Contact Hours

Wins Gold at Shark Short Film Awards 2024

• Best Casting

The Shark Award for Best Casting in a Short Film 2024 went to "Contact Hours", directed by Harry Richards, written by Rufus Love and Casting by Holly Rodman.

The life of a University caretaker is upturned when one of his students hasn’t been seen in days and it falls to him to unlock their door… This brush with tragedy motivates him to mend his ailing relationship with his son as there are worrying indicators that his own son might also be contemplating harming himself. Though they are living in the same house, they are complete strangers.

A very tough call given the calibre of acting in all our entries last year. Our Judge Tony Cane-Honeysett summed it up like this;

“Contact Hours” won the judges over with its casting, primarily due to the authenticity of the performances. There was an understated quality to the acting that made the film deeply believable, relatable, and emotionally engaging—even in moments of silence.

The cast played off each other seamlessly, enhancing their individual performances while collectively evoking emotions effortlessly, adding to the film’s realism".

A few years ago, writer Rufus Love was chatting to a colleague at a theatre bar who used to be a University caretaker. The man had left the job after discovering multiple students in their rooms who had died by suicide. This unique perspective inspired the first draft of a screenplay titled "The Caretaker". Love sent this to director Harry Richards, who had attended university with Love. Recognising the script's potential to raise awareness of student suicide, Love and Richards developed the screenplay and retitled it "Contact Hours". 

The casting process began when Richards met actor George Osborne at a drinks reception following a short film screening. Richards was struck by George's tender yet magnetic presence, making him perfect for the part of the Caretaker's son. This helped focus conversations between Richards, Love and casting director Holly Rodman who were in the process of casting the lead role of the Caretaker. 

While casting the lead roles, Rodman was also coordinating the search for talented young actors to play the student supporting roles in the film. The filmmakers knew that casting the right supporting actors was crucial to building a believable University setting on screen. 

Harry Richards is the director/producer of Contact Hours (@contacthoursfilm). Prior to this project, he directed three shorts including BFI-selected SANTI (@santithefilm). Harry has also directed music videos, brand promos and assisted on TV shows for Netflix and the BBC. 

Rufus Love is the writer and one of the executive producers of Contact Hours. His past writing work has been shortlisted for the Lynne Gagliano Award.

Holly Rodman is best known for her work as a Casting Associate at Kharmel Cochrane Casting on projects including Nosferatu and Gran Turismo. Since going freelance last year, Holly has continued to work with prominent UK casting directors while building her own portfolio of work as a Casting Director.

"We took great care to find the right actors to play all of the roles in Contact Hours, so to be recognised for our work feels really special. This film wouldn't be the same without the authentic, emotive and nuanced performances of Kris Hitchen, George Osborne, Ashleigh-Mae Schoburgh-Crooks and all of our supporting actors. Thank you to our incredible cast, and to the Shark Awards for this honour."  Harry Richards.

Headrush Films is a London-based film and TV production company founded by Harry Richards and Rufus Love. Contact Hours was the company's first project, and they have now raised £40,000 development finance for their first feature film, titled YAMAS!

The team are currently holding screenings and Q&A's at Universities around the UK, helping to raise awareness and provide support.

Huge Congratulations from everyone at The Sharks on your well-deserved Gold and kudos for raising so much awareness around this very difficult but very important topic.

Directed by Harry Richards

Produced by Harry Richards, Rufus Love, Liam Wallace-Cook

Casting by Holly Rodman

@contacthoursfilm, @headrushfilms, @harryrichardsfilm, @rufus.love_ & @castingbyholly_