Industry spotlight - Our 2020 Comedy Short Film Competition Winner!

By Sweetdoh Films

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Best Comedy

WINNER ‘THE PLUNGE’

Directed by Simon Ryninks, produced by Tibo Travers

Synopsis: Falling in love can be a pain in the arse!

Simon: I was drawn to Omar’s script because the premise felt like a sex comedy, but the story is actually very sweet. The premise of the film sounds far more puerile than it actually is and I liked that it had the ability to surprise its audience in this way, but still delivered on expectations in a satisfying way. On paper it’s ‘the dildo film’, but really it’s about how new couples navigate awkward experiences, tentatively testing boundaries, in order to find a mutual and loving intimacy – the thing we’re all seeking.

Omar: The idea is based in part on a real-life experience I had. It was a first date and pegging (sex with a strap-on) was proposed. At first I was really confused about what she was suggesting, but when I clocked on I decided to politely decline! I then started thinking what if I had gone through with it and slowly but surely the story formed.

Simon: Our budget was tight, but we had a secret weapon – super producer Tibo Travers – who really pulled out all the stops to make it happen without compromising on the vision. His company, Sweetdoh Films, has been making big waves in the world of short films for a long time now – getting into major film festivals, winning big prizes and screening on television screens worldwide. We were seriously fortunate to get Lydia Wilson on-board, as I genuinely believe she is one of the finest actors of our generation. Omar and Lydia really clicked off-camera – which was vital, as the whole film hinges on their rapport. We only had two days to shoot the film, with several locations, so it was not an easy feat to pull off. We were also shooting on some of the hottest days of 2018 and in very confined locations, so it was sweaty work!

Omar: I always hoped the film would do well in the comedy circuit but was pleasantly surprised when we started to get selected to more prestigious festivals. The BAFTA long-list was really the icing on the cake, as was winning the Performance Short Film Competition award for Best Comedy.

Simon: We’ve used Performance on all of our shoots as they make the process of getting insured super simple. It’s a big honour to have won this prize and we’re pleased to say that the money will be reinvested into the film – we want to start developing The Plunge into a longer form project – either a feature film or television pilot. This support is just the boost we needed to get things moving.

Back to Behind the Scenes: Issue Two

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