A Sober Dance
After standing trial for the murder of his unit, a mentally unstable soldier is exiled to the front lines of an otherworldly war. His harrowing journey is made worse, by the constant flippancy of his mysterious companion; a macabre musician with a dark sense of humour.
The pair set off to the end of the world and to the heart of a war, that has already taken so much of the soldier's sanity.
A stark portrayal of PTSD, mental health issues and the various coping mechanisms of soldiers and civilians during wartime. Set against a low fantasy, Lovecraftian backdrop.
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Owen HurrellDirector
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Ed KitchenDirector
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Owen HurrellWriter
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Ed KitchenWriter
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Owen HurrellProducer
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Ed KitchenProducer
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James WeightProducer
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Edward HayterKey Cast"Crim Snar"
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Clara VeciKey Cast"Chester"
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James RushtonKey Cast"Reverend Archie"
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Jack MortellKey Cast"Merchant Jack"
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Owen HurrellArt Director
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Edward KitchenEditor
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Adrian LeungMusic By
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David Gerard LawrenceMusic By
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Low Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Light Horror, Post Apocalyptic
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Runtime:13 minutes 48 seconds
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Completion Date:March 2, 2022
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Production Budget:10,000 GBP
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Country of Filming:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital Super 35mm
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Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Hastings Rocks International Film FestivalHastings
United Kingdom
April 23, 2022
Hastings Premiere
Best Sci Fi - Winner -
Hastings Rocks International Film FestivalHastings
United Kingdom
April 23, 2022
Hastings Premiere
Best Drama - Runner-Up -
FantaSci Short Film FestivalOrlando, Florida
United States
May 14, 2022
Fantasy Short - Official Selection -
Oregon Short Film FestivalPortland, Oregon
United States
May 28, 2022
Dark Drama - Finalist -
Beyond the Curve International Film FestivalParis
France
May 19, 2022
Best Short Film - Nominee -
Screen ATXAustin, Texas
United States
May 21, 2022
Narrative Short - Honourable Mention -
Indie-Clips Short Film FestivalLondon
United Kingdom
June 18, 2022
Best Short Film - Official Selection -
We Make Movies International Film FestivalLos Angeles, California
United Kingdom
October 5, 2022
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Short - Official Selection -
Brighton Rocks Film FestivalBrighton
United Kingdom
July 22, 2022
Official Selection -
Repton Filmfest' 22Repton
United Kingdom
July 8, 2022
Drama - Official Selection
[As a team]
As a creative team they have the perfect mix of fun and mass appeal, crossed with depth and heart. Over the 10 years that they've been collaborating, they have developed an ability to seamlessly elevate each other's works to another level. This leads to dynamic, compelling and intricate stories.
Their work has clear social themes and messages, without feeling preachy. Because of this they're able to make people think about issues the world is facing, without alienating the audience or taking them out of the experience.
They believe that when you tell a story, it can't just be a story of its time, for it to truly resonate it must be a timeless story.
There is nothing they’d rather do.
[Owen Hurrell]
Trying to write his way to freedom.
As a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, actor, web developer and graphics designer on countless corporate videos, he has developed the ability to weave even the most mundane product, into an interesting and thought provoking piece of content.
Now turning his talents to his own IP, writing, directing and producing his own short film, entitled 'A Sober Dance'. Taking it from concept to completion in just 4 months. As well as writing and preparing pitch decks for countless other projects, across a wide range of genres.
e: owen@thefullmetalpackage.com
[Ed Kitchen]
Runs on coffee, whiskey and books.
He writes, directs, and edits, with exceptional passion and commitment, and enjoys carving a story out of interesting subjects. A Sober Dance is his third short after two earlier comedies 'The Vault' and 'Norman' both in (2016).
e: edtheeditor2@gmail.com
From concept to completion in 4 months for £10,000, A Sober Dance was created for many purposes.
Firstly, It's a story that needs to be told and now is the right time to tell it. In the post covid world, where mental health issues have touched people, that previously didn't even believe they existed. A story that helps people understand what they may be going through is paramount. With the current state of global affairs, people need ways to process their thoughts and feelings comfortably.
Without preaching and forcing your views on them, simply offering similarities in characters that allow them to see themselves and their situation objectively. Leading to a deep connection with the source material,as well as a glimmer of hope, that eventually everything is going to be ok.
Secondly, it was produced as a community project with the local people of Rutland, UK as a way to alleviate some of the stresses of the last couple of years. Bringing back the community spirit that, before Covid, was prevalent in the rural areas of England.
Lastly, Owen has a deep personal connection to the underlying message in this project.
Many of his friends and family are currently serving, ex-forces or unfortunately passed due to one of the above. He's seen a lot of PTSD first hand and has always been there for people struggling.
As such we made the bold choice to make the film with 90% PTSD sufferers and people afflicted with other such mental health disorders (depression, ADHD, anxiety etc) as well as developmental conditions such as autism.
This was very important to Owen, as he felt it would be disingenuous to simply tell a story highlighting an issue. When you could use the vehicle to directly help an underrepresented community. So what you see is more than simply a short film, it was the beginnings of a healing and understanding process for the entire cast and crew.
Funded and produced entirely by Owen, Ed and their company Full Metal Package. The tight turnaround meant that they had to step into many, many roles. However never ones to shy away from hard work, they powered through in order to give the people involved something they could be proud of.
After a stream of love for the world and story, the idea is being converted into an hour long TV pilot. With the aim of pitching it to SVOD and/or broadcasting platforms.