Thank you all for participating in the Short Film Fund. This year we received many solid projects, so the longlist is fairly long!
THE LONGLIST
A Lake of Stars, written by Nick Green
A Significant Moment, written by Imogen Harrison
About Grief and Plants, written by Noam Gottlieb-Zeiss
Almost Heaven, written by Tanya Shamil
Bin Run, written by Scottie White
Bloodbuzz, written by Daisy Bata
Brick Game, written by Edem Dotse
Canvassing, written by Matthew Chang
Checco, written by Roberto Campione
Code/Switch, written by Mikhail Sen
Dance, written by Kathryn Georghiou
Do They Not Hate U?, written by Eliot Gelberg-Wilson
Double Digging, written by Ann Hawker
Each a Fire, written by Luke David Sims
Etienne Dreams Of A Miracle, written by Julian Sonntag
Ex Memoria, written by Devany Greenwood
Fat, written by Zoë Brian
For Better, written by Kitty Percy
Frostlands, written by Anastasia Bruce-Jones
Gardeners, written by Merry May Ma
Gay Gordons, written by Antóin Beag Ó Colla
Give Me My Motherf*cking Gucci Bag!, written by Steven Lee
Gorge, written by Aimie Willemse
Gorgon, written by Lizzie Lomas
Guess Who, written by Andrew Rutter
Heavenly Visas, written by Tomasz Frymorgen
Hope is lost, written by Eno Enefiok
How to Reverse an Exorcism, written by David Ranson
In Oar, written by Cherish Perez de Tagle
interiorem pueri, written by Teresa Catherine
Into The Blue Again, written by Dan Lovatt
Just One Jump, written by Julian Chomet
Just Us, written by Charles Furness
Khazana (Treasure), written by Basir Ahmed
Last of the Lovers, written by Nick Green
Learners, written by Emer Heatley
Let Me Stay, written by Anson K. H. Yip
Mad Summer, written by Larissa Salazar
Monkey, written by Charlotte Alexander
Monster, written by Andrew Gilchrist
My Lady Garden, written by Sally Llewellyn
Parsons Ward, Room Four, written by Matthew Flack
Please Hang Up, written by Andrea Tellez, Sophie Tellez
Pocket of Love, written by Shawn Zou
Poster Boy, written by India Opzoomer, Daniel Young Kim, Fergus Burnand
Primate, written by Kieran Turnbull
Princess Pea, written by Lea Otovic
Promise, written by Huss Kohn
Ramona, written by David Woll
Random Facts About the Sky, written by Ross O’Donnellan
Refuel, written by Shezah Salam
Rescue, written by Ed Wiles
Roller Coaster, written by Emanuel Nisan
Scars That Define Us, written by Edward Worthy
Sensitivity Read, written by Georgia Goggin
She Creature: The Ugly Duckling, written by Chris Krovatin, Maria Krovatin, Lize Johnston
SHE, written by Keir Barradell
Socks and Flying Saucers, written by Madison Fitts
Stealing Time, written by Ethan Beaven
Storm Clipper, written by Anna Keel
Stuck, written by Shannon Brown
Sunday Sauce, written by Matthew Campanella
Sweet Dust, written by Joe Borg
Taste, written by BriAnna Olson
Teeth, written by Aleyha Ahmed
Test and Trace, written by James Taylor MacArthur
The Code of the Heart, Taught by the Moon, written by Marita De La Torre
The Cube, written by Freya Mavor
The Curse, written by Chris Tan
The Fragrance of Little Daisies, written by Animesh Garg
The Ladder, written by James Newman
The Recall Race, written by Isabella Vizetta
They Who Cannot Pay, written by Nico Rao Pimparé
Thorns and Stingers, written by Stacy-Ann Ellis
Three Women, written by Toyin Taiwo
Towering Times, written by Franck Benayoun
Ulua, written by Brayden Yoder
Unexpected Guest, written by Brian Mullin
Unwell, written by Michelle Lindsay-Baharie
Vital, written by Amir Zargara
Vocabulary, written by Zhizi Hao
Wako Wapi Part III (Where Are They), written by Jacob Sirma
Warren, written by Rebecca Hindmarsh
Where Do Memories Go, written by Brandon Tyson
General feedback from our readers
We asked our readers if they had any general thoughts about common issues they found in the scripts they read. This is what we got back:
“I’ve noticed something interesting in many of the scripts I’ve read. They often start off strong, with great beginnings and engaging middles, but the endings don’t always land as well. Sometimes, they leave the reader wondering about the story’s overall message or theme. It’s clear that writers are trying to write endings that don’t conform to traditional, overused conventions for resolutions, which is admirable. However, it’s still possible to achieve this while ensuring that the audience is left with a feeling that they’ve learned something about themselves, the world, or the human condition. There’s a difference between an open ending, which doesn’t tie up all loose ends but still feels complete, and an ending that leaves the story feeling more like a situation rather than a fully developed narrative. Thinking about how the final scenes can sum up the narrative or leave a lasting impression can be helpful. Techniques to consider include showing character development, introducing a turning point, or addressing central conflicts and themes. By focusing on these elements, endings can feel more complete and impactful, improving the overall story.“
“Many of the scripts I read had the narrative style of TV series episodes rather than short films. The beginning of these scripts is often too long, with the inciting incident occurring late into the piece. Narratively, they tend to have issues with structure and pacing. The necessity to hook the reader is amplified in the short format, making getting into the main character’s goal and starting to push them into the challenge of attaining it efficiently essential. Character ensembles with enmeshed backstories appear often. Frequently, these groups inhabit a part of their world’s “en-vogue” social scene. This setup becomes repetitive and echoes already popular TV shows, like ‘Euphoria’, too referentially. Vitally, providing a viewer with all the necessary story info to understand these characters, their social fabric and the culture of their world takes too long – resulting in stories that cram everything into the climax. Another result of pushing a TV plot into a short is that the scripts have cliffhangers or open-ended narratives as if designed to bring the audience back for another chapter. A short film should set out to satisfy the audience’s desire for resolution as a single unit, even if intended as a proof of concept for something bigger. Dialogue in these shorts comes up against two common pitfalls: it is too obscure and struggles to communicate the plot, or it must become over-expository to get everything across. The short is its own medium, with specific structural and narrative needs. At their best, short films are tight story units, introducing a character with a precise want that we can dig into the minutia of and then drive a compelling obstacle right into.“
This last comment fees particularly relevant because we received it from five different readers. It was worded in a different way each time but the core message was the same:
“An exceptionally large proportion of the scripts I read focused on personal trauma. I get why one would choose such topics. Nowadays the industry praises personal stories because of their authenticity. Moreover – since they are inspired by personal experiences – the writers are strongly positioned to claim they are the best person to tell them. TV dramas like “Baby Reindeer” and “I may destroy you” are masterful examples of this trend. On the other hand, the abundance of this kind of stories in the current “submissions landscape” makes it difficult for these scripts to stand out in the crowd – simply because there are too many of them. Personally, I’d like to remind writers that we are ultimately story-tellers, not story-owners, so we shouldn’t be afraid of exploring themes and topics we are passionate about, even if when we don’t have first-hand experience. We could lose something in authenticity, but we can find value in having a fresh and unbiased perspective on the topics we explore. After all, as writers, our experience is limited by definition. We’ll never be able to run for Prime Minister before writing a story about it. But that story is waiting to be told, regardless. I believe this perspective could help you stand out in today’s landscape. Tomorrow, who knows, things may change again.“
WHAT’S NEXT?
We are now working to select the six finalists, who will be evaluated by the jury and will compete for the awards. We aim to announce the six finalists on 31st July 2024.
Thank you again for sharing your precious work with us. We hope to be able to read future drafts or new projects that you may wish to share with us. Until then, happy writing!