Justin Groves
John
Justin graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts majoring in Theatre with a minor in Art Theory and an associate degree in Movement. Most recently Justin has performed alongside John Hanna in a feature film entitled Genesis (2016), and also in The Rizen (2016) and The Rizen II (2017) by Directer Matt Mitchell starring Adrian Edmondson and Sally Phillips. Furthermore, in 2015 Justin performed with British Pop icon Will Young in a music video entitled Thank You as well as with internationally renowned singer, song writer MIKA on his music video Good Guys. Justin's talent on camera also lead to an appearance in a Beats by Dr Dre commercial for the 2015 rugby world cup campaign. With his roots firmly grounded in theatre, in the same year, Justin took the stage in Synaestheatre Collective's production, Raven. Due to the show's success in London, the company toured the show to Avignon, France, further exposing Justin's tenacious zeal for performance on an ever increasing international platform.
David Wayman
Paul
David was born in Enfield, North London, UK and spent his early education in and around Hertfordshire. At the age of 18, David began his acting training at East 15 Acting School, London. After appearing in a number of short films and theatre productions, David made his feature-film Début in British Zombie Movie The Dead Inside (2012). Following on from this, David was cast as 'Tom' in BAFTA winner Martin Gooch's film Death - It's a Mystery (2011) playing opposite Paul Freeman (Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hot Fuzz), Nick Moran (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) and Leslie Phillips (Carry On). More recently, David has played lead roles in romantic comedy Art Ache (2015) and ghost story Wandering Rose (2015). His theatre Credits include the title role in A Picture of Dorian Gray, Benedick in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Captain Phoebus in The Hunchback of Notre Dame just to name a few.
Dean Kilby
David
Dean is an experienced actor who switches from gritty dramas to comic roles with ease. He earned a lead role in the comedy feature film HEADLOCK SECURITY (currently in post production) and will also appear in 2 more features released later this year - 'Sasquatch and My week with Mrs potter. Currently Dean is busy writing for a sketch show pilot and is working on two more short films that are sure to showcase his talents both in front of and behind the camera.
Jodyanne Fletcher Richardson studied drama at the Method Studio in London. As well as many film and theatre credits Jodyanne has worked extensively on the London improvisation circuit and currently performs regularly with her troupe Improvisers Anonymous. She has two feature films in post-production (Untranslateable and Kidnap Me) and has worked on many shorts and comedy sketches.
Jodyanne Richardson
Dianne
Emma-Jane Hinds
Amanda
Emma grew up in North Nottinghamshire where she started performing at the age of 3 when she started taking ballet classes. At 18 she left ballet school to pursue a career in acting. Currently, Emma is an actress, writer and film maker. In Acceptance: Part 1, Emma plays Amanda who struggles with Anxiety and OCD, Emma said she can relate to Amanda on a deep level after suffering from Anxiety herself: “It felt cathartic to be in the mind set of Amanda and live her life going through emotions that I have felt in the past”.
Joel de la Motte
Robert
Having graduated with a Bachelor of Contemporary Art (majoring in theatre performance, minoring in theatre production and art theory) and a Master of Teaching, Joel moved from Australia to London in 2014 to continue pursuing acting professionally. His experience in this field spans 18 theatre productions - most notably, Love Me Tender by renowned Australian playwrite, Tom Holloway, in which his performance according to the Examiner newspaper was "powerful and faultless". Since arriving in London however, Joel's tentative first steps into it's much more competitive scene have led more so into short film. He particularly enjoyed working on Acceptance: Part One both in front of and behind the camera and has high hopes for it's achievements on the international short film circuit.
Phil Retsas
Andrew
Phil Retsas is a London based professional who has previously worked behind the camera and who’s role in Acceptance marks his on screen debut. Phil found playing the part of Andrew in Acceptance fulfilling and enjoyable, and hopes that it will lead to further work within the industry. His long term aim is to be the next James Bond.
Like Bill Murray, Phil doesn’t have an agent or manager as he refuses to give away 10% of his earnings. As well as on twitter, he can be reached on the phone by calling up any PPI claims or car crash compensation company who all seem to have his mobile phone number despite him being a very safe driver.
Evan Goodwin
Hugh
Evan is a Tasmanian who moved to London to experience the diverse cultures of Europe. He has a passion for music, finding his main talents and interests in singing and songwriting. Prior to Acceptance, Evan has dabbled in ametuer stage drama; particularly musical theatre. Despite lacking experience, he finds acting exciting and enjoyed having a small role in this short film. Outside of fine arts, Evan's interests include science, philosophy, writing, sports and fitness. His main disinterests include eating disgusting things like mayonnaise and writing about himself in third person. He is hoping for a few other small roles to come along in the near future.
Justin Groves
Director/Writer/Producer
Acceptance marks Justin's film directing and writting debut. However, Justin has directed for the stage before - his most successful production being Marble Arch by John Mortimer. Over the past ten years Justin has worked constantly with
Robert Lewis's Voice Theatre Lab in Australia, having collaberated both as a choreographer and performer with the
company. Justin enjoys devised theatre also, working most recently with Synaestheatre Collective on their production entitled Raven - a physical theatre piece, centering on the human desire to escape one's own world when faced with inescapable and seemingly insurmountable opression.
Jemima Adams
Set Designer
Jemima moved to London having studied Interior Design and Event Management after which she worked in lighting design in Melbourne. She now exploits her talent in areas such as set design and interior styling for film, fashion and editorials. She has a passion for DIY and product design, and loved getting her hands dirty while building the set for Acceptance: Part One.
Emma-Jane Hinds
Writter/Assistant Director
Emma has always been creative and imaginative and even from a young age she found herself taking the lead in any group activity. She prides herself by approaching each new project with a very clear vision and means of articulating it with her co-creatives. This was Emma’s first dive into the role of assistant director and she surprised herself with how well she adapted her skill set to achieve what was necessary and how much she enjoyed it. She approached this new creative opportunity with a clear, authoritative nature. However, she also enjoyed listening and working with others to create the best work possible as a team.
Francesca Patry
Producer/Assistant Director
Francesca Patry is a 23 year old, Canadian born filmmaker who obtained her Film Degree at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore. Having worked in front of and behind the camera most of her life, her passion for story telling is driven by all aspects of filmmaking. After having the opportunity to develop her skills in this arena in Canada, Singapore and Italy, she set her eyes on London and continues to meet wonderful people who share her love of the arts.
Michael Spry
Director of Photography
Michael Spry is a British-born filmmaker and photographer working independently on narrative feature-length and short films as well as music videos and commercials. He lives and works predominantly in London but his body of work has extended his presence beyond borders nationally and across the world. He began his career as a freelance photographer, moving to film after managing a photography studio for three years. Despite not studying filmmaking formally, he has crafted a unique and lucrative personal style. The signature of Michael's work lies in his delicate use of lighting, honed on the back of his photography career. This experience has given him a deep understanding and appreciation of lighting and its part in setting a scene.
Iain Thomson
Editor/Colour Grader
Iain has been editing narrative fiction for the past six years. He has a passion for storytelling and character, and has edited numerous award winning shorts. He spent time as the in-house editor in a Soho post house, and has worked with top directors on varied projects over the years. Whilst narrative fiction is his first love, he also enjoys cutting documentaries, music videos and TV commercials.
Chris Procopiou
Sound Designer
Christodoulos Procopiou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus. He was raised in a musical household where he discovered his passion for music early on in his life. It was this passion that evolved into fascination for creating and manipulating sound, eventually leading him to study Music Technology at Lancaster University. Upon returning to Cyprus, he worked as the in-house Sound Designer & Audio Post-Production Engineer at Lumiere Services while co-founding ToneDeaf Studio, exploring the audio world in greater depths. His credits include films, documentaries, theatrical productions, TV and radio commercials and both live and studio recordings. An unquenchable thirst for artistic development has led him to London where he currently freelances as a sound designer and engineer, investigating the sonics of the big city in a quest for greater acoustic awareness.
Solo Deep
Composer
Since early 2000 'Solo Deep' (AKA Nige 'Sergio' Lowe) has been writing original and guitar driven instrumental music. His early days were spent gigging all around the UK in major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds & London with North west five piece 'Karma Destination'. Receiving airplay on the late 'John Peels' radio show and playing slots at festivals such as 'In The City' plus a 'HMV showcase at Manchester venue 'The Life Cafe', Nige has contiuously developed and honed his unique take on original music. Now transcending into the world of Film & Game, Solo Deep composes music to add a cinematic edge to any production.
Amber Harding
Costume Designer
Amber Harding is a London based Costumer. Having graduated with a Degree in Costume Production from Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, Amber has worked in both theatre and film with supervising credits such as The Rizen (2015), Kindred Hollow (2015, by Sorcha Cocoran). Her Costume making credits include The Bellhop (2015, by Neil Kelso), The Four Friedas (2015, designed by Georgia Lowe for the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival) and Titus Andronicus (2014, by The Theory of Everything).