Directed by JAMES & HARRISON NEWMAN
Producer Alex Waterhouse
An adulterer (played by Seann Walsh) discovers his one-night stand is now the subject of an art exhibition to which his girlfriend has tickets. He must destroy the artwork before it destroys his relationship.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
James and Harrison Newman won the grand prize at the 2022 Kino London Short Film Festival with Viskar I Vinden unlocking our film fund. DO NOT TOUCH was produced summer 2022 and is fresh off the festival circuit.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JAMES
Tell us about the genesis of DO NOT TOUCH? Where did you get the idea and why did you choose this project to focus on?
"Do Not Touch" was always just a dream sitcom episode in my mind. I always thought it would be a shame if we never brought it to life. But, it wasn't until I was isolated that I realised it could work as a short film. The inspiration came from Tracey Emin's artwork "Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995". I had initially thought the artwork displayed the used condoms of everyone she'd ever slept with, but I was wrong. It was actually a tent with names stitched inside. However, that false memory was a great source of inspiration for the film. The reason we chose this is that it was completely different to the first short in terms of tone, this is a bit more of a straight comedy than Viskar I Vinden. We needed to do something different and ultimately have fun doing it, because if we’re not having fun - what’s the point?
Watch the Behind the Scenes featurette
Tell us about your experience winning the Kino fund and how it changed the way you approached making Do Not Touch? Would you still have put it into production at a lower budget or would you have continued to pitch it around?
It's a good thing the Kino Production fund came to our rescue! Without you guys, we would've been stuck twiddling our thumbs, trying to figure out how to make a short without breaking the bank. We were down to the last pound, and with the additional £2K we put into making this. I don’t think we would’ve shopped it around, I think we would’ve done a cheaper idea and gone ahead with that. So without you, this wouldn’t have happened.
What were some of the main obstacles you experienced when making Do Not Touch and how did you overcome them?
Do Not Touch was probably the most fun I’ve had doing this. We were really blessed with everyone, everyone wanted the best for the project and we were pulling in the right direction. I think the biggest obstacle was initial casting and getting the right people for the right roles in pre-production. We brought someone on board and it didn’t work out, but in the end, I think it was the best for both parties. We’ve learnt some lessons and how we approach casting in certain scenarios.
How did you secure the cast for the film?
It all started at the Crystal Palace Film Festival, Sofia, Tom and I met the brilliant Seann. He liked our first short and he agreed we could send him the script, and the rest is history! Seann brought Charlotte on board, and before we knew it, we had our dream team in place. We found Ingrid, Blair, and, Julia on casting websites, just like that. It was almost too easy, everyone killed it. And to top it all off, Ollie a friend from school was sweet enough to fill in as the cupid statue, what an absolute thirst trap. We couldn't be more grateful for everyone who has been a part of it.
Tell us about your festival journey. Any tips and tricks for other filmmakers?
Definitely! One great way to get your film in front of the right people is to find a film that's similar in genre or style to yours and see where they've played. Take note of the film festivals they've entered and won awards at, and consider submitting your film to those same festivals.
It’s a bit cheeky, but fuck it – you don’t want to waste loads of money on festivals that won’t accept you.
What do you think is the biggest challenge short filmmakers face trying to break into the industry?
It’s a closed circuit in this industry and you’re at the behest of gatekeepers. You’re working with such limited resources and at these festivals, you’re up against the BBC, BFI, Film4, and filmmakers with actual backing. The biggest challenge is competing and standing out. A key component for filmmaking is time, money and resource. You’ve got to make the largest impact with the least amount of resources and you’re competing with people who do have that resource. The biggest challenge is trying to get your work seen by the right people. I think people have to remember there’s a lot of luck that goes into this and it necessarily isn’t fair.
Any film recommendations that we should add to our watchlist?
All of the work of Nathan Fielder. The Rehearsal, and Nathan For You, it's hilarious. Also, check out Extraordinary on Disney plus; it’s ace.