Why We Need Your Support

WIRE is not just another short film. It's a bold and innovative exploration of grief through the lens of a life-or-death scenario. Our story blends genres in unexpected ways, merging drama, suspense, and psychological horror to craft a narrative that’s as emotionally resonant as it is thrilling.

In an industry brimming with compelling stories, WIRE stands out by using a survival tale to delve deep into the human experience of loss – offering something fresh, daring, and truly unique.

We’ve assembled a fantastic core team, each of us with films that have not only made it onto the festival circuit but have also performed exceptionally well, winning awards and garnering critical acclaim. With this film, we’re bringing together our collective experience and passion to create something that challenges the boundaries of genre and storytelling.

This is a story we haven’t seen on the festival circuit – a powerful and unexpected narrative that we believe will captivate audiences and leave a lasting impact. If we can execute this vision to its fullest potential, WIRE has the chance to be truly exceptional – something audiences won’t see coming.

To bring this project to life, we need your support. Our goal of £10,000 will ensure we can gather the best talent, secure the right equipment, and produce a film that’s both visually stunning and emotionally profound. Every contribution brings us one step closer to creating a film that not only tells a gripping story but also offers a fresh perspective on grief and survival.

Join us on this journey. Your support will help us create something extraordinary.

Why We Need £10,000

To bring WIRE to life, we need £10,000 to cover essential production costs. This budget will be allocated as follows:

• Production Team: Ensuring fair compensation for our talented cast and crew, including the Director, Director of Photography, and key crew members.
• Production Costs: Securing the location and providing catering for the shoot.
• Technical Costs: Purchasing and renting costumes, props, special effects makeup, and any necessary equipment.
• Administration Costs: Covering insurance and other essential administrative expenses.
• Accommodation and Travel: Facilitating travel and lodging for our cast and crew to ensure a smooth production.

Read on to learn more about the ideas behind WIRE and the team who are bringing it to life.

LOGLINE

Domhnall is drowning in a bottomless sea of grief, but a chance encounter will force him to come up for air – or face the consequences.

SYNOPSIS

WIRE follows Domhnall, a grieving man in his mid-30s, sleepwalking through the aftermath of his girlfriend’s death until a mysterious encounter launches him on a surreal journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Filled with anger and despair, Domhnall drives to a desolate beach to scatter the ashes of his girlfriend Ana. However, his solemn ritual takes a bizarre turn when a mysterious Figure appears and snatches the urn. 

After a violent confrontation on the beach, Domhnall awakes to find himself in an unknown bed ensnared in a twisted house of horrors. Bound by a wire to his ankle, he discovers a macabre shrine adorned with Polaroid photos and personal effects of previous victims. 

As the Figure’s ominous footsteps approach, Domhnall waits in bed desperately feigning sleep. A disturbing and sadistic ritual ensues before Domhnall launches himself at the Figure in a final bid for survival. 

The narrative suddenly begins to weave between intense flashbacks of Domhnall's relationship with Ana and the frenzied and animalistic fight in the present. 

At the story's culmination on the beach, the ashes are scattered, and the waves bear witness to a resolution that leaves lingering questions about the nature of grief and the depth of human resilience.

In its exploration of a harrowing struggle for survival, the film vividly shows how fighting for one's life could force you to confront grief head-on, discover renewed strength, and ultimately reclaim the will to live.

TONE & GENRE

A powerful story about overcoming loss that rapidly evolves into a hair-raising fight for survival - culminating in a transformative new outlook on what it means to be alive.

THE DIFFERENT GENRES EXPLORED

The narrative commences as a gripping drama, delving into Domhnall’s raw struggle to confront his grief and forge a new path forward. However, when a Figure steals the urn, the narrative takes a sharp turn into a gripping mystery. Domhnall frantically pursues the Figure but is savagely knocked out, only to awaken to a chilling realisation—he’s chained to a bed. This moment thrusts the story into a heart-pounding thriller as Domhnall fights for his freedom. Yet, as the true intentions of the sinister Figure become clear, a sense of unrelenting horror permeates the tale, intensifying Domhnall’s struggle for survival to its breaking point.

MOODBOARD

THE TEAM

WRITER & CO-PRODUCER

Mark Rush

Mark, a Kilkenny native who moved to London in 2010, is a writer, producer, and actor with over a decade of industry experience. His writing journey began as a blogger before joining the communications team of a national charity. In 2018, he wrote his first short play, Awkward Balloon, a dark comedy exploring jealousy.

Mark wrote his debut short film, Seasalter Road, a poignant exploration of grief and sibling relationships, which is currently on the festival circuit. The film has been programmed by 15 festivals in the UK, Ireland, and the US, including notable selections like Exit 6 Film Festival and Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, where it was a Semi-Finalist. It also won the Best International Short Film award at Short. Sweet Film Fest.

Mark, who relocated to North Kent in 2020, often incorporates his love for seaside living into his writing. He has three short films in development and is passionate about the medium's ability to convey powerful narratives succinctly.

DIRECTOR

MICHAEL P. SPENCER

Michael, a mixed race Mancunian filmmaker living in London, has a rich portfolio of directing and producing across film, commercials and branded content. He is best known for directing his award winning short sci-fi drama ‘Details to Follow’ and award winning sci-fi thriller ‘That Phone Call’; both were made for the Sci-FiLondon 48hr film competition. The films placed 3rd and 2nd respectively over two years, played at a number of festivals and racked up over 100k views combined on the Dust Youtube channel. Michael’s focus is to develop as a long form narrative director and storyteller, creating personally affecting, diverse genre stories that feel accessible to all, as well as being made with diverse representation both in front of and behind the camera. His dual Caribbean/British heritage features in a lot of his current projects and he hopes to carry this through in future, along with his affinity for heightened genre. Along with his own directing Michael has a track record of successful working with fellow filmmakers from his expanded network to create a number of projects, such as TV pilot ‘The Reserves’ with Taz Skylar, Osy Ikhile and Laura Rollins, the UKMVA nominated music promo ‘Lion’s Den’ by Pumarosa with Niall Trask, the short film ‘Hackney Downs’ with Carl Earl-Ocran, and the BFI Network backed short film ‘Hard to Reach’ with Darryl Foster; both of which are currently enjoying success on the festival circuit. In 2021 he was selected to be part of We Are Parable and Channel 4’s Momentum film mentoring scheme, and continues a strong ongoing connection.

CO-PRODUCER

GAIA LOCATELLI

Gaia Locatelli is an Italian filmmaker and producer based in London, with extensive experience in producing narrative shorts, documentaries and theatre productions. Gaia is best known for producing the narrative short “The Halfway Garden”, currently on the film festival circuit, and working on the upcoming documentary by Rai Friuli Venezia Giulia, “Il Fogolar Furlan”. Gaia aims to tell stories that speak to the audience through different and unusual structures, oftentimes crossing boundaries between reality and dreams. With a strong interest in horror and fantasy dramas, Gaia aims to become a respected producer who can bring more female voices to the centre. A Raindance alumni, Gaia has a strong background in distribution, working as a sales agent for independent producers from all over the world. Previous short films include “I am a Good Girl” (2024), “Udachnaya Matryoshka” (2024), “Lilith” (2023), “The Adventures of Redcoat” (2023) and “The Choice” (2022).

CINEMATOGRAPHER

ADAM PROSSER

With a background in still photography, Adam Prosser has spent the past seven years lensing commercials, shorts, music videos and documentaries. 

Through 2023/24 the BIFA Qualifying short film ‘Call Me Back’, starring Lindsay Duncan ~ Directed by Tom Andrews, has screened at the North East International Film Festival, Sheffield Global Cinema Festival, Manchester International Film Festival, Unrestricted View and Kino London Short Film Festival. The film was also a Semi-finalist at the 2023 Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival and received an Honorable Mention from Brighton Rocks Film Festival.

At the end of 2023 Adam completed ‘Everybody Knows Somebody’ a short charity documentary Directed by Katie Moriarty-Hopper and Produced by IAMJACK. The film, in partnership with Forward Trust and Action On Addiction, received overwhelmingly positive responses with the trailer exceeding 1 Million views in the first week cross-platform and shares from Kensington Palace and Ant & Dec. 

Adam’s experience in lighting and composition informs their motion work, as does an unquenching thirst for beautiful light and evocative images that serve a story and the Director’s vision. In life and on set Adam values spending time with and learning from others of all backgrounds, race and gender. Having a diverse team serves to enhance everyone’s experience, offers a different point of view and increases human connection, empathy and respect.

PREVIOUS WORK