LAYKE ANDERSON

‘Beautifully composed with unfussy style, Layke Anderson creates an ethereal, dream-like world within Dylan’s four walls and the small room is transformed into a seemingly limitless space, with every detail of its natural beauty examined and investigated with a steady and unhurried hand. It is the story of a mother patiently seeking to recall and relive every detail of the space and the life it held, told with beautiful detail. Joanna Scanlan gives a heartbreaking and skillfully understated performance, liberated by the time granted to the mother in a time of intimate isolation.’ - British Independent Film Awards
‘Uncomfortably realistic... poignantly honest.’ - Art Wednesday
‘An extraordinary story of grief transformed into an active form of love and remembrance, Dylan’s Room sees a British mother lingering in her recently deceased son’s bedroom in a single-location symphony.’
- Atlantic Film Festival
'Directed in a heartfelt manner, and beautifully filmed with exquisite acting.' - Hard Magazine
‘This film is hugely complex in its narrative. It’s a gripping story about loss and grief, set in a bedroom. The cinematography captures the essence of the person’s bedroom, with long shots on objects, and using this as a narrative devise, we come to understand the emotional elements of the film. It’s a beautiful piece of work.’
- Aesthetica Short Film Festival
'There isn’t a false note here, particularly in the performances. The film is a two-hander, with Joanna Scanlan stunning, in the kind of part she gets all too rarely.' - Watch This Space
'A poignant meditation on a mother’s grief with a stellar performance from Joanna Scanlan.' - Nouse.co.uk
‘Tender drama about a mother dealing with the loss of her son which, despite such a sad topic manages to overflow with warmth.
This genuine moment between a mother and son moved the jury. Nothing felt forced in this film. There was no big drama or revelation, just two people who were going to miss each other. The production design was fantastic with Dylan’s actual room giving us more and more as the film played out.’ - Leeds International Film Festival
' A great chamber piece, director Layke Anderson’s use of wide angles and judicious close ups is extremely effective. In addition, both Scanlan and Ricky Nixon are incredibly engaging – Scanlan slipping into the role with apparent effortlessness. A poignant and understated short, this film is all the more remarkable given the running time of 20 minutes. Despite being one of the least obvious in terms of its drama and characters, it remained one of the most engaging for the slightly longer running time.’
- Take One
‘Audaciously explores the complexity of parental feelings with the ability to elegantly blend objective and subjective reality.’
- Tirana International Film Festival
Dylan's Room (2012)
In her son's deserted bedroom, a grieving mother rummages through drawers, makes discoveries and confronts the past.
Running Time: 20 mins
Format: HD
Cast: Joanna Scanlan, Ricky Nixon
Writer, Director: Layke Anderson
Editor: Layke Anderson, Alejandro Sesma
Cinematographer: Jean-Paul Berthoin
Production Design: Layke Anderson
Sound Recording: Jeremy Lishman
Music: David Bickley, Tom Green, Desert of Hiatus
Producers: Layke Anderson, Jean-Paul Berthoin, Maggie Russell
Distributor: Shorts International
Screenings
British Independent Film Awards - Nominated for Best British Short
World Premiere - Newport Beach Film Festival (US) - Nominated for Best International Short
Festival de Cannes (France) - Court Métrage
Golden Lion Film Festival (Swaziland) - Official Selection
Edinburgh International Short Film Festival (UK) - Official Selection
In the Palace International Short Film Festival (Bulgaria) - Official Selection
Isle of Wight Film Festival (UK) - Winner of Best Drama
San Francisco International Festival of Short Films (US) - Official Selection
Cambridge Film Festival (UK) - Audience Award Winner for Best Short Film
Salento International Film Festival (Italy) - Official Selection
Atlantic Film Festival (Canada) - Official Selection
Raindance Film Festival (UK) - Official Selection
Shnit International Short Film Festival (Switzerland, Argentina, Germany, Singapore, South Africa, Austria, Costa Rica, Egypt, Nigeria, USA) - Official Selection
Festival International du Court Métrage de Lille (France) - Official Selection
Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (UK) - Highly Commended for Best Drama
Aesthetica Short Film Festival (UK) - Winner of Best Drama
Cornwall Film Festival (UK) - Official Selection
Leeds International Film Festival (UK) - Special Mention
The Loft Film Fest (US) - Official Selection
Underwire Film Festival (UK) - XX Award Nominee
Tirana International Film Festival (Albania) - Media Award Winner
London Short Film Festival (UK) - Nominated: Best Female Character
Glasgow Short Film Festival (UK) - Nominated: Bill Douglas Award
Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen (Netherlands) - Official Selection
Insight Film Festival (UK) - Official Selection
Filmkunstfest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany) - Official Selection
International Film Festival Emden Norderney (Germany) - Nominated for Youth Award
Palm Springs International Short Film Festival (US) - Nominated for Best International Short
Open Cinema International Short and Animation Film Festival (Russia)
Van D'Or Independent Film Awards (UK) - Winner of Best Drama
Badalona Filmets International Short Film Festival (Spain) - Official Selection
Northern Wave International Film Festival (Iceland) - Official Selection
The film screened on Virgin Atlantic airlines (February - April 2016) and Shorts TV (August 2017).
It is available to purchase on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Youtube, and IndieFlix.



