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A Friend in Need

The deadliest secrets start with the smallest lie.

Three couples, confident their friendship is indestructible.
But sometimes people come into your life and the impact they have is way beyond your control. Chris has told Laura all about Mike. The firm's number one client, a war hero whose marriage is in tatters and whose mental state is fragile. Their comfortable existence and that of their closest friends depends on everyone making sacrifices.
When it appears that Mike wants to ruin them, all loyalties are called into question, every relationship is stretched to breaking point, because whoever is trying to hurt them, Chris knows it can't possibly be Mike.
A Friend in Need is a story about trust, friendship and the ultimate betrayal

  • Matt George Lovett
    Director
    Mariana 627, Leargaidh
  • Matt Carrell
    Writer
    Crazy Medicine
  • Chris Mitchell
    Producer
  • Robert Dukes
    Key Cast
    "Chris Hatchett"
    The Code, Another Mother's Son, Gods Amongst Us
  • Elizabeth West
    Key Cast
    "Laura Hatchett"
  • Charlie Freeman
    Key Cast
    "Patrick Davenport"
    Chinatown Cannon, Defector
  • Aislinn De'Ath
    Key Cast
    "Emma Davenport"
    Silent Witness, The Shapeshifting Detective, The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker
  • Jose Palma
    Key Cast
    "Gianni Baker"
    Absentia, Crawl, Hitman 2
  • Magda Vero
    Key Cast
    "Vittoria Baker"
  • Marc Ozall
    Key Cast
    "Callum Prentis"
    King of Crime, Deadly Callback, A Monster
  • Elizabeth McNally
    Key Cast
    "Roma Scott"
    The Strangers, Gameday, Speedlove
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 14, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    25,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16/9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Invitation Only Screening
    London
    United Kingdom
    November 29, 2018
    London Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Vortex Films Limited
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Matt George Lovett

Matt George Lovett is a writer, filmmaker and musician from London. Starting out working on music videos, he is best known for his work on the sci-fi ‘Mariana 627’, the end-of-the-world drama ‘Leargaidh’ (Impact Award – London Screenwriter’s Festival 2018) and the Vortex Film’s ‘Crazy Medicine’ (multiple wins, including LA Film Awards and Top Shorts). He’s also had prose work published by Aesthetica, Riptide, Cent Magazine, Outlet Publishing, Seventh Realm Publishing, Liar’s League, and Create 50

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Director Statement

I was drawn to A Friend in Need because I believe it’s a genuinely original ‘whodunnit’, with a series of neat twists, yet it’s only 35 minutes long. We already have a draft screenplay for a feature length version and our hope is that this short film is the start of our project not the end. Our tagline - the deadliest secrets start with the smallest lie - captures a fascinating truth that is explored in this story - wrongdoing is, so often cumulative and self-reinforcing - one moral compromise leads to another.