Introduction
Indignitas is a dystopian sci-fi drama that asks an uncomfortable question: what would you sacrifice for the people you love? It follows a father who arrives at a government “Freedom Clinic,” believing it holds the answer to his children’s future. The true cost of that choice only reveals itself as the story unfolds. Indignitas began life as the winning script of Enter.Stage.Write, the biggest screenwriting competition in the UK, and it’s the first piece of IP the competition has taken all the way from page to screen.
Inspiration
The story really starts at the Birmingham Hippodrome, at the launch of Enter.Stage.Write. Founded by Natalie Edward-Yesufu, the competition takes new work from page to stage to screen, backed by commissioners and industry heavyweights from Channel 4 and the BBC. The 2020 show took place just three days before lockdown; it very nearly didn’t happen at all. Director Darcia Martin sat on the judging panel that year alongside broadcast heavyweights, and Jonathan Skinner’s script stood out immediately, even though it started life as a comedy short play rather than the dystopian drama it became.
Darcia has always wanted to make work that sparks a conversation, and this script does exactly that. It draws viewers in with what looks like a father’s search to secure his children’s future, then pulls the ground away with a twist that won’t be given away here. It’s proof of what the competition can do when the right people back it.
The Process
Indignitas was produced by Transition Stage Company alongside Opus Media/Movere Opus, directed by Darcia Martin, and financed through crowdfunding and Natalie Edward-Yesufu’s own network. That’s no small challenge for a short film with this level of ambition. Getting Jonathan’s script from page to screen meant staying close to his original vision throughout, and it mattered that the cast and crew stayed rooted in the Midlands where the story began. Bethany Antonia, a Birmingham actor also known for House of the Dragon, plays Dr. Mort opposite Mark Addy’s Philip Foster. Producer Paul Furlong, an RTS Award-winning producer/director with credits including Million Pound Menu and Obsession, came on board through Darcia. Felix Buxton of Basement Jaxx composed the score, giving the film its unsettling, atmospheric edge. From the Hippodrome stage to the screen, it’s a Midlands production through and through, made by Midlands people for a story that started in the Midlands.
What It Means to Be a Finalist
Being selected at Worcester International Film Festival means a huge amount to the team behind Indignitas, particularly as a BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festival. It also feels fitting. The festival exists to put the Midlands on the film map, and Indignitas is a Midlands story through and through: born at the Birmingham Hippodrome and made with a Midlands cast. Bringing it to a fellow Midlands festival feels like coming home. Indignitas has already had a strong festival run, and having it recognised here is a real validation of the risk the team took in telling this story the way they did.
Where to Watch / Follow
The official trailer for Indignitas is available on YouTube now. Follow the film’s ongoing festival journey, plus updates on future projects from Transition Stage Company and Enter.Stage.Write, on Instagram @transitionstagecompany_ or at transitionstagecompany.com.
You can also find the official trailer for Indignitas here:
25-second cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKsqhb6VQEs
30-second cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQVW9vHLxQg
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