Hi!

We're Jake and Sophia, and we're the writers/directors of this short film. We met five years ago, as writing partners at the Soho Theater.

Sparks is our attempt at taking the genre of the romantic comedy and turning it on its head. After years of working on larger ensemble films, we found ourselves turning to smaller stories about the intricacies of partnership. Films like The Worst Person in the World, TV series like Scenes from a Marriage, and plays like Lungs, and Beginners. All projects that zoom in on two people in the world, and how they learn to navigate one another.

Story

In the case of Sparks, a couple leaves a pub, lit up with the promise of a great first date. As they walk home, they outline everything that will come. Yes, they will fall in love. But then, parents will die, jobs will be made redundant, children will be born, and those same friends that set them up will continue to haunt them for many decades to come. By the time they get back to Ruth's flat, they're left with a question so many of us can recognise. Yes, this is love. But yes, this will be painful. Do they still want to do it?

So who are we?

Jake Davies is a working class actor and writer from south east London. As an actor, he was named as part of Screen International’s Rising Screen Stars of Tomorrow list.  He's most notably appeared in Black Mirror, The Missing and The Phantom of the Open.

Next up, he'll be seen in The Seven Dials Mystery for Netflix, The Scurry dir. by Craig Roberts and I Fought The Law for ITV.

His film credits include;  The Phantom of the Open, The End We Start With, Bull, Artemis Fowl, The Current War, Ghost Stories, X+Y, Leave to Remain. 

His TV credits include;  Screw, Sherwood, A Confession, Cyberbully, A Mother's Son, Bad Education, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness, Holby City.

In theatre, he has acted in several plays in the West End and at theatres such as the Old Vic and Royal Court. 

Sophia Jennings is a screenwriter based in Los Angeles. She is the writer and producer of the short film PIGS (dir. Julia Jackman), which premiered at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival starring Olivia Williams (The Crown, Rushmore) and Bessie Carter (Bridgerton).

Previously, Sophia was the writer’s assistant to Justin Britt-Gibson (Counterpart) under his overall deal at HBO. She assisted Britt-Gibson in the writers room on Damon Lindelof (The Leftovers)’s Star Wars feature.  Her scripts have placed in competitions including the Hollyshorts Film Festival, Thousand Films Screenwriting Competition (NFTS x Edinburgh TV Festival x Sid Gentle Films), Female Voices Rock and the Slick Films Fund.

As a journalist, Sophia has written for publications including Rolling Stone, Harper's Bazaar, and ESQUIRE, interviewing talent such as Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander, and musical artist, Cher. She has also written for ad campaigns including DIOR and Victoria's Secret.

Our early beginnings, exploring relationships on stage at the Soho Theater.

RUTH & TOM

Phia Saban is known for her work on House of the Dragon, The Last Kingdom, and most recently Oedipus starring Lesley Manville at Wyndham's Theatre.

We meet Ruth at 27, a North London girl, brought up in it’s middle class ‘artsy’ pretence. Now as an adult, she doesn’t have the same financial support as she once did, but she still lives her life like she does. At this age, the mirage of her parents knowing everything is well and truly over. In fact, she’s arguably had to do more parenting. It’s their weaknesses that have helped to develop her externally assured, ambitious nature - life is what you make of it. 

Now knowing herself more than ever, Ruth is certain that she’s fine on her own, and finds herself questioning if monogamy would even work for her.

That is, until she’s set up on a blind date with… 

Tom - Fionn Whitehead. Fionn is known for leading Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, Black Mirror.

He’s 28; moved to London from a working class town in Kent after graduating with a degree in Graphic Design. Growing up, Tom never quite felt he fit in with the others in his hometown. Nor did he have any similar interests to his strict parents. Instead, he dreamt of becoming the cool creative urbanite that his love for music allowed him to discover.

Now living as a full Dalston-young-professional, Tom has developed a social class complex… It’s crazy to put food in your basket without looking at the prices isn’t it? Maybe he has more in common with the people from his hometown? 

When he’s not thinking about work, or the intricacies of social class, Tom is thinking about meeting someone. He longs to meet a woman, burnt out on online dates and finding that his desire for a girlfriend is always lingering in the back of his mind. And now maybe, for the first time, Ruth could be that person. Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, it is all far too early to tell that isn’t it… isn’t it?

THE DOP -

Linda Wu is a BAFTA-winning cinematographer. Her most recent short film, JELLYFISH & LOBSTER won the BAFTA award for Best British Short.  Linda’s other narrative work has played at festivals such as Aesthetica Film Festival, Encounters Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, and Leeds International Film Festival.

Most recently, Linda was the 2nd Unit DOP for A24’s WE LIVE IN TIME starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

THE PRODUCTION COMPANY -

Burning Reel is a modern production house, focused on making entertainment that people want to watch. Forged in the fires of its renowned music videos and award-winning commercials, (all of which are still being made at The Vigilante Group), Burning Reel Studios now brings the same ethos and approach that it always has, to broadcast and scripted works. 

THE POST HOUSE -

Creep is a BAFTA winning independent studio with incredible relationships to brands, agencies, production companies, broadcasters, studios, directors and creatives alike, for all their 21st century needs. Recent post-production projects include SEX EDUCATION, BAD SISTERS, and WE LIVE IN TIME.

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT - 

Music Supervisor, Julz Baldwin

Julz Baldwin is a multi award-winning music supervisor and sync specialist with over 18 years’ creative and commercial experience. Whilst Deputy Head at Black Sheep Music and Partner at BBH London, Julz supervised HOME, winner of a BAFTA Award for Best Short Film. The Black Sheep team also won Best Sync Team in an Agency at the Music Week Sound Awards. Julz oversaw the creation of the thematic for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with rising global phenomenon Kelly Lee Owens at Decca within Universal Music Publishing, and has supervised numerous award-winning brand campaigns including work directed by Ian Pons Jewell, Sara Dunlop and Ringan Ledwidge. 

Julz is the founder of music supervision & sync consultancy I Eat Music, acting Creative Head Of Sync at Universal Music Group, and a full member of the UK & European Guild of Music Supervisors and former Advisory Board member.

Composer, David Kosten

David Kosten  is a Grammy-nominated artist based in London, UK. Working under the name Faultline, Kosten produced the largely instrumental debut Closer, Colder and the follow-up Your Love Means Everything, which featured guest vocals from Coldplay's Chris Martin, The Flaming Lips, & R.E.M's Michael Stipe.

While work is ongoing for his third Faultline project, Kosten has continued to produce albums for other artists, notably gaining recognition with Bat for Lashes (double Mercury Music Prize nominated and Ivor Novello winning Two Suns and Fur and Gold, and 2012 album The Haunted Man), and Everything Everything (Mercury Music Prize and Ivor Novello nominated Man Alive and 2013 album Arc).

Kosten co-produced with Marina Diamandis her third studio album Froot. The album was released internationally on March 16, 2015.

Where will the Funding be Distributed?

Budget Breakdown