
Twenty
DIRECTOR:
Jason Hogan
FILM TYPE:
Short
SYNOPSIS
TWENTY is the story of the girl behind the number.
The film follows Emily, a homeless ballet dancer undertaking a potentially life-changing audition. In the audition room, identified by the auditioners as the girl wearing the number twenty, Emily is graceful and poised. Still, in the real world, she struggles to find somewhere to sleep, let alone focus on her artistry.
The film jumps between the day before the audition, where Emily is trying to find shelter for the night, and the audition day itself, as Emily faces gruelling rounds to being chosen for a highly selective ballet company. Pushed to the brink, will she be able to achieve her dreams?
The film features Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton, The Crown) and was partially financed by Nick Brown of Neal Street Productions (1917) and executive producer Gabrielle Tana (The White Crow, Philomena), with music from Hugh Brunt (Tar, You Were Never Really Here), which was mixed at Abbey Road and a sound design by Steve Giammaria (The Bear, Theater Camp)
DIRECTOR BIO
Jason Hogan has been crafting fiction films for nine years, preceded by his involvement in music videos since the age of sixteen. He received training at The National Film and Television School, where he is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Directing Fiction. Additionally, he honed his acting skills at The National Youth Theatre REP Company and The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. It was during his tenure at the latter where he developed his proficiency as a writer, having authored multiple plays and films.
Jason has led film companies specialising in shorts, and his creative endeavours have garnered acclaim at prestigious film festivals worldwide, earning awards across the globe. Over the last few years, he has been capturing the attention of renowned production companies and developing long-format work while continuing to write/direct shorts such as "TWENTY."
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
TWENTY represents a microcosm of the creative industry that is rarely showcased truthfully: the working-class experience of trying to become an artist. It was inspired by my time as a 20-year-old unable to afford a flat in London, so the story is profoundly personal and was developed in partnership with the charity Shelter and various ballet experts for over two years.
The process for the film took three years. A year and a half of which was spent developing the script. Six months were spent with the lead actor Lydia Brayshaw in which I taught her acting; she had only had six months of experience when I auditioned her, so I went about teaching her a very specific way of acting, which involved a lot of script analysis, but also improvisations as the character around London.
The film has been greatly received, especially in America, where we've already played a few festivals to great applause, and we're looking to continue to connect with some of the world's best festivals.
Year:
2023
Runtime:
15:41
Language:
Country:
United Kingdom
Premiere:
Pennsylvania
Director:
Jason Hogan
Executive Producer:
Producer:
Margaux Comte, Solomon Golding
Writer:
Jason Hogan, Freddy Sawyer
Cinematographer:
Editor:
Cast:
Lorraine Ashbourne, Lydia Brayshaw, Aliyah Odoffin, Tommy McDonnell
