Itchy Fingers

Aim: A socially engaged crime drama. Ex-thief Kieran leaves prison damaged. His brother John's criminal spiral threatens to derail his new life.

A feature film by Paradox Fox Pictures

Ex-thief Kieran leaves prison damaged but determined to change. He reconnects with Sara, who offers him a way out, but his reckless brother John is in trouble with the wrong people and needs help. Will Kieran risk everything to save his family? 

Director’s Statement 

"I am interested in making films about people whose lives often go overlooked, to tell universal stories about human experience. 

At the heart of Itchy Fingers is Kieran, a young ex-offender suffering from post-incarceration syndrome, who struggles to reintegrate into society. He desperately wants to defy his circumstances in order to better his life, but has difficulty finding employment with a criminal record, and the mental health problems from imprisonment leave him unable to connect with others. The film pivots around his strained relationship with his brother John, whose spiral into gambling debt and criminal turmoil threatens to derail Kieran’s new life. 

Re-offence is a major issue at the moment, with significantly overcrowded prisons and a system that cannot sufficiently support rehabilitation. This is something of great personal importance to me, following the loss of a close friend of mine last year, whose life was plagued by psychological damage incurred from multiple incarcerations after a difficult childhood without family. By dramatising these problems empathetically, I hope to highlight the importance of support and understanding for vulnerable people who are often rejected by society." - Toby Matthews

The Shoot

We are shooting the film on location in Bournemouth over 20 days in September 2025. By filming in an area rarely seen on screen, and utilising unknown talent, we will situate the film in a reality that speaks to a broad experience of contemporary Britain. We have a small, dedicated crew, and also hope to employ ex-offenders in supporting cast and assistant crew roles.

Celia Duval (Belfast, Empire of Light) is attached as Executive Producer, and Neil Fox (Bait, Enys Men, Rose of Nevada) as Associate Producer. 

After the Shoot

The film is being made in partnership with the Sound/Image Cinema Lab in Falmouth, who are supporting the post-production of the film. This will begin after the shoot in October, with a rough cut complete in November, and final delivery of the film by January 2026.

The film will then be submitted to international film festivals from February, taking the film to market in spring, with an eye to distribution by summer/autumn 2026.

Where Your Money Goes

We are a low budget independent production, budgeted for £110K. We have raised 45% already - 30% from in-kind contributions and 15% from direct financial support. 

It is vital that we can now secure our full budget, as this will allow us to do justice to what we believe is a very important story.

Your money will go towards production costs, such as paying cast and crew, location hire, permits, set design, props, hair and make-up, costumes and catering.

Testimonials

“With its universal themes and contemporary relevance, Itchy Fingers taps into a demand in the British market for dynamic, socially engaged, character-driven dramas which promise strong international interest and potential sales after the breakthrough of Adolescence.” - Celia Duval

“Toby’s work plays to the strength of the form, combining strong narrative storytelling with a lyricism that is all too rare in most filmmaking. His obvious humanity, compassion and desire to interrogate the human condition, particularly in underrepresented groups - in the regions and on the periphery of society, utilising the unique qualities of unknown talent - make Itchy Fingers an exciting proposition, and a film that I personally cannot wait to see. Toby’s is a vital new voice in British filmmaking.” - Mark Jenkin

If you'd like to find out more, please don't hesitate to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Many thanks for your support.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 18th August 2025 at 5:34pm