Little Brown Bird

On the shortest day of the year, an overworked farmer must care for her father, who is living with dementia, as he becomes increasingly convinced something is hunting them.

  • Peter Rogers
    Director
  • Peter Rogers
    Writer
    Packaged
  • Daniel J Harris
    Producer
    Tosh
  • Eliza Butterworth
    Key Cast
    "Kate"
    The Last Kingdom, A Town called Mailce
  • John Rhys-Davies
    Key Cast
    "Dad"
    Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Lord of the Rings
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Horror, Thriler
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 4, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Isle of Man
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Arri ALEXA
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Marbella International Film Festival
    Marbella
    Spain
    October 4, 2023
    World
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Peter Rogers

Following completion of a business degree, he went on to take a series of writing, producing, and directing courses at Raindance film school in London.

He is Director of VFX for Gorilla in Cardiff. where he has acted as VFX Producer on a number of feature films and TV series in recent years such as - Heartstopper, Dream Horse, Amulet, Apostle, Roald & Beatrix and Asteroid City.

He has written a number of published graphic novels for indie publishers and short film scripts, including Packaged which aired on BBC Wales. He has also directed music videos and corporate films and made his directorial debut with short film Little Brown Bird in 2023.

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Director Statement

My creative vision for the film is to be very cinematic, in ways that you don’t always see in short films. We shot Little Brown Bird in a way that mirrors the claustrophobic nature of Kate’s life and approached it as we would a full feature. 

We also reflected the different stages of Dad’s dementia, giving him more ownership of scenes where he’s lucid and interacting coherently and less visual agency when he’s lost and exposed. The unseen threat, which Kate thinks isn’t real, is almost a manifestation of his dementia, creating confusion, uncertainty, and fear. 

The heart of the story is an emotional one, built around the connection between a woman and her Father, even when he isn’t present. It was extremely important to get the right cast to play Kate and Dad, as that relationship has to be believable and affecting in equal measure.