FRUITLESS
Oscar, an aspiring fashion designer is faced with a painful decision following the events of a turbulent night.
WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER
From a tattered council estate, aspiring fashion designer Oscar dreams of moving to Paris after being accepted into a prestigious fashion school. His plans come crashing down whilst taking his younger sister Charlotte out for dinner when he gets a phone call from his older brother James, frantically begging for help after a burglary goes awry.
With James now caught up in the legal system, Oscar must choose between his family and his future. Leaving means Charlotte could get taken into care, staying means he gets trapped in the cycle of poverty, just like his father and brother.
ABOUT THE FILM
OUR CREW
Writing and Directing ‘Fruitless’ has been a great learning experience for me and has taught me so many lessons within filmmaking that I will take with me into all future projects. The ideas behind ‘Fruitless’ come from my own lived experiences and the things I'd witnessed growing up around a council estate so being able to tell this story in such an authentic manner really was important to me. I am so proud of the team and incredibly grateful for all the time and effort they’ve put into this film.
Tala murley
Producer/Editor
Making this film has been an incredible journey; I’ve learnt so much about not only myself but also my craft. Despite not having produced before, when stepping up to this role at the last minute, sourcing essential elements that ensured the film's production, which at times I worried wouldn’t be possible. Likewise, while having a strong role during production itself, in post, although a lengthy process, I can say I gave my all and am incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved and my immense contributions across all stages of production, getting this film to where it is today.
Working as lead production designer on Fruitless was one of the most interesting parts of my time on the course. I was particularly drawn to the film’s grounded coming-of-age story and its subtle themes of fashion, identity, and self-expression. Through costume concepts, props, and location styling, I focused on creating a visual world that felt naturalistic while reflecting the personalities and emotions of the characters. The project strengthened my interest in visual storytelling and taught me a great deal about the collaborative process behind filmmaking.
CHarlie frederick
Director/Writer
From the very early stages of development, it was clear that Fruitless had an intense magnetism to it, everyone could feel it even months before formally starting the Graduate Film module. It was this very magnetism that drew me to coming on as its Producer. This undertaking was a first for me, and as anticipated pre-production took a herculean effort, as did operating on set as script supervisor and continuing to oversee the on-set production. The result of everyone’s hard work is a film we can all be proud of, a film which thankfully does not live up to its name.
Fruitless has given me the perfect opportunity to grow and learn as a cinematographer, From pre-production I threw myself into developing the visual identity of the project, researching references, planning lighting setups, and working to ensure every frame reflected the story we were trying to tell. On set I gave everything to executing the best possible image, often adapting quickly to circumstances outside of my control. This project has pushed me significantly as a cinematographer and I believe that comes through in the final film.
Dylan Lundie
Director of Photography
Nathaniel Mitchell
Producer
Working on sound for Fruitless focused on shaping a naturalistic, emotionally responsive soundscape to support the film’s coming-of-age story and themes of identity and self-expression. I prioritised clear, grounded dialogue and detailed ambient sound to enhance the realism of each scene while maintaining subtle emotional texture. In post-production, I refined location audio through careful editing and layering, using selective enhancement to support narrative pacing and character moments. The final mix was designed to sit closely with the image, reinforcing both the intimacy and emotional tone of the film.
Desmond wahab
Sound
Theodore Kenward-Bailey
Production Designer
Fruitless was an exciting project to work on as a colourist, particularly when experimenting with visual refinements to enhance the film’s aesthetic, while also operating as a 2nd AC on set. I feel fortunate to have collaborated with such a talented and enjoyable group of people, who helped transform a challenging experience into one I genuinely appreciated, whilst allowing me to learn a great deal alongside and from them to apply in my approach to the future. As I take pride in my attention to detail, I hope the care and intricacy in my contributions have helped make Fruitless not only further compelling but also a meaningful film that resonates with the audience.
Chris Baguma
Colourist
SPECIAL THANKS
A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our Crowdfunder:
Janice & Peter Wood
Bruce Pell
Carrie Kenward
Thomas Bailey
Carla Blackmore
Neil Stoneman
Herman Vissia
Kate Kelk
Shekinah and Judah
Stuart Bell
Marie Brown
Alex
Jamie Hallitt
Daniel Wahab
Victor Idongesit
Pete and Hayley
Carolyn Woodcock
Gemma Woodcock
Nene Valley Brewery
Dan and Louise Frederick