Availability
- Online & In-Cinema
This short film precedes the following film(s): SHORTS: IT HURTS TO BE ALONE
Pigeonholed for a role as a Black hoodlum in a classmate’s play and coaxed by his teacher to take the typecast part, Jonathan decides to demonstrate to his peers their prejudices during a class role-play exercise.
PLAY IT SAFE is a story about implicit bias: unconscious racism by those who think of themselves as above prejudice but whose conditioned racism is just as impactful as those who wear their intolerance proudly. Jonathan’s realization that he is not in a liberal safe-space, but that his seemingly well-intentioned classmates hold entrenched stereotypes, reflects the real stories of countless drama students across the UK.
PLAY IT SAFE is a story about implicit bias: unconscious racism by those who think of themselves as above prejudice but whose conditioned racism is just as impactful as those who wear their intolerance proudly. Jonathan’s realization that he is not in a liberal safe-space, but that his seemingly well-intentioned classmates hold entrenched stereotypes, reflects the real stories of countless drama students across the UK.
Countries
United Kingdom- Awards
- Winner, SXSW Grand Jury Award Best Narrative Short, SXSW Film Festival 2021, Winner, Audience Award Narrative Shorts Competition, SXSW Film Festival 2021
- Festivals
- SXSW 2021
- Director
- Mitch Kalisa
- Executive Producer
- Kadri Mahmoud
- Producer
- Chris Toumazou
- Screenwriter
- Mitch Kalisa
- Cinematographer
- Jaime Ackroyd
- Editor
- Mitch Kalisa
- Cast
- Jonathan Ajayi, Heather Alexander, Kate Ovenden, Charlie O’Connor
- Sound
- Focal Rhythm Productions