CAST

SEBASTIAN ARMESTO

as HIM

Sebastian is an English film, television and theatre actor known for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Marie Antoinette (2006) and for playing the poet and playwright Ben Jonson in Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous (2011).

Armesto has acted in high-profile theatre productions in Britain, including three shows at the National Theatre and one at the Royal Court. He is currently starring as Edgar opposite Frank Langella in King Lear. He also writes and directs theatre with company Simple 8. Most recently, he co-wrote and directed a play based on William Hogarth's The Four Stages of Cruelty and new versions of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Moby-Dick. 

ANNA MACGUIRE

as HER

Anna Maguire started her career in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. This basically meant that she was hooked and would never be free of the world of film. She continued to act as a child and teenager in her school holidays, appearing in various film, TV and theatre roles, including work for 20th Century Fox, Hallmark, the BBC and the Almeida Theatre in London. After taking a sabbatical to study English Literature at Cambridge University she has returned to acting, appearing in The Hour (BBC) and Parade’s End (HBO) as well as performing in various stage roles. She has also started making her own films, the first of which, Don’t forget your mittens, premiered at The London Short Film Festival in 2014.

CREW

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BEN ASTON – Director

Ben is a 28-year-old London born filmmaker, raised in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Australia and Bath. After graduating with a BA in Philosophy from Kings College London, he moved on to the London Film School; this is his graduation film. His last film ‘Dinner and a Movie’ was selected for the Palm Springs Shortfest 2013, the London Short Film Festival 2013 and the Edinburgh Film Festival 2013 which named him a 'British director of tomorrow'. His online short 'Russian Roulette' won the jury prize at Sundance London and has been selected for Sundance 2015.

 

www.benastondirector.com

MARIA HUMMER - Writer

Maria Hummer was born and raised in Toledo, OH, has lived in Seoul, Korea and currently resides in London. She has a BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Screenwriting. She is a jack of all trades, having worked as a professional taste tester, youth hostel manager, development editor and British-American translator (yes, that's a thing apparently). This is her second collaboration with Ben Aston after ‘Dinner and a Movie’. In addition to working on short and feature film projects she has a flourishing fiction career, with five short stories accepted for publication this quarter alone. She is currently working on her first novel.

 

www.mariahummer.com

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FIONA LAMPTEY - Producer

Fiona started her career in TV commissioning in 2004, working on award-winning programmes, spanning genres including documentary, studio and live entertainment.

For the last 5 years Fiona has worked for Channel4's feature film division, Film4. Her main responsibilities include negotiating development and talent deals and overseeing low budget and short film production.  Her credits include THE SELFISH GIANT, SUBMARINE, ATTACK THE BLOCK and FOUR LIONS.

In 2012 Fiona was shortlisted and chosen to become an associate of the London Film School and partake in a 6 month skill-Set supported business and production training programme for film producers; ‘Fast Forward Producing, it was here that she first heard Ben’s pitch for HE TOOK HIS SKIN OFF FOR ME and was immediately interested in producing the imaginative and challenging project.

Fiona has produced numerous shorts, which have been screened in festivals all around the world. She continues to develop a variety of short and feature length projects.

SYUKRI JR – Executive Producer

Syukri is an independent producer and founder of CANDAS CREATIVE COMPANY. Being a collaborative-driven creative company and film foundation, this startup seeks to champion and celebrate cinematic arts through spectacular storytelling, in addition to developing and producing shorts, features and documentary films; such as ACT ONE: A Documentary, Crossing West, On The Bridge, and Siren. CANDAS CREATIVE COMPANY in its first year has supported over 8 projects from around the world. Syukri additionally serves as Principal Partner of CUNGKEEL PICTURES, a private film financing and investment firm.

JEN CARDNO – SFX Supervisor

Jen spent her formative years scrabbling around in the dirt collecting insects, and not an awful lot has changed. After finishing her two-year Fine Art National Diploma with a Triple Award Distinction, she went on to study illustration at the UWE. Experimenting with modelmaking and animation at the end of the third year, she graduated suddenly in 2008, and went straight into work at Bolex Brothers Studios. After freelancing at SFX and prop houses for a few years, she decided she wanted a master's degree, and is currently half way through an MA in animation at the Royal College of Art, London.

COLIN ARTHUR - SFX Mentor

Colin is a living-legend of SFX. In the 1960’s he was to assistant Ray Harryhausen with his stop-motion model animation movies like the Sinbad films and the original Clash of the Titans! He also created Falkor and other creatures for Never Ending Story. One of the highlights of his career was his work with Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey, where he was responsible together with Stuart Freeborn for the development and production of the Ape masks in the Dawn of Man sequence. We are delighted that Colin and his wife Sarah agreed to come on board as official SFX mentors on the project. 

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YIANNIS MANOLOPOULOS – Cinematographer

Yiannis studied Philosophy, Economics and Project Management before realising he had to make films instead. He hasn't stopped doing so since and does not intend to. Yiannis studied at the London Film School, specialising in cinematography. Since then he has been involved in numerous student and professional productions with his newly founded company Filmstead, in the effort to grow as a cinematographer and do what he does best, sharing stories through the creation of cinematic images.

Reza Jouze – Editor

Reza was a stage actor and director in Iran, before settling in the UK. He has acted in more than 20 stage plays and has directed 5. He has twice won the best Theatre Actor of the year award in Iran. After moving to London he entered The London Film School and in 2013 graduated with MA filmmaking. He has edited more than 10 short fiction films and several documentaries. Reza is now working as a freelance Editor

KATIE MACGREGOR – Production Designer

Katie Macgregor is a London based Art Director. Originally from Sydney Australia, she moved to London to study Foundation Art & Design at Chelsea University, and continuing her degree in Fine Arts at UCA in Farnham. Katie has worked as an Art Director in London since 2011. During which, she has worked on over 40 films, music videos and commercials. She has worked on a variety of projects including music video for Emmy the Great, Young Rebel Set and Dear Reader and has recently Art Directed TV Docudrama 'Miracle Landing on the Hudson' which was aired on National Geographic Channel in 2013.

MARK SEYFRITZ – Composer

With a highly eclectic and multiple award wining career as a composer, producer and programmer in the music industry, Mark started scoring and sound designing for films in 2005.  He has scored several features recently including ‘Dark Tide’ (Halle Berry / Olivier Martinez), ‘Dead Man Running’ (50Cent / Brenda Blethyn), ‘Devil you Know’ (Jennifer Lawrence / Rosamund Pike / Lena Olin) and ‘Jonah’, that has just been nominated for ” Best British Short ” at the BIFA’s 2013, and at Sundance for “Best Short film Grand Jury Prize”.