Short Films

FILM RELEASE OF award winning short film: ‘EMMI’

Link to film on vimeo is below.  It is 10 minutes long, and a dark drama about 4 women in a block of flats over one night.

 

2017 – short film ; “Emmi”

Emmi is a short film written and produced by myself, Susie Stead and directed by Andrew Carslaw (see fernyfilms.co.uk). It was made in collaboration with the Film Oxford Production group and Ferny Films for a budget of under £2000. It was shot in Oxford, completed in January 2017 and has so far been selected by 29 film festivals.

We won 3 awards:

Screen Talk Prize for Best Oxfordshire Film 2019,

 

The Audience Award at London Rolling Film Festival in Autumn 2017

 

And Best Drama for Oniros Monthly Film Awards in Italy. We’ve been semi-finalists 3 times: Gold Movie Awards Goddess Nike, Hollywood Screenings Film Festival and Los Angeles Cinefest.

Natalie Martins was nominated for best actress in the Monkey Bread Tree Film Awards (IMDb listed) and New Renaissance Film Festival London.

Amy Harris was nominated for best actress in the Largo Film Awards. We were nominated for best social drama and best drama at New Renaissance Film Festival and while we didn’t win, we were given an ‘honourable mention’.

Our poshest nomination was for the Southampton Film Festival where we got wined and dined and given a ghost tour of the city 🙂

THE FUTURE
After the film festivals are over we would like to see it used in schools and as a springboard for discussion amongst teenagers. If this is of interest to you, please get in touch

THE STORY OF EMMI
Emmi is a powerful drama centred on a teenager living in a block of flats who has a dark secret. One evening she crosses paths with Sarah the kindly but nervous resident living in the flat below. The events which follow later in the night will change both of their lives forever.

While the film is fiction it is inspired by a true story. My inspiration for the screenplay came from a newspaper article that I read over 20 years ago and stayed with me.

Emmi aims first and foremost to tell a good story which moves us. It also raises challenging questions like: How do we deal with our fears? How do adults and teenagers communicate difficult issues? What are the pressures in our lives that stop us being the people we would like to be?

The central theme of the film is communication: the obscure, clumsy & unpleasant ways teenagers (and many adults) show their distress and the subsequent difficulty in recognising those vital ‘hidden’ cries for help.

One important aspect of this film for both myself and Andy is that the cast is almost exclusively female with characters that resonate with ordinary life.

THE MIRACLE
Michelle doesn’t talk about children – ever – until Matt arrives.
This is a modern take on the story of Elisha and the woman from Shunem from the bible in 2 Kings 4: 8-37. It’s a 2 minute videoed pitch for a short film entered into the National Competition: ENTER THE PITCH (http://www.enterthepitch.com/). In 2012 it was picked for the last 10 and I pitched it to a panel of film professionals including Nick Park (of Wallace and Gromit fame) at Pinewood Studios, UK.
I’d like to see it made. If you think you can help contact me.

I have written several short films.

COMMISSIONED PIECES

WOULD YOU DO THIS AT WORK?
Parentingmatters.co.uk commissioned me to write a short funny script on the theme of “Would you do this at work?” It’s just over 2 minutes long and can be found on http://www.parentingmatters.co.uk/videos.htm or on youtube: angry parent at work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3xVXLwRBc

REACHING OUT
Oxford Diocese commissioned to write to 3 short dramas for a Training DVD for church people who do pastoral visiting. I created 3 stories around old age, bereavement and mental health and produced this with film-maker Geoff Moore.