Join us as Short Circuit Talent Executive, Alice Whittemore, speaks to Eva and Lucy about their filmmaking careers and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.
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Body of Water, directed by Lucy Brydon, follows photographer Stephanie (Sian Brooke) who has just completed another round of treatment for chronic anorexia and is working hard to reconnect with her family. Her mother Susan (Amanda Burton) is supportive but preoccupied by her forthcoming wedding to Annette (Kazia Pelka). Stephanie’s teenage daughter, competitive swimmer Pearl (Fabienne Piolini-Castle), seems hellbent on refusing her a second chance. Stephanie will need all the strength she has. The film is due for release later this year through Verve Pictures.
Perfect 10, directed by Eva Riley, tells the story of Leigh, a 15-year-old gymnast focussed on her first competition, but when a half-brother she didn’t know existed turns up to stay, her world is turned upside down. When Leigh’s confidence at gymnastics is knocked, she finds herself caught up in the underworld of her brother’s bike-crime exploits. It is now available to watch on demand through selected UK cinemas or on Curzon Home Cinema, BFI Player or iTunes. Visit this website to locate your preferred screening.
About Lucy Brydon
From Edinburgh, Lucy graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in Creative Writing in 2005 before moving to Shanghai. She lived there until 2010, writing, directing, and producing short films, commercials and television dramas as well as learning Mandarin.
She then studied Film Directing at Columbia University’s MFA Programme in New York. Her short films have screened at numerous international festivals and her debut novel, Shanghai Passenger, was published by Blue Mark Books in 2015.
Lucy leads the Screenwriting course on the University of Warwick’s Creative Writing Programme, and is in development on a number of feature and television projects. Her debut feature film, Body of Water, premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival 2020 and will be released by Verve Pictures in October, 2020.
About Eva Riley
Eva is a Scottish director and screenwriter based in Brighton. She graduated from the National Film and Television School in 2015, with her final year film Patriot premiering in competition at Cannes. In 2016, she was commissioned to write and direct Diagnosis by BBC Films and was named a Screen International ‘Star of Tomorrow’.
Her short films have screened at festivals including BFI London Film Festival, Edinburgh, Telluride and the BAFTA New Talent Awards. Eva’s first feature Perfect 10 premiered at BFI London Film Festival and was released in the UK and France in 2020. She is currently developing her second feature The Circle with BBC Films, as well as developing her first TV projects.
