How To Do A Kidnap

Aim

Comedy-thriller short film about a fake kidnap gone wrong. The screen directing debut of BAFTA-winning former TV comedy producer Izzy Mant.

Content creator OllieStreams has planned an elaborate fake kidnap stunt for his livestream. But when the three young friends he’s booked to do the kidnap arrive, they realise something’s not right, and things quickly spiral out of control…

This comedy-thriller short film is the brainchild and screen directing debut of BAFTA-winning former TV comedy producer (and theatre/live comedy/audio director) Izzy Mant.

Imagine a Coen Brothers comedy with Edgar Wright's visual style, plus Greta Gerwig's comic sensibility. And directed by a woman with Peep Show pedigree. That should give you a rough idea. 

About Izzy Mant 

After spending over a decade behind the scenes mastering comedy production for TV, Izzy's returning to her roots and launching her screen directing debut.

Izzy is known in the comedy industry for her work producing TV scripted comedy, including THE WINDSORS, PEEP SHOW, TOAST OF LONDON, CUCKOO and HARRY & PAUL, and for extensive script development/consultancy and story expertise. 

She started her creative life as a director - for theatre, live comedy and radio - but the need to earn a living saw her divert to TV producing, leading to a career she’s very proud of, working with and learning from some of the very best comedy writers, performers and directors in the UK.

Since 2019 she's been a screenwriter who sometimes moonlights as a stand-up comedian, and she’s now finding her way back to directing - with a good slice of life experience behind her. If you think she's left it a bit late, consider that Nora Ephron directed her first film at age 51, and Sleepless in Seattle at 52. Andrea Arnold made her debut, with Red Road, at 45. And Kathryn Bigelow became the first female winner of the Best Director Oscar with The Hurt Locker at 58.

What's the story?

Courtney, Troy and Kane are three young friends who are starting a business doing ‘immersive kidnapping experiences’. Their first client is OllieStreams, a pleased-with-himself content creator, who lives with his mum and livestreams pranks to his nearly a million followers. Our wannabe kidnappers think this’ll raise the profile of their business. But when they arrive at the house, Ollie’s already being kidnapped! By real, scary-looking guys.

We cut back and forth between the content creator trying to banter with these absolute legends – thinking they’re just actors - and our gang of friends giving chase and trying to alert the authorities.

They all rock up at an abandoned warehouse, where things get scary, guns are pulled, chaos and misunderstandings abound… and we end with the mother of all twists.

And why does it matter?

HOW TO DO A KIDNAP is mostly a shamelessly entertaining comedy. But it does have something to say: about the tension between our real selves and the ‘highlight reel’ persona we present online. And the struggles of young people today, their Gen X parents worried about their online lives, but often focussing on the wrong things. At a time when online harms are much discussed in politics and in the media, this short film bursts the bubble of that debate - but in a way that we can't tell you without giving away the final twist...

Who's involved?

The production team and crew will be a mixture of highly experienced creative department heads, working for far less than their usual rate, and talented industry newcomers getting valuable experience and in some cases, their first iMDb credit.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: DUSTIN CURTIS MURPHY Since we were announced as a winner of the Kino London Short Film Fund, we're delighted that Dustin Curtis Murphy, CEO of Kino Short Film, has come on board as an Executive Producer.

And the cast?

A casting announcement is expected soon on the actor playing the lead role, Ollie, the content creator. Other cast will be confirmed closer to the shoot. There's no one better than casting director Rosalie Clayton to find the best performers to bring this script to life, and we're sure to end up with some of the funniest actors around - both familiar faces and new discoveries. 

What's the vision?

HOW TO DO A KIDNAP has unusual scale for a short film, with its cast of eight, three locations, and the climactic set-piece shoot-out (which requires a highly-trained stunt coordinator and armourer). This means it’ll stand out in the short film landscape, where budget constraints tend to lead to more limited ambition.

With Izzy’s TV comedy background she’s well-placed to work with the experienced production team to make a small budget go a long way – creating a film that looks and sounds amazing, while never losing sight of storytelling and comedy.

Tone & influences

How To Do A Kidnap is a ten minute rollercoaster ride that takes you from warm buddy comedy to edge-of-your-seat thriller before you can catch your breath. Influences for this mix of humour and urban action-adventure, include Shaun of the Dead and Attack the Block. 

The growing tension juxtaposed with often incongruously deadpan comic performances takes inspiration from films such as the Coen brothers’ Burn After Reading and Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges.

The look

Izzy and DOP Greg Duffield have plans to shoot in a way that balances naturalism and artistry – with storytelling and comedy always foremost, and judicious use of detail shots and dynamic camera moves to add a rhythmic energy. Shooting fluidly, with a loose head, will allow the comic performances to breathe. As our fake-kidnappers’ world is increasingly upturned, we go fully hand-held – an organised chaos - contrasting with more static shots for the ‘real’ kidnappers in the warehouse.

And the climactic scene will be lit and shot like a stylish thriller, making the most of our dilapidated warehouse location. But still funny. It can look great and be funny.

The sound

Sound design and music will be central to the style of the film. A percussive, syncopated score (think One Battle After Another, The Studio) will give a constant momentum, reinforcing both the tension and the deadpan comedy, and this will be punctuated with rhythmic sound design – car doors, zips, gunshots syncing to the music – giving the film a slick, choreographic feel.

What's the plan?

The film will be shooting in London over three days in November 2026, with the aim to complete by the end of January 2027. It’s intended for theatrical release and the national and international film festival circuit. We will be targeting BAFTA, BIFA and Oscar qualifying festivals, as well as comedy-focussed festivals.

What do we need?  

We’ve secured partial funding outside of this campaign, but we need £15,000 to close the gap and make the project possible. 

As an independent British film, it will qualify for the generous UK audio-visual tax credit, worth approximately 31% of production costs, meaning your money will go further. 

And thanks to Kino London Short Film Fund, our camera and lighting equipment will be provided free of charge. 

We have a detailed budget, with everything costed, which breaks down as follows. 

The support for the project so far has been incredible, with offers of favours and discounts that have helped bring the budget down. Alongside our Kino win, we were shortlisted for five of the prestigious film funds we submitted to (Day Job, Look Aside, Slick Films Fund, Unrestricted View & Phoenix Rising International), which has helped start to build a buzz. We just need to fill that funding gap before Izzy can call “Action”. 

Why support us?

As well as getting the perks below, by funding this project you’ll be part of a film that will hopefully play at festivals all around the world, make people laugh & make them think, and maybe even win a few awards. You’ll be giving a boost to all the talented people who work on the film at a time when comedy, one of the UK’s greatest exports, is desperately underfunded, and when we need it more than ever. Have no doubt, your contribution, big or small, is completely invaluable and will help get this film off the page and on to the big screen. Sure, it’s just a comedy. But it has something to say too, and we strongly believe laughter is a shortcut to people’s hearts. 

Look, we take your support so seriously that we’ve even resisted making obvious jokes about kidnapping or ransom payments in this request for your money. We just think that would be a hostage to fortune...  

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 1st October 2026 at 8:00pm