Emelia (BAFTA Nominee Nikki Amuka-Bird) and Jeff (Nick Frost) are an open minded couple celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary by venturing into the virtual reality world of 'Vert' together, where people are presented as their 'ideal selves'. A selection of Short of the Week, the web's leading curators of quality short films. SUBMIT A FILM: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/submit/ FULL REVIEW: https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2020/0... Subscribe to S/W on YouTube! Website: http://www.shortoftheweek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ShortoftheWeek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shortoftheweek Twitter: https://twitter.com/shortoftheweek VERT Written and directed Kate Cox "For their 20th anniversary, Emelia brings home two devices that will allow her and her husband Jeff to access 'Vert', a virtual reality world where the user get a glimpse of their ideal-selves. While Jeff has a secret to hide, Emelia might have an ulterior motive which could make the experience change their relationship. In this moving story, carried by beautiful performances, writer/director Kate Cox uses the sci-fi genre to amplify the emotions of her characters and explore acceptance and support in relationships. Though Vert is Cox's first short drama, the film lives in the same narrative universe as her previous project Unboxing, a conceptual dance film that explores the topic of gender. Motivated by a desire to work on a new project with a storyline touching on gender, it was until Cox met Nick Frost that the inspiration for Vert struck. Driven by the idea of writing the part of Jeff for a typically masculine actor like Frost, she was also hoping to be able to rely on his comedic chops to lift the film. When I first saw Vert, I was really fond of its emotional tone. At its core is a love story, a tale of unconditional love that despite its sci-fi element felt paradoxically very real. The level of open-mindness, respect and acceptance between the on-screen couple unexpectedly moved me, as I was fascinated by how trust in their relationship evolved. Where Cox truly succeeds within the sci-fi genre though is by opting not to delve into 'Vert' and the technology attached, instead using it to focus on the emotions at play and injecting her story with a truly original feel. With that in mind, using the virtual dimension of her story solely as a catalyst for the emotional journey of the couple, feels like the perfect choice to stop her film becoming gimmicky and prevents any distraction from the actors. Yet, the visual aesthetic of the film is quite striking and obviously inspired by the sci-fi element of the piece. The stylized lighting and otherworldly synthetic sound design are efficient in fostering a certain atmosphere that compliments the story, again without ever feeling too gimmicky or distracting. With a very ambitious one day shoot, that never allowed more than three takes, saying that the three actors, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Olivia Vinall and Nick Frost rose to the occasion is somewhat of an understatement. Their subtle and sensitive performances are truly what make the film so emotionally powerful... Continue reading on shortoftheweek.com" -S/W Curator Celine Roustan Written and directed Kate Cox Produced by Nick Rowell, Sophie Reynolds, Gabriele Lo Giudice Starring Nikki Amuka-Bird, Nick Frost and Olivia Vinall Executive Producer James Appleton Director of Photography Aaron Reid Production Designer Zoe Koperski Editor Marnie Hollande Costume Designer Janine Eveson Casting Director Clare Harlow Make-Up and Hair Designer Gaby Winwood 1st Assistant Director Gabriele Lo Giudice 2nd Assistant Director Eamonn Hearns Floor Runner Florence Jones Floor Runner Sakhile Shann Sound Recordist Mark Kershishian Stills Photographer Lowe Seger 1st Assistant Camera Chris Hayden 2nd Assistant Camera Jack Harvey Digital Imaging Technician Alix Milan Gaffer Lee Parfitt Electrician John Forsyth Trainee Electrician Dax Sharkey Art Director Blaithin Farry Art Work by Trinity Tristan Assistant Costume Designer Cherry Lazar Costume Maker Canelle Design Ltd. Fabric Dyer Sheila White Sound Design String and Tins Sound designer: Kaspar Broyd Audio Producer: Eimear Gorey Additional Sound Supervision: Will Cohen, Lawrence Kendrick Re-recording mixer: Lawrence Kendrick Kim Bryde – Post Producer at The Mill Alex Gregory – Colorist Holly Mclean – 2D Artist Online James Bradley Credits by Russell Palmer Reproduced on this channel with the permission of the filmmakers.