Elizabeth Counsell plays Ellen. Image by Simon Baj Woodward.
A.D. Cooper's 20th short as director.
A.D. Cooper is delighted to have been back on board judging the FIlm Expo South short film script competition for a second time.
As well as judging, she supplied 1-2-1 Script Development Session with one of the winners and was commissioned to direct again.
"Playing Away", found elsewhere on this website, was the film she directed and co-produced from the winning script by Steve Langridge in 2022. This previous competition delivered wonderful results: it provided all scriptwriters with feedback, helped another director gain funding, and saw a scriptwriter commissioned to write a feature film.
2025's winning scripts were announced on 4th April, all following the Christmas theme. Filming of two winning scripts took place on 25/28 April 2025 in Wimborne in Dorset using local crew.
A.D. Cooper helmed "Merry Christmas Bill", the winning drama script by Lindsey Sharp, but she was also co-producer and script editor too. A further three scripts from the competition were filmed by other directors and production companies, with a cast and crew showcase in Dorset for 9 November 2025.
At this event, "Merry Christmas Bill" scooped the Audience Choice Award.
A.D. Cooper was a judge on the competition, and also scripted edited the winning script by Lindsey Sharp.
Poster Design by Paul Crane.
Elizabeth Counsell plays Ellen. Image by Simon "Baj" Woodward.
An audience of over 200 attended the cast and crew screening of the four films made from the scripts that came top in the competition. This short screened last and won the audience over.
Russell Biles played Tommy
Sean Pogmore played the rather dim Jake. Jewellery loaned from David's Jewellers in Richmond, Surrey.
Kevin Harper the soundie at work.
Filming in a 200-year-old house in Wimborne, Dorset, UK.
Image by Simon "Baj" Woodward.
Cast and crew in the location garden. Image by Simon "Baj" Woodward.