Never Land

Film Archived

An IDEASTAP funded, fairytale take on climate change starring: MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, KEELEY HAWES and JOHN NETTLES. NEVER LAND won 'best narrative' at the WOMEN IN FILM AND TV INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE 2018.   From author ANNA HOGHTON (THE MASK OF ARIBELLA), NEVER LAND is set against the backdrop of the storms that battered Britain in 2014, and is the story of one boy’s fears about flooding coming true. Noah's (LLEWY GODFREY) parents (MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, KEELEY HAWES) think his compulsion to turn off taps is foolish, but no one can deny the growing storms threatening their village. After mishearing a pair of fishermen (JOHN NETTLES, BRIAN BOVELL) discussing the superior flood barriers in The Netherlands, Noah plans an escape to ‘Never Land’ with his wild-hearted next-door neighbour Katie (EMMY MARRIOTT) and her pet guinea-pig…   NEVER LAND was made on a total budget of £7000 - For a film that includes children, water, animals and SFX this is a tiny budget, and the finished film is a testament to the passion, ingenuity and inventiveness of the young filmmakers involved. All heads of department were female, a small victory in an industry dominated by male voices.   The film was made in partnership with the climate-change action charity CAPE FAREWELL.

Director: Anna Hoghton
Length: 12:45
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Year: 2018

Additional Info

Director Biography: Anna Hoghton is an award-winning poet, filmmaker and author. She was nominated for the Lancelot Andrewes Poetry Award by the then poet Laurette Carol Ann Duffy. Her debut middle-grade novel THE MASK OF ARIBELLA won the Weald Book Award and the Somerset Teachers’ Book Award. Her second novel for 9-12 year olds ORLA AND THE WILD HUNT is out this July.   Anna was selected for the BAFTA Youth Board for two consecutive years. NEVER LAND grew from an idea she had about two children sailing away from a flooded England in a boat. Her script won the Ideastap Short Film Fund and the finished film won the 2018 Women in Film and TV prize for ‘best narrative’. The film was made with support from the BFI on a total budget of £7000. £2000 of this was raised through crowdfunding.  

Director Statement:

NEVER LAND is about one little boy's fear of water, but it is also a response to the dramatic winter floods which are increasingly becoming part of British life; and life all over the world. Through the eyes of Noah, NEVER LAND aims to give a fresh perspective on climate change and emotionally engage audiences to act. As a part of this aim, we partnered with the charity Cape Farewell to raise money and awareness for this issue.

When I first pitched the idea for the script - which involved flooding, children, animals and a bathtub boat - all the judges in the Ideastap competition told me that it wasn’t possible. However, they liked the script so they gave me the funding. Together with a fantastic crew and some star cast members, we made this film possible on a tiny budget. It is a true labour of love. I undertook BAFTA Albert training for the production and made sure the film set was paper-free and carbon neutral. We were shooting in 2016, so were ahead of our time on this.

  When I first pitched the idea for the script - which involved flooding, children, animals and a bathtub boat - all the judges in the Ideastap competition told me that it wasn’t possible. However, they liked the script so they gave me the funding. Together with a fantastic crew and some star cast members, we made this film possible on a tiny budget. It is a true labour of love. I undertook BAFTA Albert training for the production and made sure the film set was paper-free and carbon neutral. We were shooting in 2016, so were ahead of our time on this.

Producer: Robyn Forsythe
Writer: Anna Hoghton
Cast: Marcus Brigstocke, Keeley Hawes, John Nettles, Brian BovellKey, Llewy Godfrey, Emma Marriott