*** Season's greetings! Welcome to the world of Malkin... ***

Hello, hello! My name's Gemma, I'm a writer/director, and Malkin is my debut short film. As you may already know, since 2016, I’ve been working on award-winning new stage plays and musicals at some of the UK and Ireland’s most prestigious theatres: National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe and Ireland’s National Theatre, The Abbey, as well as with new writing giants: Arcola Theatre, Dublin Fringe, and Edinburgh Fringe. However, when the pandemic hit, and the theatres closed, the universe nudged me into the tantalising world of Film & TV…

In spring 2022, I wrote and directed my first entirely self-funded TV pilot, The Coven, starring actor-comedian Helen Monks from Channel 4’s Raised By Wolves and the BBC’s Upstart Crow. Now, with The Coven in post-production, I have my eyes set on my next challenge: my short film debut, starring The Ellen Show sensation with nearly half a million TikTok followers, actor-comedian Rachel Harper.

As the festive season approaches, you might be considering treating me to a Christmas card or a glass of mulled wine. Instead, please consider supporting Malkin.

*** What's the Story? ***

“Fuck me. I’m getting married. The same dick until I die”

Malkin is a ten-minute, bittersweet Comedy-Drama.

Slumped on a curb on her hen night, Malkin asks herself the age-old question: to marry or not to marry? Desperate, drunk, and grappling with chronic loneliness, Malkin unexpectedly befriends a man. That man is an inflatable sex doll.

Malkin will continue my work as an artist: I have a zesty passion for playful and provocative stories, favouring female-focused, genre-twisting, comedy-drama. As a woman from a working-class background, the need to provide platforms for under-represented voices is embedded in the fabric of my work.

Malkin is an unapologetic celebration of female pleasure.

*** Meet the Malkin Team ***

Behind every great (inflatable) man is a great woman. And her team. Please welcome the Malkin team!

Gemma Aked-Priestley, Writer/Director

Gemma is a freelance director and writer who spearheads award-winning new writing across stage and screen. Theatre directing credits include Flinch by Emma Hemingford (Pleasance Theatre, UK Tour 2021); My Dad’s Blind by Anna Shiels McNamee (Irish Tour, Abbey Theatre, Dublin Fringe Festival, Winner of Best Production 2018); Passing by Indigo Griffiths (staged readings at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, The Bunker Theatre, Pleasance Theatre, Winner of the Theatre Royal Haymarket’s Masterclass Trust’s Pitch Your Play Award 2018) and Gracie by Joan MacLeod (Finborough Theatre, Off West End Awards Nomination for Best Actress) Assistant directing credits include Mehmet Ergen on Little Miss Sunshine the Musical by James Lapine and William Finn (Arcola Theatre) and Daniel Goldman on Thebes Land by Sergio Blanco (Arcola Theatre, Winner Best Production Off West End Awards 2016).

Rachel Harper, Actor

Rachel is a Welsh writer, actor, and comedian. Rachel has written original comedy for BBC Wales and has several comedy dramas commissioned to pilot with various independents, for which she is attached as an actor too. Rachel has written radio, several episodes of BBC One drama series Casualty and is currently developing her debut feature backed by Ffilm Cymru. She is also a vocal impressionist, having performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020. Rachel has a thriving Tik-Tok following of nearly half a million. Find Rachel on Instagram and Tik-Tok: @thatrachelharper.

Masha Egieva, Producer

Masha Egieva is a London-based filmmaker whose first short film as writer-director, All Souls’ Day (2020), was selected for several festivals, including Rome, Tokyo Short Film festivals, and Venice Shorts (USA). Most recently, she produced a short film, Olive (2023), exploring older female desire and sexuality. Masha is interested in producing films that spotlight under-represented experiences and is thrilled to be part of the Malkin team, a humorous and poignant contemplation of a bride-to-be's existential crisis. Masha is a recent graduate from a Master’s programme in Film Aesthetics at the University of Oxford.

Kiran Bengaluru Manjunath, Director of Photography

Kiran is a London-based filmmaker and a recent graduate from London Film Academy. He has previously collaborated with Gemma Aked-Priestley on her debut pilot, The Coven, as a Director of Photography. Comedy-drama is his favourite genre to work with; thus, the dark and hilariously written Malkin is a logical choice for Kiran’s career in cinematography.

Natalie Johnson, Art Director

Natalie trained in theatre and performance design at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and has been primarily working in the theatre industry for 5 years. The Coven, a TV pilot, written and directed by Gemma Aked-Priestley, was Natalie's second credit in TV and Film, following her role as Production Designer on West One Entertainment's short film Fallen Dream (2019). She is excited to be working with Gemma again, and to be branching out into the Film and TV world again. Nathalie's theatre credits as Designer include: Pomona (The Carne Studio), SuperHuman (New Diorama Theatre), Divine (The Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatre), Bacon (Finborough Theatre), Very Special Guest Star (Omnibus Theatre), Flinch (UK Tour), Dumbledore Is So Gay (The Pleasance), Catching Comets (The Pleasance), and The Rage of Narcissus (The Pleasance).

*** Hard Facts... ***

Principal photography for our short will take place in January 2023.

We will be shooting over the weekend of 7th/8th January 2023, which protects our budget from the weekday equipment hire rates. We are also lucky to work with a crew that, sharing our faith in the timeliness and poignancy of this project, agreed to work on an expenses-only basis. We secured free accommodation for most of the crew and are working on a deal with an incredible kit rental house.

As resourceful as we are, we still need your support to raise £2,000.

No amount is too small (every pound adds up!), and what you donate towards our film will cover the following:

Rented camera, lighting and sound equipment - £1,500

Travel and catering expenses - £300

Insurance for the entire shoot - £200

Donate any amount to support Malkin and receive a copy of the script, signed by 'The Ellen Show' sensation Rachel Harper and writer-director Gemma Aked-Priestley!

We understand that times are tough and the cost of living crisis is affecting us all; there are many ways in which you can support us other than donating! Just sharing our campaign on your social media could help us. As early-career freelance filmmakers, largely self-funding our creative work, spreading the word would mean the world.

For those of you unfamiliar with the intricacies of the film industry, receiving financial support from public funding bodies is practically impossible until you can prove your merit as a filmmaker (we're aware of the horrible irony!) This means that funding options for first-time filmmakers are incredibly limited. Your financial backing will go a long way to supporting us as we tackle this crucial creative milestone.

With humour and heart, Malkin explodes open debate on chronic lonelines, toxic aspiration and female pleasure. Inspired by my real-life experiences, Malkin means the world to me, and your support would be utterly cherished.

Lots of love and wishing you a Merry Malkiny Christmas!

The Malkin Team:

Gemma Aked-Priestley, Writer-Director

Rachel Harper, Actor

Masha Egieva, Producer

Kiran Bengaluru Manjunath, Director of Photography

Natalie Johnson, Art Director

*Malkin: (now archaic, regional) A stereotypical name for a lower-class or uncultured woman; a kitchen maid; a slattern, wench, drab, slut.