Secret Child

Secret Child is a 2018 British biographical drama short film directed by Yewweng Ho and is his directing debut.[1] The screenplay, written by Sam Hoare, is based on the memoirs from the book Secret Child by Gordon Lewis.[2] The film stars Fiona Glascott, Austin Taylor and Aaron McCusker, and tells the story of a single mother and her eight-year-old son meeting her man from her past after nine years.[3]

Secret Child
Directed byYewweng Ho
Produced by
  • Gordon Lewis
  • Holly Martin
Screenplay bySam Hoare
Based on
  • Secret Child by Gordon Lewis
Starring
CinematographyDarius Shu
Edited byStruan Clay
Production
companies
Lewis and Ho Productions
Release date
  • 13 August 2018 (USA)
  • 24 August 2018 (UK)
  • 18 October 2018 (Ireland)
Running time
17 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Secret Child had its world premiere at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in 2018 and was nominated for Best Period Piece,[4] and its London premiere at New Renaissance Film Festival, in which it won Best Debut Film. The film has received over 20 international awards and nominations with generally positive reviews, who praised the performances of Glascott, Taylor and McCusker, Ho's direction and Darius Shu's cinematography of the film.[5]

Plot

At the age of eight, Gordon (played by Austin Taylor) is introduced to a much older man called Bill (played by Aaron McCusker) by his mother, Cathleen (played by Fiona Glascott).[6]

Cast

Production

In 2017, producer Gordon Lewis and director Yewweng Ho teamed up with cinematographer Darius Shu to begin principle photography of the film.[7] Fiona Glascott (Brooklyn, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Aaron McCusker (Bohemian Rhapsody, Shameless) and Austin Taylor (My Cousin Rachel, Doctor Who) were cast in the main roles for the film.[8]

Lewis is in talks to develop Secret Child into a full-length feature or a television series with his second book Secret to Sultan coming soon.[9][10]

Release

Secret Child had its world premiere at the Hollyshorts Film Festival at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on August 13, 2018.[11] The film had its London premiere at Closeup Arthouse Cinema at the New Renaissance Film Festival on August 24, 2018.[12][13]

Reception

Critical response

Anna Mayers from Close Up Culture praised the film as '...beautiful" and that it was '...brought to life in a sweet yet truthful way'.[14]

Awards and nominations [15]
Year Festival Category Result
2018 Hollyshorts Film Festival Best Period Piece Nominated
Oniros Film Awards Best Cinematography Nominated
Best Short Film Won
Alternative Film Festival Best Period Piece Nominated
European Cinematography Awards Best Short Film Won
London International Motion Pictures Award Best Narrative / Fiction UK Short Film Nominated
Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest Best Cinematography Won
Best Actress
Best Director Won
Best Editor Won
Best Film Nominated
Best Original Score
Festigious International Film Festival Best Narrative Short Won
Best Cinematography
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mention for Actor
Best Original Score
Best Picture Nominated
Gold Movie Awards Best Short Won
Kerry Film Festival Best Short Film Nominated
Largo Film Awards Best Cinematography Nominated
Best Director
Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards Best Drama Short Won
Best Director
Best Cinematography Nominated
New Renaissance Film Festival Best Debut Film Won
Oniros Film Awards Best Short Film Won
Best Cinematography Nominated
Open World Toronto Film Festival Best Director Nominated
Overcome Film Festival Best Actress Won
Sydney Indie Film Festival Best Short Film Nominated
The Lift-Off Sessions Best Short Film Nominated
2019 Los Angeles Cinefest Best Short Film Nominated
Queen Palm International Film Festival Best Cinematography Nominated

References
  1. "Gordon Lewis | Secret Child Film". Secret Child. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. "Gordon Lewis | About". Secret Child. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. "Gordon Lewis | Secret Child Film". Secret Child. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. "2018 Festival —". www.hollyshorts.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  5. "Cinematographer who studied in Bournemouth and is up for awards". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  6. "Gordon Lewis | Secret Child Film". Secret Child. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  7. "Cinematographer Darius Shu shoots to make things and people stand out | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. ""Secret Child" - short film portrays pain of growing up in an Irish mother and babies home". IrishCentral.com. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  9. "'I couldn't have published this memoir if my mother was alive - it was too painful for her' - Irish man raised in mother and baby home". independent. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. "Gordon Lewis | Official Website". Secret Child. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  11. "2018 Festival —". www.hollyshorts.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  12. "Secret Child". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  13. "Cinematographer who studied in Bournemouth and is up for awards". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  14. Mayers, Anna (30 June 2020). "Secret Child – Short Film Review". Close-Up Culture. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  15. "Gordon Lewis | Secret Child Film". Secret Child. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
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