Sylvia the Short Film | Sylvia The Short Film

director and producers

something about the director and producers

The film “Sylvia” is the result of a strong collaboration between director and writer, Richard Prendergast, producer, Rachel Prendergast, and exec producer, Benjamin Hartley. Richard’s vision for the film, and his vast experience as a cinematographer, forged a strong visual and narrative story which was then made real by the driving force of a producer that is Rachel. Benjamin used his experience and contacts in the film industry to help guide the project as well as access resources through Buckhart Productions. Find out more about the team below.

Richard Prendergast

Director

Rachel Prendergast

Producer

Benjamin Hartley

Executive Producer

Sylvia – The True Story

Journal

Equipment

Journal

Jolie Lennon

Journal

The Car

Journal

interesting details from the set

Principle Photography

The main shoot took place in the early part of 2018. Due to the talents schedule, and availability of key crew members, the principle photography was initially delayed by 4 weeks. With a very tight shooting schedule, Sylvia was wrapped in May 2018, with a subsequent 5 pick-up days allocated for second unit work.

Locations

The actual events of the story took place in the US Mid West. Whilst Sylvia was never meant to be replicating the actual location of the true story, the flat and barren landscape of Norfolk imitated the mid-Western states really well. The location was key to creating a somewhat lonely and desolate place, and very much acts as another ‘character’ in the piece.

Equipment

It was decided in the pre-production phase that the film would be shot in 8k, to maximise the impact of the landscape shots. As much of the film is about the car itself, it was key to have equipment that allowed us to capture the moving vehicle in a number of scenarios. SubMotion house an array of equipment perfect for such scenarios and their tracking vehicle, cable camera system and cinematic camera setups were the sole production source behind the production of Sylvia. Along with their trusted crew of talented professionals, SubMotion pulled all the stops out to produce this beautifully cinematic and technically sophisticated film.

Film Festivals

Follow our film festival submissions here

Here are all the list of Awards, Nominations and Official Selections that the film has received through 2018-2019. We also have a list of upcoming film festivals that we are attending. Please follow our progress here and via our social media links:

Awards

2019

New Renaissance Film Festival – Best Actress
Chelmsford Film Festival – Best Actress
Cordillera International Film Festival – Jury Award Best of Fest
The American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival – Best Short Film
Top Shorts – Annual Awards – Best Actress
Top Shorts – Annual Awards – Runner Up Best Short Film

2018

Sydney Indy Film Festival – Best Film
Norwich Film Festival – Best East Anglia Film *BIFA & BAFTA Qualifying
Tri-Force Film Festival- William Bryne Award for Promising Director
Overcome Film Festival – Best Director
London Independent Film Awards – Best Short Film

Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival – Best Short Film
London Lift-Off Film Festival – Special Mention for Best Short Film

Nominations and Official Selections

2019

BAFTA – Best Short Film Long List (Top 20)
Carmarthen Bay Film Festival 2019 – Finalist Best Short Film *BAFTA Cymru Qualifying
Chelmsford Film Festival 2019 – Best Actress
Chelmsford Film Festival 2019 – Best Short Film
Chelmsford Film Festival 2019 – Screenplay
Top Shorts – Annual Awards 2019 – Best Young Actress

2018

Lift-Off Global – Best Short Film
Gold Movie Awards – Finalist Best Short Film

Official Selections

Foyle Film Festival *Oscar & BAFTA Qualifying
Palm Springs International Short Fest *Oscar & BAFTA Qualifying
Indy Shorts International Film Festival *Oscar Qualifying
Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival *Oscar & BAFTA Qualifying
Show Low Film festival
Underwire Film Festival
Calgary International Film Festival *Oscar Qualifying
Edmonton International Film Festival *Oscar Qualifying
Manhattan Short Film Festival *Oscar Qualifying

Upcoming Screenings

Underwire Film Festival 2019

Detroit Shetown Film Festival

Elba Film Festival

Calgary International Film Festival 2019 *Oscar Qualifying
Edmonton International Film Festival 2019 *Oscar Qualifying
Manhattan Short Film Festival 2019 *Oscar Qualifying
Show Low Film festival 2019

The film "Sylvia" is a beautifully shot film, and an emotional rollercoaster! Jolie Lennon is a powerful lead, and charged with energy. We will no doubt see much more of her in the future!

The production values they've managed to put on screen is on par with many of the large budget features I've worked on. A real triumph.

Ticks all the boxes of a great short film: a defined storyline, sharp direction, a showcase for acting talent, and pooling of great industry talent. Well done!