Hopetown (2021)

Hopetown is an independently-made short film by Westley Gibbons and Tony Briggs. It follows Jon who, after missing his last train home, finds himself wandering the streets of the city. Tormented by issues with his father, he suffers the night from hell until salvation arrives in the form of two unlikely allies. With their help he finds a way home, in every sense of the word.

Influenced by the work of Mike Leigh, John Schlesinger and Ken Loach, Hopetown is a character piece about three people, drawn together by chance. Each live in the shadows and each struggles with regret, expectation and remorse. Yet all three are surviving with their strength, love and hope. Filled with comedy and heartfelt emotion, Hopetown is beautifully shot in black and white and showcases excellent performances from three lead actors, Steve Furst as Dustin, Grant Gillespie as Brendan and Aakash Kashul as Jon.

Full cast, crew and behind the scenes at www.hopetown.co.uk

"It’s always a pleasure to come across a short film that packs such an emotional punch. ‘Hope Town’ wears its heart well and truly on its sleeve. Set In London it pulls a truly disparate group of characters together for just one night. From the world class editing to the standout performance from Steve Furst it’s a small film with a huge impact. It perfectly captures a group of truly lost souls and its thoughtful soundtrack drives us towards its satisfying conclusion. Sharp direction. Beautiful imagery. Characters you care about. A standout piece for me"
Phil Ryan, Storm Productions.