Movie Review | Filmmaker Interview with Olz McCoy

Cut Short is noted as telling a “true story.” What was the process of researching and adapting Jayden’s real-life experiences, and how did you balance the need for factual accuracy with the demands of dramatic storytelling?

As all good stories start, it began with me getting hit in the face! It was during training with my own boxing coach a few years ago that he was telling me about the work he used to do with charities to help kids get off the streets, away from crime and gangs and into gyms instead.

Once I’d recovered from my own training, I started looking more into the charities and people supported by them. I’d just finished making a documentary in Kenya and was looking for my next project, but I knew I wanted to direct a fictional piece rather than another documentary. Upon further research into the charities and stories around them, I realised I could take some of these true life narratives and turn them into a dramatised short film.

Blending both fiction and non-fiction into a film that still had an emotive message and purpose, but also allowed me to add some creative flare to moments. I didn’t feel constrained or worried about being ‘too accurate’ or being ‘too dramatic’ because I wasn’t trying to tell the story of one specific person. I wasn’t making a biopic.

My aim was for this piece to be relatable to a wide audience, and pull on the emotive strings with some dramatic moments so that there is an emotional response to the film which hopefully inspires some conversations, and maybe some action to tackle the problems.

The film’s core conflict revolves around Jayden, a professional boxer, trying to escape a life of crime. What themes were you hoping to explore regarding the difficulty of leaving one environment for another, especially when family—like his younger brother Sammy—is involved?

At its heart, Cut Short is about the struggle to break free from cycles that feel inescapable. With Jayden, I wanted to explore how difficult it is to step away from an environment that has defined your sense of identity, loyalty, and survival.

The relationship between Jayden and his younger brother Sammy deepens this conflict.

Jayden sees in Sammy a reflection of his younger self, someone still vulnerable to the same dangers he’s trying to outrun. But walking away means leaving Sammy behind in a world he knows will consume him. Ultimately, Cut Short explores how hard it is to redefine yourself when the people you love most are still trapped in the version of you you’re trying to leave behind.

As a writer, what were the most complex layers of Jayden’s character to develop? How did you work with actor Jude Carmichael to bring the internal struggle of a protective older brother and disciplined athlete to life?

Jude was an incredible actor to work with and he brought so much to bring Jayden to life. Him and I had a number of discussions around who Jayden is, and how best to play him. Do we go in X direction or Y direction.

We realised at the end of the day Jayden is just someone who accidentally got caught in the middle of a storm. He’s a regular kid who happens to have been born into the wrong circumstances, and he’s having to figure those circumstances out himself and how best to navigate them. Because of this he doesn’t have life figured out, but when you put him in that boxing ring that’s where he shines and that’s where he feels the most confident.

He can control what happens in the ring, yet outside of it he’s struggling to control everything else.

As director, what visual language or cinematic style did you adopt to convey the intense, high-stakes atmosphere of Jayden’s life, both inside the boxing ring and on the streets of London?

I really wanted this short film to have an intense cinematic style, but grounded in reality. And those two things are almost complete opposites of each other so it was a hard challenge !! I knew this story needed to feel grounded and real because stabbings are something that does happen on a daily basis in the UK.

It is real. But I knew for a short film to stand out, to be memorable, there needed to be a uniqueness and vividness to the visuals. I think we landed on a nice balance of cinematic meeting reality. For any sport or gym-related moments, we leaned into using a steadicam most of the time to create dynamic and fluid moves. This movement helped carry the momentum of the film and create the energy needed for a short.

There isn’t a moment to breathe til the very end and that’s the way it’s intended. Always on the edge, always wondering what’s next. And the lighting throughout was always as natural but beautiful as possible.

How did you use the sport of boxing—its discipline, its violence, and its potential for a future—as a metaphor or narrative device against the backdrop of the criminal world?

I’d learnt a lot in my research about how incredible and vital sports can be in helping people. It’s a place to focus energy and passion. I know from my own experience of going to the gym that it is like a daily therapy and ritual for me.

So it was important to make that feel like a safe space for Jayden within the film. This is where he’s confident, comfortable and has control. Which is a contrast to his exterior environment. The discipline and structure of boxing represents an alternative path. A world where aggression can be channelled, rules are respected, and success is earned through control and perseverance.

Yet, for Jayden, that discipline is constantly threatened by the lure of the streets, where violence exists without boundaries or purpose. By juxtaposing these two worlds, Cut Short explores how easily the line between discipline and destruction can blur. There’s something very interesting to explore further (maybe a sequel or feature is needed) about having physical power and dominance in a sport, but then leaving the gym and all of a sudden you’re the weak one.

You had a fantastic cast, including Lauryn Ajufo and Amari James. What were the key qualities you looked for during the casting process, and what was your approach to directing your actors through such emotionally intense and grounded subject matter?

I have to give a shoutout to Lorcan Archibald at Kharmel Cochrane Casting for working with us to secure our incredible cast. Everyone brought an amazing energy and love for the film. We had a rehearsal day before the shoot which let everyone get to know each other, feel comfortable with each other and bounce off ideas.

For the intense emotional scenes, I really didn’t do much in all honesty, I just let Lauryn and Jude do their thing. It sounds like a cop-out but I think it’s a testament to how incredible the cast were, and that sometimes if you just give them space to become the characters and feel the story and emotion themselves, then they’re able to do exactly what’s needed. I remember after one of the final takes of the final emotional scene I just said to Lauryn ‘wow, how do you do that’… so if you want to know the answer, you’re better off asking her!!

You fulfilled the roles of both writer and director. How did you switch between those two creative hats, and did you find yourself rewriting or adjusting the script significantly during the production phase?

The script actually changed quite a lot even during production. I’d initially written a different ending which we realised was going to be difficult to film both logistically and creatively. So I had to re-write the scene to fit within our limited resources and finances.

And I think the version seen in the film is actually a better ending as it accentuates the impact of knife crime in the wider community, not just the immediate victim, and it’s dealt with in a more sensitive and empathetic way. It’s a good example of limitation breeding creativity.

Can you discuss your collaboration with Director of Photography Oliver Barwell and how you both worked together to achieve the film’s intended look and feel?

I’ve worked with Oliver in the past and having a prior relationship with a DP is really helpful. He was so invested in the film and amazing to collaborate with. He understood the look and feel we were after with ‘cinematic realism’ (I wince every time I write that it’s so contradictory).

He was able to recommend the right type of lenses we should use and lighting styles to achieve the look we needed, and devoted so much time and energy to the project.

I came to him with the idea of using the steadicam as a key tool throughout the film, but he was able to execute and expand on that idea better than I’d ever thought.

Cut Short is currently “ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT.” What has been the most surprising or rewarding audience reaction to the film so far, and what are your hopes for its wider distribution?

It hasn’t had a premiere yet, so I can’t answer this – but the premiere is at the North East International Film Festival on Saturday 25th October, Newcastle.

If there is one specific message or feeling you hope audiences take away from Jayden and Sammy’s story, what is it?

Are you already planning a feature-length project or another short, and will you continue to explore similar socio-cultural themes in your next work?

I will definitely continue making social impact-type films. I have a lot of previous work directing documentaries, and this is now my second fictional piece. So I hope that I can continue to blend both docs and shorts into impactful work that leaves people entertained but educated.