GAMBLE ROAD

Aim: Two brothers flee a broken home, but their bond is tested as they confront the brutal truths of freedom, survival, and each other.

Gamble Road is a visceral short film about two young brothers fleeing their broken home with stolen cash and the desperate hope for something better. As they move through the margins of a town that’s long stopped caring, they’re confronted by the violence, neglect, and poverty that shaped them. What begins as escape quickly unravels into something far more brutal.

This film is about two brothers trying to outrun everything that’s already been decided for them, in a community that often gets overlooked. It’s about poverty, masculinity, violence and how those things echo through people. About love, and the weight of responsibility when you’re too young to carry it, but have no choice.

At its core, Gamble Road is about how kids navigate adult decisions before they’re ready; and how love, even when unspoken, can be the only thing keeping you from giving up.

DIRECTORS STATEMENT

Gamble Road is the world I grew up in. It’s shaped by people I knew, places I recognise, that bring the wrong comfort and the feeling of being surrounded by lives that were constantly slipping through the cracks.These characters are a representation of the world I watched when I grew up. 

That’s where this short film comes from.

What drew me to telling this story is its honesty. Joey and Ash live in a world all too familiar - where money is survival, adults fail you, and violence simmers just beneath the surface. But amidst that, there's humour, innocence, and hope. Their bond is the beating heart of this film, and I want the audience to feel it in every glance, every silence, every decision made out of love or fear.

Visually, its integral to lean into the bleak beauty of the estate; the grey skies, the concrete playgrounds, the decay that surrounds them, not to wallow in poverty, but to connect with it. We’ll use handheld camerawork to stay intimate and immersive, keeping the audience close to Joey’s paranoia and Ash’s optimism.

I want to make work that puts working-class voices front and centre; not as stereotypes or side characters, but as the heart of the story. Not everyone will get it. And honestly, it’s not made for everyone. But I know people who will. I know people who’ll see themselves in it.

I’m not interested in softening these stories to make them easier to digest. I want them to feel real, flawed, funny, sharp, painful. These are the kinds of stories I’ll keep telling, because they matter. Because they’re not shown enough. And because someone has to.

VISUAL STYLE

Shot with naturalistic visuals, handheld intimacy, and minimal score, the film draws influence from the works of Andrea Arnold (Fish Tank), Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher), and Shane Meadows (This Is England), combining social realism with cinematic precision. The storytelling is quiet but potent—letting tension build in silences, in glances, in decisions that can’t be undone.

The relationship between the brothers is the film’s emotional anchor. Ash begins the day with hope— a new adventure, dreaming of football goals and GCSEs. However, as the morning unfolds, he confronts the grim realities of their world, leading to a poignant transformation. Ash's journey from an innocent, inquisitive child to one who begins to mirror the anger and bitterness of the men around him underscores the film's exploration of how environments shape identity and the tragic speed at which innocence can be lost. We hope to use the visual language of the film to submerge the audience in each boys’ perspective, dancing between, and gradually converging as the innocence and optimism cracks and decays. 

WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS FILM?

Gamble Road is not about poverty as spectacle, but poverty as inheritance. It’s about kids slipping through cracks that were never filled, about the legacy of silence passed from one man to the next, and about the rare moment a boy might glimpse a way out. It’s a story that speaks to the urgent reality of many working-class families across the UK—particularly in post-austerity Britain—without romanticising or exploiting their struggles.

We aim to tell this story with truth, care, and integrity, collaborating with young talent and filming in real locations that reflect the lived experiences of our characters. Our goal is to elevate underrepresented voices with a film that’s as emotionally impactful as it is socially relevant.

Gamble Road is a short film with a quiet but powerful message: even the smallest acts of defiance—of love, of care—can feel revolutionary when the odds are stacked against you.

MEET THE CREW: 

Jeff Lorraine – Writer/Director

Jeff is a writer and director with a focus on grounded, character-driven stories that explore working-class life in the UK. Drawing from real-world struggles and personal experiences, their work blends drama with elements of genre storytelling, creating narratives that are both intimate and socially resonant. Though early in their career, Jeff Lorraine has a distinctive voice, crafting stories that highlight themes of survival, identity, and the unspoken tensions within everyday life. Their storytelling is rooted in authenticity, capturing the complexities of people navigating difficult circumstances with grit, humour, and heart.

George Benedetti – Producer

A London-based producer with a passion for storytelling, George Benedetti brings a unique perspective shaped by his Greek Cypriot-Italian heritage and culture. With experience on major productions like Wonder Woman 1984, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, House of the Dragon (Season 1), and Guy Ritchie’s Fountain of Youth, George aims to combine blockbuster expertise in an independent film space. Currently assisting and collaborating with Producer Callum McDougall (1917, Spectre, Skyfall) and Jake Myers (Interstellar, The Revenant, Dunkirk) previously, George uses his feature film and Television experience to help craft personal, emotionally resonant stories on a more intimate scale. Through the family values experienced growing up, George focuses on the importance of collaboration with filmmakers and bringing their vision to life. Currently, George is in pre-production for multiple Short Films that focus on themes that resonate with his values and core beliefs in film making, along with a Feature Film that was a finalist for Tribeca X AT&T Untold Stories Film Grant.

Esme Pembury Smith – Line Producer

A London-based Script Supervisor, driven to the industry by a deep obsession with cinema and its ability to realise our collective unconscious. After studying Film Production at Arts University Bournemouth, graduating with a degree in Producing and Script, Esme has been working in HETV on productions such as House of the Dragon (Seasons 1-3) The Three Body Problem (Season 1), The Crown (Season 6) and The Agency, developing a keen understanding of the complexities of large scale productions that still manage to ground themselves in character driven detail. This understanding of where technicality and emotionality converge, drove Esme towards independent and more experimental filmmaking, on projects such as Asif Kapadia’s 2073 (2024) and short form, including Samantha Morton’s short film expanded from her music video ‘Lets Walk in the Night’.

Daniel Lillie – Cinematographer

With over 12 years of experience in the film industry, Daniel Lillie has built an impressive body of work spanning some of the biggest films of recent years. Most recently, he has served as Director of Photography on multiple short-form projects, collaborating with emerging directors to bring fresh stories to life.

Daniel's career has been shaped by working alongside some of the most esteemed cinematographers in the industry. His experience has led him to contribute to major Hollywood blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Phedon Papamichael ASC), Jurassic World Dominion (John Schwartzman ASC), Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Dan Mindel ASC), The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Linus Sandgren FSF), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (Robert Elswit ASC), Allied (Don Burgess ASC), and Everest (Salvatore Totino ASC). His work has taken him to stunning locations across the globe, from Jamaica and Malta to Jordan, Italy, Austria, and Africa, among others.

More recently, Daniel has worked as a camera operator on Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White, the Bob Marley biopic One Love, and Season 2 of Citadel for Amazon Studios.

Daniel’s passion for visual storytelling began during his time as a Documentary Photography student at the renowned University of Wales, Newport. It was there that he embarked on a five-year photo project that delved into the intimate lives and relationships within the close-knit working-class community of Newport, Gwent. His work was widely published and laid the foundation for his deep interest in marginalised and under represented communities.

Currently, Daniel is in pre-production for several short narrative films that explore powerful themes such as loss, grief, substance abuse, masculinity, and violence, continuing his exploration of complex human experiences.

OTHER KEY CREW MEMBERS:

Loren Reed – Production Designer

Lev Watach – 1st Assistant Director

Jessica Murray - Costume Designer

Tamsyn Mason - Casting Director

Sian Fever - Editor

PROJECT TIMELINE

Pre Production: July 2025 

Start of Principal Photography: Mid-late October 2025

Post Production: November - February 2026 

BUDGET

We’re aiming to raise between £10,000 - £15,000 to bring our short film to life and a crucial part of our overall budget. The money contributed will directly support the four key areas that make this project possible:

Casting and Rehearsals: One of the most important aspects of this film is the casting. Joey and Ash are the voice of the film. Their authentic and honest performances grounded in true emotional understanding, are what will bring out the film's meaning. A genuine brotherly bond and chemistry between them is vital, so we want to prioritise giving them the time, as children, to build a trusting relationship and rapport with each other. 

Locations, Permits, Facilities & Rehearsal Spaces: The environment of our film holds the narrative in microcosm. We have found the perfect location to surround Joey and Ash, and want to ensure we can complete our shoot safely and professionally, in harmony with the local community. We also want to ensure out cast have the time and space to prepare, as we are working with Children, it is important to give them their own facilities on the production along with a space where they can feel comfortable. 

Crew: Our crew is comprised of industry professionals and we want to ensure they are compensated for their immense skill and labour. sThe welfare of the team is also essential for high quality work to be created, so we will be ensuring the crew have everything they need to feel comfortable, safe and supported. 

Post-Production, Screening & Festival Submissions: The final stages of our production are vital to carrying the narrative through. The editing, sound, and colour grading will require access to quality facilities and talented individuals to protect what we shoot and ensure we do justice to the film's important themes. 

With this in mind we also want to make sure the film can be seen by as many people as possible. We will be putting our film forward to festivals worldwide, showcasing talent of the creatives involved and giving a platform to independent filmmakers with a unique and honest story to tell.

THANK YOU!

Cinema creates a space in which we are allowed to look through someone else’s eyes. It is an art form that emotionally binds the viewer and filmmaker, letting them each know, in turn, that they are not alone in the world. We hope that you are interested in becoming a part of this unspoken conversation, and help us to shine a light on voices often left unheard.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 26th August 2025 at 8:13am