The Story
Layton, a man tethered not only by an electronic monitoring tag but by his own self-imposed walls, is in the midst of a sweltering British heatwave. His days are marked by routine and a sense of isolation that he has come to accept as normal.
But when Nitesh, a charismatic and open-hearted man, enters the picture, Layton is drawn into a spontaneous connection that challenges everything he’s come to believe about himself and his past. Eager yet hesitant, he plans a home-cooked dinner for their first meeting, only to find the simple task of preparing for a date far more complex than he imagined.
As Layton and Nitesh’s evening unfolds, the tension between desire and fear grows. Layton struggles to balance his desire for closeness with the burden of his unresolved past - a past that may be more present than he’d like to admit. Over the course of their evening together, he begins to question not only what it means to be free, but also whether he has the strength to break through the emotional and physical barriers that confine him.
In Anklet, a night that starts with promise becomes a journey of self-discovery, where Layton must confront hard truths and accept that true liberation might come at an unexpected cost.
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Hello!
Hi, I’m Luke Oliveira-Davies, writer/director of Anklet.
This film tells an important story about confronting the invisible chains of trauma and the courage required to seek genuine connection. With your support, we’ll bring Layton’s journey to life, exploring intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ relationships - a subject rarely depicted on screen.
Your contribution goes beyond simply funding a film; it helps amplify the voices of queer survivors, challenge harmful stereotypes, and initiate vital conversations. If you remember just one thing from this, let it be this - stories like Anklet need to be told, and you have the power to help make that happen.
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Make a Difference & Get Involved
Every penny goes directly into making Anklet the best it can be. Here’s how your support helps:
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Production Design – Bringing Layton’s stifling, heatwave-hit home to life, led by Sara Carpentieri.
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Equipment & Locations – Capturing the tension of one night in stunning detail through Esther Vardy’s lens.
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Post-Production – Editing and colour grading by Ross Martin to pull you into Layton’s world.
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Festival Submissions – Getting this story seen by audiences worldwide!
If we don’t hit our full goal? Every penny still goes toward filming essentials. We’ll scale creatively, but the heart of the story remains.
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The Impact
Why This Matters:
Our Team’s Promise:
We’re not newcomers. Ben Jackson (Producer) has shepherded award-winning projects. Glenn Gaunt (Casting Director) casts authentically for resonant performances. Together, we’ve built a crew passionate about nuanced queer narratives.
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Meet the Team (so far...)
Luke Oliveira-Davies is an award-winning writer/director/producer, founder of Polari, and co-founder of the Queer Filmmakers Network CIC. His debut short, Tomorrow, earned a Royal Television Society Futures Award nomination (2020), while his documentary Stranger in My Family won BBC Three’s Northern Docs Pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest (2022), premiering to critical acclaim in September 2023. His shorts, including the acclaimed What Would Julie Do?, On Rest & Movement, and BFI-funded Before I Do, premiered at festivals worldwide. Supported by BAFTA, Creative UK, and the Film & TV Charity, Luke continues to champion queer and underrepresented voices. He was named an INvolve x YouTube Outstanding Role Model (2024).
Ben Jackson is a producer and co-founder of One6th, an award-winning stop-motion studio based in Manchester. His work spans film, commercial, and arts sectors, with a focus on bold, emotionally-driven storytelling. His previous short Squib won a Gold Kinsale Shark Award and a Jury’s Citation at the Oscar-qualifying Thomas Edison Film Festival. His latest film, Two Black Boys in Paradise—a tender stop-motion short supported by the BFI and narrated by Jordan Stephens—recently premiered at Anima Festival in Brussels, with its UK premiere at BFI Flare. The film already has multiple BAFTA- and Oscar-qualifying festival selections.
Esther Vardy is an Emmy-nominated cinematographer with a diverse portfolio spanning Documentaries, Branding, Music videos and Drama. She DOP’d the BAFTA nominated drama Katy. Esther’s career also includes working as 2nd Unit DOP on high-profile productions such as BBC’s Boat Story, Sky’s The Full Monty, feature film The Salt Path, and Netflix’s Free Rein, among others. She has also served as DOP on series like Welcome to Wrexham, All or Nothing, and The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca. Additionally, Esther has camera operated on notable shows including Smoggie Queens, Inside No. 9, Am I Being Unreasonable?, The Power of Parker, becoming a fully accredited member of the ACO, showcasing her versatility and expertise across genres.
Ross Martin is a creative and versatile editor and colourist; with a wide range of experience across film, television and advertising. Based in Manchester but originally from Northern Ireland, Ross has edited shorts supported by BFI Network, Film4 and Sky Arts, and has had selections for BAFTA, BIFA and OSCAR qualifying festivals. Other films he has edited have been screened as part of Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Doc'n Roll Film Festival, London Film Festival's Shorts Programme and have featured in Shooting People's Film of the Month competition. Ross’ credits also extend to feature length action/horror, drama and documentary; available on prominent streaming platforms, as well as several long form RTS nominated and winning TV shows. Throughout his career he has also worked with international brands from Adidas to Volvo, and major UK broadcasters such as BBC and ITV. Ross' passion however is storytelling through comedy, and fervently believes sincerity and humour with heart, are the keys to revealing underserved and compelling narratives.
Sara Carpentieri is a multi faceted creative and comes on board into the role of Art Director for Anklet.
Hailing from a background in the fashion and TV sphere she understands what a carefully curated space can do to help present and unmask a characters identify, from creative conception to screen.
Notable work such as Sky Drama’s ‘The Rising’ assisting prolific costume design Grace Snells, Studio POWs ‘Midas Man’ and working alongside talent such as Felix Mufti (Sex Education) show the style and adaptability of her on screen work.
With over a decade in the entertainment industry, Glenn left school at the age of 15 to work in a talent agency representing child actors whilst in his spare time casting a variety of West End charity concerts - this is where the casting bug began. He then went on to work with Amanda Tabak CDG at Candid Casting where he worked on large commercial campaigns for DFS, Sony, Trebor to name a few.
Glenn then went on to work in producing, but would still get calls to cast independent projects and so he set up his own casting office specialising in commercials, and independent film.
Our most recent work includes a list of commercials as well as a variety of short films including 'You Like That' which premiered at the BFI, and 'Miss Temperance' which was broadcast on Channel 4. Our film work has gone on to have success at major festivals globally.
Glenn is an Associate Member of the Casting Directors Association (CDA).
Risks & Challenges
1. Raising Awareness and Tackling Sensitivity
Given the sensitive and rarely discussed nature of domestic violence within LGBTQ+ relationships, there’s a risk that audiences might feel discomfort or hesitation engaging with this topic. To mitigate this, we’re committed to handling the narrative with care, consulting with charities and advocacy groups, and clearly communicating our message to emphasise authenticity and empathy.
2. Budget and Creative Scaling
If the crowdfunding target isn’t fully met, our team faces the challenge of scaling the production creatively while still preserving the core integrity and impact of the story. Our experienced producers and crew are prepared to prioritise essential elements to ensure Layton’s journey is told powerfully, regardless of financial constraints.
3. Festival and Distribution Uncertainty
Although the goal is to impact audiences across the globe through festival submissions, acceptance into competitive festivals is never guaranteed. To address this, we’ve planned strategically, identifying multiple festival tiers, exploring alternative distribution channels, and leveraging our team’s established industry networks to ensure Anklet reaches and resonates with as many people as possible.
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Anklet isn’t just a film, it’s a mirror held up to the quiet struggles so many endure.
With your help, we’ll turn that mirror into a window: for empathy, understanding, and change. Let’s make sure Layton’s story isn’t just seen, but felt.
Contribute today. Share widely. Be part of something urgent.
