In 1988, a closeted PE teacher is pushed to the brink when a new student threatens to expose her.
It’s 1988. Thatcher’s government have just passed a law that stereotypes lesbians and gays as paedophiles, recruiting children for their ‘deviant’ lifestyles. Female PE teachers are prime targets for homophobic accusations, and as a result, JEAN [37] is forced to lead a double life. During the week she’s a respected member of staff – on the weekend she slips anonymously into Newcastle’s burgeoning gay scene. But when a new student arrives and threatens to expose her, Jean is pushed to extreme lengths to maintain her job and her sanity.
The Team
Georgia Oakley (Writer/Director)
Georgia is a writer/ director with a particular fondness for convention defying, female-led narratives. Her award winning shorts have screened at BAFTA and Oscar qualifying festivals across the world, the latest of which, LITTLE BIRD, premiered at the 2017 TriBeCa Film Festival and is currently being developed into a TV series.
Georgia was recently selected as one of six emerging filmmakers on the BFI Flare & BAFTA talent development scheme where she is being mentored by Desiree Akhavan, as well as BFI NET.Work x BAFTA Crew and the 2018 edition of Berlinale Talents. Georgia has a degree in English Literature and makes commercials alongside her narrative work, favouring projects with a social conscience.
Website: http://www.georgiaoakley.com/
Kleio Films website: https://www.kleiofilms.com/
You can watch Georgia’s short film Little Bird below:
Helene Sifre (Producer)
Hélène is a French producer based in London. After graduating from the NFTS in 2016, her two graduation shorts played at festivals worldwide, earning an Annie Award nomination and an RTS Award for Best Postgraduate Drama. Hélène assisted Christine Vachon and worked as Executive Assistant to Paul Trijbits at Filmwave, helping with legal & business affairs, before leaving to start her own film and TV production company, Kleio Films.
She co-produced the second short by BAFTA winner Caroline Bartleet, funded by BBC Films and the NFTS and has since been developing a wide range of projects, all with a socio-political edge. These include first features by emerging filmmakers, a George Orwell biopic co-produced by BFI Vision Awardee Rienkje Attoh and an animated feature in co-production with Valerie Schermann (“120BPM”/“The Red Turtle”). Hélène works part time as Development Executive for Braintrust.
