MEDIATHIRSTY PRODUCTIONS

Mediathirsty is an award-winning production company with a particular interest in nuanced stories featuring diverse ethnicities which challenge traditional narratives. Founded by Janet Marrett.

INDEPENDENT FILMS

RETURNED

RETURNED: Psychologist Zoe yearns for re-connection. Starring Michelle Greenidge (It’s A Sin, I May Destroy You, Small Axe). (11 min).

  • Writer & Director: Janet Marrett
  • Producer: Lorraine Bhattachary
  • Producer: Shakyra Dowling
  • Executive Producers Josic Cadoret & Rajita Shah
  • Principal cast: Michelle Greenidge
  • Director of Photography: Matt Gillan
  • Editor: Jim Page
  • Composer: Pablo Scopinaro
  • Sound Design: Rich Evans
  • Colourist: Sara Buxton
  • Production Design: Adrian Powell
  • Costume Design: Taslima Kahn
  • MUA: Teryne Philip
  • Sound Design: Dave Sohanpal
  • Cast: Max Fincham, Jeffery Kissoon, Lainy Boyle, Maddy Strauss, Jordan Louis, Liz McMullen, Stephanie Perry
  • BFI NETWORK presents RETRNED, supported by Film London & The National Lottery
  • In association with Mediathirsty, a Mono Films production

ASUNDER

ASUNDER: Olivia, a trainee professional, finds herself opposing the government that is seeking to criminalise her mother. ASUNDER offers an intricate story about family, politics and justice. Starring Kemi Awoderu (14 min).

  • Writer & Director: Janet Marrett
  • Producer: Nicola Gregory
  • Principal cast: Kemi Awoderu
  • Director of Photography: Korsshan Schlauer
  • Casting: Heather Basten
  • Editor: Marnie Hollande
  • Composer: Pablo Scopinaro
  • Production Design: Taslima Kahn
  • Sound Design: Rich Evans
  • Colourist: Mark Slobodian
  • Cast: Joyce Grey-Carter, Nicola Alexis, Angie Amra Anderson, Lewis Sycamore, Julia Lacey, Sue Swallow, Michael John-Day, David Toso, Simone McIntyre
  • Festivals: Women X 2021, BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2021. CineOdyssey Film Festival 2021, World Cinema Film Festival 2021, Toronto Black Film Festival 2022, Halifax Black Film Festival 2022, Cinemagic's On The Pulse Short Film Festival 2022, Women of the Lens Film Festival 2022, Hairouna Film Festival 2022, Women of African Descent Film Festival 2022, International Black & Diversity Film Festival 2022, Accra Indie FilmFest 2022, The Cinema in the Arches - The Short List 2022, Caribbean Tales International Film Festival 2022, Tape Collective & Make It In Brixton - We Are Here programme, Caribbean International Film Fest 2022, Fragments Film Festival 2022, We Make Movies Int’l Film Festival 2022, British Urban Film Festival 2022
  • Awards: Winner Best Performance Women X 2021, Winner Best Actress CineOdyssey Film Festival 2021, Best Writing nomination Women X 2021, Winner Best Short film World Cinema Film Festival UK 2021, Winner Best Short International Film International Black and Diversity Film Festival 2022, Winner Best Actress & Winner Best Director We Make Movies Int’l Film Festival 2022,

CLEARING

CLEARING: At 18 Kaila knows what she wants but finds herself struggling to stay motivated following a serious incident. Starring BAFTA-nominated Jasmine Jobson from Netflix’s Top Boy (13 min 20 sec).

  • Writer, Director & Producer: Janet Marrett
  • Principal cast: Jasmine Jobson
  • Director of Photography: Korsshan Schlauer
  • Editor: Emily Jo West
  • Composer: Bankey Ojo
  • Production Design: Isobel Power-Smith
  • Sound Design: Arron Emo-Travers
  • Colourist: Philipp Morozov
  • Cast: Nicola Alexis, Anu Jaiyeola, Helena Tang-Grosso, Yannick Budd, Faraz M. Khan, Drou Constantinou, Xavien Russell
  • Festivals: Festival de Cannes, Court Métrage Short Film Corner 2020, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2020 (BAFTA-qualifying), Emerging Filmmaker Network Film Festival 2020, London X4 Autumn 2020 Film Festival, Women of the Lens Festival 2020, The South London Film Festival finalist 2020, WorldFest - Houston International Film Festival 2021, Downtown Urban Arts Festival - NYC 2021, Special Mention from UK Seasonal Short Film Festival 2020, Honours List for Women X Festival 2020, Special Jury Mention Short of the Year 2021, Black Lens Film Festival 2021, Accra Indie Filmfest 2021, IrisPrize AMAA BAFTA & BIFA Qualifying British Urban Film Festival 2021, Kinofilm International Short Film Festival 2022
  • Awards: Winner Best UK Short at London X4 Film Festival 2020, Winner Best Director at London X4 Film Festival 2020, Platinum REMI Award WorldFest Houston 2021, Winner Best Actress Accra Indie Filmfest 2021, Winner Best International Short Film Downtown Urban Arts Festival NYC 2021, plus Winner Best Short Film Downtown Urban Arts Festival NYC 2021.

KINDRED

A beautiful and heart-warming social drama of Esther, a UK woman of Nigerian heritage estranged from her family because of her relationship with an English man. Esther is forced to mend this painful 8-year rift when her child becomes seriously ill. Starring Emilyne Mondo (17 min 58 sec).

  • Director & Producer: Janet Marrett
  • Screenwriters: Naomi Grant & Janet Marrett
  • Principal cast: Emilyne Mondo
  • Director of Photography: Lee Burnett
  • Editor: Emily Jo West
  • Composer: Bankey Ojo
  • Sound Design: Rich Evans
  • Colourist: Karl Barnes-Dallas
  • Cast: Andrea Hall, Anthony Kaye, Oliver Rednall, Skyla-Chi Khamjani-Wilson, Greg David Monga, Luis Amália
  • Festivals: Crystal Palace International Film Festival 2019, WorldFest Houston International Film Festival 2019, Women of African Descent Film Festival 2019, British Urban Film Festival 2019, People of Colour - The international Cultural Exchange 2020, Black Lives Matter by CPIFF 2020, Accra Indie Film Fest 2020, Silicon Valley African Film Festival 2020, Lincoln Park Music Festival 2020 and Gary International Black film Film Festival 2020, Black Lens Film Festival 2021
  • Awards: Gold REMI from WorldFest Houston, Diaspora Film Award Finalist from Silicon Valley African Film Festival

COMMISSIONED WORK

IGNITION – DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE?

Commissioned by Media Trust for Ignite Youth, Reg Charity: 1189771

  • Writer Director & Producer - Janet Marrett
  • Executive Producer - Fleur Nieddu
  • Associate Producer - Donna John
  • Principal cast - Jay Murray
  • Cinematographer - Matt Gillan
  • Production Designer - Taslima Khan
  • Composer - Pablo Scopinaro
  • Editor - Jim Page
  • Sound Mixer - Rich Evans
  • Colourist - Dan Levy
  • MUA - Teryne Philip
  • Gaffer - Michael Suszczenia
  • Sound Recordist - Dave Sohanpal
  • Focus Puller - Etai Shomri
  • Clapper Loader - Bertie Searles
  • Cast; Nathaniel Bygrave, Michael Luke, Robert Charles Lam, Jack Roberts, Sahil Sherifi, Jaydon Lewis, Sayesan Ganeshalingam, Jordan Chukwudoze, Alawi Abdalla, Donna John, Jamaar Grant
  • Thanks: Loop Talent, Lucy Price, James Dawson, Megan Cotton, Daisy Stone, Arri Rental, Samantha Gleeson, Paul Matthews, Green Kit, Pat McEnallay, Rascal Post, Jai Durban, Tithe Farm Sports & Social Club, Danny Mills, Ben Bethell, Sean Greaves, Francesca Evans.
  • Awards: 2023 Charity Film Awards finalist

Janet Marrett – FOUNDER

Janet is a Writer Director of British-Jamaican heritage highlighting the human experience. She’s founder of Mediathirsty and member of Directors UK and BAFTA Connect.

In 2023, she completed short film RETURNED (BFI NETWORK supported, National Lottery funded and B3 Media development supported), starring Michelle Greenidge (Doctor Who, Queenie, It’s A Sin, I May Destroy You, Small Axe) as psychologist Zoe, who yearns for re-connection.

Her first three indie shorts, KINDRED, CLEARING & ASUNDER have all screened internationally and have won several awards, including Best Director for ASUNDER at We Make Movies International in Los Angeles in 2022, also thrice Best Short Film, twice Best International Short Film, four Best Actor, a Platinum & 2 Gold REMI’s.

These shorts have been included in Cannes Court Métrage, BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica and British Urban Festivals, Canadian Screen qualifying Toronto Black, Halifax Black and Houston International Film Festivals, among others across the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, St Vincent & Ghana.

Mediathirsty are sorry we don’t currently have capacity to accept unsolicited script submissions for production or speculative job emails, however, feel free to connect with us for updates via our company page on LinkedIn.