Experiencing Interruptions?

P I R A N H A

Haunted by nightmarish visions of being chased by indistinguishable rioters, a junior banker tries to make it safely to the central business district for his first day at work, but little does he know that the greatest danger facing him is not from the perceived threat of imagined rioters, but the moral corruption of his individuality in the corporate banking bubble.

  • Elcid Asaei
    Director
  • Elcid Asaei
    Writer
  • Kevin Pacey
    Writer
  • Elcid Asaei
    Producer
  • Roman Elpidio
    Producer
  • Sid Phoenix
    Key Cast
  • Stephen T Box
    Key Cast
  • Ruggero Dalla Santa
    Key Cast
  • Philip Nichol
    Director of Photography
  • A.R. Madabushi
    Editor / VFX
  • Hai Saint
    Composer
  • William Puddle
    Sound Designer
  • Elcid Asaei
    Production Designer
  • Jonathan Haart
    Costume Designer
  • Tom Swacha
    Casting Director
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Drama, Experimental, Postmodern, Avant-garde, Mystery, Surreal
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 2 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 20, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    7,158 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED SCARLET
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:90:1
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • InShort Film Festival
    Hackney, London (UK)
    August 6, 2014
    London premiere
  • Riots Revisited Film Festival
    British Film Institute, London (UK)
    August 15, 2014
    UK Premiere
    Best of Show
  • Gate Picturehouse Shorts Showcase
    The Gate Cinema, London (UK)
    August 15, 2014
  • One Reeler Film Club
    The Cinema Museum, London (UK)
    December 9, 2014
  • The Short Cinema
    Leicester (UK)
    August 29, 2015
  • Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    December 6, 2017
    Indian Premiere
    Golden Fox Award
Director Biography - Elcid Asaei

Elcid is a self-taught and award winning director, writer and producer. His films often range contemporary, socially-conscious, bold and fantastical subject matters. Passionate about visual storytelling, Elcid followed an MA in Film Theory at UCL with a spell in broadcast journalism and photography, before making his filmmaking debut with the short documentary, 'Revolutionary Roads', which premiered at Sheffield Doc/Fest and went on to win Current TV’s Short Cuts prize. Elcid has since gone on to write, direct and produce a number of visually striking and thought-provoking short films, including 'PIRANHA' and 'UNSKIN', with each project successively more ambitious and a prelude to his ongoing journey towards his debut feature film.

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Director Statement

Piranha is best described as a post-modern, experimental short. It is a project that is stylistically influenced by expressionist techniques and surrealist forms, whilst narratively inspired by contemporary themes surrounding the fears and misgivings around the financial system, austerity measures, and social inequality, which have led to economic downturns, global protests, and in many cases, riots. As it happens, the film doesn't pull any punches on either side of the debate, and subtly seeks out the grey areas in the story. In fact, the only aspects of the film that are black and white are the visuals. My hopes for this project are that it will engage viewers and stir up debate on the wider social, political and economic issues which first inspired the story behind the film.