A Little Grey

A Little Grey is an award-winning 3D CGI short film co-directed by Beakus founder Steve Smith and Simon Hewitt, co-written by Stu Royall and Simon Hewitt, and animated by the Mexico-based studio Mighty.

Grey - voiced by Tony Gardner - is a man who has lost his colour in a world where everyone else has their own vibrant hue. Seeking a cure, he tries everything: daredevil sports, rock concerts, acupuncture, and eventually the bottle. With a baby on the way and a fear that his condition might be hereditary, Grey is a man searching for his spark - and it's the arrival of new life that may ultimately reignite it. Richard Atlee voices his psychiatrist.

The film began as Simon Hewitt's personal project, inspired by becoming a father for the first time. Beakus came on board to develop the script and treatment, with Mighty brought in to animate. The film made its UK premiere as the opening film at the London International Animation Festival at the Barbican, and went on to win four awards at festivals in Manchester, Leigh, Wimbledon and Woods Hole, Massachusetts, with further nominations including the Edinburgh International Film Festival. You can read a full interview with the directors about the making of the film at Directors Notes.