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Ultro! A Superhero Documentary

In the sleepy, West Yorkshire town of Flanworth, a camera crew are given exclusive access to the everyday happenings of Ultro and his trusty sidekick, Speedo.
The streets are tame and relatively crime-free, which should be all a superhero can ever ask for. But there comes a time when you have to wonder if it's ever enough...

  • Michael Strachan Brown
    Director
    Flintlock
  • Michael Strachan Brown
    Writer
    Flintlock
  • Bailey Poching
    Writer
    Cosmic Adventures
  • Michael Strachan Brown
    Producer
    Flintlock
  • Bailey Poching
    Producer
    Cosmic Adventures
  • Sam Mandi-Ghomi
    Producer
  • Bailey Poching
    Key Cast
    "Ultro"
    Nancy From Now On
  • Sam Mandi-Ghomi
    Key Cast
    "Speedo/Nathan Small"
  • Jake Hatton
    Audio Production
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Mockumentary, Comedy, Superhero
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 28, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    1,330 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michael Strachan Brown

Twenty-three years old, Michael is an award-winning filmmaker born and raised in Northern England.

Michael has been pointing a camera at things since before he knew how to use one. His love of stories turned into a need to tell his own. After obtaining a degree in Media Production, he has since worked on a variety of multimedia projects, focusing on short-form storytelling.

His filmmaking approach is informed by his pursuit of generating visual storytelling that captivates, and his love of flawed characters.

Michael's obsession with insecurity, cringe-comedy and superheroes has cultivated in the creation of his most recent film, Ultro! A Superhero Documentary. A tounge-in-cheeck exploration of a messy struggle for self acceptance.

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Director Statement

Making Ultro! has reinforced my love for Indie-filmmaking. From start to finish, making this movie has been about collaboration, sharing perspectives and exploring creative solutions.

We called in favours, we hustled for locations, equipment, props and everything in between. We shot on skeleton crews, we edited late into the night. Making this film has been a blast and I've been so lucky to be able to make it exactly the way I wanted to.

As always, it was a pleasure to work alongside the unique comedic sensibilities of lead-actor, Bailey Poching. The organic, palpable chemistry shared between him and co-lead Sam Mandi-Ghomi has been captured on screen for all to enjoy.

Despite all the capes and the tights and bloody stupid jokes, Ultro is fundamentally a story about failure. Throughout the film, we see Ultro constantly failing both himself, and those around him.
Like our leading superhero, we are all insecure and obsessive. We all internalise pain and even deflect past trauma.

Underneath the fantastical whimsy of small-town superheroes is a story which finds its heart in the gross, murky waters of what it means to accept yourself. Hopefully, Ultro can teach you that regardless of the masks we choose to put on, we are still capable of growth and living honestly!