Play It Safe (Short Film)

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"Play It Safe" Promotional Poster 2021.

Play It Safe is a 2020 short film written and directed by Mitch Kalisa. Coaxed into playing a racial typecast in a student’s play, drama student Jonathan is faced with a decision: challenge prejudice, or play it safe.

Summary

Jonathan is out of place in his middle-class London drama school. Pigeonholed for a role as a Black hoodlum in a classmate’s play and coaxed by his teacher to take the typecast part, Jonathan decides to demonstrate to his peers their prejudices, during a class role play exercise.

Play it Safe is a story about implicit bias: unconscious racism by those who think of themselves as above prejudice, but whose conditioned racism is just as impactful as those who wear their intolerance proudly. Jonathan’s realisation that he is not in a liberal safe-space, but that his seemingly well-intended classmates hold entrenched stereotypes, reflects the real stories of countless drama students across the UK.

Cast & Crew

Mitch Kalisa the film's writer and director is originally from Rwanda, but first arrived in the UK as a child via Uganda. Mitch first explored his passion for film through acting and later moving into painting and sculpture before landing on directing as his primary creative output.

“Play it Safe” is his debut short film, influenced directly by his time at a prestigious drama school, and how this perceivably liberal and safe space has just as much ingrained prejudice as other predominantly white spaces. Mitch uses his own experiences to underpin his cinematic pursuit: to break convention and boundaries and tell rich stories from diverse unheard voices. Focusing on complex and often challenging tales, and giving them a visceral character and performance driven platform. In 2021, Mitch was awarded “Next Director” by the jury at D&AD.

As the film's lead is London born rising star Jonathan Ajayi, who can recently be seen as viewer’s favourite villian Lekan in the hugely successful series ‘NOUGHTS AND CROSSES’ for BBC One, based on the Malorie Blackman novel. He also featured as Dakerson in DC’s ‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’ with Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. Other big screen credits include a lead in the two-hander feature film ‘THE  DRIFTERS’ which premiered at the São Paulo International Film Festival.

He was long-listed for the “BIFA Newcomer Award”[1] for his role and was listed as a Screen Daily "Stars of Tomorrow" which described '“It is short film Play It Safe that might end up winning the actor further attention. Written and directed by Mitch Kalisa and tackling racism in a visceral, uncomfortable way, it showcases a high-wire performance from Ajayi and won grand jury and audience awards at this year’s SXSW. “It’s one of the rare moments since becoming an actor that I feel like I really expressed myself,” he says. “It is one of my proudest moments.”'

COMPULSORY, the London based talent management and entertainment company was at the helm of development and production, working closely with Mitch and his vision. Having successfully premiered films at the most prestigious film festivals across the world, including SXSW for 6 years, Berlinale, Sundance, Telluride and BFI London Film Festival, Exec Producers Kadri Mahmoud and Chris Toumazou lent their experience in narrative development and in packaging the project. Last year COMPULSORY expanded into the film distribution space by handling the UK theatrical release of Berlinale-winning “NO HARD FEELINGS” directed by Faraz Shariat.

The COMPULSORY reputation across film, commercials and music videos has created incredible collaborations with artists such as Madonna, Stormzy and Joy Crookes, alongside brands including Mugler, Vogue, Burberry and Gucci. The ingenuity within the work that they share and development of their roster of talent has also led to multiple nominations internationally, most notably the ‘Contribution to Creative Industries Award’ in 2021.

At the film's core from conception was founding partner at COMPULSORY, Chris Toumazou. Having also attended The Arts Educational School with Jonathan Ajayi respectively, their combined awareness led to the casting and production of the film using the school as its backdrop and resource. Working with the newly appointed Head Of Drama Julie Spencer, the team was able to tap into an authentic casting process, further emphasising the film’s honest approach.

Toumazou works with a roster of international directors and multi disciplinary artists, having set up the company’s development slate in 2017. His focus is on discovering and breaking new voices in the narrative space and has led to a track record of premiering work at SXSW, Berlinale, and Sundance. A passionately acute awareness for relevant stories has defined the growing success of his burgeoning film department.

He has been instrumental in packaging ‘Play It Safe’ attaching its cast and promoting the film into the festival space and beyond. Most recently, creating a limited license partnership with MUBI internationally for the film during October - December 2021 to coincide with its UK premier at the BFI London Film Festival.

Festival Accolades

Making its International Premiere at the renowned SXSW in 2021 for “Best Narrative Short” was enough of a debut for “Play It Safe” on the festival circuit. However, by picking up the “Grand Jury Award” and “Audience Award” in Austin, it is the first British film to collect both prizes in the past decade. Setting a precedent for its success over the next year, its anticipated official UK Premiere will launch at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival 2021. “Play It Safe" has gained international recognition for its powerful narrative, strong direction and striking lead performance by Jonathan Ajayi (BBC's Noughts & Crosses).

Personally curated by Barry Jenkins as part of the selective programme for Telluride Film Festival this year, "Play It Safe" has shown no signs of slowing down, with the film being selected, screened and collecting accolades across numerous celebrated festivals.  It has been exhibited to audiences attending Aesthetica, Palm Springs ShortFest, San Diego ShortsFest, Flatpack Film Festival, deadCenter Film Festival, Crested Butte Film Festival, Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Bolton Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, Indie Street Film Festival, Stockholm International Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival. The accumulation of which makes the film now both BAFTA and Academy Award qualifying.

The film has now begun its official Oscar campaign working with Catherine Lyn Scott of London Flair PR, whose previous successes have led to 5 wins and 12 nominations across both awards.

References

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