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The Inquiry

Detective Roberts has worked the murder division for more than two decades and he has seen it all, or so he thought! When Becky hall washes up dead along the river Thames bank, what appears to be a clear prima facie murder case, takes a sinister and darker turn, as motives are questioned and a grieving boyfriend is confronted with the reality that led to her death.

  • Julien Cornwall
    Director
  • Julien Cornwall
    Writer
  • Julien Cornwall
    Producer
  • Paul Dewdney
    Producer
    Crossroads
  • Martha McGurik
    Producer
  • Paul Dewdney
    Key Cast
  • Tim Jennings
    Key Cast
  • Jan Rook
    Key Cast
  • Joshua Ogle
    Key Cast
  • Len Usselman
    Sound
  • Robert Shears
    Gaffer
  • Ruta Sile
    Editor
  • Bryony James
    Assistant Director
  • Sam Parsons
    Director of Photography
  • Daniel Simpson
    Post Production Sound
  • Hans Michael Anselmo Hess
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 29, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    2k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival
    Hollywood
    United States
    September 30, 2016
    Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival
    Best Drama Short
  • Chandler International Film Festival
    Arizona
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Chandler Film Festival
    Best New Filmmaker
  • Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards
    Hollywood
    United States
    October 1, 2016
    Los Angeles Independent Film Premier
  • Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival
    Hollywood
    United States
    October 1, 2016
    Hollywood Moving Pictures Premier
    Award of Recognition
  • Ouchy Film Festival
    Laussane
    Switzerland
    November 15, 2016
    Nominated for Best Short Film
  • Feel The Reel Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Best Of The Fest
  • Feel The Reel Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Best Director
  • Feel The Reel Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Best Original Score
  • Feel The Reel Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Best Actor
  • Feel The Reel Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    September 30, 2016
    Best Editing
  • London Short Pole Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 30, 2016
  • New Renaissance Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    March 3, 2017
  • Chandler International Film Festival
    Chandler
    United States
    January 15, 2017
    Best Short Action/Thriller
  • Direct Short Online Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    January 10, 2017
    Best Drama Short
  • UK Screen One International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    March 18, 2017
  • International Film Festival Of World Cinema NIce
    Nice
    France
    May 13, 2017
Director Biography - Julien Cornwall

One month into beginning my Law degree at Bristol University I already knew this was not where my passion, my hunger and my drive was to be found. I have always had a creative flare which has been somewhat shackled by the realism of the modern world. Growing up with parents in professional backgrounds of banking and therapy I’ve been piloted and navigated towards the belief of pursuing a life where skills and attributes in certain fields will benefit me in the future.

As a result, upon applying to university I did not know which course I wanted to do. I took the advice of my Father and followed in his footsteps in reading Law. A key argument in this decision was that regardless of not knowing what I wanted to do after university, a Law degree was a good thing to have.

For the first time at university I was given independence. This related to deciding my own work ethic and freedom of choice in what I wanted to do in my spare time. I joined the Drama club and quickly immersed myself into writing short plays and producing.
In my first year I wrote and produced three short plays, which were performed at local theatres in Bristol. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and began to pick up a knack for writing.

In the summer of 2014 I was intent on finding work experience within the entertainment industry. I did not know where to begin or where best to narrow my focus. At that point I considered myself more of a producer. I had a good foundation for putting together a cast and crew, and knew how to manage and budget plays. Furthermore, in the summer of 2014 I was able to gain some invaluable work experience at WME, the largest agency in the world. From working in WME I learnt the functions of an agency and the roles of agents and assistants etc. I learnt the importance of teamwork and how and agency as large as WME runs all over the world by having conference calls with their other offices in New York, L.A and Nashville. Though I learnt a lot through the experience, I realised I did not want to become an agent.

The following year I found work as a production manager for an up and coming production company, Cone Films. Over the summer I aided the company by acting as a production manager, location manager, casting manager and finally aiding in producing a short film. Though I worked as a producer and production manager, I craved for the creative element of the industry. It was a fantastic experience that drove me into wanting to create my own film.

Finally, over the the christmas period of 2015 I wrote my short film “The Inquiry". With the initial idea of using the film as a portfolio piece to apply to Film Schools in the UK, my script received great praise from individuals within the industry who urged me to get a budget together and apply the film to festivals all over the world. So with the help of the fantastic Bryony Blades (AD for The Inquiry) I gathered a crew and cast for the film. I found a location that suited a modern day police unit, and so began to all the pieces together. I threw myself into the deep end, but had the fortune of working with a fantastic crew and cast who helped me along the way. A particular highlight can be seen on the first day of filming, during the first scene, which involved me not knowing when to say cut, as I believed that was the role of the AD. Luckily I learnt the ropes pretty quickly.

With the completion of The Inquiry I am set on entering it into festivals all over the world, and giving the opportunity to whomever may be interested in watching the film . I have just been accepted at London Film School to study their 2 year MA course in Film Making. I have already begun to write my next projects and have plenty more ideas waiting to put pen to paper. I hope you enjoy the trailer and more importantly the film.

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Director Statement

This being my first film, I threw myself into the deep end and just decided to have a real go at it. With no prior filming experience and not really knowing many of the technical aspects involved in filming it was a real shot in the dark. It is one thing to write a script and create a production in a theatre, such as I had done before whilst at Bristol University, but it is another story in creating a film. The time, organisation, teamwork and dedication are the driving factors in making a film. I experienced all of these whilst making the short film "The Inquiry".

Having written the script back in December of 2015, whilst balancing a Law coursework, I decided I wanted to make this film and use it as a platform to apply to film schools after university. I put a budget together using money earnt over several years and got a financier to meet me halfway. With my budget ready I went on to hire a cast and crew. Through the incredible help of my AD (Bryony James) I gathered a fantastic cast and crew. Having casted the actors through auditions I set up in London, the next few months of the film were to be done at my desk back at Bristol University. Through many facetimes and Skype conversations I found a location to shoot the film, kept in touch with the crew and cast and was able to find specific props to use for the film. I took a lot of advice from the cinematographer and producer in discussing which camera and equipment to use and furthermore how to take each particular shot. With the cinematographer using abbreviations such as ECU I frequently had to ask him to repeat what he said or translate, which in this case meant an extreme close up shot. Luckily I am a quick learner and was able to grasp the terminology.

Having this film develop from an idea to a script, to actions and movements all caught on camera is an incredible feeling to achieve. This was my debut film and thanks to the exceptional work of my cast and crew it went rather well. For a first project, it has only spurred me on to create more.

Many thanks,

Julien Cornwall