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18th british shorts, berlin

Ben Steiner
off cuts
OFF CUTS hands into mouth.jpg

FESTIVAL SCREENING

Sat 25.1. 23:30 / Sputnik Kino 1​

CAST

SIMON MEACOCK

ALEX REID

TIM WILDERSPIN

JAN, 25, 2025

Returning home to his pregnant partner, an angry man is accompanied by something unspeakable.

 

Hi Ben, how does it feel to be at the18th British Shorts, Berlin, with short Off Cuts? 

It feels great. Thanks for selecting my film. 

Your debut feature Matriarch had an incredible festival run as did Clanker Man both winning multiple awards. What did it mean to you to get this type of recognition for you film?

MATRIARCH won the audience Gold Award at Celluloid Screams in the UK, probably my favourite festival. It was especially wonderful as I was able to attend and watch the film with an appreciative audience but also because my short film THE STOMACH won Best Short Film there years before. The success of THE STOMACH changed my life in that it convinced me that I could make films that loved.   

How important are festivals like British Shorts, Berlin, in creating a platform for short films and filmmakers? 

It’s vital. Films are made to be seen. Obviously you can put your film online now, but festivals are how the community comes together, is a great way to meet other creators and connect with future collaborators. And they’re a lot of fun. 

Short films are a vital medium in the film industry, yet there are few opportunities for the public, outside of festivals, to see them. What more can be done to make short films more visible and accessible to the wider cinema audiences?

Shorts should be shown before feature films. 

How essential was the creative collaboration between you and your team when working on a short like Off Cuts?

Absolutely vital. OFF CUTS was made for very little money, almost no-one on the crew or post production team got paid anything more tan expenses. It was a labor of love for everyone involved and a lot of fun. I’m extremely grateful to the whole gang. And especially to Robert Morgan whose animation I’ve been a huge fan of for decades and who came on do the sound design which is such an essential part of the film. 

Off Cuts.jpeg

Can you tell me how Off Cuts came about? What was the inspiration behind your screenplay?

My friend told me a true story about the time he clipped his fingernails on a train platform, leaving the clippings where they fell. He got on his train and as it was pulling away, a man appeared from the shadows, got on his knees and scooped the clippings into an envelope! That’s where the idea of a sinister figure collecting ‘off cuts’ came from. 

What are the most challenging aspects of making a horror short? 

Having an idea worth filming!

 

Was there any scene that was especially tricky to shoot?

I think we did about 18 takes of one camera move because we had to pan one way, let one actor leave the frame and then pan back to reveal a figure that hadn’t been there just seconds ago. The actor playing the figure had to run into position just before we started panning back to him but he couldn’t see where he was going because of his costume.

What is the message you want to convey with Off Cuts and do you think you achieved it?

It’s very open to interpretation. I just hope people enjoy it.  

Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?

No, I came to it relatively late, I made my first short MAN WITH A FORK in my late 20s.

Do you have a favourite horror film or filmmaker?

My favourite film is THE SHINING. My favourite horror director is probably David Cronenberg. 

OFF CUTS umbrella creature.jpg

"Through some of my crew choices I learned that I’m not always a great judge of character!" 

What would you say has been the most valuable thing you’ve discovered about yourself and the type of films you want to make since Matriarch?

There were some problems on MATRIARCH! Through some of my crew choices I learned that I’m not always a great judge of character! 

Who are some of the filmmakers that have inspired you?

The Davids, Cronenberg and Lynch, Roeg, Scorsese. 

Is there any advice you wish you had been given when you started your filmmaking journey?

Don’t make a 25 minute short film, no-one will show it.

Moving forward, what are the themes and subjects you want to explore?

I don’t really think about creativity in that way. There are stories I want to tell, like the feature version of THE STOMACH.

And finally, what do you hope you audiences will take away from Off Cuts?

I hope they’ll go to my website bensteinerfilm.com and check out my previous work. 

© 2025 The New Current

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