2025 Nominees

Hell Jumper

Expectation Entertainment

UK

- Social Issues & Current Affairs

Director Paddy Wivell brings a tenderness and empathy to his interviewing which allows people to open up, often talking about incredibly difficult things for the first time. He and Producer Adriana Timco worked closely with Chris Parry’s family and friends throughout the production, building an atmosphere of trust and candour throughout. These interviews are the architecture of the whole film, giving it its tone and emotional heart. Stylistically the master interviews were laced with social media posts, personal voice messages, and self-shot go-pro footage to create a first-person quality throughout. The team wanted the audience to be fully immersed in Chris’ experiences, so chose to run much of their footage at length. This unmediated quality is best illustrated by the film’s centrepiece: a ten-minute sequence of Chris going on a solo run searching for an elderly couple trapped in a basement. It’s an extraordinary, breathless sequence that perfectly captures Chris’ character.