Rebecca is the Head of Film at Academy Award® winning production company Slick Films. She produced Academy Award® winning short film The Silent Child which had its television debut on BBC One to an audience of 3.6 million in 2018. Following the films success she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of West London from where she graduated 5 years prior. Her recent production A Glimpse has won over 20 awards and 17 nominations at over 30 film festivals internationally including Raindance (UK), Santa Barbara (USA), Flickerfest (AUS) and has sold to distributor NITV. She produced Sucka Punch which received acclaim across mainstream press such as Empire Magazine, sold to Verve Pictures and released on platforms including Amazon Prime and Curzon Home Cinema in 2020.
What makes a great short film?
I’m still learning myself, but when filmmakers let the story lead the way and fight for that to be the priority throughout the process I believe it makes a more impactful film in the long run. The short film format is unique in that you usually have complete creative control which means the only limits are the ones that you put on yourself. Sometimes the attitude is that you need to restrict yourselves for a short film due to the resources available but I love shorts that despite the challenges aim high anyway, and achieve this by being creative and thinking outside the box with the micro budget.
Favourite films?
Uh oh this could be long! The Social Network, Blackfish, If Beale Street Could Talk, Philomena, Lion, Marriage Story, The Imitation Game, Little Miss Sunshine – films with a strong sense of reality. Then there’s an unmatchable charm to films made on small budgets like Primer and Once. There was a great micro budget horror I saw called Host that was made during lockdown which proved that amazing films can be made with what you have in front of you. I’ll always have a soft spot for some major blockbusters too like The Fellowship of the Ring. I’m currently blown away by Steve Mcqueen’s anthology of films Small Axe, starting with Mangrove – everyone needs to watch it!