Private Project

Dancing in the Ruins

In the style of classical Hollywood musicals, two young dancers fall in love beneath the backdrop of the iconic Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

Dancing in the Ruins is the first in a planned series of musical-style dance films set in Coventry, UK entitled, This City of Mine: The Collection.

  • Chris Fernandez
    Director
  • Jack Marshall
    Producer
  • Chris Fernandez
    Producer
  • Faye Miles
    Choreographer
  • Olivia Evans
    Key Cast
    "Jess"
  • George Ireland
    Key Cast
    "Justin"
  • Chris Fernandez
    Composer
  • Ben Vacher
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Music Video, Short, Student, Other
  • Genres:
    Musical, Romance
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 10, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,171 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Anamorphic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.55:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Westminster
  • Milton Keynes International Film Festival
    Milton Keynes
    United Kingdom
    September 28, 2024
    Best Student Film (English)
  • MiraBan UK Film Awards
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 7, 2024
    London Premiere
    Finalist - Best Film Score & Best Student Film
  • Parai Musical International Awards
    Chennai
    India
    August 12, 2024
    Indian Premiere
    Best Musical Film (Short)
  • Parai Musical International Awards
    Chennai
    India
    August 12, 2024
    Indian Premiere
    Best Original Score for Short Film
  • Coventry Phoenix Film Festival
    Coventry
    United Kingdom
    April 20, 2024
    Coventry Premiere
    Nominee - Best Short Film
Director Biography - Chris Fernandez

Chris Fernandez is a writer, director, & composer from Coventry, UK. After graduating with a degree in Film from the Westminster Film School, University of Westminster, he now works in commercial film & photography in the hospitality industry and freelancing elsewhere.

Chris is one of the founding members of JumpStart Pictures, an indie production label facilitating his narrative short films, music videos, & commercial film content.

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Director Statement

Dancing in the Ruins is the spiritual successor to an incomplete feature-length film musical I had tried to make when I was just 18 years old entitled, "This City of Mine". Since then, I've been to university and gathered more experience in other sectors of the industry but the original dream of creating a film musical is still there.

I have instead taken extracts from and concepts based on the materials developed for the incomplete feature and intend on creating a series of standalone musical numbers which will make up "This City of Mine: The Collection".

While I work within more commercial settings and build my own portfolio and career within filmmaking, these dance films are my passion projects.