BAFTA-Qualified STILL LIFE: A Personal Story of Stillbirth & Loss
Kate Radcliffe and Sophie King’s short film stars Ophelia Lovibond and Jacob Anderson in a story inspired by lived experience
STILL LIFE, the short film written and produced by Kate Radcliffe and directed by Sophie King, has officially BAFTA-Qualified, marking the film’s eligibility for consideration in the upcoming BAFTA Awards. Inspired by true events, the film follows a couple navigating life after stillbirth and the challenges of rebuilding their lives following the loss of a child.
STILL LIFE centres on Jess and Max as they deal with the emotional and practical realities of baby loss. The film explores bereavement, PTSD, unexpected forms of parenthood and the experience of living with grief, while also looking at the ways humour and connection can exist alongside loss.
Radcliffe wrote and produced the film, drawing on her own experience following the loss of her son, Dexter. As a comedy writer and producer, her television credits include The Graham Norton Show, The Great British Bake Off: Extra Slice, The Russell Howard Hour, Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains, and A League of Their Own. STILL LIFE marks a move into scripted storytelling rooted in her personal experience.
Director Sophie King has worked across film and television, with her previous work screening at BAFTA and Academy Award-qualifying festivals internationally. Her credits include Channel 4’s Disability Benefits, winner of Best Newform Drama Series at the C21 International Drama Awards, ITV’s Buffering, and the short film Does Your Condom Make You Fat?. A member of BAFTA Connect, King was named the 2023 Edinburgh TV Festival New Voices Scripted Director winner and is currently part of the Directors UK Inspire programme.
Sarah Roy, founder of 19th Street Productions, produced the film. Her credits across film and theatre include the feature Zebra Girl, David Ireland’s Most Favoured at the Soho Theatre, and the Tony Award-winning musical A Strange Loop, on which she was Associate Producer. Roy joins Radcliffe and King as part of the film’s predominantly female creative team.
The film stars Ophelia Lovibond (Minx, Trying, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocketman) and Jacob Anderson (Interview With the Vampire, Game of Thrones, The Sandman), alongside Felicity Montagu (I’m Alan Partridge, Bridget Jones’s Diary), Jordan Alexandra (Bridgerton, The Winter King, Boiling Point), Alex Bhat (Marie Antoinette, Gentleman Jack), and Phoebe Pryce (The Gold, The Lost King).
STILL LIFE premiered at the HollyShorts Film Festival and will next screen at the Aesthetica Film Festival. With its BAFTA-Qualifying status, STILL LIFE now enters the awards cycle with a film that brings together established screen talent and a creative team drawing directly on lived experience. Its BAFTA qualification marks the latest step for the short as it moves into consideration for the awards season.