Private Project

Smiley Face

‘Smiley Face’ is a psychological drama, an exploration of the childhood guilt that afflicts its protagonist, ZAC (mid-30s). Hounded by the memories of his mother’s infidelity, his poor performance at insecure aggression at school, he experiences an unsettling, involuntary reversion to his youth. Battling with his guilt-ridden psyche, we observe as Zac interacts with the several characters that resurface from his past.

  • Hal Pilkington
    Director
  • Saul Lotzof
    Writer
  • Saul Lotzof
    Producer
  • Susie Reed
    Producer
  • Mark Mansfield
    Key Cast
    "Zac"
  • Cara Chedid
    Key Cast
    "Mum"
  • Andrew McDonald
    Key Cast
    "Hopkins"
  • Kevin Ashley
    Key Cast
    "Dad"
  • Al James
    Key Cast
    "Unknown man"
  • Saul Lotzof
    Cinematographer
  • Bryn Chiappe
    Editor
  • Mahika Gautam
    1st AD
  • Project Type:
    Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, surreal
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 23, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm B&W
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University College London
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Hal Pilkington

Hal Pilkington is a director, cinematographer, editor and lighting technician whose films have been featured in prestigious festivals such as the Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts film festival and Louisville’s International Festival of Film. He has lensed short films, music videos and commercials, while having also worked in the lighting department on feature-length projects for production companies such as the BBC and Netflix. In 2021, he graduated with first class honours from University College London and is now reading for his masters in philosophy at King’s College London.

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