GRADUATE SUCCESS; PAT FEENEY: Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at this year’s British Film Institute’s London Film Festival
22nd October 2020
I’ve recently been working with a small production team based in Devon called Spinning Path. Most recently, I worked as the camera assistant on a short film called ‘Shuttlecock‘, written and directed by Tommy Gillard. The film was made in Devon, having been commissioned and supported by Exeter Phoenix, whose filmmaking bursary scheme offered us some vital support for us in getting Shuttlecock off the ground.
The film itself is a sports film unlike any other. It’s a 13-minute comedy that centres around Carl, a macho, over-zealous, sore loser type who is forced to confront his idea of masculinity when an unhealthy obsession with a new member of his badminton club starts to take root. The film was shot across three days in Sidmouth College’s now demolished old sports hall – just down the road from where I live in Honiton.
To see the trailer, you can follow this link: https://vimeo.com/445275208 A full version of the film isn’t currently available but it will be soon as it’s just been added to the Aesthetica Short Film Festival’s official selection. I have some screen time in it as an extra believe it or not.
The film was one of only 47 screening at this year’s British Film Institute’s London Film Festival and one of probably tens of thousands submitted, interestingly, they approached us to have the film screened at the festival which was a huge win. The festival is one of the biggest events in the UK cinema scene’s calendar, so this was a quite an achievement for us and the region – we’re absolutely elated to have taken home the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at LFF.
We’ve also taken home two other awards including the Audience Choice award at Actor’s East Film Festival and at Two Short Nights, a showcase of talent in the region by Exeter Phoenix.
Shuttlecock has also been featured in a number of publications online, in print and on television.
Guardian NME Variety The Hollywood Reporter Yahoo News MSN Critical Popcorn Belfast Telefraph Deadline Evening Express Screen Daily Empire Online Screen International The Upcoming The Irish News Aberdeen Evening Express Backstage
Another film that I had worked on with the Spinning Path production team is called ‘Rhapsody in Blood’ which was shot with just one Super 8 cartridge, with all editing achieved in camera and the soundtrack recorded before seeing the film. I’m not sure if you wanted to feature this too, but it’s a fun watch none the less.
Inspired by Dartmoor’s corpse roads, this short gothic Super 8 film recounts the tale of two men’s arduous trek to deliver a coffin to its final resting place. But when they stop for a respite, their journey comes back to bite them.
This was made as part of 2019’s Straight 8 competition – unfortunately no win there. However, we did get a quote from Cinematographer Roger Deakins (1917, Blade Runner 2049, Skyfall) who said “Technically it is a marvel and it stays true to what it is, unpretentious, clever and fun”.
You can watch Rhapsody in Blood here: https://www.spinningpath.com/rhapsody-in-blood/
