I started attending the London Screenwriters’ Festival and upon meeting Chris and the various tutors, the advice that stuck out to me was the necessity to make things happen for yourself in this industry.
So, I went about producing short films for myself by putting in my own savings and pulling favors from friends. In this way, I was able to make my first short film, THE PLUNGE, a romantic comedy, which was selected for over sixty international film festivals and was long-listed for a BAFTA.
Encouraged by the success of this film, I saved up 6k to make my second short film, VOICES, a domestic thriller. I was impressed by the short films I had seen online by the director Abbie Lucas and asked her to consider directing the film, to which she agreed after reading the script.
The limited funds created some obstacles, especially as we wanted to ensure that every member of the cast and crew was paid. The last day became a bit of a mad rush and we only just got the last shot while the sun was about to go up. With all hands on deck we made it work!
The biggest learning I can share, is to have a script that can be made easily. VOICES was a ten page script with two characters, one location and only required a two night shoot. All of this lowered the cost and made the film possible. It also helped that people really liked the script and were willing to shoot the film for lower than their usual day rate. Always take the time to get the script right. If people believe in the project, then you’ll find a way to get it made.
Voices has been on the festival circuit for the last two years, with over 45 selections at international film festivals, including the renowned horror festival ScreamFest, the BAFTA qualifying festival Aesthetica and the Oscar qualifying festivals Durban and Seattle, as well as numerous awards.
Omar Khan
Writer and Director
Omar Khan has been a finalist in BBC Writers’ Room talent searches on four occasions. He is a graduate of the BBC Children’s Development scheme and has written for Princess Mirror-Belle, Biff & Chip and is currently under commission for The Dumping Ground.
Omar has had two very successful short films in the festival circuit. The Plunge (starring Lydia Wilson) was selected for over sixty international festivals, premiering at Palm Springs. His new short film, Voices, has already had over twenty selections after premiering at Aesthetica in 2022.
