SUNSHINE PERIPHERY is a short film project that will come to life in California and Nevada this fall. We are a group of young filmmakers from Glasgow, London, Berlin and Los Angeles and we are all very passionate about this project and film in general. With your help, this surrealist Neo-noir short film will be a journey of creativity, self-discovery and learning for us as much as for Jonny the protagonist of our story.
THE STORY
Jonny Glass wakes in the heat of the desert. The world that surrounds him is strange and utterly unpredictable. Upon encountering this absurdest reality, Jonny meets somewhat familiar strangers, who guide him on an involuntary quest to find meaning, truth and answers to some of life’s most elusive questions.
During this journey of self discovery, Jonny is exposed to his weaknesses and reminded of his passions in a chaotic excursion of Los Angeles. Beyond the vast deserts, never ending roads and idyllic beaches Jonny must try and evaluate his situation and come to terms with why exactly he is going through this experience.
OUR VISION
"Never has my passion for surrealism ever felt more appropriate than it does today. We live in a world that is unsustainable, refusing to acknowledge that our outlook and responsibility for the planet in which we inhabit needs to dramatically change. Reality has become nothing less than surreal. This unforgiving climate situation raised a primal question within me as a filmmaker - what does it take for us to change? This is what lead me to write Sunshine Periphery, a film about wrestling with your subconscious in an attempt to become a better person. A wild surrealistic fever dream about coming to terms with change, maturity and responsibility."
– Eric J. Liddle (Director)
Our journey began when Eric first told Julian, our talented Director of Photography, about his idea and his vision for SUNSHINE PERIPHERY. Julian, who lives in Berlin but went to film school with Eric in Glasgow always shared his enthusiasm for surrealist cinema and immediately wanted to get involved.
For both of them it was clear from the beginning that the project was best shot in California and Nevada, in and around Los Angeles. What sounded like a very ambitious plan first, quickly became reality and they dug up a few amazing locations as made for the realization of SUNSHINE PERIPHERY. Lonely gas stations, American diners and vast deserts will serve as backdrops for this film.
With their enthusiasm, they quickly assembled a young, diverse and motivated team of filmmakers from Glasgow, London, Berlin and Munich, who are now all working with great enthusiasm on this project.
THE TEAM
WRITER AND DIRECTOR – Eric J. Liddle
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"I am a 22 year old Scottish filmmaker with a specific interest in surrealism. My master's graduate film Mister Swolo combined surrealism with Scottish comedy and earned its place in over 15 film festivals worldwide, winning 2 awards. The next step in my filmmaking journey is SUNSHINE PERIPHERY and I am looking to continue to realise my surrealist style, and hopefully win some more awards along the way."
CINEMATOGRAPHER – Julian Schmidt
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"I'm a Berlin-based cinematographer and met Eric during our master's course at film school in Glasgow. Pretty fast I realised that he is nothing less than an encyclopedia for surrealist cinema and film noir. We do have a similar taste in films so collaborating, discussing and sharing our visions on filmmaking feels just very natural. SUNSHINE PERIPHERY thematises a state of limbo in life in which you don’t know how you got there nor where to go but you have to take a decision to progress. There are dozens of great examples that come to my mind when I think of the cinematography for our project but Robby Müllers’ work in American Friend, Down by Law and Paris, Texas is probably the one with the greatest impact on my vision."
PRODUCER – Valentina Huber
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"In my "normal" everyday life I'm working at a film production company based in Munich focusing on Cinema and TV films and as a freelance script editor. When Julian, whom I've known for many years, asked me if I could produce his new short film, I was immediately hooked. Talking to him and Eric and hearing about their vision for SUNSHINE PERIPHERY was inspiring. It is in many ways different from the projects I've worked on so far, incredibly exciting and a wonderful challenge. I am looking forward to every further step of our journey, and I am more than convinced that we will end up with a fantastic surrealist short film to be proud of."
Luckily there are many more talented young people working on SUNSHINE PERIPHERY:![]()
... and we are looking forward to our team growing further once production in the USA starts in October.
CAST
Apart from our team, we've also already managed to get two amazing actors for two of our three leading characters on board:
JONNY GLASS, a middle-aged city slacker lacking a sense of motivation, is stubborn and set in his ways. He lacks a belief that his life can significantly improve.
played by Gabriel Tauber
"After gaining some experience on set in various departments I decided to pursue my passion and become an actor. Currently, I study at the HfS Ernst Busch drama school in Berlin. I am looking forward to the shoot as the role is very challenging and the whole project feels like a perfect fit for me. Jonny is experiencing very common challenges. As he his suddenly confronting long forgotten desires he has to deal with change and go through a wrestle with himself."
GRIM is a mythical and unpredictable man, he is the type that you have to see with your own eyes to truly believe. His intentions are mysterious and so too is his rebellious demeanour…
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played by Matthew Greenaway
"Being able to help edit Eric’s debut Mister Swolo was a huge honor for me. Who would have known that from a budding bromance, I now have the opportunity to star in his sophomore film. As a character, Grim is so intriguing, and I can’t wait to explore his eccentric darkness."
KIN is a trusting, kind being in an unfamiliar world, she is a relaxing presence, but her reassurance and wisdom can at times be hypnotising.
The role of KIN will be casted within the next weeks.