'Clean' by Miranda Stern to premiere at 75th Edinburgh International Film Festival

We are pleased to reveal that 2 films produced by Bombito Productions will receive their world premieres at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2022. Miranda Stern's personal documentary 'Clean' and live action and animated film 'Who I am Now'.

Miranda Stern's very personal and moving documentary will be screening at the 75th edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival in a world premiere on 16 August 2022.

Clean:

A short and personal female-centred documentary about addiction and long-term recovery from it. This film weaves together observational and lyrical elements to take us into the challenging, deeply personal and relatively unknown world of recovery – along with the processes of care that follow in the years after a period of active addiction.

This is one couple’s journey together as they negotiate the world of recovery and how to plan for a future with so much uncertainty in it.

A female-centred film about addiction. And long-term recovery from it. Made by an addict. Not by an outsider pointing a camera at addicts struggling with relapses and failure and turning that struggle into entertainment for others.

Not focusing on the dark descent into heroin’s seedy underworld but rather taking us into the challenging, deeply personal, and unknown world of recovery and hope.

Most representations we see on these topics sensationalise a manic, animal-like desperation for the next fix, but rarely frame it in the context of why people are that way...

Miranda Stern

Screening date and tickets

Clean will screen as part of the programme ‘Shorts: Bridging The Gap - Tomorrow’.

You can watch the film on Tuesday 16 August 18:10 at Filmhouse 1.

Get tickets

You can buy tickets directly from Edinburgh International Film Festival website.

Miranda Stern

Miranda has worked as a self-shooting PD for the BBC and other broadcasters, as well as making campaign shorts, PSAs and immersive 60” films for Scottish Ensemble, UK Says No More, The Red Cross and others.

Her short drama ‘Revert’ was selected by the BFI Sharp Shorts scheme (2021), she came second place at 16 DAYS 16 FILMS and has had work screened at the Ch4 cinema in association with Film 4.

Further information

• Directed and Edited by Miranda Stern

• Cinematographer: Julyan Sinclair

• Producer: Reece Cargan

• Executive Producer: Sue Bourne

• Composer: Rotem Frimer

• Edit Consultant: Emiliano Battista

• Colourist and Online Editor Karolina Matela

• Sound Designer: Alina Ushakova

• Dubbing Mixer: Joseph Russell

Developed, supported and executive produced by the Scottish Documentary Institute's Bridging the Gap programme and Screen Scotland.

Screening or distribution requests

Please contact Alexandra via festivals@scotdoc.com

Screening of Bombito project 'Who I Am Now'

Who I Am Now will also be screening at its World Premiere at Edinburgh on 13th August. More details are available on the film and screening.

Who I Am Now to premiere in competition at the 75th Edinburgh International Film Festival

We are pleased to reveal that 2 films produced by Bombito Productions will receive their world premieres at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2022. Live action and animated film 'Who I am Now' from director Jack Goessens and Miranda Stern's personal documentary 'Clean'.

Who I Am Now

Two trans refugees share their stories in this short film about family - the families we are born into, and the families we make out of our friends.

With Tariq’s older brother arriving from Egypt - the first time he’s seen him since he came to the UK - he’s forced to confront his complicated feelings about family. Denise, his friend and teammate, shares her own story.

The story's setting and main conversation takes place between Tariq and Denise as they get ready to play a game of football for LGBT football team 'Spectrum FC'. They share stories from their past and bond even further as friends and part of each other's chosen family.

Who I Am Now is a short film about queerness and family - the families we’re born into, and the families we make out of our friends.

Written by Michael Lee Richardson, based on a story by Adam Kashmiry and Zan Scott.

Screening date and competition

The film is in competition for the McLaren award for Best Short Film.

Who I am Now will premiere on 13 August at 15:30 in Filmhouse 1. As part of the New Shorts: Scotland's Voices strand.

The trailer

Get tickets

You can buy tickets, directly from Edinburgh International Film Festivals website.

The background

Funded by Creative Scotland via the Create: Inclusion fund and LEAP sports.

The film uses flashback, dream and memory to tell a complex story, and comment and critique the way that queer people are asked to perform their trauma and recount negative experiences in order to be understood by mainstream audiences.

Animation

Animator Holly Summerson helped shape each flashback scene as a bespoke animation designed specifically for the film in collaboration with director Jack Goessens

The team

Starring accomplished actors Adam Kashmiry as Tariq & Talisa Garcia as Denise.

• Adam Kashmiry who also developed this story, starred in the BAFTA winning National theatre of Scotland film 'Adam', Inspired by his life.

• Talisa Garcia was recently announced as the first trans actress to be cast by Disney in a Lucasfilm production - 'Willow'.

Crew

• Writer: Michael Lee Richardson - based on a story by Zan Scott & Adam Kashmiry

• Producer: Reece Cargan

• Director: Jack Goessens

• DOP: David Lee

• 1st AD: Juan Melendez Herrera

• Production Designer: Cara Roxburgh

• Animator: Holly Summerson

• 1st AC: Sefa Ucbas

• Grip: Gordon Eddie

• 2nd AC: Connor Wilson

• Editor: Jack Goessens

• Sound Recordist: Seamus Stewart-Skinner

• Sound: Sean McGee

• Makeup Artist: Francesca Hynd

• Make up Assistant: Niamh Carden

• Costume Assistant: Oksana Makowska

• Production Assistant: Hannah McKelvie-Whyte

• Runner: Sarah Manson

• Catering: Clementine Catering

• Insurance: WK Film Insurance

• Dumbarton F.C: Antonia Love & Jacqui Sibbald

• Spectrum FC: Michael Lee Richardson, Pip Wright, Rebecca White, Kol Mulligan & Callum Denovellis

• Plus a cameo from some of the Saltire Thistle team - Scotland's inclusive football team.

Further collaborations

• As a team, Reece, Jack and Adam also worked on Jack Goessens' short documentary Everyman - commissioned by Scottish Documentary Institute. Everyman is a personal story about transitioning, exploring how the world is different living as a female to being perceived as male. It was nominated for a Grierson award and won best film at SQIFF and Euregion film festivals.

• Writer Michael and producer Reece have an LGBT feature film 'A Good Spell' in funded development which is set in 70s Glasgow.

• Director Jack and Reece also have a feature film in development – Jack’s first feature ‘Boifriend’.

• Reece and animator Holly Summerson have a funded short 2D animation Living With It - currently in production.

Director Jack Goessens

As a trans person who is an immigrant in the UK, I was interested in exploring the intersectionality of identity on screen in ‘Who I Am Now’. This story shows the complexity of being both trans and a refugee. It highlights another barrier that has to be crossed to be able to be yourself and be so safely.

Producer Reece Cargan

I’m thankful to both Creative Scotland and LEAP sports for allowing us to be able to create this short via funding from the inclusion fund. This funding was vital in allowing me to work with queer collaborators and expand my slate as an LGBTQI+ filmmaker – yet much more importantly, the film will hopefully give insight to audiences on the extra barriers trans people face when seeking asylum in the UK.

Screening of Bombito produced project 'Clean'

Director Miranda Stern's documentary will also be screening at its World Premiere at Edinburgh on 16th August. More details are available on the film and screening.

Living With It - cast announcement

So happy to announce the two extraordinary cast members attached to our animated film Living With It. Annabelle Davis and Lawrence Chaney.

Living With It

Perfectionist Lee (Annabelle Davis) must adapt to the imperfect reality of living with a disease - brought to life as a chaotic supernatural flatmate - Bug (Lawrence Chaney).

Accepting the long-term effects of disease - and making the best of an imperfect situation - are explored through the relationship between two dysfunctional flatmates in this 2D animated mockumentary.

Annabelle Davis as LEE

Fresh from starring in the upcoming Willow (2022) - Annabelle Davis brings her voice work to the character of Lee - who is trying to adjust to life with her new 'flatmate'.

Annabelle Davis is known for Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Dumping Ground (2013).

Lawrence Chaney as BUG

Following his win in Drag Race UK Season 2 and his BAFTA Scotland award. Lawrence lends their talented and unmistakable voice to the role of Bug - our supernatural animated flatmate.

Lawrence recently completed filming their own TV Show 'Tartan Around with Lawrence Chaney'.

The team

Holly Summerson will direct and take the lead in animating. Niki Rooney is writing and Reece Cargan is producing.

Director, writer and animator Holly Summerson:

I’m so excited to create this fun, fantastical, emotional film with an amazing team and the incredible support of Sharp Shorts!

Themes of Living With It

Living With It’ explores the universal theme of making the best of imperfection, as well as an under-represented perspective on disease, focused on enjoying a life that’s slightly different from conventional expectations.

The comedic flatmate relationship and striking visuals discuss illness, grief and shifting identity in a creative, captivating and understandable way.

Writer - Niki Rooney:

It's so thrilling and moving to be working with an editorial team who all identify with disability/chronic illness for the first time in my entire career. This representation on and off screen is so important to me, and I've never been prouder to have my name attached to a project.

I'm looking forward to sharing with the world our funny, authentic portrayal of the lived experience of 'Living With It' through Lee and Bug.

Producer - Reece Cargan:

I am excited to work with Holly again after our time working on Bombito's Who I Am Now (currently about to receive its World Premiere) as I know we work well together and will craft something unique and beautiful.

I'm also ecstatic to get to work with an established talent such as Niki who has a knack of being able to write scripts that can make you laugh out loud one second and then slap you in the feels with an emotional sucker punch the next!

The scheme

Short Circuit is a film talent initiative for Scotland delivered by Film City Futures in partnership with Glasgow Film, and funded by The National Lottery through Screen Scotland and BFI NETWORK. The programme aims to support new and emerging filmmaking talent across Scotland through a combination of funding, events and training opportunities.

Each team will each receive up to £15,000 to produce their film.

More information

Read the short circuit press release.

Read the Screen Scotland press release.