Slow Burn
After an accident, a 1970s firefighter must extinguish terrifying trauma as he risks everything to reignite his career.
Writer-Director Tommy Gillard
Producer Simeon Costello & Arsalan Motovali
Production Company Spinning Path Ltd
Year complete 2023
Run time 14:24
Tommy Gillard
Tommy Gillard is an award-winning writer and director from Devon. His short film Shuttlecock played at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival, where it won the Best Short Film Award. His short film Rhapsody in Blood was shot on a single roll of super-8 film and was described by two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins as a ‘technical marvel’. He was previously the creative leadfor an international brand, producing advertising content across seven different countries. Tommy is developing an episodic murder-mystery series and multiple feature films, alongside directing episodic TV, most recently a scripted comedy special for the BBC. He is represented by Independent TalenT
a short-documentary which he wrote, directed, produced – and starred in. Since then, Simeon has produced many award-winning short films,
including the hyper-masculine sport-comedy Shuttlecock, which won Best Short Film at the BFI London Film Festival 2020, and Seagull, a proof of
concept horror short film backed by BFI Network and Early Day Films. Simeon runs production company Spinning Path, and is currently producing
a slate of short films, while focusing on developing his first feature film. As well as producing, Simeon is a freelance film programmer who programmes a monthly cinema night in Exeter, showing films you’ve never seen, films that are so bad they’re good, and bringing classics back to the big screen.
Arsalan Motavali
Arsalan Motavali graduated with an MA in International Film Business from the London FilmSchool in 2021. He works across Agile’s slate of projects and is passionate about supporting director-led, underrepresented stories.
Film stills
Film stills
More from Film Hub South West
Top seven tips for applying to BFI NETWORK South West Labs & Programmes
Check out these top tips to help make your application clear, focused and genuinely reflective of you and your work.
Reframing Film Sessions 2025
Join some of the most inspiring voices in the worlds of exhibition, distribution and restoration to explore exciting ways of connecting older films with a new wave of cinema goers, find out more about restorations and physical media, and acquire practical insights into film rights and materials.
Watershed is the Lead Film Hub Organisation for Film Hub South West, part of the BFI Film Audience Network.
Watershed is a Registered Charity No. 284188 and a Social Enterprise
Watershed, 1 Canons Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5TX
Film Hub South West &
BFI NETWORK South West
are part of the BFI Film Audience Network, supported by The National Lottery.
