The Stupid Boy, shot and set in Brixton, is an Oscar-qualified short film that will screen in London over the coming weeks.
The multi-award-winning film follows the stories of Michael, a 16-year-old neurodivergent boy oblivious to bullying, and Stephen, a man plagued by his past, who is being groomed by a white supremacist group. The film ends with a hair-raising encounter between the two.
Director Phil Dunn is the owner of Authentive, a Brixton-based production company. He set it up in 2005 after two years of studying medicine before switching to a degree in theology.
Despite having no formal training, Dunn developed his skills on the job. The Stupid Boy, produced by Gabrielle Oliver, is Dunn’s third short film in five years.
It is director’s second short set in Brixton. The first, About (2020), has since developed from a short to a pitch for a limited series.
With more than 30 awards so far, the film is continuing its global festival run as it prepares for consideration for a 2024 Academy Award.
The short will be screened at the Discover Film Awards in Leicester Square on 29 September and at the London Breeze Film Festival Launch event at Battersea Power Station on 11 October.
Tickets for the Discover Film Awards here.
