Short Film - Love the Sinner

Aim

A graduate short film project due to release in 2024.

‘Love the Sinner’ is a graduate short film centred around themes of guilt, religion, family and forgiveness.

A new, young priest has arrived, prompting a local letdown to return to the church after years of absence. In a misguided attempt to atone for his mistakes, he alienates those who are truly there for him.

We are a group of Brighton-based students seeking funds to tell Mick’s story, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Concept Art

Our incredible concept art was created by the talented Charlie Rabeszko. Each image was taken from a section of the script, highlighting the relationships between these characters.

Why this budget?

We’re looking to raise £2000 through this crowdfund and other fundraisers, but why this amount?

Above is a breakdown of how we plan to distribute the funds. The University of Brighton has graciously agreed to provide the kit we need to shoot, so the majority of funds will be distributed between travel, cast and locations. 

As you can see from the video and images above, we have been given access to one extraordinary location already - St Mary’s Church. We would love to continue shooting there for the final film. 

We have a limited cast - one principal and four supporting - but paying them accordingly is of utmost priority.

Director’s word

‘Love the Sinner’ is an exploration of what family means - both on an individual level and in a larger community sense. This being such a complex topic, our team agreed that the strength lies in a simple story with strong characters and compelling themes.

I want to show how religion isn’t as simple as old books or aged texts we let rot. It is supposed to represent morality, compassion and kindness. I love my religion, and on account of that love, I cannot be blind to the valid criticisms levied against it. Love the Sinner is about finding love, both in your community and in yourself. 

Synopsis

Our film follows Mick, who lives a somewhat solitary lifestyle. His only real friend is his landlord, Sandra, but even this relationship is rocky while he drags further and further behind on his rent. His sister, Amanda, could be a safe haven for him, but she is recently married and is seeking a fresh start - away from Mick. He needs guidance, but guilt is crushing him.

When a new, young priest arrives in town, Mick’s interest in religion is reignited. Father Murphy is kind and patient but urges him to consider confession, not just religiously but to his family. Through Murphy’s guidance, Mick finds purpose. He begins to believe that the way to relieve himself of his mistakes is to pay it forward to Father Murphy and the church.

Having no money of his own, Mick resorts to stealing from Sandra for church donations. For a moment, Mick finds his relief. But in doing so, he has lost his only friend. Murphy refuses to placate him, and he is forced to resort to the true source of his guilt.

Both Mick and Amanda are forced to confront themselves and each other, and show how despite their anger, they will be there when the other needs them most.

About the Crew

Isaac McKenna

"I’ve worked as a director and writer across 5 short films. Love the Sinner's blend of emotionally complex characters and a unique plot means our actors and crew will have plenty to show off their immense talent with."

Hannah Tunmer - Producer

"This is my first solo Producer credit and I cannot tell you how excited I am about bringing this story to life. I’m extremely passionate about this film, from a professional and personal perspective. My background is in narrative editing, and my previous credits include the short film Entrails (2022), Personnel Space (2021) and The Jump (to be released 2024)."

Cian Gevaux - Editor

"An Editor by trade and choice. I started editing at 9 and now I enjoy the privilege of being able to take my hobby and apply it professionally. My back catalogue of work varies from sports to fashion but my most recent project was a short film called 'Gold Star' (2023)."

Jasper Kirkpatrick-Navarre

"I’ve served as DOP on multiple short films but found the most success in music videos, having been the DOP of a video that recently won a UKMVA. Something that drew me to this project was the opportunity to create powerful images to accompany such a serious subject matter. It’s a new challenge for me to try not to move the camera too much and let my compositional choices carry the story. I feel so privileged to be working with such an amazing crew."

This project successfully funded on 8th December 2023