Private Project

What a Circus

Are we living a modern lie? In this extravagant satire, a mysterious carnival master walks us through the problems of our modern society, questioning the dangerous future we are building around us.

A BBC Arts and Arts Council England production.

  • Anita Pico
    Director
    Blacks or Whites
  • Anita Pico
    Writer
  • Kathryn Chorley
    Producer
  • Alastair G. Cumming
    Key Cast
    "Carnival Master"
  • Catherine Maitland
    Key Cast
    "Couple "
  • Marcus Forde
    Key Cast
    "Couple"
  • David William-Smith
    Key Cast
    "Old man"
  • Katie Rogers
    Key Cast
    "Student"
  • Chris Li
    Production Designer
  • Zoya Chung
    Cinematography
  • Euan Foulis
    Casting
  • Rosie Goodwin
    Assistant Producer
  • Michael Fokias
    Camera Operator
  • Selina Xian
    Costume Design
  • Calum Marshall
    Art Direction
  • Mhran Amer
    1º Assistant Director
  • Isobel Caird
    Make Up
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama, Satire
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 37 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 5, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain, United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University for the Creative Arts
  • BBC 4 TV Premiere

    United Kingdom
    March 5, 2020
    BBC 4 "TV Broadcast"
    Female Filmmakers Program
  • BBC iPlayer

    United Kingdom
    March 6, 2020
    Catalogue Premiere
  • Kolkata Int. Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    Indian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Beyond Film Festival 2020
    Berlin
    Germany
    Germany Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Festival de Cans 2021
    Cans
    Spain
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Primavera do Cine 2021
    Vigo
    Spain
    September 7, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Portobello Film Festival 2021
    London
    Spain
    September 6, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Sunderland Shorts Film Festival 2021
    Sunderland
    United Kingdom
    October 6, 2021
    Official Selection
  • OUFF En Curto - Ourense International Film Festival 2021
    Ourense
    Spain
    September 26, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Suikerzoet Filmfestival 2021
    Schiedam
    Netherlands
    November 18, 2021
    The Netherlands Premiere
    Official Selection
  • KADIN YÖNETMENLER FESTİVALİ 2022
    Izmir, Turkey
    Turkey
    February 27, 2022
    Turkey Premiere
    Award Finalist
  • El Ojo Cojo International Film Fest 2022
    Madrid
    Spain
    November 4, 2022
    Official Selection
  • REFF 5 Mostra del Cinema
    Catanzaro
    Italy
    May 26, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Anita Pico

Anita Pico (25 years old from A Coruña, Spain) directed her first short film "Camille" at twenty-two years old, winning the Audience Award at Durham Film Festival.
Her short "Blacks or Whites", a graduation film from the University for the Creative Arts, premiered at the British Film Institute in London, screening in prestigious festivals around the world.

As part of the "New Creatives" program by BBC Arts and Arts Council, Pico shot "What a Circus", her last film, premiering on BBC 4 in 2020.

What a Circus has screened in Spain, Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, etc.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"What a Circus" is a call for action. Welcome to the real world, can we still fix our future?

FILM CRITICS
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Beyond Film Festival 2020
"Fantastic film made by the future filmmakers of our art world.
Electric, bold, and exciting"
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SUBTITLES AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH