Sophie Jane Austin

One of a five-part series inspired by CBE, British environmentalist and writer, Jonathon Porritt, commissioned by Reboot the Future. Screened in 17,000 UK classrooms, attracting over 1 million views on social media and online.

AWAKE is a short experimental documentary about a liminal moment in the calendar - midwinter - observed by the inhabitants of a small rural village in England. A time outside time, magic is everywhere and anything is possible. Bearing witness to this turning point, the inhabitants gather for a wassail - a centuries old thanksgiving ritual in which folk gather to honour the slow return of the sun and bless the apple trees whose fruit are essential to the village ecosystem, not least the crumbles, juice and cider that sustains them throughout the year.

Del, a workaholic struggling with her mental health, wants to escape the numbness consuming her. Despite being surrounded by people, she feels alone and is more comfortable navigating London at night. After experiencing an attempted assault by her colleague, she has a chance encounter with Sami, a homeless undocumented man from Nigeria. Del begins to question what she stands for and starts to come to terms with her own immigrant roots. But hostility and distrust are never far away, and Del is forced to question how she can really help Sami when she is just as lost herself.

Rise Up is an uplifting short film set in the near future, that tells the story of five young people as they each discover their passion and power. Inspired by environmentalist Jonathon Porritt's predictions for the next five years, we meet a young grower and chef, a determined Norfolk activist, an Indian Tik-Tok influencer, an outspoken politician and a innovative documentary maker. Each character emerges out of the chaos of 2020 and discovers their own unique role in creating a better future. This film is a hope-filled call to action for anyone who believes we have a collective and individual power to make a real difference in the world.