Honor Swinton Byrne (“The Souvenir,” “A Very Royal Scandal”) and Rory Fleck-Byrne (“In Camera,” “This is Going to Hurt”) have been tapped to lead the cast of “Do Mosquitos Bite in Winter?,” the latest short film from the U.K.’s National Film & Television School.
The family drama, which explores separation through the eyes of a nine-year-old protagonist named Ruby, also stars rising talent Lily-Beau Leach, whose performance in “Hoard” caught director Anne-Sofie Lindgaard’s attention long before casting began.
Written and directed by Lindgaard, the project delves into “the fragility of a family through a child’s imagination and sense of the world.”
“Casting with Simon [Higgins] was crucial to the film; our collaboration was key in establishing the right dynamic of the small family at the heart of the story, allowing me to work with a cast I could really explore with in an authentic, meaningful way,” Lindgaard said.
“We were fortunate to cast Lily-Beau Leach as our young lead, whose performance in ‘Hoard’ I had admired long before. It felt like an even greater stroke of luck to bring Honor and Rory on board – two incredibly talented actors I’ve long respected,” Lindgaard added. “The script comes from a deeply personal place, and both of them approached it with such nuance and sensitivity. I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this remarkable cast breathe life into this story.”
The project, produced by Mauro Mate and Shreya Desai, is currently in post-production.
The Danish director’s previous short “Icelandic Poppies” was shortlisted for the Robert Award (Denmark’s equivalent to the BAFTAs/Oscars) and won best international short at both the Manchester Film Festival and British Short Film Festival.
“Do Mosquitos Bite in Winter?” marks Lindgaard’s third short while studying at London’s renowned NFTS. The other two shorts Lindgaard has done at NFTS are “Superbolt,” starring Imogen King, which is premiering at Manchester Film Festival next month; and “Backseat,” currently in post production, also looking to premiere later this year, starring Lewin Lloyd (“His Dark Materials”) and Victoria Ekanoye (“Sense & Sensibility,” “Coronation Street”).
