Euro '96 - Short Film

Aim

Help us to recreate the electric atmosphere of Euro '96 in our short film about two childhood friends on the precipice of change.

Title: Euro '96

Format: Short Film

Runtime: 15-17 minutes

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Logline: As Euro '96 unites the nation, teenager Jack struggles to tell his clingy best friend Hud that he plans to move away to University.

* PLEASE NOTE: FILMING ON EURO '96 HAS NOW WRAPPED SO THERE IS NO LONGER AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE AN EXTRA IN THE FILM. ALL OTHER REWARDS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT  IF YOU COULD HELP US RECOUP PRODUCTION COSTS BY DONATING TO OUR PROJECT!

The film is about two young men coming of age amidst the passionate euphoria and heartbreak of Euro ’96; one embracing change, and the other wanting to stay in his comfort zone.

Our main character is eighteen year old Jack, an academic achiever who aspires to go to University for Computer Science, and ultimately be at the forefront of the computer technology boom that he knows is around the corner. He has an offer to go to a top ten University in Computer Science. However Jack’s childhood friend Hud wants him to take a gap year, work with him at the local theme park and save money for an epic trip to Ibiza the following year. Ultimately Jack is conflicted between loyalty to his best friend, and having the courage to leave home in pursuit of his dreams.

Accompanying Jack and Hud are an ensemble of vibrant characters, who each bring something different to the film. These include Hud’s no nonsense cousin Katy who works as a barmaid at The Red Lion, wise and witty new barmaid Cadhla, arrogant chauvinist Brett and his wingman Spence, and perpetually inebriated mathematical genius Daz, who is on a personal quest to beat the fruit machine.

Our primary intention with the film is for it to serve as a proof of concept short for a television series called "20th Century Tribe", which we have long-term ambitions for. A pilot episode called "Euro '96" has been written for 20th Century Tribe, and effectively this short film will serve as a sample of what the pilot episode could look like.

Our ultimate goal in making this film, is to get agents and production companies interested in representing us in our quest to pitch 20th Century Tribe to television networks. From there we hope to eventually get the series commissioned for television.

Your donation to our project will not go unappreciated. We have a range of exciting rewards available such as a special thanks in the credits, an invite to the wrap party, the opportunity to be in the film, and the opportunity to be credited as an executive producer.

Aside from our amazing rewards you will get to be part of an exciting project, set on the backdrop of Euro '96. This film will be a fun, retro-nostalgic look back to the mid-1990s UK. The film will be entered into a vast number of festivals nationwide, and if we achieve our ultimate ambition it could one day be adapted into a series and shown on television. For as little as £5.00 you officially be a part of this project by having your name in the credits!

* The film will be shot in Mickleover, Derby, 8am-4pm on the dates of August 29th-31st. Please contact us for more information.

Euro '96 tells the story of two childhood friends, united in spirit but divided by their values and their aspirations for the future. Jack represents the need for growth, and the passionate, ambitious pursuit of a goal. Meanwhile Hud represents the temptation to stay in your comfort zone, to live for fleeting moments of excitement with little regard for long-term goals.

We believe this conflict is a universal one, to which everyone can relate in one way or another. It's a classic dilemma, faced by everyone at some point in their life - to remain in a comfortable, familiar environment or to step out of your comfort zone in pursuit of ambition. In a broader sense the issue this film addresses is the conflict between doing what's best for yourself, and doing what's best for those close to you at the expense of your own goals.

Ultimately we hope to make a film which is universally relatable, and which re-creates the atmosphere of one of the most unforgettable moments in the history of British football in an entertaining and nostalgic retrospective.

Joe Roguszka (Writer/Producer)

Joe is a writer, director and producer born and raised in the Midlands. He holds a BA in Film Production and an MA in Writing for Performance. He has written, directed and produced numerous projects at the micro-budget level including short film 20th Century Tribe, subsequently adapted into the pilot tv script upon which Euro '96 is based.

For this project Joe has decided to appoint Allan Rafferty as director, so that he can focus on his duties as the primary producer for the film.

Allan Rafferty (Director/Script Editor)

Allan is a writer, director and script editor with over 15 years of experience. He holds a BA in Film production and an MA in Writing for Performance. His scripts have been adapted and broadcast on BBC2 Wales. He has written short films which have been successful at festivals such as the BAFTA Cymru qualifying Carmarthen Bay Film Festival, and have won numerous awards. Allan is the co-creator of When it Rains, a comedy-drama web series which explores mental health. He is also the co-creator of Lionel in Lockdown, a comedy short film which was screened at Birmingham Film Festival.

Allan is a passionate storyteller with a great work ethic, and strongly held principles of professionalism when working on set. His wealth of skills, knowledge and experience make him a tremendous asset to the project.

Tom Brooks (Co-Producer)

Tom Brooks is a producer, television personality and businessman born and raised in London. He has many years of experience working as a producer in the television industry, both in the US and the UK.

Tom's passion, charisma, genuine kindness and professionalism, as well as his wealth of experience and industry connections, make him an amazing asset to the project. The creative team are extremely grateful to have him on-board, and are excited to work with him.

Rafe Bird (Jack Shelton)

Rafe is a proud born and raised Midlands actor who has attended the Nottingham Television Workshop, the Nottingham Actors Workshop and the Middle-Week Newton Academy. His impressive portfolio includes short films, web-series, documentaries, plays and feature films for which he's worked all over the UK, in Morocco, and for which he'll travel to Bangkok later this year. 

Some of his credits include Borstal, The Mummy: Resurrection, Ripper's Revenge, The Missing Couple, and upcoming WWII feature film The Shamrock Spitfire.

Rafe is excited to be involved with a great Midlands based project with such talented actors, writers and filmmakers. He believes a project like this continues to prove that the Midlands has so much to offer the film and television industry. Likewise the creative team are thrilled to have such a passionate actor involved in the project, who we know will bring a great sense of authenticity to the role of Jack.

Paddy Stafford (Kelly Huddlestone "Hud")

Paddy was born and raised in Derby, currently based in Manchester. He trained at Manchester School of Theatre, where he performed in numerous plays including King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. Since graduating in 2020, he has further developed his portfolio with numerous roles in theatre, film and television. His recent credits include award wining short film Bebe A.I, Kiddo, and a recurring role on BBC’s Doctors.

Paddy looks forward to taking on the dynamic role of Hud. The creative team are excited to have such a versatile actor involved in the project, who we are confident will bring great authenticity to the role.

Charlotte King (Katy Cardarelli)

Charlotte is an actress born and raised in the midlands. She has been training with the Nottingham Actors Workshop since 2016. She performed in the play Punching Judy at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018. That same year she first portrayed Katy in the 20th Century Tribe short film, making her an original cast member of 20th Century Tribe.

Charlotte is a naturally talented actress who brings a great sense of realism to every role. The creative team are delighted to have such a vibrant, enthusiastic actress involved in the project, and are excited to see her reprise the role of Katy.

Isabella Vance (Cadhla Quinn)

Isabella is an actress and singer from County Wicklow in Ireland. After graduating with a BFA in musical theatre, she left Dublin and worked as an entertainer around the world. She subsequently moved to London, where she's been involved in numerous theatre and film projects. Her recent credits include Eleven in the London production of the Stranger Things Experience, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast at the Embassy Theatre.

Izzy looks forward to expanding her experience in front of camera with the role of Cadhla. Likewise the creative team are delighted to have a theatre trained actress, with a natural talent in front of camera, involved in the project.

Jack Bence (Brett Borg)

Jack is an actor from East London, and a British Youth Music Theatre alumni. He is best known for his recurring role as Frank Grayson on BBC’s Bad Education. He has over 15 years of experience working in the film and television industry, including appearances on Peep Show, Misfits and Sherlock, and film roles including Hereafter (2010) and Blitz (2011).

Jack is a skilled comedy actor who thrives when given freedom to improvise, and whose years of experience will be a tremendous asset to the production. The creative team are delighted to have Jack involved with the project, and cannot wait to see what he brings to the role of Brett.

Warrick Simon (Russell Spencer "Spence")

Warrick is an actor born and raised in South London. He graduated from Lambeth College with a Level 3 Performing Arts Diploma in 2018, and has built an impressive portfolio since then. He is a versatile actor, having worked across mediums such as film, television, music videos, corporate advertisements and modelling. Some of his previous credits include Netflix’s Top Boy, Birthday and First Day.

Warrick is enthusiastic to take on the role of Spence, and looks forward to working with everyone on the project. The creative team are excited to have an actor with such an extensive portfolio involved in the project, and look forward to seeing what he brings to the role.

Gwydion Kavanagh (Darren Stoker "Daz")

Gwydion was born and raised in West Wales, currently based in Liverpool. He performed in several Shakespeare plays and pantomimes throughout his youth, as well as a Welsh-language sketch show at a local theatre. His recent credits include comedy short film Greasy Morning, radio play The Sacred Band, and upcoming projects such as a horror short film and a sitcom pilot.

Gwydion looks forward to further developing his on-camera experience with the role of Daz. Gwydion impressed the creative team in the audition process with his improvisational comedy, and we are excited to see what he brings to the role.

Our distribution strategy for this film is primarily focussed on film festivals. We intend to enter the film into festivals across the midlands and beyond, with the hope that it will gain positive exposure and credentials for all involved. The majority of film festivals charge a fee for entrants, so your support will help us not only to make the film, but also to get it seen.

After the film has run its course on the festival circuit, it will be released online (with a private link for you to see it early if you donate £10 or more). Some time thereafter it will be publicly released for all to see.

The target budget we hope to raise for this film is £7000. This money will allow us to pay our cast and crew. It will help us to pay for the numerous vintage England shirts required for a period piece such as this, and to cover bare essentials such as catering and travel expenses. It will also support our festival strategy by financing our submission fees, and will help towards the cost of acquiring permission to use copyrighted content (archive footage of the England v Germany match, and "Three Lions" by Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds).

Below you can see a breakdown of our core expenses for our filming days (based on an absolute minimum for each expense, with estimates made for the event that we raise our full target amount).

A more specific budget breakdown, including post-production costs.

Share Our Project

Share our Crowdfunder page and our social media posts, to reach as many people as possible!

Follow Us on Social Media

Follow us on our social media platforms so you can see our updates as and when they happen, and interact with our content!

 https://www.facebook.com/euro96shortfilm

https://www.instagram.com/jretro_media/

THANK YOU!!!

This project successfully funded on 30th September 2023