‘WHO’S COUNTING?’
SHORT
Written & Directed by Ben Lankester
Creative Producer — Bophanie Lun
Prod Co — The Progress Film Company
Producers — Kate Miller & Lauren Tyson
DP — Thomas Hole
Art Director — David Dickinson
Casting — Emma Garrett
Editor — Eve Ashwell
Sound — James Cobbold
Music — Grieflines
Colour — Matt Turner
When my wife and I experienced two consecutive miscarriages, we decided to channel our experience into something positive with a short film that we hoped could bring about change. We partnered with pregnancy charity Tommy’s on ‘Who’s Counting?’, an advocacy drama telling the story of a couple who have to endure the emotional and physical trauma of successive losses before they can receive support.
The film has led to Tommy’s creating the ‘Record of Loss’, where parents who have experienced miscarriage are being encouraged to add their names to the database and be part of the very first attempt to count the number of miscarriages in the UK.
Production Manager — Heeva Hamed
Production Assistants — Millie Sumpter & Rebecca Morgan
1st Assistant Director — Jonathan Sidwell
Focus Puller — Ondrej Rybar
Loader — Riccardo Angei
Grip — Joshua Bull
Gaffers — Krunal Saadrani & Dan Holloway
Lighting Trainee — Leon Springer
Assistant Art Director — Lucy Ashmore
Costume Designer — Joseph Crone
Wardrobe Supervisor — Georgia Howes
Hair & Make-up — Kate O’Shea & Francesca Ingram
Sound Recordist — Bahar Dopran
Special Effects Supervisor — Bob Smoke
Edit House — The Assembly Rooms
Head of Production — Daniel Breheny
Sound House — 750mph
Audio Producer & VO Casting — Kirsten Troy
Music Mix Engineer — Lee Smith @ Greenmount Studios
Post Production — Absolute Post
VFX Artist — Antonio Jimenez
Producer — Hannah Whitehill
Executive Producer — Jenna Le Noury
Storyboard Artist — Chris Sebestik
Designer — Shannon Thomas
Photographer — Hansof Waller
Camera — Panavision
Lighting — SHL Film Lighting
Film — Kodak
Processing — Cinelab
Thanks to Sam Ashwell, Dr. Justin Chu, Sam Clark, Lou Hake, Charlie Hippisley, Aarti Mahtani, Maggie O’Farrell, Ian Ray, and George Rumsey
A special thanks to Sands London United Football Club, Neil & Monica from Location Live, the staff and students at St Marylebone School, and to BPAS Richmond for the use of their location, run by Treatment Unit Manager Matthew Richards
For Luan. For Boramei.
Official Selection 2022 — Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Wimbledon International Short Film Festival, CINECITY Brighton, Beeston Film Festival, Derby Film Festival, Oxford International Film Festival, Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, Southampton Film Week, From the Silver Screen Presents: Film on Film, London Lift-Off Film Festival, Boundless Film Festival, I Will Tell International Film Festival, London Arthouse Film Festival.
Winner, Best Video Campaign & the Chair Award
The Drum Awards for Social Purpose 2022
Winner, Silver
Ciclope International Festival of Craft 2022
Winner, Best Drama
Performance Short Film Competition 2022
Winner, Best Short Film
London Independent Film Awards 2022
Winner, Best Short Film
Manchester Lift-Off Festival 2022
Winner, Best International Film, Best Actress
What Will They Think of Next Film Festival 2022
Nominated, Best Editing
The British Short Film Awards 2022
Semi-Finalist
SHORT to the Point 2022
Semi-Finalist
Berlin Shorts Award 2022
2022 Honourable Mention
Purbeck Film Festival 2022
