Message Sent

The entirety of this film was created during the global lock-down of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of the actors followed social distancing and isolation measures during the recording of the film.

A dark comedy about how the members of a failing social network struggle with loneliness, honesty and their darkest impulses. Created by Horatio Productions, all shot by the cast, the students of Regent's University. A testimony of what our generation was able to create under unprecedented times. Eight countries, 13 actors, one feature film.

  • Fumi Gomez
    Director
    Later, Coffee Run, Box, Angels, Noise
  • Juan Echenique
    Writer
    Coffee Run, Box, Angels, Noise
  • Horatio Productions
    Producer
  • Ayaan Agnihotri
    Key Cast
    "Sam"
  • Felicia Bökman
    Key Cast
    "Eli"
  • Alessandro Cassese
    Key Cast
    "Morgan"
  • Barbara D’Alessio
    Key Cast
    "Elvira Gumuzzio"
  • Henrike Hagemeier
    Key Cast
    "Ruth"
  • Jasmine Harewood
    Key Cast
    "Remy"
  • Mirna Jonaso
    Key Cast
    "Alice"
  • Dasha Marchenko
    Key Cast
    "Tish"
  • Melissa Moran
    Key Cast
    "Jo"
  • James Nandhra
    Key Cast
    "Max"
  • Wiktoria Nowakowska
    Key Cast
    "Taylor"
  • Jules Shelby
    Key Cast
    "Kim"
  • Wendy Van Horen Carneiro
    Key Cast
    "Lily"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 45 minutes 16 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 27, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    0 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Egypt, Germany, India, Portugal, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Fumi Gomez

"I take my Raindance hat off to you. We're big fans. I will shout about the good work you're doing as loud and often as I can from the parapets of our basement office" - Elliot Grove, founder of Raindance and British Independent Film Awards, Interview on Raindance Live

Fumi Gomez is a freelance film and theatre director. Her work is focused on groundbreaking storytelling, seeking new expressive ways and blending influences from all around the world. She is heavily invested in filmmaking that speaks from a female, intersectional, culturally diverse perspective, in a way that is unique, political and entertaining.

Creator of Making Films; a guerrilla filmmaking group with over 1700 members. She has curated a total of 57 short films in the last year made on a zero budget, each month and screened at a London venue.

She is a freelance associate artist at the National Youth Theatre. Co-founder of Horatio Productions and the Science Fiction Theatre Festival in London.

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Director Statement

March 2020: I had just lost a few theatre, film and videography gigs that paid my rent. I was overwhelmed with fear, frustration and sadness of what was happening with the world. I was also angry. Really angry.

Regent’s University had hired me to direct a play but, for obvious reasons, the project had to be cancelled. They still wanted to work with me, the question was how. I had 13 drama students, all in different locations, 8 different countries, different time zones, 13 different cameras (mobile phones and a few DSLRs), barely any professional filming equipment. None of the students had ever shot a film themselves. I spoke to Juan Echenique, one of the best writers I know, and asked if we could justify all these things, embrace it, and make a film that was NOT about Covid-19 because the last thing I wanted to do all day, everyday, was to talk even more about what was ruling our lives.

April 2020: we didn't have a script, we didn't have a story, and we did not have a budget. My actors poured their hearts and trusted us, Juan Echenique and me, two guerrilla filmmakers. We spent sleepless nights, talking about the story, about our actors and our resources, about what we did and didn’t have; about how to do something that hasn't been done yet in terms of storytelling, acting, format and creative process. At the end, we did it. 114 minutes of remote blood, sweat and tears.

MESSAGE SENT is a dark comedy, a zero budget political statement with a cast of 13 actors from all around the globe; a full team in lock-down who decided that there was a story that needed to be told. We hope that this film inspires people to create original stories, and brings in an audience who are excited to watch films that challenge their preconceptions of what a feature film should be and how a story can be told, regardless of budgets... or pandemics.