TPFF: August 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
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
directed by Elliot Taylor & Liam Francis
A listless Luna makes big life changes by leaving her boyfriend for the Moon. But when communication breaks down and the world is up in arms, she wonders how she can get him back into orbit, and her own life back on track.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category.
YOSHI FUNABASHI
directed by Mattia Ramberti
A stylised portrait surrounding Yoshi Funabashi, founder of Studio Ypsilon: a luxury atelier designing Italian classics with a Japanese touch. By mixing his sophisticated heritage with a fascination for Italian music, Yoshi’s character becomes the embodiment of the “Opera Connoisseur”.
YOSHI FUNABASHI is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category.
THE GOSSIP
directed by Rolfin Nyhus
A young woman's self-esteem shatters when her best friend launches into a tirade.
Set in Margate, a coastal town in the South East of Britain, The Gossip explores the moral and interpersonal effects of gossip between two best friends.
Careless talk and gossip occur in all walks of life and can create rifts in the closest of relationships. Repairing this damage requires compassion and understanding. Traits that are often most needed when they are least accessible. Healing a once loving relationship can be the hardest task of all.
THE GOSSIP is an Official Selection in the Sponsored Category.
finalists
Micro-Budget Category
COVID TALES directed by Ryan Ackland
MILK directed by Celia Jaspers
Low-Budget Category
A BONE IN THE FISH directed by Lucrezia Camera
IN DREAMS directed byWilliam Cho
MIJO directed by Mazdey Snob
Sponsored Category
COPY THAT directed by Margaret McGoldrick
HANK directed by Michael Pedley
semi-finalists
AN ARTIST’S REALITY directed by Adam John Davis
FEAST directed by Gillian Harker
I HOPE THIS FILM ISN’T ABOUT ME directed by Harry Plowden
SHAHIYA LAHORIYA - THE ACCOUNT OF AN ANTI-HERO directed by Muhammad Razi
SUNWORSHIPPER directed by Darin Caudle
UP-AND-COMING directed by Doug James Berwick
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
A SICKNESS
Stephen lives a solitary life, governed by routine and order. All things have their place and for good reason as a dark secret lurks beneath his feet.
Written & Directed by Guy Soulsby | Produced by Jennifer Gelin
Stephen lives a solitary life. A loner. A man who keeps himself to himself and is governed by routine and order. All things have their place and for good reason as a dark secret lurks beneath his feet.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH GUY
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background:
I am a writer and director based in London shooting TV commercials, content and short films. I've been directing for the past 17 years and have been very fortunate to direct work all around the world. My passion for short films and narrative work started as a teenager back in college in Yorkshire. I didn't know how to turn this into a job, so I ended up moving to London where I worked for various TV broadcasters directing commercials in the UK and the US. After a number of years I decided to leave and become a freelance director, which enabled me to create relationships with production companies and crew, who in turn helped me make short films.
How did you go about casting the film?
I spend a lot of time researching actors. Looking at recent and old TV shows and films. My missus also has a very keen eye for the right talent based on the characters I write, and she was in fact the one who brought David Langham (His Dark Materials, The Alienist, Doctor Who) to my attention. David is not only a fantastic actor but a lovely person. He was such a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I couldn't have asked for more and he's perfect in the role.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
Making a short film is always a huge task. It requires the help and support of many people. The first step is obviously to write something great but also a treatment to accompany the script so you can visually show contributors what you're thinking and how you see the film. Get a good, great producer. I was lucky to find Jennifer Gelin who had just produced a couple commercials with me. Then it's a case of financing the short, which is a big obstacle. Finding the cast, the crew and the right people who can help in post-production, and this is usually for little to no money. You have to be able to entice people and convince them that your short film will be a great piece of work and they should be part of the journey.
Your strength is really "visual storytelling". There's practically no dialog in the film, but you always keep the frame compelling. Any hacks or tips on how to tell stories visually vs with dialog?
Research is a big part, watching TV shows and films, and understanding how camera movement or the lack of it, pacing, as well as blocking conveys feelings, thoughts and emotions towards your cast and the unfolding scene. This really came together once we had the location as I could work with my DOP Michael Paleodimos to construct how we'd shoot the film and use each room. We shot in two different houses and added walls in the main house in post-production to help convey a sense of claustrophobia. We used almost every single set-up in the film, and so I had to make sure the film would cut together before we shot anything. There were many discussions with my regular editor Nick Armstrong based on location photos and shot lists, which we used to construct the film before we shot anything.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences:
The film has only just been released and so I'm keen to get it out to short film lovers around the world. KINO is a great platform to do just that, reach like minded filmmakers and people who want a short snippet of entertainment.
You've had previous work featured on Alter and Vimeo Staff Pick. Congrats! Any tips for filmmakers trying to get their work on those same platforms?
Vimeo was pretty mad. I was able to get an email contact from a mate of a mate, and so I sent a note hoping Vimeo would get back to me. I heard nothing. Then I got up one morning and had a ton of email notifications. I checked my short film DEVIL MAKES WORK and there it was a “Staff Pick” rosette. I was over the moon. I think it’s now up to about 60,000 views and counting. Thanks Vimeo!
I reached out to ALTER via their submissions. Like Vimeo I hoped that they would connect with my short film GOD’S KINGDOM and they did, which was amazing. They showcased it on their channels and the film has pulled in nearly 600,000 views, which has blown my mind, and it’s still going up. Thanks ALTER!
What are you working on now?
I am in pre-production on a short film called PROVISIONS. It’s a story about an elderly woman who has a visit from a homecare nurse. He quickly realises his patient is older, in fact much older than he first thought. I also have another short film called SLEEP. It focuses on woman’s husband who sleep walks. Every night she is woken by him wandering around the house. I am always writing ideas and putting together treatments. I’ve had a couple short films get very close to being made and then for one reason or another they don’t. Sometimes things come up that were unexpected and cost too much, other times the perfect location might become unavailable. I had a short film financed a few years ago with an A list actor, and we had a tiny window of opportunity to make the film. The actor got booked on a movie and so the money pulled out and that was that. The reason I mention all this is so people realise it’s not easy but you have to keep plugging away, you have to keep trying to get things made.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I recently watched a Canadian film called "The Decline" about a group of survivalists, which is excellent, as well as the psychological thriller 'Swallow" and the new horror film "Saint Maud", both of which are great!
Apply to get your short selected as our Weekly Pick
Appetite
A young woman goes on several first dates and repeatedly runs out on the bill, until one day she gets caught.
Directed by Xuemeng Li & Katrin Larissa Kasper
Steph is a predatory dater. She likes to indulge on an assortment of hapless men and women, whom she overawes, out-orders and out-eats. What‘s more, she insists she likes to pay. But Steph‘s dating habits are running away with her, just as she is running away from a terrifically large bill. Steph, it transpires, is a serial dine-and dasher. Wearing different guises and personas, each more elaborate than the last, she believes she can slip away from the table and not suffer the consequences. But everyone has to pay the bill in the end.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH KATRIN
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background:
I’m originally from Germany and studied Theatre Arts in Portland, Oregon. I moved to London and tried to find my way into the industry here, but it’s not been easy, being a foreigner trying to book jobs here. And so a couple of years ago I decided to start creating my own work. First a few scenes for a showreel. Then the idea for Appetite came along. In 2018, a man in the US was found guilty of running out on restaurant bills, after a spree of expensive first dates. The media dubbed him the 'serial dine-and-dasher’. My partner and I heard his curious story on the radio, and we thought it had all the elements to be a comedy short film, and that’s how it all began. Some friends of mine got involved in the project and I recruited some extremely talented crew, and looking back, I’m very grateful that I had these people around me, because everyone had such a strong sense of the look and feel of the film, and so much enthusiasm for budget filmmaking, that it was a fun experience and I was able to focus on my acting as well, as well as the production.
What was it like to co-direct a film, and how did you manage creative decisions with two people in the director's chair?
I found it to be helpful – especially being first-time filmmakers. Xuemeng came at the script with fresh eyes and ideas, and a sensibility that kind of complemented mine. For instance, and partly because I was acting the lead role, and needed to think about my acting on set, I’d be very conscious about what needed to be shot and when, moving through the script, getting the details, without losing the light or the permission to be in the cafes, whereas Xuemeng thought deeply about the tensions and comic potentials in each scene, and making sure we got the right performances. I wanted something like a Wes Anderson tone, you know, not so natural, whereas Xuemeng wanted something much more natural from the actors. Of course, you don’t always agree on everything but we achieved a balance here.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
It was a first for some of us so there was a lot of learning by doing. I hadn’t had the experience of “what can go wrong” when making a film. So my approach as the producer was maybe a bit naïve, or rather very optimistic. I think that turned out to be a good thing though because I was convinced that anything was doable. Obviously when you’re on a small budget it’s not, but the right attitude can really help. Finding locations (mainly restaurants) that we could afford involved a lot of scouting and earning the trust of the owners. London thankfully is great in that regard because people are so used to being approached by filmmakers. Where London is not so great is the weather. To save money, we shot two different dates at the same restaurant on the same day, but made it look like two separate locations by shooting one date inside and the other outside. Of course, it rained buckets and was incredibly windy as soon as we were shooting al fresco. There’s no real way to overcome the weather but just power through, and make the best of the situation. In the end it’s one of the funnier sequences, and adds to the madness of it, this extravagant first date taking place in a gale.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences:
I asked friends and contacts in the industry for film festival advice and started to make a list of festivals for Appetite. I’d say it’s crucial that you do that and be strict and honest with yourself about what you can achieve. What I mean by that is: don’t waste money on submissions to prestigious festivals if you’re film can’t play in that league and don’t apply to random festivals. You’ll always end up spending more than you thought anyways so don’t make it harder on yourself. We were lucky to get into quite a few festivals in different countries and even won some awards. Sadly, most of them had to be online due to the pandemic but we were still very happy as our expectations weren’t high for our first film. Recently we’ve also joined the UK streaming platform Paus TV. We still have a few festivals to hear back from. After the festival round we might want to have Appetite on YouTube or Vimeo. There’s also a great new indie video platform called Klipist that we’re interested in.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently co-producing another short, a political drama called Kompromat which is based on the many stories in recent years of Russian spies tricking right wing politicians. We filmed a first scene a few months after we had shot Appetite in 2019 and continued production between lockdowns in summer 2020. At the moment we’re editing. Last year in lockdown I began developing an idea for a sci-fi drama about CGI actors and what it means for the industry. We’ve now got an exciting short film script, which is meant as a low-budget proof of concept piece for what will probably be a series, and we’ll be exploring how to get the short funded.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
More recently, I loved Ari Aster’s Midsommar and Charlie Kaufmann’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. This past year, between rewatching all of Succession, I’ve binged on some films from the 30s-50s. A lot of Cary Grant, Hitchcock and Billy Wilder. I’d recommend A Foreign Affair by Wilder – with the amazing Marlene Dietrich. And His Girl Friday with Grant and Rosalind Russell.
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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
Andi
Andi, a Long Beach based roller skater, discusses her journey of shedding false identities and the value of finding a safe space among found family in order to grow past trauma.
Directed by Julia Kupiec
Andi, a Long Beach based roller skater, discusses her journey of shedding false identities and the value of finding a safe space among found family in order to grow past trauma.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JULIE
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I was an actor before I was a filmmaker - but when it came to transitioning to screen acting when I was a teenager, I developed a real sense of anxiety in the audition room. It made it impossible for me to truly connect with a story because I was so worried about whether or not I was performing well, whether or not the people I was auditioning for thought I was good or worthwhile. I stopped enjoying it because I lost sight of how to like myself in that space. I ended up applying to a filmmaking program at my high school and I realized that I could connect with stories in a deeper sense behind the camera. I loved cinematography, editing, sound design - the whole thing. I could forget myself and just sink into something that interested me. I then attended NYU for film production and wound up diving into a bunch of different craft positions. I tried my hand at pretty much everything. Ultimately, I traveled farthest down the cinematography track and spent the majority of my time shooting for other students. It wasn’t until the end of my junior year of college that I thought to myself - you know, I think I’d really like to direct. It sounds like a hot mess of a path when I write it out like this, but ultimately my love for filmmaking comes from a bunch of different directions. I find every element of craft to be fiercely interesting and I think that’s essentially where I come from as a director: speaking the language of all of these different elements of storytelling and finding the common thread that weaves them together to create an emotional experience.
How did you find the subject for your film?
My partner / DP Ace and I had been living with my parents in Santa Barbara during the shutdown. A few months had gone by and COVID precautions had been announced for how to proceed with productions so we figured - well, we should probably make something, what else are we doing? We figured the only thing we could afford to do was a profile documentary with no production sound (couldn’t afford a sound mixer but a friend of mine in LA did have a little zoom recorder so I figured we could record a voice over). We were kind of just scrounging around social media for potential subjects and Ace remembered that the girlfriend of his god brother, Sean, was supposed to be a pretty talented roller skater. We reached out to Sean to see if Andi would be willing to hop on the phone with me to talk about putting a little project together. We Facetimed a few days later and we just clicked - right away I realized that she was an incredibly open person, very willing to dive deep into her background and insecurities and the things she’s overcome. I figured - there’s a story here. Let’s just keep talking.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
Ace and I decided to pool some money we had saved up to make the project happen. We figured together we could get to $2,500 and that was enough to get a camera package for a weekend and to hire a steadicam operator and an AC to assist them for one of the days. The second day, I would full focus and direct at the same time. There was so much movement, there was just no way Ace was going to be able to pull for himself. This is where having traveled down so many departmental positions kind of comes in handy. ACing is like breathing for me. I did it all throughout college and it’s how I supported myself when I graduated in 2019. It definitely isn’t easy to AC and direct at the same time, but if you’re paying for your own project and you really can’t afford someone to help you out - it’s nice to feel comfortable shouldering the extra work. It was just Ace, myself and our friend / producer, Samson on set. We all did everything. It’s funny writing about this as “an obstacle” of sorts, because it definitely was - but at the same time, I actually really enjoy working in a super stripped back form at times. It feels grounded, like you’re really getting your hands dirty.
The other obstacle was the VO. We only had a zoom recorder and no actual space to record the voice over (the only interior space we’d have access to was Andi’s apartment and she had a dog who had a tendency to bark if strangers were present). So it was like 7 pm and Andi and I crawled into my Volvo Station Wagon with a bunch of pillows and some mango White Claws and recorded her interview parked on the side of the street, HAH. I’m actually grinning ear to ear thinking about this. We constantly had to re-park because if you’ve ever been to Long Beach, parking is a DISASTER. It’s all permitted. We always had someone coming up to us being like, um, so sorry but this is my spot. We were a mess and it was so much fun. We talked about everything. I hope the intimacy of that conversation and the joy we felt comes through in the piece. It was like a 3 hour long heart to heart, and I just thought to myself while it was happening: I’m so glad to be here. This is amazing.
Any hacks or tips for making a documentary short?
I feel like there’s so many ways to approach this question. I suppose what first comes to mind is: I kind of have the philosophy that you could make an interesting documentary about anyone, you just have to pay close enough attention to find that person’s story. And their story probably isn’t what you came in thinking it was. So just keep your eyes and ears open - it’s all in the details, in the in-between spaces, in what isn’t said just as much as what is. That’s where nuance lives and that’s where you have to burrow in. If you create a safe space and allow yourself to be vulnerable, maybe someone else will open themselves up to you - and that’s a really beautiful thing to experience.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
This is a funny project because it’s something that isn’t really long enough to exist in an in-person festival space. It also has a somewhat branded feel. That was intentional - we partly made this project to try to get more work in the commercial space. We all want to make projects that we connect with and which feel like genuine modes of artistic expression - but we also need to figure out how to pay rent and simply survive. I wanted to see if I could make something which felt like it might get me more branded work, but which also felt like it fulfilled an artistic intention.
What are you working on now?
I recently wrapped production on a branded documentary for a fashion designer friend who owns her own label - By Liv Handmade. I decided to bring on a dear friend and collaborator, Nina Gofur, to co-direct the project with me. It felt like the right kind of challenge. We have a lot of crossover in the kinds of emotional themes we’re interested in, but we also have extremely different approaches to filmmaking. I lean narrative in a more traditional sense and Nina is primarily an experimental filmmaker. I just felt like we might have a really interesting chemical reaction on this particular project. I wanted to bring in a more experimental approach and I also wanted to really try to share that directorial space with another creative who thinks differently than I do. I learned more about myself as a filmmaker from that experience than I ever have. We’re currently in the editing phase and I’m incredibly excited to piece together what we’ve captured. Aside from that, I’m also heading into production for a solo-directorial music video for Columbia Records artist, Clinton Kane. And Nina and I are set to co-direct another music video for NYC based artist Halima.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Oh gosh! So many. In the branded / doc space, I really love Haya Waseem’s work. She’s already established so perhaps you’ve heard of her but I think her directorial voice is really special. Her pieces capture subtlety and lean into a sense of naturalism that is so remarkable to me.
For a doc feature, Lance Oppenheim’s “Some Kind of Heaven” really struck me. The visual / editorial style he went with really resonated and it always feels great when you see a piece of work that’s better and more ambitious than anything you’ve made, but the core of the things the director thought about and implemented feel like choices you would also make. I suppose it’s reassuring in a way - like seeing a little bit of yourself out in the established filmmaking world and going, ok, that’s a touchstone for me. I think I could do something like that.
Narrative feature: literally anything by Andrea Arnold, Greta Gerwig or Noah Baumbach. Those are huge names and likely completely unhelpful recommendations, but they’re also my heart encapsulated. I recently also watched Pieces of a Woman and the first 30 minutes are maybe some of the most powerful filmmaking I’ve seen. Y Tu Mama Tambien, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Souvenir, Eighth Grade, A Ghost Story, Ida. Wow this is a random list. So many more, but I’ll stop there.
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Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
Soon Come
Ezra takes us on a journey through a desolate London as he reminisces on what life was like before all of this, whilst reminding us of how far we have come.
Directed by Richard Armitage & Josh Knox
Things are finally looking up, and it’s almost hard to imagine a locked-down London right now.
Ezra takes us on a journey through a desolate London as he reminisces on what life was like before all of this, whilst reminding us of how far we have come.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I have always had a keen interest in all things film and photo since a young age, I think skateboarding played a key part in that. I moved to London to study Photography, just from being here and surrounding myself with likeminded people, I soon found myself working in the world of film. Since then I have been shooting all types of content all over the world, I can't imagine doing anything else.
How did lockdown affect your creativity and inspiration to make art?
It’s been very up and down, at times being locked up has actually given me more inspiration to get out and create. Whilst on the other hand it can completely suck all of the life out of you, leaving you more demotivated than ever.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
With lockdown affecting the creative industry so hard, it has been difficult to keep motivated at times. Rather than letting it bring us down we took the opportunity to get out and make something.
I think the concept was the most difficult part of the whole process. We really wanted to create something that reflects these incredible times, something that we can look back on in the future to remind us of what we have all been through, and how far we have come. We chose to tell this story through a poem, describing all the things we love, what we miss and what we hope for once things open up again. We used a skateboarder as a visual vehicle to show the state of the city, London has never looked anything like this, and probably never will again, we had to document it.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Just get out there and go for it, act on inspiration, the worst thing you can do is sit on an idea for too long and let it deteriorate.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
The whole process of promoting films like this is a very new journey for me, so I’m currently learning about how this works, it's very confusing.
What are you working on now?
I have another short film that I also shot at home over lockdown, I just haven’t had the time to really get stuck into the edit yet, I’m super excited to get working on it though!
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Too many to list!
I did watch ‘THE LAST STORM’ by Liam Saint-Pierre last night though and loved it, well worth a watch!
FOLLOW OUT RIGHT FILMS
Interested in getting your work selected as Short of the Week?
TPFF: July 2021 Official Selections
Our jury has put forward the following films as Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists for this month’s edition of The People’s Film Festival which culminates at our annual gala - March 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!
PORTRAIT
directed by Keir Siewert
'Based on real accounts, a model takes matters into her own hands
to expose a serial predator in the photography world.'
Rhetta, an industrious model, sets up a shoot with a predatory photographer, notorious for his coercion tactics and aggressive actions. However, little does he realise that Rhetta has orchestrated this meeting as a sting to expose his inappropriate behaviour on an online video live stream.
Winner of the Genera grant, Portrait is a tense drama built on research from interviews with 21 models about their experiences overcoming the abuse of power in the photography world.
PORTRAIT is an Official Selection in the Micro-Budget Category.
LIFE SKILLS
directed by Gino Evans
Life Skills tells the story of Nathan, a former soldier who is struggling with life after serving in the armed forces. When Nathan’s world is collapsing and he is at his lowest point, he seeks respite by taking a unique path to try to overcome his problems.
LIFE SKILLS is an Official Selection in the Low Budget Category.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
directed by Tomasz Frymorgen
During the UK's Thursday evening clap for healthcare workers, an over-virtuous neighbour is challenged by the nurse next door. His only way to avoid public humiliation is to crush the heretic before him.
This short satirical film searches for the line between encouraging virtue and enforcing submission in pandemic Britain. It’s about class divides, witch hunts and the darkness beneath our most righteous performances.
THANK YOU SO MUCH is an Official Selection in the Sponsored Category.
finalists
Micro-Budget Category
SLIGHTLY RED HANDED directed by James Hastings
THE SOCIAL DOCTOR directed by Matteo Valentini
Low-Budget Category
SHALLOW directed by Paul Ashton
YOSHI FUNABASHI directed by Mattia Ramberti
Sponsored Category
COME FIND ME directed by Nela Wagman
DEAD MAN WALKING directed by Ryan Marcus
semi-finalists
BEAST OF BURDEN directed by Christopher Deakin
COVID TALES directed by Ryan Ackland
MILK directed by Celia Jaspers
PASSING BY directed by Pheline Hanke, Duc Quang Le, Lisa Jane Albrecht, & Johanna Geimer
SUCTION directed by Rachel Tillotson
THE SUBTERRANE directed by Seán Staab
THERE IS A SCRATCH ON THE INSIDE OF MY RIGHT KNEE directed by William Cho
TINA AND PETER directed by Dan Hodgson
2:15 directed by Matteo Valentini
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
The Extinct
A self-deprecatory portrait of an endangered pickpocket and his financial struggles resulting frоm the third UK quarantine.
Written and Directed by Yury Vorobev
Politicians, big actors, high-rank footballers and other significant figures keep insisting to give voice to the voiceless. It is finally happening. Whoo-hoo! A self-deprecatory portrait of an endangered pickpocket and his financial struggles resulting frоm the third UK quarantine.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH Yury
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Born in St. Petersburg. Brewed in Moscow. Matured in London. Radiohead. Earlybird. Storyteller. Loving son. I should probably stop here to make "tell us a bit about yourself" more intriguing. Trust me you don't really want to know much more about my "intergalactic" filming adventure. Especially taking into account how many Ted Talks to catch up with are out there. So please be sensible with your time.
I started off my way to filmmaking by developing intros for various broadcast programmes at Channel 5 Russia. It was fun mostly because after hours we used to play a lot of Call Duty. Ah, these were the times!
As a firm believer in storytelling I made my way to the adland hoping to create more idea focused content. But the more I worked on TV commercials and branded films the more I craved them to be less adverts but more like films. Honestly, it wasn't going anywhere. I struggled. People who worked with me did too. But controversial enough, I'm very much glad that I did. Because that was a wake up call for me. I suddenly realised that filmmaking is the thing I mostly enjoy doing, no matter what. From writing stories to working with actors, location scouting, going the extra mile one the set and so on and so forth. I just love every bit of it. Even when everything goes nuts I love it.
Since 2012 I have settled in London. I studied filmmaking in Raindance School while constantly upgrading my script writing skills at different online courses. In 2020 I wrote and shot a debut short film "Stalin Unlimited".
How did lockdown affect your creativity and inspiration to make art?
Which one, the 1st, 2nd or 3rd?
The first lockdown was a perfect spark to look at things we all used to from a completely different perspective. As it turns out we take so many things for granted and all of sudden they just feel so unique. Everything ignited from the fact that my beloved take away cup of coffee was taken away from me and as a result had become the most carved thing over the pandemic. I have never thought that I'd be dreaming about such a basic thing. But I did. Mostly in the mornings. And then I got bored dreaming about the coffee. That was my starting point. Boom!
From coffee to tofey. I mean trophy.
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
Turning my living room into some sort of shooting studio was an overambitious idea to say the least. A massive challenge as well. I had to live in that mess for over a month convincing my wife that it was worth doing it. Not to mention that I have an OCD to keep everything nice and tidy at home. It was tough. But on the plus side, my wife has not divorced me. Yet. And I have not gone into a mental institution. Yet.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
I'd say just better to make a bad one rather than not to make it at all. Filmmaking is such a never ending learning curve. Obviously making mistakes is a big part of it. So you'd better make them as much as you can in the beginning. Sounds a bit like I encourage people to make shitty films though. Weirdly enough it makes sense though.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
It wasn't too easy to be honest. I had to do loads of parts by myself. I was a writer/director, set designer, editor/colourist and even had to do some clean up myself. Almost a one man band. A big lesson for me is that I will never ever do everything myself again. If you want to come in one piece afterwards it's highly not recommended. Just focus on your part and let the others do the rest.
What are you working on now?
I'm writing a new short which I'm planning to film in August.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I recently opened to myself the films of Christian Petzold. 'Barbara' in particular has quite resonated with me. It's a beautiful drama film that reflects on choices, dilemmas and sacrifice.
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British Graffiti
An art history graduate couldn't get a job after graduating and now works in a supermarket. Years of being terrorised by his boss make him reach his boiling point.
Written, directed, and produced by Mark van Heusden.
An art history graduate couldn't get a job after graduating and now works in a supermarket. Years of being terrorised by his boss make him reach his boiling point.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARK
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I grew up in The Netherlands and made no budget short films with friends while doing my undergrad. I soon realised that I didn't really have any technical knowledge and started interning as an editor and camera assistant on corporate videos to become a more skilled filmmaker. I then moved to the UK and wanted to make a new film and I was able to do that by doing an MA in filmmaking. British Graffiti is my first film after having interned for 6 months and it helped me a lot in terms of planning and knowing how much time it costs to do certain camera set ups. I since made another short film David French Is A Piece of Shit and I Want Him Dead and a couple of music videos and mainly work as an editor to pay the bills.
What's your inspiration behind British Graffiti?
When I was doing my MA, lots of other students in my year had this fear of what would happen after graduating. Would we able to find work in the film industry?
I found that very nervewrecking too, and so decided to make this the central theme of my movie. What if you can't find your dream job and are forced to work somewhere you don't want to work? In this particular case I set the film in a supermarket because I worked in a supermarket for eight years whilst I was in school. I enjoyed the mundane task of restocking shelfs as I could kind of switch off, but it wasn't always a fun place to work because I encountered quite a few miserable people there. This film was a great way of getting both of these frustrations out of my system!
What obstacles did you overcome while in the making of this film?
Filming in a supermarket was very tough. An amazing opportunity, but we shot overnight between 22:00 PM until 04:00 AM for a week whilst they were restocking shelves. The first obstacle was exhaustion, because we had been up during the day to go through the shotlist and rehearse the scenes and then we needed to shoot through the night. So we were extremely tired every day. Secondly we had to be on our feet constantly because even though there were no customers, there were still employees stocking the shelves. We had to make sure not to be in their way and had to move around a lot to ensure we could get our scenes done and not have them in shot or ruin the sound.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Be as prepared as you can! Things will not go exactly as you planned, so the best thing you can do is plan everything meticulously with everyone involved. This way not only you know what you want, but also your cast and crew have an idea of where you're heading. If obstacles arrive, you have a goal in mind and you can work around them. I hate it when people say "we'll cross that bridge when we get there" because in filmmaking, that bridge is usually on fire so you'll have to be prepared.
Also, take care of your crew. In order to make your film everyone needs to be at their best, and in order to do that it's best to keep them happy and comfortable! Check if everyone is ok and the best trick to a happy and motivated crew is good catering! (No pizza or kebab but nutritious meals!)
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
This one is tough because I had a little trouble with this film. I produced it myself and shot in a supermarket showing all their branding and uniforms and they weren't too happy with that. My own fault, so I had to learn DaVinci and change the colour of the uniforms and a VFX artist removed the branding. So getting it to audiences happened a little later than I wanted, but it did have a small festival run. Since then it's been on Vimeo as to be very honest, I find it difficult to promote my work! I'm very comfortable on set and in the cutting room, but once a film is done I find it tricky to reach an audience.
What are you working on now?
I have written two short films that I would like to make. A Part of Me is the prologue/proof of concept for a feature, but since it would be quite ambitious and expensive I might make a cheaper short set in one location titled Love Is a Drug and I Overdosed. My films have always been quite large in scale and very (maybe too) ambitious so I quite look forward to doing a small movie before I gear up for something bigger again.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
So many! Not many people in the UK are familiar with Dutch cinema so I'd like to recommend a few. Soldier of Orange (1977) is a classic by Paul Verhoeven who would later make it big in Hollywood. Character (1997) won the Oscar for best Foreign Language Film and is very good. And a personal favourite is Aanmodderfakker (2014) which is a comedy that reminds me a lot of Edgar Wright's films. One of my all time favourite's is an underrated gem: Delicatessen (1992) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet who did Amelie. And recently these films have blown me away: Höstsonaten (1978), To Be or Not To Be (1942), After The Wedding (2006), Fail Safe (1964).
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Rambling
Don your boots to ramble a rural expanse that's rich with doggers, mentally scarred artists, and You Are Here signs that are out to get you.
Created and written by WILL NOBLE and JOE REANEY
The Great British Countryside™ covers an area equivalent to a trillion football pitches. Probably. We don our boots to ramble a rural expanse that's rich with doggers, mentally scarred artists, and You Are Here signs that are out to get you.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH WILL NOBLE
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
Myself and Joe met on a scriptwriting course at Bournemouth Uni and bonded over a love of Alan Partridge, Curb and Look Around You. Joe's previously made a couple of award-winning short films. Our first foray into animation was with BenPics - with a short called 'Spaghetti' - a cautionary tale about cooking too much pasta. The script itself was actually a sketch written for our comedy group, Birds.
So Rambling is part of a web series called The Green and Pleasant Guide. Can you tell us about your inspiration being this web series and in particular for the Rambling episode?
The Green and Pleasant Guide is basically an homage to/send up of those shows you get on the BBC on a Sunday afternoon, where people are banging on about how great the countryside is. We wanted to put a surreal/dark spin on that, through the lens of Londoners who know nothing about the countryside. So for instance, the Rambling episode features a 'You Are Here' sign that chases a poor rambler around until he winds up running into the thresher of a combine harvester. The presenter is that perma-smile type, who could keep grinning through a bit to camera in an abattoir.
What is your process for creating animation and any hacks or tips you can share?
Find an animator whose style you really love. In our case it was Ben. Plus, the voice talent (Celeste Dring, Luke Rollason, Amy Gledhill) were all people we'd admired from afar, and were fortunate enough to get on board.
Our process is: Joe and I write the scripts, then send them to Ben, who often chips in with one or two suggestions for visual gags. We'll change the script accordingly, before recording the voiceovers. At this point, Ben will make the final animations to fit the voices and everything else that's going on in the script.
How have to tried to get attention to your when releasing it direct online?
We've essentially set up a YouTube channel and a Twitter account, and put some bad jokes on the latter to try and get people to visit the former.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I mean, the best films about the countryside are probably Nuts in May, Sightseers and Withnail and I. In each one, things go horrifically awry - just like in the Green and Pleasant Guide.
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Teeth
A year after covid ravaged New York city, Ikeem "Teeth" Jones reflects on his legacy as the best subway dancer.
A film by Alex Fischman Cárdenas & Gabriel Crawford Connelly
A year after covid ravaged New York city, Ikeem "Teeth" Jones reflects on his legacy as the best subway dancer.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I began making movies when I was 12. All my friends got really into skating and since I was frightened by the prospect of falling, I filmed. These movies were shot and edited on a 2007 Sony Erickson phone and they were incredibly bad! Regardless, I received so much encouragement that I continued my hobby of making movies. I upgraded to a camcorder and began working with semi-professional actors, and then, with a crew. Eventually, I made what I'd consider to be my first short film, La Vieja Quinta at 17. Since then, I moved to the US to study film and continued making work like Alienación. When the pandemic struck, it shut down my thesis film, and with nothing to film in NYC I was incredibly bored.
How did you find your subject for Teeth?
This is where my friend and DP Gabriel Connelly comes in! We had worked on Alienación together, and he said "oh we should do something about a subway dancer"... That thought sent me spinning across the internet in search for NYC's best subway dancer, and so, I found Ikeem. Ikeem, AKA TEETH, was kind enough to meet me. Our first interview was in July of 2020, and I spent almost a year going back and digging deeper through his story. We became close and even played call of duty together.
Any hacks or tips for making a short documentary?
When making a documentary or narrative film I think you have to become really close to your cast and crew. Gaining and maintaining their confidence is key. I really pride myself in trying to create a fun and enjoyable experience on set. I think the only hack I could give is YouTube! I learned so much by following filmmaking accounts and basically taught myself most of the stuff I would re-learn in college.
Congrats on “Teeth” getting selected for a Vimeo Staff Pick! Any tips for filmmakers on how they can up their chances in following in your footsteps?
We were so honored to receive a Vimeo Staff Pick for Teeth recently. The little badge is a huge honor and it helped in spreading the film to more eyeballs.
This is my first time getting a staff pick, so I can only really speak of what I think worked this time. I think its first about creating work that feels fresh and then sending it out to blogs. Pages like Kino, Short of the Week, Booooooooom, Film Shortage, Directors Library, etc.. I want to believe Vimeo curators roam those pages and having your work there makes it easier for them to find it.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Shorts: I want to give a plug to Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah's to the girl that looks like me also shot by my friend Gabriel Connelly.
Features: I recently saw the Russian film Beanpole and its beautiful depiction of death and suffering was a mind-boggling trip.
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Perfectly Flawed
Set underneath a bridge, on the outskirts of Amsterdam during the hot summer of the pandemic, Jak O’Hare’s short film captures the genuine conversation between two strangers about life, uncertainty, dreams, vulnerability, and also trust and faith.
Directed by Jak O’Hare
The intimacy of strangers.
Set underneath a bridge, on the outskirts of Amsterdam during the hot summer of the pandemic, Jak O’Hare’s short film captures the genuine conversation between two strangers about life, uncertainty, dreams, vulnerability, and also trust and faith.
The film fills the gap, somewhere between fiction and documentary.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I started shooting music video’s in the early 2000’s, mainly for the rising Grime scene in London. We were carving out what now is so polished. It was a great time to work with artists like Skepta, Tinchy Stryder and Ghetts. I then moved into branded content and commercial work, where I got to travel and work with such a variety of talent and crew. This film is very much the beginning of a new chapter in my journey of filmmaking.
What was your inspiration behind Perfectly Flawed?
I suppose it was life. Moving to Europe, which feels far more romantic than the UK at times. Then the pandemic hit and I couldn’t help but think, what about the generation starting out on their path. How do they feel, what do they want? I wonder if were loosing a generation, a detached sense of community. The world is defiantly more confusing to navigate now, with globalisation and the information overload. So I wanted to focus on an emotion that has and will never change - Love.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
The age old, just do it. It’s far easier to procrastinate, than make whats in your head. Make the films you want to watch was the best advice I’ve heard.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I found this really difficult personally. Im so used to making films for brands or artists that take care of the promotion. But I must say, I’ve discovered a whole new world of short film makers and platforms. Without these platforms and show cases we would not be liberated to create.
Does your film have any landmarks that you can discuss (awards, special screenings, etc.)?
Its been entered into festivals towards the end of the year, so fingers crossed. I was pleased that Berlin based fashion magazine, KaltBlut picked it up. To be honest, what honours me the most is people personal feelings and thoughts to the film.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I really enjoyed watching ‘Baby Teeth’ recently. I love zooming into people’s lives.
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TPFF: June 2021 Official Selections, Finalists & Semi-Finalists
Our jury has put forward the following films as 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
ON THE COUCH WITH MY DEPRESSION
directed by Angharad Gladding
Full of excited anticipation, a poet plans to go to a book party. Then along comes depression. A film about yearning simply to be able to clean your teeth and leave the house.
Based on the poem "I was going to go to Dorothea Lasky’s book party in Brooklyn, but instead I stayed on the couch with my depression, not crying" by Paula Harris
ON THE COUCH WITH MY DEPRESSION is an Official Selection in the Sponsored category.
JAHANNAM
directed by Hamza Pool
A victim of Israel’s use of administrative detention, a Palestinian detainee goes on a hunger strike after being separated from his daughter and incarcerated without trial or charge.
Inspired by recent cases, "Jahannam" tackles the issue of administrative detention and Israel's use of this practice to imprison thousands of Palestinians for lengthy periods of time. The film also explores the use of hunger strikes by detainees as a form of protest, and how the Israeli prison system punishes such resistance.
JAHANNAM is an Official Selection in the Sponsored category.
MYRTLE
directed by Patricia McCormack
Myrtle, a trailer park Mom from Indiana, cooks dinner for her son. But something's not quite right. This kitchen is anonymous, industrial, and Myrtle's working to a deadline. As her composure unravels, we realize that 21 grams is all that separates life from death.
MYRTLE is an Official Selection in the Sponsored category.
finalists
Micro-Budget Category
LIFE’S A SHOW directed by Harvey Puttock
THE TROLL directed by Yennis Cheung
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
BACK TO US directed by Gabriele Rossi
T.A.N. directed by Adrian Younge
semi-finalists
BELIEVE directed by Peter Stead
MAYA directed by Jacquile Kambo
TO START OF NOTHING directed by Nico Pimparé
TWO GHOSTS WATCHING EACH OTHER directed by Malindi Kindrachuk & George Moore Chadwick
UNDO directed by Katie Harriman
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
Alex
Alex tells us of a woman reliving and working through a trauma. Inspired by EMDR therapy, the film looks at abandonment during childhood as something that is likely to accompany us into adulthood. Through an experimental, movement-led approach, Alex takes us on a journey into the human psyche.
Written & Directed by Luca Spreafico
Exploring the more narrative soul of fashion film while staying true to the genre’s strong focus on aesthetics, Alex tells us of a woman reliving and working through a trauma. Inspired by EMDR therapy, the film looks at abandonment during childhood as something that is likely to accompany us into adulthood. Through an experimental, movement-led approach, Alex takes us on a journey into the human psyche.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I have always been fascinated by visual arts - since I was a kid. I still remember my first trip to Paris and how much of an impression the Musee D’Orsay left on me with all the great impressionist painters. Then my attention gradually shifted towards photography and video. It started as a passion then slowly it has become the job that I love. I began by making videos and taking photos, which helped understand the creative process and the work involved and led me towards a more directing role.
What was your inspiration behind Alex?
I have always been interested in exploring the subconscious. For example, anything to do with EMDR techniques fascinates me. As this is my first narrative project and there was no client involved, it made sense to experiment, do something for myself and not think too much about whether it would fit within a certain genre. Hence why I brought dance into it: I’ve always seen dancing as a way to free oneself from doubts and fears. With Alex I wanted it to be the tool the lead character employs to work through her trauma.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Keep things simple and clear, but do focus on the details both on a narrative level as well as visually. And most importantly, surround yourself with a great team. This is what makes the difference.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
This is something that is always tricky as a filmmaker. I worked with festival strategist and publicist Niccolò Montanari to come up with a distribution strategy for Alex. As we weren’t in a rush, we decided to focus first on the film festival circuit, specifically on the fashion film festival world but also on those short film festivals that cater for content with a strong focus on aesthetics. We were selected by more than 25 international festivals, with 10 nominations and 5 wins, which has also helped us secure online coverage as the film has just been released.
Does your film have any landmarks that you can discuss (awards, special screenings, etc.)?
I feel that winning at A Shaded View on Fashion Film with Best Actress is definitely something I’m proud of. That’s the first ever fashion film festival and its founder Diane Pernet is a very respected personality within the industry.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
Among my favourites, I would definitely recommend The Tree of life, Moonlight, Cold War, 8 1/2.
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Lesson 7
What begins as a seemingly innocent and melancholic trip to a near deserted hospital ward in the late night hours, becomes a twisting journey of anguish and manipulation.
Directed by Neil Linpow | Written by Hunter Andrews
Having downloaded a self help program devised and narrated by the enigmatic MAX, we follow ASH, as he prepares to tackle Lesson 7: Confronting death. What begins as a seemingly innocent and melancholic trip to a near deserted hospital ward in the late night hours, becomes a twisting journey of anguish and manipulation.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE FILMMAKER
Tell us a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background.
I’m a bit like frankensteins monster to be fair, lol. I started off as an actor, and had a few decent parts in some things, but it all started to plateau and I got bored of the roles that were being sent my way. I was never going to have my name above the movie poster next to Brad Pitt, and I was okay with that, but there’s also only so many times you can play ‘the coach, or ‘the policeman,’ or whatever, before you’ve had enough. Whilst I kind of felt like I’d never had my ‘shot’ so to speak, I also didn’t want to live job to job anymore just to pay the bills.
I had been writing bits and pieces on and off, and a few director friends would often ask me to help them with their commercial pitches and treatments. Before long that led me in-house to a small production company. I really enjoyed working with the directors and found that my love of films and misspent youth consuming cinema aligned pretty well with understanding how to best position talent for commercial opportunities. From there I started Exec Producing on those campaigns and moved on to work for a bigger production company. I have been really fortunate to have been able to work with some incredible talent including Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind), Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), Colm McCarthy (Peaky Blinders), Sam Miller (I may destroy you) and Bobby Farrelly (Dumb & Dumber) amongst others. I also get to work with some really exciting up coming talent every day too.
It inspired me to continue to explore my own creativity and write stories that interest me. Then in turn, collaborate with some of the amazing talent I have met over the years to try and get these stories made. Part of it was an opportunity to play some of the parts I never had the opportunity to play, and part was because I found that having a creative outlet for my own ideas made me more focused and better equipped to guide the careers of the directors I look after in my day to day.
So your day job is as an Executive Producer? Can you explain what it is that you do and how it's different from a traditional producer?
I work primarily in advertising so it’s bit different to traditional film. But, my role is about the creative development and overseeing of projects from the initial pitching process through to final delivery. I build relationships with advertising creatives and agency producers, and look for opportunities that would best fit the roster of directors my production company has. From there, I work with our directors to further develop those ideas through a pitch and into production.
A traditional producer generally runs the logistical aspects of the shoot organisation and management. They are responsible for the money. Budgeting, crewing up, and running the day to day production. I work very closely with the producer on commercial jobs so that we are able to push the creative as far as the money will allow. Working in tandem with a producer, and understanding how to break down a script and budget allows us to pitch realistically together, and has been really helpful when I’ve had to physically line produce my own films too.
What was your inspiration behind Lesson 7?
Writer Hunter Andrews and I had been kicking around a feature idea about a ten-step self-help program that preyed on vulnerable people for a while. We thought an interesting approach initially would be to make a proof of concept that also worked as a short film in its own right.
These days we’re all so reliant on creating shortcuts and life hacks. So much of what we do and what we trust is digital and anonymous. Our phones have become our most trusted confidants. We let it into our psyche and desires. We trust the apps we download, the audiobooks, podcasts and life guides we listen to. It’s the place we look to find the answers to both our passing whims and our deeper more existential life questions. We wondered what it might look like if someone was able to abuse that trust. Just how malleable could a vulnerable person’s identity be, and how far could they allow themselves to be pushed in the pursuit of freedom from the constraints of modern society?
How did you balance acting, producing and directing at the same time?
I think fundamentally it’s about surrounding yourself with amazing people that you trust, and that care about your film as much as you do. That, and meticulous planning, so that you are all united in what it is you are trying to make. That way you’re able to maximise your time on the day concentrating on the execution of those creative choices.
That’s not to say I’ve managed to nail all that though. Lol.
To be honest, so far both the films I’ve finished were one day shoots and each came with their own unique set of problems. I found that the producing side of it all is actually the most stressful, and having someone that can take the shoot day stress off your shoulders is invaluable. You really don’t want to be worrying about whether the lunch is going to turn up on time, or if there’s enough toilet paper in the portaloo when you’ve only got 8 hours in a derelict hospital location with no heating or running water, and 6 pages of script to shoot.
As far as the acting goes, I’ve always been able to look at myself on screen objectively and see the character, as opposed to myself. That helps, because it means I can watch playback and concentrate on whether we’ve got what we need for the story, as opposed to being worried about whether I am pulling a stupid face in a scene. I usually am.
That said, doing it for much more than a one day shoot where you are also directing and producing on no budget is not appealing. It’s tough going. For my latest short film I’m finishing up, I decided to stay behind the camera. I love working with actors, and I really wanted to shoot with some that weren’t me. And to be fair, I don’t think I could have pulled off playing a 20 something year old female football player anyway. Haha.
Any hacks or tips for making a short film?
Keep making stuff. As often as you can. I think the biggest road block for most filmmakers is procrastination. It’s never been easier to go out and make something yourself, and if you’re smart about it, there’s no reason why you can’t make something that stands out, despite budget limitations.
Unless you are lucky enough to secure some kind of funding, the likelihood is that your short (like Lesson 7) will be entirely dependant on the favours and goodwill that you can pull together through your network of friends and collaborators. So have a look at the resources that you already have, and try to work with those when you are writing your script. Have access to a great location? Set your film there. Friends with a great actor? Write a kick ass part for them. I think when you write with no limitations, the budget can quickly spiral, and that’s when short films end up just living on the page indefinitely.
Keep your short, short, and ideally achievable in a one day shoot. It’s easier to get people to lend you a day of their time than it is 2 or 3.
Build relationships and payback your favours, be it in kind on other people’s projects, or on loyalty when you have paid work to offer out. All simple stuff, but all things that I have found incredibly helpful in getting my own little films made.
Tell us about the journey of getting your film to audiences.
I made my first short film in 2019 and did the whole traditional festival circuit thing. I was really lucky that it was selected for a couple of BAFTA qualifying festivals, but it was also passed over by a lot of them too. Most of these festivals also want your film to be exclusive, and the notification of selection dates are often 6 months down the road, so you are really limited when you are planning how and where you can release your film.
In truth, I had one amazing connection at Cambridge film festival where the producer behind the acclaimed ‘County Lines’ liked my film and we’ve since made another short (currently in post) together. That was great, but, I ultimately found that the online release of the film was far more impactful than its festival run. It opened it up to a much wider audience and meant that the film could be picked up by a number of short film platforms.
So, I decided this time that I wasn’t going to do the festivals, barring one or two that I particularly liked. Instead, I went straight to the same places online that had liked my previous film and hoped that they liked this one too.
It’s been great to see the positive response, and to be able to control the release of the film. I am so grateful that the film is finding an audience so quickly.
Does your film have any landmarks that you can discuss (awards, special screenings, etc.)?
The aim is still to explore the wider story, so we are talking with a couple of production companies about developing the it further. I see it as a feature, or as an anthology series, where each lesson follows a different character. It’s a slow burn process though. We’ve won awards at the Infinity film festival (Best Sound & Best Director) and there are two other festivals we are waiting on, with a hope that we can screen with them. Like I said though, we’re not really exploring festivals this time around.
Where and how did you release your film online, since you found it more impactful than the traditional festival circuit?
I put the last short film, ‘Time,’ on Vimeo, and sent it out to a number of short film platforms including Shots, Little Black Book, Beyond the Short, Film Shortage, David Reviews and Discover Film. It gave me a diverse spread of audience, from the more traditional short film curators, to those in the advertising community too.
Two part question: How far along are you in the development process of turning Lesson 7 into a feature or anthology series? And do you think the strategy of making a short film as proof of concept will help you in the pitching process?
It’s early days to be honest. Hunter has been so busy this past year with feature projects, and in my spare time I have also been writing my first feature film (another single location thriller) with Warner Bros that is scheduled to shoot this Autumn with the brilliant Matthias Hoene directing.
We have spoken to a couple of production companies that are interested in developing it, but we’re still figuring out the best route to go. Whether it’s episodic and covers a wider breadth of Max’s ’pupils,’ or if we keep it intimate and focus on one persons journey over a feature length.
Either way, I think that the short film builds intrigue and hopefully gives people a sense of what that wider story could be, hinting at the lessons that led us to this point and posing the question of whats still left to come. If people finish the short and want to know more, then I think it’s done its job.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
I love lo-fi thrillers. I recommend that anyone who’s never seen ‘Blue Ruin’ goes and watches it. Not only for the film itself, but for inspiring and aspirational way they went about making it. Two mates that believed in each other. It keeps the belief going that it’s possible.
I also love films that are contained to one or two locations, so I’d say ‘Moon,’ which does that incredibly well, and ‘Right at Your Door’ which I think kind of went under the radar, but is a really great example of tense storytelling on a limited budget.
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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!