“Pie competitions and stifled dreams; we follow the journey of one woman who is pushed to the brink.”

CRUST is a stop-motion animated short film, following the journey of an elderly woman taking part in a baking competition. The film focuses on the interplay between the old woman ‘Mabel’ and her husband ‘Joe’.

Film-making in Isabella’s own words

‘The initial idea for the film came from a 10 x 10 project (10 films in 10 days) last year, during which I made a short one-minute film based on an old woman murdering her husband and burying him under the floorboards. The inspiration for my graduate film comes from my love of old horror films and dark comedy. Initially, I wanted to create a character who was creepy from the outset but after some thought crafted one who was warm and friendly. Making the film was undeniably difficult, but seeing the result and being able to submit to film festivals has been the most rewarding feeling. Commenting on my own experience as a female director, it is disheartening to see that statistically there is still a large gap between men and women. It is crucial women become directors so they can accurately embody female perspectives and roles within film.’

Director’s Profile

Isabella Avery is a British animator and designer, originally from Upminster, Essex. After undergoing three years of study at Edinburgh College of Art, she graduated with Animation BA(Hons) in the summer of 2019. Since the completion of her degree, she has been nominated for four film festivals and attended Cannes Film Festival in France. She specialises in stop motion and motion graphics whilst having also worked in graphic design and 2D animation. Isabella is currently collaborating on a new film with another ex-animation student from Edinburgh College of Art, set for completion early in the new year.  

 Isabella’s film will screen at Leeds Carriageworks Theatre as part of the 8th edition of INDIs (Independent Directions) Film Festival in mid-October.   

 Visit Isabella’s site on www.isabellaavery.weebly.com