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18th british shorts, berlin

james arden
sitter
Sitter 2.jpeg

FESTIVAL SCREENING

Fri 24.1. 20:00 / Sputnik Kino 1

CAST

Iona Champain

Eleanor Grace

Frankie Wilson

JAN, 16, 2025

Aurora is asked to look after her friend Catherine’s cat, but as events take a turn for the worse she is forced to ask herself - am I actually a good person?

Hi James, how does it feel to be at the 18th British Shorts, Berlin, with your latest short film?

Hello! I’ve been an admirer of British Shorts for quite a few years now – the line-up always looks incredible – so it’s truly wonderful to be a part of this year’s programme. I’ll also take any excuse to return to Berlin. I love it.

Sitter has had an amazing festival run, having its world premiere at Flickers’ Rhode Island, where it won the Grand Prize, and you were also shortlisted for the Cannes Lions Young Director Award. What did it mean to you to get this type of recognition for your film? 

I never go into a project with expectations about how it’ll be received – I try to make the film for myself and the team around me first, and then if it resonates with an audience that’s a massive bonus. It’s been really gratifying seeing this short – which  came together really quickly - connecting with people. Makes me excited for the next one, which is far bigger!

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

I think more important than ever. Releasing shorts online is great to get them out there, but really it’s these types of festivals that a) set the bar in terms of quality for audiences and b) bring filmmakers together and help us form new, exciting working relationships. Festivals are essential.  

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?

I agree - I think they continue to be such a creative medium. You get first-timers making something totally unique, and you get veteran Oscar-winning directors turning their eye to the shorter medium. 

Platforms like EyeCandy and Directors Library on Instagram have really changed the way I consume commercials/music videos – and I think companies like Director’s Notes and Minute Shorts and changing the way we consume shorts. I think respectable platforms have such a huge chance to breathe new life into shorts. I don’t know what’s next, but festivals are key.

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

 

Sitter is loosely based on experiences I had with old housemates who lost my cat – they’re all lovely people, but sometimes you catch people at a fairly hectic period in their lives… we’ve all been through self-destructive phases when we weren’t perhaps the most responsible adult / friend. I wanted to explore that in a stressful short, through a character that captures that feeling. The film was produced with Brother Film, an ambitious and talented production company based in Peckham.

Sitter Poster.jpeg

What were the biggest challenges you faced making Sitter, and what was the message you wanted to convey with this film? 

We made this short film on a budget of £5000, including paying all cast and crew, so the biggest challenge was logistical – making the film feel alive and full on a tiny budget. I’m proud of what we achieved. In terms of a message… I suppose that sometimes it takes the smallest incident to make us re-evaluate how we’re behaving and what we’re doing in life. Don’t write anyone off – they can still make a change.

Did you give yourself and your cast much flexibility with the text once you started shooting, or did you prefer to stick to what was planned?

I always have a plan going in, and then leave room to change and manoeuvre… especially when it comes to actors and their performances. I’m never married to dialogue. It’s all a blueprint.

You’ve said that hard-hitting storytelling drives your filmmaking, and with this in mind, how essential is it for you as a writer/director to push the boundaries of the stories you not only want to tell but also want to see? I still recall watching Cathy Come Home at university; that film haunts me to this day.

Ken Loach is a master - I recently saw Kes, finally, for the first time. It still felt so alive over half a century later. In terms of my own filmmaking… I tried to approach Sitter as a portrait of a type of person who we’ve all known in London, at some point or another. I try not to put too much pressure on myself to create work that pushes boundaries – making any short film is a miracle in itself – but I try to make stories that are true to me and my point of view, and hope that resonates.

Was there any one scene that was particularly tricky for you to shoot? 

We shot the exterior scenes around Rye Lane in Peckham – a notoriously hectic, busy street. We wanted that sense of busy urban life. However, it was dead when we turned up – so making it feel busy became quite tricky! I think we got away with it, though. Edit magic.

How essential is the creative collaboration between you and your team when shooting a project like this? 

Very – I’m nothing without my team. Especially a good 1st AD. They steer the ship.

Had you had an idea of who you wanted to play Aurora?

Not at all – we held open castings and Iona Champain blew us away with her unique mix of chaotic energy and likability. She won Best Actress at Greenwich Film Festival – thoroughly deserved.

Where did your passion for filmmaking come from?

My dad showed me films from a young age – discovering directors like Andrea Arnold and Scorsese fuelled wanting to make them.

Sitter 4.jpeg

"I think I’m drawn more to heightened realism now that social realism. But it depends on the story."

Having grown up in London, what is it about this city that informs your filmmaking and storytelling approach?

I grew up just outside London, and all my early formative experiences involved sneaking into the city – gigs, pubs, parties etc. I think that initial shock of such a chaotic city has stayed with me and impacts how I want to tell stories. Chaotic realism!

What have been the biggest changes to your style of filmmaking since you started out?

I like the idea of constantly changing – sensibilities should evolve! I think I’m drawn more to heightened realism now that social realism. But it depends on the story. 

What do you think you discovered about yourself as a filmmaker during the making of this Sitter, and what would you say has been the biggest lesson you’ve taken from this project?

I learned not to overthink – the whole project came together far quicker than I’m used to. I wrote the script in two days, and a month later we’d shot it. That is not how I usually work! So, not over-preparing? I think you can get bogged down if you’re not careful. The shoot always takes on a different form - just go with the flow and let the story guide you.

Moving forward, what themes and subjects are you looking to explore with future films?

 

In my next film, I‘m exploring AI and automation through a short family drama.

Is there a filmmaker you’d love to spend the day on set with?

I spent a few days on set with Ridley Scott in 2024...I think more than that might be greedy.

What has been the best piece of advice you’ve been given on your filmmaking journey?

Trust your gut, and perseverance beats talent. 

And finally, what message would you want your audiences to take away from Sitter?

Simple - don’t leave windows open if you’re looking after an indoor cat.

© 2025 The New Current

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