Travelling Past - Short Film

We are a diverse team of international filmmakers working together to bring ‘Travelling Past’ to life. More than anything, we want to tell you stories… and, by doing so, to get even better at it. Over the next four weeks, we would love to bring you into the world we’re building by sharing how we’re forming it, why we’re making it, and the many talented people coming together to make it happen. If this sounds like fun and you want to join in, we’d be grateful for your support– however that may be!

Travelling Past is a sincere and uplifting coming-of-age drama that brings us back to childhood, fast-made friendships, and little moments that change us forever. Arabella’s story is personal yet remarkably relatable, drawn from Rory 子豪 Power-Gibb’s experience of moving from the UK to Andalucia, Spain as a child. He taps into that quest we all recognise: finding our footing when the world around us is unfamiliar, and nothing seems stable.

This project is certainly ambitious for a self-funded short film targeting a 15-minute final runtime. With two wonderfully promising child actors playing the lead characters, we are filming on location in Scotland and Spain with a team that stretches from California to Melbourne. Additionally, we are shooting on 16mm film to evoke a childlike carelessness against the backdrop of the glorious Spanish sun. So while “easy” isn’t in our vocabulary, the journey has already been enriching and enlightening, and the final destination will be all the sweeter in overcoming these challenges.

Truly, though, our confidence comes because incredibly skilled artists and technicians surround us. Our team behind the camera – from casting to camera, costumes to composer, and ADs to editor – are all film professionals volunteering their time and talents to craft this story to the highest production standards. This project is an immense opportunity for us to hone skills learned from masters of the trade and rise to heads of departments.

Rory & siblings in Spain.

Logline

On the road to a new home in a new country, reluctant Arabella wants only to forget these difficult moments of change... but after finding a carefree friend in Inge, she might just remember this moment forever.

Synopsis

In contrast to the familiarity and comfort of her hometown, young Arabella wakes alone in a world unfamiliar to her. Due to unexpected delays, her family finds themselves in a rural Spanish villa for a seemingly endless amount of time... and to a young mind, that’s exactly how it feels.

On the cusp of teenagehood, it’s not just cultural and geographical change Arabella resists – the entire prospect seems overwhelming to what was a cushty life so far... Until she meets Inge, another foreigner in a foreign land just like her... except that she is utterly and completely unfazed by that very notion. Inge’s feistiness and unflappable confidence might just be exactly the challenge Arabella needs.

We strongly believe that the way you make a film matters just as much as what is produced. So we are fortunate to have a full team of creative, enthusiastic storytellers and kind, generous, good people. These have been baseline requirements. We’re also lucky that we have assembled a team on and off camera that reflects a diversity of experiences and perspectives, which we already see enriching the characters and world we’re building. (We’re an international team that speaks at least eight languages collectively. Nearly half our current team is female, including four female heads of department. And our principal cast members are all of Asian descent.) As a mixed-race writer-director and a female producer, we both have experienced the uplifting and essential role of seeing yourself represented in cinema.

We’re very proud of our cast and crew … and can’t wait to show you what they put together for you!

Cast list coming soon!

Rory 子豪 Power-Gibb - Director/Writer, EIFF Talent Lab 2022. Scotland, UK.

Olivia E Dodd - Producer, Founder STORIED Productions. California, USA.

Andrea Clavijo - Director of Photography, Mentee to Christopher Ross, BSC. England, UK (via Mallorca, Spain).

Gail Bowman - Production Designer, MA in Production Design. Scotland, UK.

Jack Goessens - Editor, BFI Flare x BAFTA Crew Mentee 2021. Netherlands.

Kevin Penkin - Composer, BAFTA Nominee 2019. Melbourne, Australia.

Kerry Grainger - Casting Director, NFTS Casting Course Graduate. Scotland, UK.

Kayla Selway - Hair & Makeup Designer, AFROLION. England, UK.

CREW BIOS:

Rory 子豪 Power-Gibb is a Singaporean/British filmmaker of Peranakan descent who grew up in Andalucía – where his parents threw him into local schooling to either sink... or learn the language and swim. Luckily for all, Rory comes from a family of both linguists and swimmers. Following an education at the University of Stirling, Rory moved to London and built up an idea of unique directorial approaches, by sharing film sets with the likes of Nolan, Zemeckis, and Greengrass, forging his own style along the way.

Olivia E Dodd founded STORIED in 2019 to create mission-minded short form content for businesses and produce indie films. As a remote-based producer, she enjoys finding the right person for the right project and fostering local, national and now international creative collaborations. She is particularly passionate about empowering all filmmakers, no matter what role, and utilising their creative super powers to tell stories with depth and soul. Olivia is proudly from and based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA.

Andrea Clavijo, Director of Photography, is experienced in music videos and additional photography on high-end dramas and short films. Andrea is also an accomplished and passionate skateboarder. Originally from Spain and now based in east London. She is always keen to meet for tea and speak about great movies.

Jack Goessens is an editor who has been working in high-end TV and Film drama since 2014. He has cut an episode of the BBC series 'Sparks' (winner of a Broadcast Digital Award 2021) and multiple episodes of BBC's River City. He's an experienced assembly editor for high-end shows such as Outlander (Sony Starz) and Three Pines (Amazon). Jack has edited films for broadcasters such as BBC, BFI Network, Screen Scotland, and SDI amongst many others. The films have screened all around the world at Oscar and BAFTA qualifying festivals. Jack is part of the BFI Network x BAFTA Crew 2021 and an associate member of the British Film Editors. 

Kevin Penkin, based in Melbourne, is a BAFTA-nominated composer for Japanese animation and video games. He is best known for composing the award-winning score to 'Made in Abyss', and the music to the BAFTA award-winning game 'Florence'. Throughout his career, Penkin has recorded with orchestras around the world. Works of his have been recorded in Prague, Vienna, Macedonia, Boston, Nashville and Australia. Projects that Kevin has composed for that will be released in 2021 and 2022 are Star Wars Visions: The Village Bride, Made in Abyss Season 2, and The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2.

Gail Bowman, is an Edinburgh based Production Designer with a life long passion for film, art and design. She graduated with Honours in Interior & Environmental Design from DJCAD in Dundee, and then with a Masters in Production Design for Film & Television from Kingston University, London. She spent six years in London, beginning as an art department assistant for STV and then working with a visual display team creating props, dressing and designing window schemes and setting up large scale installations. After moving back up to Scotland, Gail was offered an opportunity to be the Production Designer on an independent feature film in Edinburgh, which would see the start of her career, leading to some wonderful friendships in her home country. Since then Gail has worked on a large number of short films (including a Scottish BAFTA winner), commercials, set builds and TV series and is currently continuing to progress within the Scottish film industry.

As the lead artists, we're incredibly uncomfortable asking for contributions because it is our joy to make this project happen, BUT we sincerely want to support our team by providing all the resources we can. Whether it's food, travel, film stock, camera and light rentals, costumes, props, insurance, or hotel rooms - it takes a lot to make a film. So if you like being told stories, want the insider scoop on film production, or simply enjoy the idea of supporting up-and-coming talent (on and off the screen), we would be humbled and grateful for any contributions. However big or small, your support is immense in helping us elevate the film to its full potential… and will help keep our team fed.

Contributors will receive special access to our BTS posts on the site and an invitation to a private screening of 'Travelling Past' in the UK or California that will feature a live talkback session with some crew.

If you can't donate, you won't have to worry: there are many ways you can show your support.

Follow our Instagram at @travelling.past and like and share our posts with friends; this really makes all the difference!

Poster illustrated by David Fleck @fleckillustration