Manx production company Dark Avenue Film is set to shoot its latest short film ‘Shutter Speed’, a project inspired by the Manx experience of traveling off-island for cancer treatment.

The 30-minute drama is based on director Patrick Crellin’s personal memories of accompanying his mother to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in 2007, when he was only 10 years old.

The film, co-produced by Dark Avenue Film co-founder Bethany White, follows the story of an optimistic mother, Fi, and her photography-enthusiast daughter, Una.

Initially framed as a holiday-like journey, the narrative evolves as Una begins to understand the true nature of her mother’s trip.

The film explores themes of family, illness, and emotional growth, with photography serving as a central motif in the pair’s bonding.

Shutter Speed will be partly filmed in the Isle of Man and will incorporate local cultural elements, including Chris Killip’s Isle of Man photography book and a fictionalised version of the Young Photographer of Mann competition.

The production has also attracted high-profile involvement, with Emmy and BAFTA-winning director Dearbhla Walsh (Bad Sisters, Little Dorrit) joining the project as executive producer.

A spokesperson from Dark Avenue Film commented: ‘Aiming to show a positive story of cancer on screen, as an antidote to the majority of feature films which depict a cancer diagnosis as fatal despite 50% of those diagnosed now surviving thanks to lifesaving research, the project is now crowdfunding for its remaining budget on Kickstarter.

‘Offering rewards such as seeing the film early, prints of Una’s photos or even visiting the set, the team are excited to present a Manx story to the world through universal themes of family, humour and navigating illness.’

To find out more and donate towards the film, you can visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkavenuefilm/shutter-speed-a-positive-cancer-story