Letitia Wright‘s directorial debut “Highway to the Moon” will have its world premiere on May 31 at the South London Film Festival.
The short film is written, directed and produced by Wright. Kenyah Sandy and Lamar Waves star in the coming-of-age fantasy drama, which follows the experiences of young Black men whose lives have been abruptly snatched away. Sandy is Micah, a young man who finds himself in the Inbetween, a mysterious realm between life and death, after his life is suddenly cut short. As he journeys through this liminal space, guided by a group of other young men, they confront what it means to be a Black boy in today’s society, weaving together a narrative of resilience and self-discovery, in order to ultimately empower each other to embrace empathy, mutual compassion and self-worth.
Wright was inspired to create “Highway to the Moon” in response to the ongoing knife crime crisis in London, and to spark important conversation around dissecting its root causes. She calls the short film a “love letter to young Black men all over the world.”
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In a statement, Wright said, “‘Highway to the Moon’ was born from both my personal experience and personal loss. The film is my way of exploring joy, love, and unity, and I want to show these boys in a way that is not connected to a stereotype, but instead explores their emotions, complexities, hopes, dreams, disappointments and fears, and allows them to see themselves as worthy, with lives that have meaning.”
She continued, “I felt it was crucial to premiere the film at a festival that supports emerging filmmakers in our community. The South London Film Festival’s target audience aligns with the young people I aimed to reach with this film, and I hope it resonates with them. Through this journey of creating my debut film, I’ve grown even more as an artist and want to continue discovering and telling powerful stories that inspire me, and that connect with an audience.”
The short film was commissioned through WeTransfer’s arts platform, WePresent.
Holly Fraser, VP of content at WeTransfer, said, “Being able to commission important stories and work
with artists that are driven to use creativity as a tool for progress has always been the cornerstone of
WePresent’s mission as a platform. Letitia exemplifies this and through the production of Highway to the
Moon we’ve seen the love, care and dedication that she has poured into the film at every turn. We’re
excited to see the journey that ‘Highway to the Moon’ now goes on, and we hope that it starts much
needed conversations amongst its audiences moving forward.”
Fraser is also an executive producer on “Highway to the Moon,” along with Alex Mattinson and Damian Bradfield at WeTransfer. The short film’s impact campaign is supported by Common Pictures and run by Together Films.
Credit: Variety
