Private Project

Leader

LEADER - (shot entirely on a mobile phone) is the story of Donnie, who lives on his own in a very remote area by the sea. He creates sculptures from ocean waste, until one day the tide changes and he inspires a new normal.

  • Chris Overton
    Director
    The Silent Child
  • Rachel Shenton
    Writer
    The Silent Child
  • Rebecca Harris
    Producer
    The Silent Child, A Glimpse, Sucka Punch, Stand Still
  • Jack Daw
    Key Cast
    "Donnie"
  • Ali Farahani
    Director of Photography
    The Silent Child, The Suit Wealth the Man, The Bookshop
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Family
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 52 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 4, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital (smartphone)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Chris Overton

Chris Overton is an Oscar® winning director. He began his career as an actor and worked on various television and film projects with directors including Joel Schumacher and Roman Polanski. He also played a lead role in the BAFTA Award-winning film Pride, directed by Matthew Warchus.

Chris made his directorial debut with The Silent Child, for which he received the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short Film. He won Best Director at The River Bend Film Festival and has won over 50 international awards with The Silent Child. It continues to play in film festivals and television channels around the world.

Chris has also directed commercials with Havas, FCB Inferno, Wunderman Thompson and Beiersdorf. His debut commercial in the UK for the hugely successful Huawei Story Sign Christmas campaign, won seven Lions at Cannes in 2019 (four of which were Gold), eight One Show awards, three D&ADs and a Grand Prix at Eurobest.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I always like a challenge and shooting an entire film with a mobile phone was something I was extremely excited to try. I hope 'Leader', inspires other filmmakers and proves that you don't need a cinema camera to create a cinematic film.

I also wanted to make this as we are living within a new normal and this film represents positive change. The pandemic has created so many uncomfortable scenarios around the globe but we've also learned a lot of valuable lessons too and I don't think we would have learned any of them if it wasn't for COVID.

We've all witnessed some parts of the planet quite literally heal itself and that's because the earth was given the chance to breathe. Nature has been reinvigorated like it never has done before, carbon emissions are lower. People have tried new things and ultimately its shone a light on the power of change. The new normal and the main message behind this film is to not forget the lessons we've learned.