Best Friends
A group of women compete to be the better friend.









AWARDS
WINNER
Lit Laugh International Film Festival 2020
(Best Micro Short Comedy)
Houston Comedy Film Festival 2020
(Best Micro Comedy)
Atlanta Female Comedy Film Festival 2021
(Best International Comedy)
London Indie Short Film Festival 2021 (Best Narrative UK Film)
Jane Austen International Film Festival 2021 (Best Editing)
Venice Shorts Film Festival 2021 (Best Micro Comedy)
UK Monthly Film Festival 2022
Dallas Independent Film Festival 2022
OFFICIALLY SELECTED
Austin Film Festival 2020
Portland Film Festival 2020
New York City Comedy Short Film Festival 2020
Paris Short Film Festival 2020
Dublin International Short Film and Music Festival 2020
Georgia Shorts Film Festival 2020
Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival 2020
Women's Comedy Film Festival Chicago 2021
Summer in the South International Film Festival 2021
Romford Film Festival 2022
St Albans Film Festival 2022
SHORT-LISTED
Funny Women Award 2020
SPECIAL-MENTION
London-Worldwide Comedy Short Film-Festival
Production Team

Megan Smith
Writer & Producer
Megan is an award winning writer and producer for theatre and film. She is also the co-founder of Double Yellow Productions.
This was Megan's first break out comedy film.

Craig Talbot
Director
Craig Talbot is an actor director who studied at the Guildhall School of music and Drama on the BA acting course. He has produced and directed various films across different genres, from Shakespearen tragedy to modern day comedies.
Craig recently finished writing, producing and directing Milonga.

Will Austin
DOP
Will is an actor and London-based film maker and was a part of the award winning team for 'Best Friends'.
Acting credits include: BBC's Casualty, Doctor Who, The Coronor, Doctors, The Windsors, Babylon, 24:Live Another Day, Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation.

Producer
Lily co-founded Double Yellow back in 2017.
Lily is an actor and movement director and recently wrote and produced her own film A.R.P.U.

Director's Statement
Craig Talbot
It was a real pleasure to direct this film, which was written by my good friend Megan Smith. When I read the script, I instantly recognised the female competitiveness and knew this was a universal theme that all audiences would be able to connect to in their everyday lives.
I wanted to take the viewer slowly through the stages of the competition and for them to feel the awkwardness of the situation building, but also laugh at the ridiculousness of how the characters are responding to each other.
One of the difficulties of making this film was trying to shoot the five women and constantly changing the angels without disorientating the audience, but my editor and DP Will Austin was really great at resolving these issues for me. So filming on the day was very smooth and we finished ahead of schedule!
Working with these actors was a wonderful experience. I wanted to challenge them to keep thinking throughout the scene and play the different beats clearly, and they all embraced my directing approach and exceeded my expectations; Adding their own personal funny touches to the scene.
Working with the crew was similar. They embraced the framework of what I wanted to capture, whilst adding their own genius creative touches.
The experience working on this film has given me a real confidence to continue working on more diverse subject matters and trust that with a great cast and Crew I will be able to get the audience to connect to the film as well as I do.
Cast
Ella Ainsworth
Ella Ainsworth is an actress, known for Doc Martin (2004), School of Comedy (2009) and Hustle (2004).
Megan Smith
Megan is an actor, award-winning writer and co-founder of Double Yellow Productions.
Film Credits Include: I Called You (Jane Moriarty), Surgeons (Craig Talbot) & Best Friends (Craig Talbot). Theatre credits include: Where I Call Home ( Foreign Affairs), LadyBirds (Double Yellow), Pinocchio (Strike a Light), The Unburied (Rose Lipman Building).
Anna Brook Mitchell
Anna Brook-Mitchell is an actress and writer, known for Super Blood (2021), Reflected (2010) and DanTDM Presents The Contest (2019).
Kirsty is an experienced actor and theatre-maker who has previously performed at The Bunker Theatre, Tristan Bates Theatre and Landor Space. Her play The Existence Formula toured to NYC Fringe Festival in 2018.
Kirsty was awarded best actress in a comedy sketch at NYC Comedy Shorts festival in 2020 for her role in award-winning short film Best Friends and in January this year worked with Blink Theatre on Response 5: Escape.
Lily Howkins
Lily's screen work includes Tina in Netflix's 'The Stranger', Mya in 'EastEnders', the role of Cinderella for an ITV special and Lauren in the award winning short film 'House Hunting'. On stage she has performed in 'Our American Cousin' (The Finborough Theatre), 'The Railway Children' with Eastern Angles and 'Every Man In His Humour' (The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse for The Globe's Read Not Dead season).