Our first review courtesy of The Pink Lens.
SHORT FILM. Birthday Boy
Starring: Sebastian Emmerson, Ted Reilly, Selma Alkaff, Hannah McIver, Jaina Brock.
Director: Leo Lebeau.
Transgender teen Alex struggles to express himself in real life. Attending a private all-girls school, he feels the pressure to conform to ensure he doesn’t lose his scholarship, but he’s being viciously bullied by a group of girls. He only feels like he can be himself in an online game, but when his birthday comes around, the bullying steps up a gear.
A moving and realistic short that highlights the continuing transphobia in schools, it also puts single-sex schools under the microscope: places that can be be so unsafe for trans teens. The culture of the school has allowed this cruel victimisation to take place, which we hear through off-screen voices of teachers propagating opposition to Alex’s gender identity.
Sebastian Emmerson gives a strong central performance as the lead, but as his friendship builds with a boy from another school, this is not all doom and gloom, finding within itself a glimmer of hope.
Filmed with subtlety and restraint, this is a nuanced short that takes on a journey of self-awakening with a likeable and compelling character.
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Kougar Media presents
in association with
The National Film and Television School
BIRTHDAY BOY
Directed by
Leo Lebeau
Written and Produced by
James Bell & Leo Lebeau
Alex
Sebastian Emmerson
Elle-Louise
Selma Alkaff
Henry
Ted Reilly
Grace - Katie Pattinson
Robert - Paul Keating
Emma - Hannah McIver
Sara - Jaina Brock
Charlotte - Bex Hainsworth
Headmistress - Venetia Hawkes
Miss Heron - Maxine Heron
Miss McMahon - Cheyenne Desouza
Director of Photography
Michael Filocamo
Production Designer
Ellen Beaufoy
Editor
Will Winfield
Casting Director
Sharon Sorrentino
Costume Designer
Simon Ekrelius
Composer
Saul Bragman
Sound Designer
Adam Shuttleworth
Associate Producers
Adrian Mani
Remi Rana Allen
Colin Merry
Line Producer
Emanuela Borruso
1st Assistant Director
Jonay Sevillano Regalado
2nd Assistant Director
Mireia G. Dalmau
3rd Assistant Director
Mathilde Levesque
1st Assistant Camera
Tonino Petruzzellis Senor
2nd Assistant Camera
Beatrice Dagama
Bernat Bonaventura
Camilla Valli
Steadicam Operator
Beaumont V G Pritchard-James
Gaffer
Evance Bretuil
Sparks
Baptise Congard
Junior Day
Production Sound Mixer
Sam Jenkins
Sound Mixer & 1st Assistant Sound
Griff Miles
2nd Assistant Sound
Jake Hickey
Luise Guertler
Script Supervisor
Michaela Minciotti
Hair & Make-up
Lily Hart
Tegan Thewlis
Maddy McNerney
Danielle Sambrook
Costume Assistant
Finley Lucas
Art Director
Benjamyn Lyall
Art Assistant
Eleanor Dolan
Stills Photographer
Alfio Sambataro
Additional Stills
Breanne Krause
Production Coordinator
Fabiana Tesauro
Production Assistants
Holly Androlia
Grace Nicholls
Ivonne Gofre
Pia Kauser
Sarah Barron
Rachel Carr
Charlie Sexton
Oscar Luckin
Harrison Benett
Felix Cole
Stunt Coordinator
Benjamin Farry
Lead Compositor
Jonas Almeida
Digital Compositor
Claus Pacheco
Colourist & Online Editor
Marco Valerio Caminiti
Editing Consultant
Paulo Pandolpho
Credits Illustrations
James Bell
Motion GFX Artist
Olga Gunderich
Motion GFX Animator
Benjamyn Lyall
Violin
Natalia Tsupryk
Sound Post Production by
[[2pt5]]
Supporting Artists
Anushka Samarasingh
Ash Wu
Ayumi Fuller
Becky Chan-Lok
Cairo Nevitt
Cezar Sirbu
Daniel King
Ewelina Dziedzic
Faith Kiggundu
Faris Khan
Gabriella Chly
Grace Albert
Grace Nicholls
Hannah Omisore
Jason Kwan
Jenny Kuznetsova
Jorge Fernandes
Kurtis Huke
Leah Glater
Leoni L.
Maya Barter
Nathan Trotman
Nia Campbell
Olivia Sirley
Paige Windsor
Rachel Howard
Rajaul Hoque
Stella Segalerba
Talia K
Thank you to our generous backers
Aaron DaBell
Addie Gardiner
Alison Bender
Barnaby Forrest Royce
Becki Shepperson
Benjamin Griggs
Bernadette Shipley
Bhavna Patel
Chris Allen
Daniel Chowdhury
David Bailey
Gabrielle Cooper
Ilhan Hartigan
James Gardner
Jane Bell
Jessica McLean
John Boyle
John Brock
Jordan Hoxsie
Joseph Jackson
Lee Bierman
Lee Thompson
Lisa Changadveja
Mariam Kauser
Matteo Durgin Paint Forge
Noémie Scheidegger
Oliver Astbury
Phil Reilly
Regina M Prestefelippe
Samy Soussi
Steve William Laible
Venetia Hawkes
Xavier Segers
Yam Yadlin
Zara Richardson
and all of our Kickstarter backers!
Special thanks
Ash Wu
Asher Tlalim
BAFTA & Prince William Scholarship
Balint Csaki
Beaconsfield Film Society
Ben Hunte
Bhargav Patel
Cambell Kenneford
Cut & Cork Ltd
Davenies School
Hall Barn Estates
Hugo Hernandez
Ingrid Miller
Linda Shire
Loro Esteso
Michael Pearce
Mika Simmons
Olympia Christofinis
Panalux
Rose Harvey
Ruanth Chrisley Thyssen
Sargent-Disc Scholarship
Scott Miles
Shoutout LGBT radio
Slavica Rockov
Steff Barnett
Stella Whalley
Steve Smith
The Apple Tree & Bohemia Films
Warner Bros Creative Talent
Xavier Segers
In loving memory of Emma Bender
‘Daughter’ performed by Ryan Cassata courtesy of BMI
A National Film & Television School
Bridge to Industry film
supported by Kickstarter
for The National Film & Television School
Executive Producers
JON WARDLE
VENETIA HAWKES
NFTS
BIRTHDAY BOY
© KOUGAR MEDIA