrimental to the film to stubbornly stick to the original plan. So yeah, that's certainly affected the way I work in other forms because it means I'm always ready for something unexpected to happen and always open to the possibility that that something might be a positive thing to incorporate into the film, and ready to quickly adapt plans around that.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
This was an unusual festival circuit for us because it's the first time having a film screen predominantly in virtual festivals. We had one physical screening in the Cornwall Film Festival, but other than that it was all online. We looked at previous programming of the festivals we wanted to enter to see what kind of films they like to screen and whether ours would fit their interests, and that worked quite well for us. Obviously the film is very strong on the lockdown/quarantine theme, so we knew we had a window where that was relevant so we really tried to make the most of that!
Stitch won the Directors Choice Short award at the Cornwall Film Festival which was amazing, and it was shortlisted for a Shiny award. We were also really happy to be screened at BIFA-Qualifying The Shortest Nights film festival. Considering the film was made on a non-existent budget just using what we had at the time in the middle of a pandemic, that felt like such an achievement.
ANY FILM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN WATCH TO KEEP US BUSY WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING:
If you haven't already seen it, I can't recommend The Mole Agent enough. It's a really lovely, warm and well-made feature documentary and free to watch on BBC Storyville at the moment. It's also nominated for an Academy Award, so if my word isn't enough maybe that can persuade you!
Follow Rosie on Instagram @RosieFilmsThings
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
QUIET CARRIAGE
A comedy about a passive man with an overactive imagination.
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
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
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
SPEED OF TIME
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.
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
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.
Apply to get your short selected as our Weekly Pick
WE
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.
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
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
Parasite
Queen and Slim
Uncut Gems
JoJo Rabbit
Saint Maud
Sound of Metal
1917
Mogul Mowgli
Baby Teeth
Relic
Soul
On the Rocks
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
WolfWalkers
Vivarium
His House
The Invisible Man
Onward
Make Up
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Rocks
The Platform
Perfect 10
Tenet
Spontaneous
Happiest Season
The Lighthouse
Uncle Frank
The Rental
Save Yourselves!
Alone
Big Time Adolescence
Palm Springs
The Dark and the Wicked
Possessor Uncut
Greenland
Freaky
The Mortuary Collection
Straight Up
Host
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
THE PLUNGE
After a night of passion Emily tells Jay that she’d like to use a strap-on. Scared of losing a girl he has a connection with, Jay reluctantly agrees.
Directed by Simon Ryninks | 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
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
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
ALL THE TRIMMINGS
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.
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
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.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
2021 FESTIVAL - Award Winners
Congrats to our Award Winners from The People’s Film Festival 2021!
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
Check out our award nominations for the 2021 edition of The People’s Film Festival.
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
We're excited to announce our full lineup of 50 films for 2021's edition of The People's Film Festival.
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.
New official selections
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Explore our other 24 Official Selection announced over the past several months
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?
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
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.
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
DONA & VIXEN
The fantasy of Santa Claus is horribly exposed on Christmas Eve.
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
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.
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 Selection, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for this month’s edition of The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 2021!
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Written & Directed by Eli Speigel
After uncovering a strange stain on his bedsheets, Miles struggles to return to his routine.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
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