Digital Shorts 2008 Finalists

The following 14 filmmaking teams have been short-listed for Digital Shorts 2008:

Merseyside sisters, Paula (writer/director) and (producer) Julie Currie have teamed up to produce Tomboy, a drama shot in Liverpool which focused on seven-year-old Becky, struggling to deal with the death of her mum and her dad’s love of football.

Director David Whitney of Bolton and writer Richard Shaw of Liverpool have reached the short list with Say Nothing, a drama which tells the story of a middle-aged man and his bullying father, who learn how to manage their fraught relationship.

Director Ben Thronley and director/writer Paul Dean, both of Bolton, and writer/producer Shonagh Ingram of Burnley, are together hoping to produce Brother Of Mine, a drama centring on racial tensions that surface when Dennis decides to stand for the British Nationalist Party at local elections, but his brother, Ricky, finds he can’t condone his actions.

Producer Jon Wetheral, writer Ed Connole and director Max Zadow, all of Liverpool, have created Space Freaks, a sci-fi which is set in the future, on a planet at the edge of the galaxy. A tough leader of the disability resistance is faced with his hardest challenge yet: persuade a bunch of freaks to help him put on a musical, or die!

Manchester filmmaker Alan Amin is hoping to write, direct and produce his short film, A Journey Through The Night, a drama which tells the story of Mirko and Ranja, two Kurdish brothers fleeing a war who are guided through the dangers of the night and into a place of safety by the spirit of their father.

Neighbourhood is a drama written by Manchester filmmaker Andy Fraser, who also hopes to produce and direct his black comedy. The story focuses on Walter, a lonely man who is bullied by a notorious gang of local thugs, but who manages to rid the neighbourhood of the gang by calming murdering them, before moving on to another problem estate.

Cumbrian filmmaker, Christine Entwistle, has written Death Of A Double Act, a short film she also hopes to direct and produce. The story is set in two different parts of Cumbria, Flimby in the west and Morcambe Bay in the south, and will show an audience there’s more to Cumbria’s landscape than simply the Lakes.

Liverpool-based producer, Jane Farley, together with writer/director Lynne Harwood, of Formby, are hoping their drama, Enough Rope, will make the final four. The film centres on Iris, a daring political activist who plans to stop G8 delegates from crossing a bridge by suspending a rope across the bridge, with two climbers attached to each end. Iris is convinced no-one would dare to cut the rope, killing the climbers. But Iris is wrong.

Common Ground is the drama producer Stewart Armstrong of Manchester, director Laurence Easeman of Liverpool and writer Scott Fernstrom, who lives in America, hope to produce. It tells the story of a teenager and a middle-aged man who discover they share something very intimate – the same time and location for their suicide.

Manchester filmmaker, Robin Whitten, is hoping to write, produce and direct his short film, Pinko Wilson, together with the help of animators who will help bring to life the central character of Pinko, who spends his life trying to break free from the oppression which forbids him from communicating with others.

Macclesfield man, Rob Dean, has put forward his proposal to write, direct and produce a short drama entitled Life Notes, which centres around an elderly mother and her disabled son, and the problems they each face in the world, especially when social services start to call.

Liverpool producer/director, Sean Crotty, is working with Manchester writer Anjum Malik to produce Iron Man, a drama which explores the themes of love, dreams and coming of age, set against the backdrop of Crosby beach. The story tells the tale of Saira, a young girl taking her first steps to becoming a young woman.

Liverpool documentary-maker, Derek Murray hopes his short film, The Truth About SIDS (Sudden Infant Death) will make a major contribution to preventing the unnecessary death of thousands of children across the world. It tells the true story of Merlin Knight, an 80-year-old who has spent his life trying to solve one of the world’s greatest, unsolved medical mysteries.

Producer Eddie Robson hopes to work with writer/director Sami Khan, both of Manchester, on a drama entitled My Name is Hamzah, which is a story about a young man seeking the approval of his father, and the loss of innocence when he realises his father isn’t the man he thought he was.