Short film, 18 min.
An aspiring writer loses his cherished notebook at the gym. In order to find it, he must confront his own fears and prejudices about the different men he meets there.
Director: Giacomo Esposito
DOP: Fernando Ruiz
Producer: Nima Shahmalekpur
IN POST-PRODUCTION:
The Changing ROOM
TEAM
Director
GIACOMO ESPOSITO
Giacomo Esposito is a film and theatre director. His first film, VOTE X, was published by The Guardian in 2016. Since then he's worked as a commercial director for a range of international clients including Ticketmaster, Purplebricks and Universal Music, and worked as 2nd unit director on the feature film FACES. In 2022 he finished his debut narrative short film, SEEN, starring Joseph Payne (SHOWTRIAL, THE WITCHER) and Saskia Rose. The film screened at multiple festivals - including the BIFA accredited Beeston Film Festival, where it was award-nominated - and was featured on the industry-leading Shots website, who described it as an 'intriguing… multi-layered short'.
As a theatre-maker he's directed work that's been staged at Southwark Playhouse, Theatre 503, VAULT Festival, Omnibus Theatre, Pleasance Theatre and The Mercury.
He is the co-founder of theatre collective, Dakota Collective. In 2023 he directed their sold-out run of 'Gun to your Head' by Simon Jaggers at VAULT festival. The play received 4 star reviews and was named one of The Independent's 'unmissable gems' of the festival. In 2025, he took a new production of the play on an ACE-funded tour of East Anglia, in association with HighTide. In 2024, the collective were nominated for both New Diorama Theatre's Untapped Award and Pleasance Theatre's Charlie Hartill Award.
Director of Photography
Fernando Ruiz
Fernando Ruiz is a cinematographer with over two decades of experience, specialising in both feature films and commercials. His latest work is RAVENS, a magical realist biopic on legendary Japanese photographer Masahisa Fukase, starring Emmy-nominee Tadanobu Asano and directed by Oscar-nominee Mark Gill. RAVENS screened at Austin and Tokyo International Film festivals, with more to be announced soon.
PRODUCER
Nima Shahmalekpur
Nima Shahmalekpur is an award-winning London based producer. He's developed and managed both commercial and narrative projects for companies such as Comedy Central, Unilever, COTY and the BBC. His film SKIN OF WATER, produced through Ridley Scott Associates was nominated for best UK Short at Raindance 2024. ONLY WHEN YOU BURY ME IN THIS EARTH, a short film which he directed and produced, has been selected to screen at a variety of festivals including Aesthetica Short Film Festival and the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, where it won the award for human rights.
Intimacy Coordinator
ADELAIDE WALDROP
Adelaide Waldrop is a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy for Stage and Screen (ISS), where she trained with Lizzy Talbot and Yarit Dor. Prior to that she was part of Ita O'Brien's company, Intimacy On Set (IOS) until 2019. Credits as Lead Intimacy Coordinator include BLADE RUNNER 2099 (Alcon Entertainment); BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY (Working Title, NBC Universal); BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (Paramount, August Street Films); FOUNDATION (Skydance Television, Apple TV+); THE ACOLYTE (Lucasfilm, Disney+); QUEENIE (Lionsgate, Disney+); BLACK CAKE (HULU, Harpo Films); SEXY BEAST (Paramount+); and as intimacy coordinator, AFTERSUN (Turkish Riviera Run Club Ltd).
PRODUCTION DRAMATHERAPIST
Wabriya King
Combining both actor and psychotherapy training, Wabriya King supports people working in the performance arts during the rehearsal and performance period. Wabriya creates a therapeutic, confidential space so that performers can safely explore where fiction blurs with their reality. Her theatre credits include: FOR BLACK BOYS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE HUE GETS TOO HEAVY (New Diorama Theatre/ Royal Court/ West End); SLAVE PLAY (Noël Coward Theatre); SHIFTERS; AUGUST IN ENGLAND (Bush Theatre); SAMUEL TAKES A BREAK (The Yard); BEAUTIFUL THING; TAMBO & BONES (Theatre Royal Stratford East); A STRANGE LOOP (Barbican); COWBOIS; FALKLAND SOUND; THE EMPRESS; JULIUS CAESAR (RSC); SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY (Lyric Hammersmith); MATTHEW BOURNE'S ROMEO & JULIET (International tour); DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD (Complicité); BLUE (ENO); FURTHER THAN THE FURTHEST THING (Young Vic); FAMILY TREE (Actors Touring Company); BOOTYCANDY (Gate Theatre); BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY (National Theatre); HAMILTON; MOULIN ROUGE (West End); ROOTS, ALMA MATER; ROMEO AND JULIET; THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (The Almeida).
CASTING
Hannah Ashby-Ward and Priyanka Patel
@ LANE Casting
LANE Casting is a company of Casting Directors working internationally from offices in Barcelona, London, and Madrid. Drawing on traditional casting methods, street casting, specialist research, and celebrity casting, their work spans long-form narrative and TV series on Netflix through to short films, commercials, and music videos for artists including The Pet Shop Boys, The Chemical Brothers, Sam Smith, and Lewis Capaldi.
