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Sensibility

The Howard's find themselves on the outskirts of London Society, however the unexpected arrival of a young eligible bachelor, and a Duke at that, offers the promises of a lifetime. The only thing standing in their way are themselves. Lady Howard must do battle with her cohort of un-married children if she is to stand any hope of capitalising on this once a season opportunity of bolstering the families standing within society.

  • Ben Kernow
    Director
  • Ben Kernow
    Writer
  • Ben Kernow
    Producer
  • Emma Stansfield
    Key Cast
    "Lady Howard"
  • Rose Reynolds
    Key Cast
    "Elizabeth Howard"
  • Howard Perret
    Key Cast
    "Edward Howard"
  • Chloe Endean
    Key Cast
    "Jane Howard"
  • Catherine Phillips
    Key Cast
    "Mary Howard"
  • Alun Raglan
    Key Cast
    "Lord Howard"
  • Jenny Beare
    Key Cast
    "Servant"
  • Emerson Pike
    Key Cast
    "Duke of Bedford"
  • Thomas Shawcroft
    Director of Photography
  • Marion Harrison
    Production Designer
  • Charlie Thorne
    Editor
  • Chris Baker
    Composer
  • Magda Cassidy
    Casting Director
  • Jonny Dry
    1st Assistant Director
  • Leonardo Donadio
    2nd Assistant Director
  • Andrea Clavijo
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Andrew Brierley
    2nd Assistant Camera
  • Leon Laza
    Gaffer
  • Adam Pemberton
    Electrician
  • Chris Baker
    Sound Recordist/Mixer
  • Hana Backland
    BTS Photography
  • Caroline Edwards
    Hair & Makeup Designer
  • Lucie Allano
    Hair & Makeup Artist
  • Yasmin Baird
    Art Department Assistant
  • Ollie Andersen
    Colourist
  • Mark Maltby
    Online Editor
  • Barbora Bodláková
    Musician
  • Zoë Curnow
    Musician
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama, Period Drama
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Bristol Independent Film Festival
    Bristol
    United Kingdom
    September 16, 2022
    Best Short Film
  • Cornwall Film Festival
    Cornwall
    United Kingdom
    November 16, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Birmingham Film Festival
    Birmingham
    United Kingdom
    November 6, 2022
    Nominated for Best Costume, Best Hair and Make up, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Production Design
  • Worcester Film Festival
    Worcester
    United Kingdom
    October 12, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Louth International Film Festival
    Dundalk
    Ireland
    October 1, 2022
    Irish Premier
    Official Selection
  • Two Short Nights
    Exeter
    United Kingdom
    February 16, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Ignite Film Festival
    Malborough
    United Kingdom
    June 20, 2023
    Nominated for Best Comedy, Best Production Design & First Time Director Award
  • Lowestoft Film Festival
    Lowestoft
    United Kingdom
    October 22, 2022
    Highly Commended
  • Harrogate Film Festival
    Harrogate
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Romford Film Festival
    Romford
    United Kingdom
    May 26, 2023
    Nominated for Best Short Film
  • St Andrews Film Festival
    St. Andrews
    United Kingdom
    December 4, 2022
    Official Selection
  • Earl's Court International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Southport International Film Festival
    Southport
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Mansfield Town Film Festival
    Mansfield
    United Kingdom
    July 15, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Sandbar International Film Festival

    Ireland
    Honourable Mention
  • Swindon Film Festival
    Swindon
    United Kingdom
    July 28, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Rusthall Short Film Festival
    Tunbridge Wells
    United Kingdom
    October 15, 2022
    Best Live Action
  • AltFF Alternative Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    September 19, 2022
    Best Film Finalist
  • Ealing Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    Official Selection
  • Luleå International Film Festival
    Luleå
    Sweden
    Best First Time Short Film
  • White Deer Film Festival
    Grantham
    United Kingdom
    February 10, 2023
    Best Director, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Set Design, Best Costumes & Best Production Design
  • Cotswold Internationl Film Festival

    United Kingdom
    Best Comedy Short
  • Sweden Film Awards

    Sweden
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Ben Kernow

Hailing from North Cornwall, Ben trained as an actor at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA), and has worked on both the stage and screen ever since. In 2018 he formed Ha Hum Ah Theatre and began developing his own body of work as both a producer, director and writer. Work for the company has included Moira Buffini's satirycal 'Loveplay' at the Minack Theatre, along with co-productions of 'A Dickensian Christmas' and 'Oh No It isn't!' with intoBodmin. 2021 saw Ha Hum Ah expand into the world of film with the creation of Ha Hum Ah Films. Sensibility marks Ben's film directorial debut.

He has recently been awarded this years FylmK award from Screen Cornwall to develop his next short which goes into production later this year.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

It is safe to say that Sensibility isn’t your average short film for a first-time filmmaker. Many would argue that a period drama with elaborate costumes, locations and numerous characters possibly isn’t the obvious choice for one’s first dive into filmmaking. However it oddly felt like the right choice!

I have always been drawn by stories which have an epic or larger than life quality to them. I also can’t hide that I’m a big history geek and delving into a historical setting not only offers huge scope for play and story development as a storyteller, but also makes me feel like a kid in a sweet shop. For me that ability to transport an audience to another world or period in time is an exciting one. I also find that these explorations often give us an insight or a new understanding of our own world and time.

Sensibility was filmed entirely on location in Cornwall using a predominantly Cornwall and South West based creative team. Indeed I couldn’t imagine anywhere else to make this film, although I admit being a Cornishman makes me very biased!

Sensibility is as much an exploration of a genre as anything else. The period drama and in particular the regency love story have become firm favourites in popular culture. Mention the works of Jane Austen and there are few who have not heard of them. Their stories of courtship, social standing and victory through hardship resonate just as strongly now as they did over 200 years ago. Through this film I wanted to dissect this idea we have of the regency period and its archetypal stories of courtship and status.

Through the lens of a rather dysfunctional family, Sensibility explores a period in time and the people that inhabited it with a vibrancy and playfulness. Such an ambitious project of course wouldn’t have been achievable without a phenomenal team of creatives. I’m beyond thankful to every single one of them in helping to bring this story to the screen.