The Devil's Harmony is a live action short film directed by Dylan Holmes Williams in 2019.[1]

The Devil's Harmony
Film Poster
Directed byDylan Holmes Williams
Screenplay byJess O’Kane & Dylan Holmes Williams
Produced byNathan Craig
Anthony Toma
StarringPatsy Ferran
Leo Suter
Guy Henry
Bobby Schofield
CinematographyDavid Wright
Production
company
Tatata Studios · Toma Productions
Distributed bySalaud Morisset
Release date
  • September 2019 (2019-09) (Encounters)
Running time
14 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

In 2020, it won the Jury Prize for International Fiction at Sundance Film Festival.[2] In 2019, it won the Best UK Short Jury Prize at Raindance Film Festival,[3] a Best Director award at Fantastic Fest[4] and British / Irish Short Film of the Year at the London Film Critics Circle Awards.[5] It was nominated for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best British Short Film.[6]

The Devil's Harmony was produced by Nathan Craig (Tatata Studios) and distributed worldwide by the International Production & Distribution company Salaud Morisset.[7]

Plot

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Kiera is a bullied teenage girl and the captain of her high school's glee club. A mysterious epidemic has spread throughout the school, with many of the athletes from the snobbish, abusive squash team falling into inexplicable and unending sleep. It is revealed that Kiera is responsible for these events: frustrated by the lack of support from the unsympathetic school staff regarding her bullying, she has been taking revenge by leading the glee club to ambush her enemies with a low, ominous "devil's harmony" that causes them to fall into a vegetative state.

Kiera's scheme becomes complicated when the next target is Connor, an athlete who had previously rejected Kiera's advances but, after a change of heart, wants to leave the squash team and his old friends in order to be with her and pursue his secret love of singing. Unaware that he is the next target, he plans to invite his remaining team members to his house to announce the news and asks Kiera to come over that night. Kiera, attempting to save him, intentionally leads the club to the wrong house before leaving on her own to look for Connor. However, Connor's friends, incensed at his declaration, have locked him in his closet and trick Kiera into believing that he is sleeping with someone else.

Connor escapes the next morning and runs to the school, where he discovers that the entire student body is comatose. He encounters a vengeful Kiera with her glee club, but as the members harmonize, he breaks into song and reveals the truth before declaring his love for her. The glee club, shocked and betrayed, sing the devil's harmony, causing Connor and Kiera (who was not wearing the earplugs she usually used for protection) to fall asleep. Now leaderless, the film ends with the club standing quietly as the students around them sleep.

Cast

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In credits order
Patsy Ferran as Kiera
Leo Suter as Connor
Bobby Schofield as Doug
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jordan Ajadi as Schmidt
Cassian Bilton as Kornitzer
Guy Henry as Headmaster Plugg
Ramzan Miah as Lawrence
Matthew Morrison as Philips
Kieran Slade as Michael
Kit Young as Tyrone

Awards

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Since its launch, the film has been selected in many festivals around the world.

Year Festival Award/Category Status
2019 Encounters Film Festival Brief Encounters Grand Prix[8] Nominated
2019 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Best British Short[9] Nominated
2019 Raindance Film Festival Jury Prize – Best UK Short[3] Won
2019 Sitges Film Festival Official Fantastic Selection[10] Nominated
2019 PÖFF Tallinn Festival International Short Film Competition[11] Nominated
2019 Austin Fantastic Fest Short Fuse Award – Best Director[12] Won
2019 American Film Institute Festival Official Competition[13] Nominated
2019 Underwire Film Festival Best Film[14] Nominated
2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest Best of the Festival[15] Nominated
2020 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Grand Jury Prize[2] Won
2020 Berlin British Shorts Film Festival Jury Award[16] Won
2020 London Film Critics' Circle Award British Short Film of the Year[17] Won
2020 Florida Film Festival Grand Jury Award – Best Short[18] Nominated
2020 San Francisco International Film Festival Best Narrative Short[19] Nominated
2020 Norwegian Short Film Festival Best International Short Film[20] Won
2020 London Short Film Festival Best Short Film[11] Nominated

References

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  1. ^ ""The Devil's Harmony" by Dylan Holmes Williams (Sundance Jury Award 2020) – Trailer". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b James, Elliot (22 August 2020). ""The Devil's Harmony" Review- Award Winning Short From This Year's Online Sundance Film Festival…". Medium. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Award Winners – 27th Raindance Film Festival". Raindance. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020..
  4. ^ "2019 FANTASTIC FEST AWARDS – Fantastic Fest". Fantastic Fest. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  5. ^ "London Critics name Parasite film of 2019". 30 January 2020.
  6. ^ "The Devil's Harmony · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". 30 October 2019.
  7. ^ "Salaud Morisset, International Production & Distribution company". Salaud Morisset's Official Website. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Ten of the best new short films at Encounters Film Festival 2019 | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  9. ^ "2019 BIFA Nominations". British Independent Film Awards. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  10. ^ "THE DEVIL'S HARMONY – Sitges Film Festival". Sitges Film Festival. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  11. ^ a b "THE DEVILS HARMONY". collinscasting. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Fantastic Fest 2019: Award Winners Announced | Film Pulse". filmpulse.net. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  13. ^ "THE DEVIL'S HARMONY | AFI FEST". American Film Institute. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. ^ nick. "TEENAGE RIOT FILMMAKERS ON STAGE! JESS O'KANE, CO-WRITER OF THE DEVILS HARMONY, SPEAKS ONSTAGE AT THE UNDERWIRE FESTIVAL 2019". Salt Partnership. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  15. ^ "2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest Announces Official Selection". Palm Springs International ShortFest. Retrieved 17 November 2020..
  16. ^ "The British Shorts Jury Award 2020 goes to The Devil's Harmony by Dylan Holmes Williams". British Shorts' Instagram Page. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  17. ^ Clin, Rich (30 January 2020). "London Critics name Parasite film of 2019". London Film Critics' Circle. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  18. ^ "The Devil's Harmony | 2020 Florida Film Festival". Florida Film Festival. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  19. ^ "2020 Golden Gate Awards Official Selections". SF Film. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  20. ^ Svingen, Anita (13 June 2020). "Prisvinnere 2020!". Kortfilmfestivalen. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
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