The Folkestone Ladies' Erotic Fiction Club
Short film
Proof of concept for a recurring TV series
Written and Produced by Sharon Burrell
Directed by Emelie Mahdavian
Three women in midlife think their libidos are lost forever until an erotic short story puts the spark back in their… lives.
This sexy dramedy is a love letter to my adopted home, Folkestone, and women in midlife. Exploring the things we lose but are not allowed to grieve, the story celebrates the power of women supporting one another as they face (and fight) change.
To be directed by Emmy award winner Emelie Mahdavian, the project is currently in pre-production, subject to raising finance.
Glitched
Short film
Proof of concept for TV miniseries
Screenplay by Sharon Burrell and Darren Lee Murphy
Producer: Making Productions
Two lonelyhearts seek comfort in the arms of a robot supplied by a dating app called AI Amore. Things get complicated when emotions, friends and a toxic ex get involved – will they find what they are looking for before their time is up?
GLITCHED aims to make climate conversations more constructive by acknowledging and normalising climate disruption and carbon-reduced lifestyles as part of our daily lives alongside fun stuff like sex. The project is currently in post-production, intended for festival distribution in 2025.
The Confused Sea
Feature film
Created by Sharon Burrell
As a child, Maddie survived the Great Flood, but when her parents get eaten by the last polar bear, her adult life spins out of control. Only a return to the wilderness, and a little touch of magick, can get her back on track.
THE CONFUSED SEA is a sci-fi story with a dash of very dark comedy. It's about grief and what happens to us if we don't process it, but it's also about the importance of many other things to our survival - friendships, witchcraft, Artificial Intelligence, the genius of beavers. The film's set in a not too distant future and celebrates the resilience of the survivors of climate disruption, and gives hope that lives lived sustainably will be just as crazy, funny, sexy and unpredictable as before.
By the time the movie is produced, we will likely have experienced a version of the events it’s depicting in the UK (and catastrophic flooding is already happening elsewhere in the world, of course). We will have also experienced loss in other ways related to climate disruption – loss of the pattern of the seasons, loss of species, loss of a favourite tree or plant, landscape or outdoor activity. We need to be ready with stories that will help us give voice to our grief and process our loss in a constructive way, so that we are resilient enough to continue our efforts to mitigate, and ultimately halt, climate disruption.
The treatment and sample scenes are available to potential producers and agents.
Feature film
Created by Sharon Burrell
As a child, Maddie survived the Great Flood, but when her parents get eaten by the last polar bear, her adult life spins out of control. Only a return to the wilderness, and a little touch of magick, can get her back on track.
THE CONFUSED SEA is a sci-fi story with a dash of very dark comedy. It's about grief and what happens to us if we don't process it, but it's also about the importance of many other things to our survival - friendships, witchcraft, Artificial Intelligence, the genius of beavers. The film's set in a not too distant future and celebrates the resilience of the survivors of climate disruption, and gives hope that lives lived sustainably will be just as crazy, funny, sexy and unpredictable as before.
By the time the movie is produced, we will likely have experienced a version of the events it’s depicting in the UK (and catastrophic flooding is already happening elsewhere in the world, of course). We will have also experienced loss in other ways related to climate disruption – loss of the pattern of the seasons, loss of species, loss of a favourite tree or plant, landscape or outdoor activity. We need to be ready with stories that will help us give voice to our grief and process our loss in a constructive way, so that we are resilient enough to continue our efforts to mitigate, and ultimately halt, climate disruption.
The treatment and sample scenes are available to potential producers and agents.
Freya (Working title)
TV series
Original story by Sharon Burrell
Pilot episode written by Sharon Burrell
An extermination programme targeting the over 55s forces two former eco-terrorists to choose between their relationship, or their love for the environment.
FREYA is a story about climate change but isn’t another doom and gloom narrative. While it is an eco-story, it is equally an action thriller with a strong, mature, female protagonist doing the unexpected in extraordinary circumstances. It shows the audience a world where we have come out the other side, that through our actions we have started to reverse the worst effects. Of course, humans will still be humans and therefore further disruption can be anticipated for the central characters.
Unresolved intergenerational conflict has spawned a desire for an extermination programme which weighs up the value of one human life against another based on their culpability for crimes committed against the environment in the past. Ultimately, the story asks the audience whether we want eco-activists to go as far as starting a war to save the planet, or whether we will step up and play our part, creating sustainable change by design, rather than through violence.
Pilot episode and episode guide available to potential producers, directors and agents. Industry feedback so far has been very positive, reaching the final 9% of entries in the 2024 BBC Writers' Open Call.
TV series
Original story by Sharon Burrell
Pilot episode written by Sharon Burrell
An extermination programme targeting the over 55s forces two former eco-terrorists to choose between their relationship, or their love for the environment.
FREYA is a story about climate change but isn’t another doom and gloom narrative. While it is an eco-story, it is equally an action thriller with a strong, mature, female protagonist doing the unexpected in extraordinary circumstances. It shows the audience a world where we have come out the other side, that through our actions we have started to reverse the worst effects. Of course, humans will still be humans and therefore further disruption can be anticipated for the central characters.
Unresolved intergenerational conflict has spawned a desire for an extermination programme which weighs up the value of one human life against another based on their culpability for crimes committed against the environment in the past. Ultimately, the story asks the audience whether we want eco-activists to go as far as starting a war to save the planet, or whether we will step up and play our part, creating sustainable change by design, rather than through violence.
Pilot episode and episode guide available to potential producers, directors and agents. Industry feedback so far has been very positive, reaching the final 9% of entries in the 2024 BBC Writers' Open Call.
Drop
Short film
Written by Sharon Burrell
A glaciologist finds becoming one with Mother Nature has deadly consequences for the men around her.
DROP is an eco-feminist horror story set on a glacier. The year is 2030. Glaciologist Skade is delighted to find the melt rate is slowing down. But her enthusiasm isn't shared by the fossil fuel company funding her research. DROP explores the roles of patriarchy and capitalism in perpetuating climate change - with a dash of very dark humour.
Producer attached. Script available to potential directors. Accolades include Official Selection in the Best Script Awards 2024, and an Honorable Mention in the Frights! Camera! Action! Screenplay Contest 2024.
Shift
Short film
Original story by Sharon Burrell
Screenplay by Sharon Burrell and Darren Lee Murphy
Award-winning environmental campaigner Gaia is about to see her reputation go up in smoke as her SUV-loving boss takes on a new fossil fuel burning client. She finds herself on a surreal trip, meeting a host of strange, and yet familiar, characters who try to help her do the right thing. Can she find the courage to speak out before it’s too late, or will Imposter Syndrome defeat her?
SHIFT is an absurdist comedy that aims to subvert stereotypes of environmentalists and find the fun in being green.
Script available for potential producers. Accolades include an Honorable Mention in the Finish Line Script Competition 2023.
Red Kite Rising
Concept for an immersive gaming experience
Original story by Sharon Burrell
Set in the post-carbon, post-capitalist future, a detective seeks answers when their partner’s body is discovered in a suitcase in a seaside town. Enlisting the help of dope-smoking seagulls, gun-running polar bears and a drag queen dachshund, they have to go deep below the surface to face an old enemy threatening the survival of a greener, cleaner world.
RED KITE RISING is a dark fantasy comedy intended to be a deeply engaging, fun and safe space for players to develop and express their Environmental Identity. It was developed as a concept for the BFI-funded programme "Develop Create XR" and reached final interview stage.
Outline available to interested developers.
