Synopsis 

With their first baby on the way, Jack and Anna are escaping the rat race of London in pursuit of a more meaningful life in the countryside. But tensions run high as Jack’s ideals trump Anna’s reluctance to relocate.

The couple's issues come to a head in the throes of moving when their decision to adopt a retired farm dog from born-and-raised local Paige and her suspicious grandson Kieron, goes horribly awry.

Consumed by their relationship conflict, Jack and Anna forget 'Prince' in the back of their moving van, where the dog dies. 

In the fraught aftermath the couple must face the implications of their choices and their relationship to this new environment, its people, and each other. 

Why we are making this film

This 'kitchen sink' twist on a modern thriller looks seriously at the complexity of idealism, and the pitfalls inherent in creating personas - even those crafted in good intention. 

Inspired by films like We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), Blue Valentine (2011) and Force Majeure (2015), we are interested in exploring the tricky ways in which social or moral issues play out in everyday domestic lives, and the murky dimensions of intimate relationships. 

Director's Statement, Creative Vision and References 

We need your help!

Short films allow filmmakers the freedom to take creative risks - enabling us to find the stories we want to tell and a voice in which to tell them.

They are considered rights of passage in the industry and yet, they are notoriously difficult to fund.

This leaves many early filmmakers in a bind; unable to get projects financed without existing work but unable to develop as artists without the resources to make that work in the first place. 

If you’re inclined to support artistic endeavour, storytelling, filmmaking or just an old pal, relative, friend or colleague with what they're trying to make happen - you could look generously on this project by contributing. 

Our crew 

Writer/ Director

Sophie Seyd is an early director and writer. Her love of stories started with theatre and continued through a BA in English. She's worked in documentary, most notably co-creating The Invisible Hand for Casefile Presents. Since her first narrative short Downstream in 2019 she's directed music videos, contributed to short films and is developing a feature. In 2020 she begun learning the ropes of high-end drama and has coordinated post production on two series: Sister Pictures' (Chernobyl) The Power with Emmy Award winning director Reed Morano (A Handmaids Tale), and AMC Studios' (Breaking Bad) Wool with Academy nominated director Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game). 

Producer

Grace Nelder is a BIFA nominated film producer. She studied a Masters of Arts Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and has worked to establish herself in the worlds of both theatre and film production. She has worked on shows such as The Glass Menagerie starring Amy Adams, currently showing at Duke of York's Theatre in London. She is a member of the BFI / BAFTA Crew, and successfully completed the BFI New Producers Lab in 2020. Grace produced the BIFA winning short film Boiling Point which was used to option the BAFTA winning feature of the same name. 

Executive Producer

Ella Denton is a creative producer with ten years experience in project development, campaign management and media strategy. Named one of 'London’s most inspiring young people who are changing the capital' by the Evening Standard, Ella has produced international campaigns, events, YouTube series, music videos, albums, viral content, podcasts and films. She's amassed 8million+ streams on Spotify and an Instagram community of over 160,000 people. Ella is passionate about using her diverse skillset to energise projects across mediums, and align artist's public presence with their private mission. 

Director of Photography

Ailsa Aikoa is a director of photography. They pivoted from a career as an award winning producer - working internationally on music videos and commercials, as well as developing a roster of acclaimed short films - and are now channelling their experience into the pursuit of cinematography. Drawn to unconventional narratives and exciting voices, Ailsa has quickly carved out a distinct style. Their work includes collaborations with Indie band 'Wet Leg’, as well as a growing reel of commercial work. They are awaiting the release of short drama Outdoors from BAFTA nominated writer/director John Fitzpatrick (Wren Boys).

Editor

Editor Rosanne Wilke studied a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and went on to train with Screen Academy Scotland in Edinburgh. She then moved to London where she has quickly progressed to assembly editing high-end drama television, currently on a major Disney+ series. Her most formative industry experience has been working under trusted mentors Stephen Evans (AACTA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft) and Shannon Murphy (BAFTA Best Director nominee for Babyteeth) on Killing Eve for BBC America and the eagerly awaited adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s The Power (Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction). 

Production Designer 

Ishbel Mull is a production designer based in London. Her background in architecture informs her approach to production design and she continues to run her own architect studio, as well as designing for film. Ishbel is excited by making the physical structures for story - from locations to objects - bringing layers though careful observation, light and colour, and the narrative effect of their choreography. Recent production design credits include Pylon, by BAFTA-winning writer/director Barnaby Blackburn, and short film Outdoors from BAFTA-nominated writer/director John Fitzpatrick (Wren Boys).

Casting Director

Thomas Wright began his career as an actor before finding his passion and moving into casting: the dark side, so they say. Representing a list of actors at one of the industries leading talent agencies, Tom was able to mould his style whilst creating lasting relationships within the industry. Since then, Tom has worked alongside casting directors such as Nina Gold, Julie Harkin and Evelina Preston. He is a strong believer that casting must progress with the times, ensuring we tell stories that matter and represent the world as we see it today.