Private Project

Perennial

"A homeless drifter meets a young girl who he helps to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer - and saving himself a little in the process."

Perennial is a heartfelt drama about a homeless drifter who has lost everything, but starts to find himself once again by helping a little girl pursue her dream of dazzling with dance at the school show. The film is a blend of Billy Elliot meets Leon meets Harold and Maude.

The film has a very committed performance from writer-director Austin Staton and newcomer Amelia Brown and boasts some wonderful vistas of The Fens as a striking backdrop.

  • Austin Staton
    Director
  • Austin Staton
    Writer
  • Austin Staton
    Producer
  • Giordan Gregory
    Producer
  • Austin Staton
    Key Cast
    "Ren"
    Kick, Unlicensed, Schadenfreude, Little Devil, Suspect 13, Blue Plaque
  • Amelia Brown
    Key Cast
    "Rose"
  • James Handley
    Cinematographer
    The End of the Fucking World, Grenfell 5 years, The Tracey Ullman Show
  • Jim Page
    Editor
    Matriarch, Boarders, Murder in Provence
  • Paul Darling
    Sound Design
    Limitless, The Real Charlie Chaplin, A Story of Bones
  • Aiden Tobin
    Colourist
    Heart of Stone, Yard Kings, Killing Boris Johnson
  • Sanjoli Malani
    First Assistant Director
    The Space in Between, Trapped, Mothers and Daughters
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Dance, Heartfelt, Gritty, British
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 3, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Arri Alexa
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Austin Staton

Having worked in the film industry for over twenty years as an actor, Perennial, is Austin's debut short film as a writer, producer, director.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Having moved out of the isolated bustle of a decade in London and back to my home town, to look after my ill parents, I was tired of waiting for work so decided to make my own.

I wrote a story based around the cinematic views of The Fens mixed with the working class characters that I resonate with. Struggling, hustling, longing for something better. A change to a happier life.

Perennial, is a short film, with big ambitions to be adapted in to a feature length film, which looks more in depth at the relationship and background of our central characters, Ren and Rose, alongside the aspects of county lines drug dealing.

For now, Perennial, stands as a short film with big ambitions hoping to enter a festival that sees the potential of the project and all those that worked so hard to create it."