Support Pocket Money: A Film on Men's Mental Health

Hi everyone! We’re thrilled to share that Pocket Money is 60% filmed and well on its way to post-production. This project has been a labor of love, and we’re so proud of what we’ve created so far.

However, during principal photography, unforeseen circumstances forced us to evacuate one of our locations, costing us a crucial filming day. By that point, we had stretched our budget to complete as much as possible, but now we need your help to cross the finish line.

We’re launching this final round of fundraising to cover a pickup day, post-production costs and get Pocket Money ready for film festivals. Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer to sharing this story with the world. You can find more information about the project below:

Synopsis:

In this collision of worlds, two British men, having been stranded in the small-town South, find themselves on the brink of deportation from the US. Broke, jobless and desperate to extend their visas and live out their American Dream, Richard convinces Mickey to rob a bank. When the heist goes terribly wrong, they’re cornered by the xenophobic and trigger-happy Sheriff Merle.

However, we find that Richard’s family saved a 7-year-old Mickey from an unsafe and abusive household. Thrust into the stresses of the bank heist, their respective mental struggles, that - despite growing up together - they never opened up to each other about, as too many men fail to do.

Cast:

Writers/Directors:

Director's Statement:

Mark and Sean have been close since the age of nine...

We grew up together. And yet, it was not really until February of 2023 that we first opened up to each other emotionally. We were completely unaware of some of the difficulties the other had gone through over time, be it anxiety attacks, self-harm, or otherwise. Truthfully, we have told nearly nobody about issues, even if we find that plenty of people in our lives would be very supportive. Neither of us can pin down why we felt we should not talk to people but for whatever reason, we did not. We hope that we can pick apart the issues with male friendships - both with one another and with others in our lives - through this film; masking the subject matter in the comedy and drama of Brits facing deportation from the United States (an unfortunate situation both of us are battling to avoid in the coming months).

This crime story picks apart the consequences of bottling things up and taking each other for granted. Pocket Money is a proof of concept short film, with a feature length script in the works, aiming to bring the issue of men's mental health and the significance of de-stigmatizing conversations about it in the movie-making industry. We are deeply passionate about this project and eager to share it with the world.